2017 Giro d'Italia, Stage 4: Cefalú - Etna 181 km

[Arredondo]

Winners of today: Zakarin, Thomas, Dumoulin, Quintana, Landa (no time loss despite the problems today)

Losers of the day: Kruijswijk, Costa, that's it really

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

Quintana, pinot, landa, thomas,... what a joke of riders

They have to drop Thomas in the mountains, he should gain time on most in the TT. It's on Quintana, Nibali, Pinot and co to do that.

Thomas will drop himself in the mountains come the 3rd week, don't you worry. I don't think Nairo really cares for him.

 

[RedheadDane]

Re:

Yeah sometimes the parcours and the conditions aren't conducive to the kind of attacking we'd like to see. Very early to have a stage like this. Plenty of great racing to come.

This. That's just part of the racing happens outside in the present conditions package that is road cycling.

 

[46&twoWheels]

Looking forward for something happening between Etna and Trentino

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Re:

Kruijswijk really needs to improve. Was horrible on the Etna

As expected and predicted by me. Early mountain and Kruijswijk is a bad combo. What does not help is that he fell both in Yorkshire and today. Which I think means he will be a non factor in this years Giro.

Other climbers were dumb today. A stage wasted in dropping Dumoulin, Thomas, Jungels and other strong time trial specialists

 

[portugal11]

What is missing is a rider like contador, nowadays these riders are cowards as hell

 

[Brullnux]

Re:

You'd think if the headwind was that bad though, that a solo lesser name rider wouldn't be able to win relatively comfortably despite being in the break all day.

I think its just the consequence of big climbs early in the race. No-one wants to do an early attack and risk blowing up, and nobody really wants to have to waste energy defending the MR for the next few days. A stage for the race design thread aficionados to perhaps pay attention to.

You're right, Tour designs of the noughties are they way forward

 

[The Chicken]

Pffft what a letdown that was.

 

[sir fly]

Re: Re:

Thought last night of putting a Euro on Polanc for the stage... 250 odds.
Let's see did I miss the earning.

That must hurt

Bah... Could've used that 250, but would've, probably, jinxed Polanc.
That's the way it worked by now, at least.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Re:

Winners of today: Zakarin, Thomas, Dumoulin, Quintana, Landa (no time loss despite the problems today)

Losers of the day: Kruijswijk, Costa, that's it really

you do realize that even tho Kruijswijk was his usual lesser self he was still in the group. Eg he didn't lose time

 

[Pricey_sky]

Re: Re:

Quintana, pinot, landa, thomas,... what a joke of riders

They have to drop Thomas in the mountains, he should gain time on most in the TT. It's on Quintana, Nibali, Pinot and co to do that.

Thomas will drop himself in the mountains come the 3rd week, don't you worry. I don't think Nairo really cares for him.

That maybe so. But that's not the point of the post I was replying to, It's not on Thomas to attack it's on the rest.

 

[DBotero]

Re:

What is missing is a rider like Froome, nowadays these riders are cowards as hell

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

Quintana, pinot, landa, thomas,... what a joke of riders

They have to drop Thomas in the mountains, he should gain time on most in the TT. It's on Quintana, Nibali, Pinot and co to do that.

Thomas will drop himself in the mountains come the 3rd week, don't you worry. I don't think Nairo really cares for him.

That maybe so. But that's not the point of the post I was replying to, It's not on Thomas to attack it's on the rest.

Oh yeah, definitely. I honestly had expected an early dig for Thomas tho after Trentino.

 

[movingtarget]

Great win by Polanc. I thought he had no chance and Zakarin left it too late.

 

[portugal11]

Re: Re:

What is missing is a rider like Froome, nowadays these riders are cowards as hell

 

[deValtos]

Probably should've caught up on some sleep that watch this. Only Polanc bit was worth it.

 

[jaylew]

Re:

G now surely the Sky leader with today's gain

What? It was a 4 second time bonus.

 

[Escarabajo]

It looks like nobody wanted pink!

 

[Arredondo]

Re: Re:

Winners of today: Zakarin, Thomas, Dumoulin, Quintana, Landa (no time loss despite the problems today)

Losers of the day: Kruijswijk, Costa, that's it really

you do realize that even tho Kruijswijk was his usual lesser self he was still in the group. Eg he didn't lose time

I know, but he was just hanging in there. Would have been dropped if some GC guys had the balls to attack hard in those last 3 km.

I just feel he will disappoint this Giro. But let's see first

 

[deValtos]

Re: Re:

G now surely the Sky leader with today's gain

What? It was a 4 second time bonus.

He's making a topical joke.

 

[Escarabajo]

What was Quintana doing?
Was he tired or just bored?

 

[Ikbengodniet]

Re:

Kruijswijk really needs to improve. Was horrible on the Etna

Hope he isn't hurt from the crash, but at least he lost no time. That's already pretty good for him in the first week.

 

[deValtos]

Seems cannondale are going for mass GC instead of getting in breaks.

 

[movingtarget]

Even Van Garderen looked comfortable.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

So much for epic.

The real winner here is Nibali I think. He talked up the stage, but when you look at his past, he's always best in the last week of GT's, the final few mountain stages especially. When he's been up front like this early in the mountains, he usually walks away the overall winner.