2018 Giro d'Italia stage 12: Osimo - Imola 214 km

[Gigs_98]

STAGE 12: Osimo – Imola 214 km

May 17th

Technical Overview:
After a very nice medium mountain stage comes one of the most disappointing ones. The peloton starts where it finished the previous day, in Osimo, and heads north-west along the coast and then into the inland, following the long Roman road called Via Emilia. It is all pan flat and straight all the way to the finishing town, Imola. Luckily the stage does not end immediately there: the riders will have to enter a circuit that includes part of the Autodromo and a small climb, Tre Monti (GPM4, 4.4 km at 4.1%). This circuit is exactly the same that was featured in the 2015 Giro... only this time it's to be done only once. Comparing this stage to the 2015 one is indeed very disappointing, especially considering they come at almost the same point in the race, and in very similar situations. The only excuse I can find is that the stage is already long as it is, but even so they should have given it some more love. It's not like tomorrow is a big day...

Final km

The Climbs:
Tre Monti (GPM4, 4.4 km at 4.1%)
Profile on the final km picture. The climb is quite easy but has a good ramp at the beginning, with 1.5 km at 7.3%, and one at the end, with 1 km at 7.6%.

What to Expect:
Probably a mass sprint. Tre Monti has a few nice ramps but many sprinters will not have problems. Hopefully it will be enough to spice it up.

Imola

 

[Gigs_98]

I actually quite like this stage design. Ofc it will only be interesting for like 15 minutes, but these 15 minutes should be amazing. I still have very good memories of a very similar stage in the 2016 giro won by Ulissi. I fear this one won't be quite as good as the climb is easier but I nontheless expect lots of attacks on the slopes of Tre Monti. I'm rooting for Wellens to get his 2nd.

 

[Laplaz]

Hopefully there will be some attacks on the Tre Monti climb. Otherwise Viviani.
Btw, is there a possibility of crosswinds?

 

[Red Rick]

Red Rick remembers finish profile

Red Rick checks 2015 stage profile

Red Rick is sad

 

[Netserk]

Viviani again. Schachmann and/or Štybar will mark any dangerous move in the finale.

 

[Breh]

Ah! The circuit where Zakarin bagged his first notable stagevictory. In the pouring rain no less!

 

[Gigs_98]

Re:

Red Rick remembers finish profile

Red Rick checks 2015 stage profile

Red Rick is sad

I gotta say though, I'm not a huge fan of that stage design either. With all those Imola laps the really hard and interesting part of the stage became uninteresting and on the finishing circuit itself the climb wasn't really hard enough to cause any battle between gc contenders. Because of that this was also pretty much the only disappointing medium mountain stage in the 2015 giro

 

[Netserk]

You cant have gc-action every day. It was a nice breakaway stage that also made the race a bit harder for everyone. Betancur almost won!

 

[Gigs_98]

Re:

You cant have gc-action every day. It was a nice breakaway stage that also made the race a bit harder for everyone. Betancur almost won!

Well, if you want a battle for the stage win I'm pretty sure tomorrows stage will be about as exciting as 2015 one.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Yeah, those 5 climbs in quick succession is basically Fuente Dé on steroids.

On the bright side, its a lot better than a useless sprinters stage. At least it will be up in the air if a late attack can make it or not.

 

[Red Rick]

I think the Tour would manage to give this stage 5 KOMs

 

[Netserk]

Re: Re:

You cant have gc-action every day. It was a nice breakaway stage that also made the race a bit harder for everyone. Betancur almost won!

Well, if you want a battle for the stage win I'm pretty sure tomorrows stage will be about as exciting as 2015 one.

I really don't think so. That stage was excellent - for what it was.

 

[GraftPunk]

I know some people like these stages, but to me it's quite the stinker, almost like the pan flat processional pseudo-rest days in the TDF. Viviani for the win i suppose. Maybe I'll be wrong and rogue cross-winds may appear?

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

I know some people like these stages, but to me it's quite the stinker, almost like the pan flat processional pseudo-rest days in the TDF. Viviani for the win i suppose. Maybe I'll be wrong and rogue cross-winds may appear?

The next two days are probably pseudo rest days. I follow Gesink on strava and the stage Bennett won (the super easy sprint stage along the coast in Italy) he had an average BPM of 92. It was also just 150 km. I mean, come on.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Bennett will be hard to beat here. He's the best climbing sprinter at the moment which tells a lot about his form. And he's faster than Viviani as well.

 

[More Strides than Rides]

I have to ask... any chance of wind-related excitement?

 

[tobydawq]

Re: Re:

I know some people like these stages, but to me it's quite the stinker, almost like the pan flat processional pseudo-rest days in the TDF. Viviani for the win i suppose. Maybe I'll be wrong and rogue cross-winds may appear?

The next two days are probably pseudo rest days. I follow Gesink on strava and the stage Bennett won (the super easy sprint stage along the coast in Italy) he had an average BPM of 92. It was also just 150 km. I mean, come on.

I have a hard time believing that number. That just seems too low...

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

I know some people like these stages, but to me it's quite the stinker, almost like the pan flat processional pseudo-rest days in the TDF. Viviani for the win i suppose. Maybe I'll be wrong and rogue cross-winds may appear?

The next two days are probably pseudo rest days. I follow Gesink on strava and the stage Bennett won (the super easy sprint stage along the coast in Italy) he had an average BPM of 92. It was also just 150 km. I mean, come on.

I have a hard time believing that number. That just seems too low...

Gesink generally has low BPM, but all the stats are out there and that day is pretty consistent with the others given the difficulty.

 

[tobydawq]

Walking puts your BPM above that number.

 

[Carols]

Looks like a bit of a snoozer to me . But I guess the guys could use a couple of easy days before Saturday.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

Walking puts your BPM above that number.

Well, go ahead and look at his Strava. Some people naturally have a low heart rate and couple that with an extremely easy stage. Have you sat in a big bunch just on a completely flat and uncomplicated route? Its not something that I am making up..... Other riders were at about 100-110.

 

[meat puppet]

The bpm sounds about right.

People have completed flat tdf stages with an avg power of less than 100w. Not pedalling while hiding in the bunch is a crucial racing skill. Putting out 0w for about 15% of a mass start race is something to aim for.

 

[tobydawq]

Re: Re:

Walking puts your BPM above that number.

Well, go ahead and look at his Strava. Some people naturally have a low heart rate and couple that with an extremely easy stage. Have you sat in a big bunch just on a completely flat and uncomplicated route? Its not something that I am making up..... Other riders were at about 100-110.

I don't think you're making it up.

 

[GraftPunk]

IIRC LA's resting heartrate was 32, which still blows my mind.

ETA correct bpm.

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

IIRC LA's resting heartrate was in the forties, which still blows my mind.

Indurain allegedly had a resting heart rate of 28