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2018 Giro d'Italia: Stage-by-stage Analysis

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Re:

Ivan_Basso_77 said:
I am very unhappy that stages such as the one to Oropa last year and these to Montevergine and Prato Nevoso this year are becoming more and more frequent in the Giro. On the other hand, maybe we will see good action on Etna if there is no headwind. I also agree that Zoncolan is perfectly placed this time. The stages to Sappada and Cervinia should provide entertainment. Don't know what to expect from stage 19... could be extermely boring, but if Finestre is used well by some of the favourites and they have strong teammates ahead it could become a stage for the ages. Can't wait for the battle to start.
Pretty much this regarding the route.

Red Rick said:
I wonder what would happen if we got the Libertine version of this thread for the Tour.
Im for everything LS is in, but this sounds very fun.

Good write-ups Eshnar. I wouldn't lie, I digested it all within 20-25 min.
 
Re: Re:

Valv.Piti said:
Ivan_Basso_77 said:
I am very unhappy that stages such as the one to Oropa last year and these to Montevergine and Prato Nevoso this year are becoming more and more frequent in the Giro. On the other hand, maybe we will see good action on Etna if there is no headwind. I also agree that Zoncolan is perfectly placed this time. The stages to Sappada and Cervinia should provide entertainment. Don't know what to expect from stage 19... could be extermely boring, but if Finestre is used well by some of the favourites and they have strong teammates ahead it could become a stage for the ages. Can't wait for the battle to start.
Pretty much this regarding the route.

Red Rick said:
I wonder what would happen if we got the Libertine version of this thread for the Tour.
Im for everything LS is in, but this sounds very fun.

Good write-ups Eshnar. I wouldn't lie, I digested it all within 20-25 min.

Epic work Eshnar! Always amazed at how you get the info for all the non classified climbs.

Yes, anything that LS writes up will be great, but I don't think that anything can ever beat his sarcastic stage by stage reviews on some post GT's. And Cancellara isn't racing no more either. But then again, we shall always be blessed with the Tourmalet, and pancake flat stages :D
 
Re:

Ivan_Basso_77 said:
I am very unhappy that stages such as the one to Oropa last year and these to Montevergine and Prato Nevoso this year are becoming more and more frequent in the Giro. On the other hand, maybe we will see good action on Etna if there is no headwind.

Definitely. 3-4 stages like this is too much. 2 single-climb stages should be an absolute maximum. Etna and Grad Sasso would be more than sufficient MTFs together with Cervinia, Jaffrau and Zoncolan. The other two should have been replaced with tough medium mountain stages in the Apennines. If there is one thing I miss in the Giro the last few years (save for another sterrato stage), is better use of the hlliy/medium mountain terrain in the Apennines. This is definitely underused.

Ivan_Basso_77 said:
I also agree that Zoncolan is perfectly placed this time. The stages to Sappada and Cervinia should provide entertainment. Don't know what to expect from stage 19... could be extermely boring, but if Finestre is used well by some of the favourites and they have strong teammates ahead it could become a stage for the ages. Can't wait for the battle to start.

Sappada is by far the best designed stage in the Giro this year. Cervinia could also be very good if the GC before that stage encourage attacks, i.e. Dumoulin leads Aru by 1 minute or something like that. Jaffrau could really go either way. If the pace at Finestre is high enough, we could see an entertaining stage, but there could also be a waiting game for the last few kms at Jaffrau.
 
From my fanboy prospective, I don't know about crosswinds and generally weather conditions in the Middle-East, but many finishes (if the BOD doesn't take it) give Il Grandissimo Tibopino time-bonus opportunities. No descent-to-finish and possible time loss.

I liked the comment about this Giro being a Vuelta+25%. Two mythic stages IMO (Zonc and Jaff). On rest-day two, the GC will be close (good for ratings and hype), the ITT will open the real fight...will it? Again, some will begin defending a spot, three mountain stages in a row could mean conservative racing, we'll see.

But it's Il Giro. There will be magic. What kind of magic? I can't wait.

Alberto Contador will not win this bike race. That's all I know...
 
This thread is unmissable to prepare the Giro, so you don't have to click a thousand times on pages that won't load in order to see the profiles. I don't expect big gaps before the Zoncolan and the time trial, but those two stages will be crucial in the shaping of the GC. Stage 19 over the Finestre is the queen stage, but there probably won't be many candidates left by then. Hopefully there will still be attacks and suspense for pink in those final three days.
 
TWO DAYS TO THE GIRO D'ITALIA BIG START:
QUOTES FROM THE PROTAGONISTS
Team Sunweb, Team Sky, UAE Team Emirates, Groupama-FDJ, Quick - Step Floors and Trek-Segafredo press conferences

Jerusalem, 2 May 2018 – Today, a number of the Giro d'Italia's favourites shared their pre-race thoughts at a press conference. The 101st Giro d'Italia, organised by RCS Sport/La Gazzetta dello Sport, runs from 4 to 27 May.

Team Sunweb
Tom Dumoulin: "It’s not the end of the world if I don't perform in the opening time trial, but it would be nice to get a good result and hopefully win it. I haven't seen the course yet but, in the book, it seems hilly, so it’s good. My first impressions of Israel have been great. I arrived late last night but I couldn’t resist the urge to visit the old city of Jerusalem, so I headed over on my bike. People were looking at me a bit funny, wondering who’s this guy with normal clothes on a race bike… Being the defending champion of the Giro, the difference is how people look at me but I haven’t changed. I was maybe too eager to show myself to the world at the beginning of the season but, after I reflected on what went wrong in the spring, I’m more confident in my capabilities at the start of the Giro. I’ve also learned from last year how to overcome the difficult moments. But I haven’t 'reckonned' any of the mountain stages for this year."

Team Sky
Chris Froome: "To participate in the Giro is a decision I came to with the team during the winter. It’s been almost a decade since I first started the Giro in the country that welcomed me as a neo-pro with Barloworld and I’m back to win the event. It’s a huge motivation to try and win three Grand Tours in a row. From the feelings I’ve had at the Tour of the Alps, I’m ready to win but I can’t say this is gonna be the result in three weeks' time. I’ve got an extremely versatile team to help me in every part of the race. I’m not going to rely on the time trials to win the Giro. It’s a full package. I’m glad I 'reckonned' the Zoncolan and the time trial [in Trentino]. I already knew the Colle delle Finestre. It's a tough race ahead. We had security concerns before coming to Israel but it’s all been fantastic. We rode with the Israel junior team this morning. Hopefully the Giro starting here will inspire young cyclists and there will be prominent riders from this part of the world on the pro scene in a few years."

UAE Team Emirates
Fabio Aru: "Coming to Israel yesterday, we realized the temperature is pretty high. We’ll have to pay attention to hydration. On the roads of stage 2 and stage 3, the wind will also be a factor that should not be underestimated. The opening time trial is a tricky course with lots of ups and downs. I had a great desire to return to the Giro. It’s a crossroads in my career; it’s the right time to win the Giro. I’ve never felt young because I’ve raced with responsibilities albeit with no stress, almost since the beginning; in fact, since 2014. In our team, I feel the serenity and the harmony to do well. There are about 15 riders who are here for GC. In addition to Pinot, Pozzovivo and Lopez, who were in great form at the Tour of the Alps, and Froome, who was in a similar condition to me, there's Chaves, [Simon] Yates, Bennett and Woods, who are among the climbers to watch. I don’t think the Zoncolan or the Jafferau will decide the race… all 21 stages will."

Groupama-FDJ
Thibaut Pinot: "This is my first visit to Israel and I’m surprised by how beautiful it is. But it’s hot and that’s not my forte. However, the heat would be a problem for me in the mountains, not during the first three stages I guess. Last year I finished 1’20’’ down on Tom Dumoulin. It’s not much but I lost some time in the time trials and I was kind of sick in the second week. This year, I hope to not waste any time so I can make the podium. It’s great to have won the Tour of the Alps, beating Froome, Lopez and others, but each rider's form can be different 15 days before a Grand Tour. I won’t let myself get carried away by this result. Maybe my rivals will mark me more. Most importantly, I want to be in great shape to attack in the mountains."

Quick - Step Floors
Elia Viviani: "It’s a good experience to start the Giro in Israel. One of the beauties of cycling is to see a lot of places in the world. I’m delighted to be here in Jerusalem, a beautiful city with a lot of history. I’m yet to see the course of the time trial and decide if I race it flat out to target the Maglia Rosa later on or reserve strength for the following two days in which I want to win. With races in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, I’m used to winning in the desert and I’m confident to continue this winning streak. I’m here to complete the Giro. After I had a bad experience of going home after eight days, I don’t want that to happen again. An amazing scenery awaits us in Rome for the conclusive stage. It’s an extra motivation. Every time I start the Giro, I aim for the cyclamen jersey but my first goal is to win a stage or more. I’d love to reach Rome with three stage victories and the cyclamen jersey."

Trek-Segafredo
Gianluca Brambilla: "For me it’s a bit strange to arrive at the Giro d’Italia with only a few days of racing. After the Abu Dhabi Tour, I’ve been off the bike for 20 days as I contracted pneumonia. Then I trained well and I did not come back straight to racing. I waited for the Tour of Croatia. My goal is to try and make a good GC. As I've shown in the past, I prefer to take a stage victory instead of a position outside the top 10 on GC. I start the race by focusing on the top 10 but, if it doesn’t work out, I think I have a stage victory in my legs."
 
what can be said that hasn't already....

Bravo Eshnar for putting such wonderful information available to all us lazy bastards co-dependent of your generosity :D

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