2019 Giro d'Italia Stage 11: Carpi - Novi Ligure 206 km

[Jancouver]

Eshnar wrote

Wednesday, May 22nd

START TIME: 11.55 CEST

FINISH TIME: ~17.15 CEST

Technical Overview:
After a pan flat stage along the Po Valley, we get another pan flat stage along the Po Valley. Since this one comes just before four consecutive hilly/mountain stages (six if we don't consider the rest day), I can understand that this stage is easy. The missed chance was yesterday. This stage is also quite long, just because Carpi and Novi Ligure are farther apart than Ravenna and Modena are, so increasing the difficulty of this stage would have meant make it much longer, in an edition that is already overstepping the 3500 km limit. The route is pretty unimaginative, as it makes a long arc following the foot of the Appennines, careful at avoding any possible climb. Maybe it's worth mentioning that the final kms are all slightly uphill (1-2%), so this might change the established pecking order between the sprinters. It's their penultimate chance (the last one for those who are not planning to reach Verona), so they'd better take it.

What to expect:
Another mass sprint.

Carpi

 

[Scarponi]

Legit I could slightly understand yesterday but this is the god damn worst GT stage ever

 

[Red Rick]

 

[Amazinmets87]

What effect (if any) does the gradient have on the sprinters? Is it enough to tilt the odds in Ewans favor?

 

[ice&fire]

WTF? There's not even a nasty corner or a rondabout in the last 3 km!

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

What effect (if any) does the gradient have on the sprinters? Is it enough to tilt the odds in Ewans favor?

Just a tiny bit, but not enough I imagine.

In fact I think it makes lead outs and timing a bit more akward

 

[Cookster15]

Since this one comes just before four consecutive hilly/mountain stages (six if we don't consider the rest day), I can understand that this stage is easy.

Thanks Vancouver for at least providing a feasible explanation for this stage. It still does not make it any easier to endure.Oh well its stage 11 and the real Giro starts tomorrow at last.

Maybe the slight uphill ending could help Caleb Ewan?

 

[Valv.Piti]

Isnt that like 1% or something? I dont think it will matter.

 

[King Boonen]

Looks like the whole stage is uphill with an average of about 0.001%. Nibali for the win.

 

[Cookster15]

Re:

Isnt that like 1% or something? I dont think it will matter.

Yeh. You are right on the wheels the sprinters won't feel that rise. Just hypothesising.

 

[JosephK]

I hope for no crashes -- monotony could be a liability on this stage . . . riders falling asleep.

 

[Pantani_lives]

Tomorrow will be a day full of surprises. There will be attacks by several riders. Some of them will form a leading group called the breakaway. They will stay away for a long time. However the bunch will come back towards the end. A sprinter will win the sprint.

 

[Jagartrott]

Can't wait.





For this stage to be over.
Hopefully no crashes.

 

[JosephK]

Re:

Tomorrow will be a day full of surprises. There will be attacks by several riders. Some of them will form a leading group called the breakaway. They will stay away for a long time. However the bunch will come back towards the end. A sprinter will win the sprint.

These are shocking predictions, but I believe such events are not unheard of. It could happen.

 

[klintE]

Lets get ready to rumble!

 

[Eyeballs Out]

200 km of Frapporti and Cima in the break - sprinter teams will be wary of such a dangerous attack and won't given them any more than 3 mins. With any luck it will be over before it gets dark

 

[johnymax]

The wait is almost over. Just one more day. C'mon cycling fans all over the World, stay strong. It'll be worth.

 

[repre]

Re:

Since this one comes just before four consecutive hilly/mountain stages (six if we don't consider the rest day), I can understand that this stage is easy.

Thanks Vancouver for at least providing a feasible explanation for this stage. It still does not make it any easier to endure.Oh well its stage 11 and the real Giro starts tomorrow at last.

Maybe the slight uphill ending could help Caleb Ewan?

not enough to make a real difference i think

 

[Gigs_98]

I just hope none of the gc contenders crash so the giro can start for real on Thursday.

 

[repre]

Re:

The wait is almost over. Just one more day. C'mon cycling fans all over the World, stay strong. It'll be worth.

It wasn't all that bad until those two days, to be honest. TDF kinda have taught us for the flat first week and it wasn't all that flat. Also two ITT provided GC racing and Tom's drama as well. But this two pancake flat stages were unnecesary, if one of them were for puncheurs it would be better.

 

[More Strides than Rides]

Re: Re:

The wait is almost over. Just one more day. C'mon cycling fans all over the World, stay strong. It'll be worth.

It wasn't all that bad until those two days, to be honest. TDF kinda have taught us for the flat first week and it wasn't all that flat. Also two ITT provided GC racing and Tom's drama as well. But this two pancake flat stages were unnecesary, if one of them were for puncheurs it would be better.

These two stages are like a recorded message while on hold, or waiting in the lobby for an appointment. You know you're going to wait, and that by itself is not bad. But a little "thank you for waiting" or "we appreciate your patience" just puts you over the edge into grumpy mode. It was okay the way it was, but drawing attention to it makes it worse.

 

[Robert5091]

That left hand swing on a roundabout just before the 3 km left sign makes me think of the recent Tour of California debacle. Hope all come home ok.

 

[Tonton]

Japanese Samurai in the break-away when, with 20 kilometers to go Simon becomes the new Boonen, attacks and opens up a sizable gap. But Roglic, who is the new Rominger after months as the new Landa reacts and time trials his way back. He takes with him Nibali, who is the new NIbali, much better than the old NIbali from last year when he looked like the new Van Garderen. Riders all over the road. Demare hangs on for dear life and makes it back to the front. The forum erupts: how could he do that? Did he cheat? French fans (always knowledgeable) rejoice: some claim that they knew all along hat he was the new Hinault. In the midst of this chaos no one pays attention to a surge by The Great Bauke Mollema; pulling a massive gear. Kirby squeals: he looks like the new Ullrich! No Sky rider in the mix, so many fans regret that there won't be a new Armstrong and a duel for the ages on the climb to the finish, dubbed the new Alpe d'Huez: 14 kilometers at 0.7%. One last turn and the final 3 kilometers are upon us as a group of fifteen riders comes together. Caleb Ewan wants to be the new Cavendish and feels good about his chances. Viviani may be the new Sercu (RIP champ) but he's not sure which wheel to take. So he follows Ackermann who may be the new Kittel but looks like the old Tutankhamen after his fall. Demare opens up the sprint with 450 meters to go, takes the advantage...then what?

Nono, Viviani, Caleb in the top-5.

I can't wait for this bike race to really begin.

 

[movingtarget]

Commentator's nightmare. Oh well at least the following few days should be worthy. Ackermann looked pretty banged up yesterday but it looks like the usual suspects to fight it out.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Roglic to finish last in the peloton to continue his energy saving effort started on stage 4. Demare to win, Ackerman second to start their battle for the red jersey.