2019 Giro d'Italia Stage 12: Cuneo - Pinerolo 158km

[Laplaz]

We finally made it !!!

Stage 12: Cuneo - Pinerolo 158 km

Thursday, May 23rd

START TIME: 13.10 CEST

FINISH TIME: ~17.15 CEST

Technical Overview:
The mountains finally start, and they do with none other than a celebration of the most famous stage in Giro history, Coppi's greatest feat, the mythical Cuneo - Pinerolo 1949, with its 250+ km through the Maddalena, Vars, Izoard, Montgenevre and Sestriere... except the "celebration" is nothing more than the starting and finishing towns. The route between them could not be more different than the one of the stage they are supposed to celebrate. The stage starts as very easy, with a short uncategorized climb to Colletta di Rossana (2km at 4.5%), and then rolling terrain with some small ramps towards the uncategorized climb of Colletta di Paesana. Its descent bring on a completely flat section that leads to Pinerolo. On the way, in the town of Cavour, the road connects with the final km of the stage itself: 12 km of flat to reach Pinerolo and the last difficulty of the day, the cobbled wall of San Maurizio (500m at 13.2%), which tops at exactly 2 km to go. As the stage is not over yet, the peloton will turn back south and leave the town towards the first, proper mountain of this Giro, coming after 15 km of rolling terrain. Montoso (GPM1, 8.8 km at 9.5%) has never been ridden in the Giro and we were all wondering why. It is by far the biggest challenge the riders had to face up to now, featuring 6 km consistently over 10%. The road is very narrow, and that is likely the reason why they climb this side and descend the other one, much wider but farther away from the finish (the two sides have amazingly similar numbers). Just for your information, this is not even the whole climb, as the road keeps going up for 5.5 km more (with much more irregular slopes) to Rucas. Unfortunately, there is only one road to get there, so it cannot be used as a pass and the peloton will have to stop at Montoso. The top is at 32 km to go, the first 10 being a wide but technical (and steep) descent to Bagnolo, where the road will become pan flat. Here the riders will reach Cavour again and repeat the same route they made earlier. From Bagnolo to the wall there are 19 km an flat and straight roads... granted, Coppi would have smashed it, but the riders of today might be worried about the upcoming stages.

The Climbs:
Montoso, GPM1, 8.8 km at 9.5%
Jokes are over. Finally the first GPM1 of the edition, and it's a new one. Not very long but really steep.

What to expect:
I expect a big selection in the peloton, maybe down to 10 riders (or less if a real contender decides to set the pace), but it will probably come together in or after the descent, with maybe someone off the radar getting away on the flat and winning. The cobbled wall in Pinerolo might dish some decent time gaps between the favourites.

Cuneo - Pinerolo, 10 June 1949. "Un uomo solo al comando"

 

[Rollthedice]

Astana murders the peloton on Montoso just to realize there's a descent after for Lopez. Some 20 riders will approach the wall, Nibali attacks on the flat before and wins.

 

[More Strides than Rides]

The stage will be much harder on the domestiques than the contenders. That will be the fun battle to watch; who hangs on during the climb, who drops but rejoins on the flat, who tries to rejoin but can't bridge across. A good measuring stick of team strength going into the mountains.

 

[Laplaz]

The break will take this one I think.
Let's see if Astana, Movi, Bora, Sky or EF will send one of the two "leaders" on the attack or if they save energies for Friday and Saturday...
I'm not expecting fireworks on Montoso, but some gaps on the last muro could happen.

 

[Red Rick]

There is a deep, dark part of me that wonders if the rest of the Giro sucks ass too know if they'll learn and not make shitty first 2 weeks like this again.

 

[tobydawq]

Re:

There is a deep, dark part of me that wonders if the rest of the Giro sucks *** too know if they'll learn and not make ****** first 2 weeks like this again.

Your posts are getting increasingly incomprehensible.

 

[Red Rick]

Nibali, Roglic and Mollema will want to sit there and be pretty tomorrow, but basically everyone else has plenty of reason to attack, if not for all the dead weight in the top echelons of GC.

The breakaway will determine who can attack. Similarly, bringing the break back at the foot of Montoso could actually close a lot of action down.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Jungels to save the Giro for DQ.

 

[Gigs_98]

I don't know, maybe I'm too pessimistic but I think everyone expecting fireworks will be disappointed. Domestiques are fresh, there is only one proper climb the whole day and frankly there is too little to gain to make taking those risks worth it. Like how big do you think gaps could be? If the stage works out absolutely brilliantly for a gc contender I still don't see him gaining more than 30 seconds on most other gc riders but for that you have to ride 20 kilometers on the flat using huge amounts of energy with three days in a row looming which all look more important than this one.

 

[Poursuivant]

I don't know, maybe I'm too pessimistic but I think everyone expecting fireworks will be disappointed. Domestiques are fresh, there is only one proper climb the whole day and frankly there is too little to gain to make taking those risks worth it. Like how big do you think gaps could be? If the stage works out absolutely brilliantly for a gc contender I still don't see him gaining more than 30 seconds on most other gc riders but for that you have to ride 20 kilometers on the flat using huge amounts of energy with three days in a row looming which all look more important than this one.

Think tomorrow will be about everyone finding their climbing legs and then Friday will be the GC Day.

 

[Red Rick]

I don't know, maybe I'm too pessimistic but I think everyone expecting fireworks will be disappointed. Domestiques are fresh, there is only one proper climb the whole day and frankly there is too little to gain to make taking those risks worth it. Like how big do you think gaps could be? If the stage works out absolutely brilliantly for a gc contender I still don't see him gaining more than 30 seconds on most other gc riders but for that you have to ride 20 kilometers on the flat using huge amounts of energy with three days in a row looming which all look more important than this one.

That's why you cram every single one of yer teammates in teh breakaway

 

[Rollthedice]

The descent ends with 18km to go and it's a tough one. I'd say everything is possible or nothing possible will happen. Question is who is willing to risk it for potential small benefits in the perspective of the following 3 killer days.

 

[Amazinmets87]

I think the cobbled wall adds significant invective to attack on the climb. Let's say a group coalesces at the base of the descent to attempt to reel in a rider who's broken free. The wall is steep enough to prevent drafting and riders will be dropped from a group riding tempo.

 

[Gigs_98]

I don't know, maybe I'm too pessimistic but I think everyone expecting fireworks will be disappointed. Domestiques are fresh, there is only one proper climb the whole day and frankly there is too little to gain to make taking those risks worth it. Like how big do you think gaps could be? If the stage works out absolutely brilliantly for a gc contender I still don't see him gaining more than 30 seconds on most other gc riders but for that you have to ride 20 kilometers on the flat using huge amounts of energy with three days in a row looming which all look more important than this one.

That's why you cram every single one of yer teammates in teh breakaway

Is that worth it though? I'd really save them for the following stages instead of letting them waste their energy on a stage where most likely nothing big is gonna happen anyway.

 

[Red Rick]

I don't know, maybe I'm too pessimistic but I think everyone expecting fireworks will be disappointed. Domestiques are fresh, there is only one proper climb the whole day and frankly there is too little to gain to make taking those risks worth it. Like how big do you think gaps could be? If the stage works out absolutely brilliantly for a gc contender I still don't see him gaining more than 30 seconds on most other gc riders but for that you have to ride 20 kilometers on the flat using huge amounts of energy with three days in a row looming which all look more important than this one.

That's why you cram every single one of yer teammates in teh breakaway

Is that worth it though? I'd really save them for the following stages instead of letting them waste their energy on a stage where most likely nothing big is gonna happen anyway.

You can also increase gaps on the flat.

Friday is a pretty straightforward MTF in that regard, and Saturday could well be everything together on the San Carlo.

 

[luckyboy]

Which breakaway rider will join the legends of Coppi, Bitossi, Saronni and Di Luca to win from Cuneo to Pinerolo?!

 

[Ricco']

Re:

Which breakaway rider will join the legends of Coppi, Bitossi, Saronni and Di Luca to win from Cuneo to Pinerolo?!

Sho Hatsuyama !!

 

[Gigs_98]

I don't know, maybe I'm too pessimistic but I think everyone expecting fireworks will be disappointed. Domestiques are fresh, there is only one proper climb the whole day and frankly there is too little to gain to make taking those risks worth it. Like how big do you think gaps could be? If the stage works out absolutely brilliantly for a gc contender I still don't see him gaining more than 30 seconds on most other gc riders but for that you have to ride 20 kilometers on the flat using huge amounts of energy with three days in a row looming which all look more important than this one.

That's why you cram every single one of yer teammates in teh breakaway

Is that worth it though? I'd really save them for the following stages instead of letting them waste their energy on a stage where most likely nothing big is gonna happen anyway.

You can also increase gaps on the flat.

Friday is a pretty straightforward MTF in that regard, and Saturday could well be everything together on the San Carlo.

Man, I don't know. Of course if there is complete mayhem someone who is in front might be hard to catch for small groups behind or there could be tactical games behind, but I mean full mayhem? How often do we see full mayhem on the first mountain stage, how often do we see mayhem if there isn't a mtf, how often do we see full mayhem if additionally there are twenty flat kilometers at the end and how often do we see mayhem on a stage with three harder days following. I just don't see it.

 

[del1962]

I don't know, maybe I'm too pessimistic but I think everyone expecting fireworks will be disappointed. Domestiques are fresh, there is only one proper climb the whole day and frankly there is too little to gain to make taking those risks worth it. Like how big do you think gaps could be? If the stage works out absolutely brilliantly for a gc contender I still don't see him gaining more than 30 seconds on most other gc riders but for that you have to ride 20 kilometers on the flat using huge amounts of energy with three days in a row looming which all look more important than this one.

That's why you cram every single one of yer teammates in teh breakaway

Is that worth it though? I'd really save them for the following stages instead of letting them waste their energy on a stage where most likely nothing big is gonna happen anyway.

You can also increase gaps on the flat.

Friday is a pretty straightforward MTF in that regard, and Saturday could well be everything together on the San Carlo.

Man, I don't know. Of course if there is complete mayhem someone who is in front might be hard to catch for small groups behind or there could be tactical games behind, but I mean full mayhem? How often do we see full mayhem on the first mountain stage, how often do we see mayhem if there isn't a mtf, how often do we see full mayhem if additionally there are twenty flat kilometers at the end and how often do we see mayhem on a stage with three harder days following. I just don't see it.

Add to that how often do we see full mayhem when there aren't hardish climbs at start of stage

 

[Gigs_98]

That's why you cram every single one of yer teammates in teh breakaway

Is that worth it though? I'd really save them for the following stages instead of letting them waste their energy on a stage where most likely nothing big is gonna happen anyway.

You can also increase gaps on the flat.

Friday is a pretty straightforward MTF in that regard, and Saturday could well be everything together on the San Carlo.

Man, I don't know. Of course if there is complete mayhem someone who is in front might be hard to catch for small groups behind or there could be tactical games behind, but I mean full mayhem? How often do we see full mayhem on the first mountain stage, how often do we see mayhem if there isn't a mtf, how often do we see full mayhem if additionally there are twenty flat kilometers at the end and how often do we see mayhem on a stage with three harder days following. I just don't see it.

Add to that how often do we see full mayhem when there aren't hardish climbs at start of stage

Yeah, I just think every rational argument speaks against big things happening, as much as I would like it.

 

[Rollthedice]

One thing will happen though. That final wall is cobbled and on a very narrow street. Maybe some GC guys fancy it, maybe they will not let the break succeed.

 

[Tonton]

G g . Wow! Stage 12 already, past mid-point, and everyday that Roglic finishes "same time" will be a win. One climb, a monster, but only one climb...and riders as mentioned trying to find their climbing legs.

To be optimistic, which I admit is hard to do, I see a cool scenario: in what I suppose will be a "calm before the storm" attitude for the contenders, the asymmetric warfare specialist may strike: Nibali (particularly if Roglic hurts in that steep Montoso climb) has every reason on Earth to make a move and punk the opposition, a.k.a. '14 TdF. If Roglic is still there near the op, big deal: teaming-up could be at least a big step towards securing a top C spot...for both. Flying down the descent, TTT to the finish. Primoz takes a drink before the kite, Nibali attacks and wins.

 

[sir fly]

Re:

The stage will be much harder on the domestiques than the contenders. That will be the fun battle to watch; who hangs on during the climb, who drops but rejoins on the flat, who tries to rejoin but can't bridge across. A good measuring stick of team strength going into the mountains.

Yes. That seems to be the order of the day.

 

[Koronin]

This looks like a stage for good descenders. Also thinking that it might be possible for the break to win the stage depending how long of a leash the peloton gives them.

 

[Robert5091]

I would expect Astana, MS, EF and Ineos to try to get into the break - could be a big one as there's a lot of guys who've done next to nothing for 10 days.

Yates was riding away on these stages last year and needs to do so again, but ... how are the legs? I guess a lot of looking at each other up the Montoso and it'll be people getting dropped as opposed to riding away.