2019 Giro d'Italia Stage 17: Commezzadura - Anterselva 181km

[Laplaz]

Stage 17: Commezzadura - Anterselva/Antholz 181 km

Wednesday, May 29th

START TIME: 12.20 CEST

FINISH TIME: ~17.15 CEST

Technical Overview:
After the queen stage, the riders face a tricky medium mountain stage which might catch someone off guard. The stage starts from the town of Commezzadura and heads north-east the whole day, featuring three GPMs with an uphill finish. The first climb of the day is the easy side of the Passo della Mendola (uncategorized... 8.4 km at 4.5%), an irregular climb with some good ramps but never very steep. The descent is very long and quite technical, and leads to the beginning of a 45 km long easy section in the valley, where the road will only slightly go uphill until the town of Bressanone, where the second climb of the day starts, Elvas (GPM4, 3.4 km at 7.6%). It is a short and fairly easy climb that should not be see any particular action, even though it does have a pretty hard ramp in the middle. The descent is even shorter, and leads to 10 km of flat that lead to the third climb of the day, Terento (GPM3, 6.6 km at 7.6%). This is a much more serious climb, with the gradient often going above 10%, and it tops at 45 km to go, so it could do a lot of damage if a team puts the hammer down. The descent is fairly easy, and after it the riders will hit a 20 km ascending false flat that bring to the town of Anterselva di Sotto, where the road will start climbing again for good. The riders will have to climb to the Biathlon Stadium, to celebrate/advertise the Biathlon WC to be held there in 2020. The climb of Anterselva (GPM3, 5.5 km at 6.9%) starts with a 3 km ramp at 4.9%, but after a 2.5 km false flat section the road ramps up to an average of 8.2% for 4.5 km, ending at 1 km to go, which will be in the stadium itself.

The Climbs:
Passo della Mendola, NOT-A-GPM, 8.4 km at 4.5%
Not as easy as its numbers suggest, as the descent near the top lowers its average gradient. Also, it starts a few km before Fondo...

Elvas, GPM4, 3.4 km at 7.6%
A very short but quite steep climb.

Terento, GPM3, 6.6 km at 7.6%
Pretty nice climb with a tough central section. Climbed in the Giro only once, in 2004, in the great stage to Falzes that gave the pink jersey to Cunego.

Anterselva, GPM3, 5.5 km at 6.9%
See final km profile. Short and steep, with a final flattish km in the stadium.

What to expect:
It depends heavily on the GC situation. If the GC are not interested in a real fight, the break of the day will win this by 15 minutes, with only a few seconds up for grabs in the uphill sprint between the head of state. But if someone wants, the stage has some potential for setting up a team move, maybe attacking on the Terento and connecting with teammates ahead...

Anterselva, Biathlon stadium

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Antholz is also a place where seemingly certain victories go awry in spectacular fashion.

 

[JosephK]

Re: 2019 Giro d'Italia Stage 17: Commezzadura - Anterselva 1

This stage should be fun for fans. Hope Nibali can make it interesting . . . maybe steal back some time on the pink jersey.

 

[Pantani_lives]

Dorothea Wierer is going to win this. Bei uns in Tirol.

 

[Red Rick]

Break by 10 minutes.

 

[More Strides than Rides]

My dumb brain: "These mountains will be easy because their profile isn't pointy."

 

[sir fly]

Re:

I suppose they haven't designed it tougher counting on the impact of today's stage.
And they just might've been right.

Antholz is also a place where seemingly certain victories go awry in spectacular fashion.

That's... no comment.

 

[Escarabajo]

This could be a tricky day. Especially after what took place today at the Giro. A lot of tired and cold legs.

 

[Gigs_98]

Re: 2019 Giro d'Italia Stage 17: Commezzadura - Anterselva 1

Watch out for the mendola descent, that looks like a place where an unattentive peloton could split.
Generally movistar has to be alert, this stage isn't that easy, many riders will be exhausted after today (not as much as with gavia unfortunately) and this profile looks dangerously like the perfect place for an ambush. Don't be surprised if half ot TBM goes into the break

 

[Jagartrott]

Re: 2019 Giro d'Italia Stage 17: Commezzadura - Anterselva 1

Watch out for the mendola descent, that looks like a place where an unattentive peloton could split.
Generally movistar has to be alert, this stage isn't that easy, many riders will be exhausted after today (not as much as with gavia unfortunately) and this profile looks dangerously like the perfect place for an ambush. Don't be surprised if half ot TBM goes into the break

There's 50 km of valley after the Mendola descent, so I'm doubting anything will happen. But one can hope.

 

[Red Rick]

Yeah this does not look like an ambush stage at all to me.









Maybe that means it's a great ambush stage

 

[Koronin]

Another stage for the break.

 

[Jagartrott]

Nibali has yet to win a stage, and seeing sprinter Nibali is present this Giro, I'm hoping Bahrein start pushing - if only to make Movistar nervous.

 

[Laplaz]

If I would be TBM I would keep everyone with me and start to push hard on the last three climbs. Something else is not possible against a very strong Movistar.

 

[Rollthedice]

All these advices for TBM and nobody thought last week to warn Nibali that there's another guy who is running away with the Giro and his name is not Roglic.

 

[Robert5091]

Re:

If I would be TBM I would keep everyone with me and start to push hard on the last three climbs. Something else is not possible against a very strong Movistar.

Agree - Nibs to think of getting more time on Roglic plus anything extra as a bonus - all BahrainM together going as fast as poss up the Terento climb. Yates would have been certain bet for this stage last year, but now ... Astana must also get Superman going up the rankings. EF's dynamic duo seem to be coming good, but it's all about how the legs are now.

 

[ice&fire]

That Terento climb is harder than Collado de la Hoz. So why not?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Re:

Dorothea Wierer is going to win this. Bei uns in Tirol.

Ah, but Vittozzi is the better climber. In fact, when they were talking about introducing Sorgenti di Piave to the Giro, which vaunted rider did they get to premiere the climb? Sappada native Lisa Vittozzi.

 

[Bolder]

Looking at the profile there might be a chance for a frisky Landa to take some time on Carapaz, but Carapaz and Landa looked pretty fresh today. Carapaz only took one pull that I could see in the whole stage.

 

[Ciddaman]

Undervalued stage. The today's pace was brutal and last hill is not ao easy to climb. I think Nibali will have to try before an easy thursday and Roglic can be with him on an 8% climb

 

[HelloDolly]

That final climb suits Carapaz if he has the legs

 

[wawando]

I think Nibali will bet on "forced mistakes" descendong as it is the weakest Carapaz area compared to him

 

[movingtarget]

Break should win. Movistar won't want to do much chasing. The way Roglic has been leaking time, this won't help but as of now the podium is still within reach. It looks as though Landa will keep riding for Carapaz. Roglic needs one good mountain stage to steady the ship but it's looking doubtful.

 

[observer]

Re: 2019 Giro d'Italia Stage 17: Commezzadura - Anterselva 1

What I would like to see. Merida to chase down all breakaways until Landa tries and let him slip away.
Allow him to gain time enough that he thinks he is a chance with the overall and then really pound the pedals to try to put Carapaz in the red.

That would be fun.

What I think I will see. Nothing, then Yates gain 15 seconds on the final push to the climb.

 

[WKA311]

Mitchelton could be after the stage with Yates, thus controlling the break and bringing it back.