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2019 Giro d'Italia Stage 18: Valdaora-Santa Maria d.S. 220km

Eshnar said:
Stage 18: Valdaora/Olang - Santa Maria di Sala 220 km

Thursday, May 30th

START TIME: 12.00 CEST

FINISH TIME: ~17.15 CEST


G19_T18_SMariadiSala_alt_jpg-1.jpg


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Technical Overview:
The last chance for the sprinters, if there are any left after the last 6 stages... A very long but easy stage from Valdaora, in the middle of the mountains, to Santa Maria di Sala, in the Venetian flats. The stage blatantly avoids any possible climb to get to destination as quickly and painlessly as possible, which is understandable given what we already had and what is still left. The stage starts with a 30 km uphill drag to Cimabanche, and after that it features a very long descending false flat interrupted by the only GPM of the day, Pieve di Alpago (GPM4, 6.7 km at 4.5%). The last 60 km are perfectly flat.

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The Climbs:
Pieve di Alpago (GPM4, 6.7 km at 4.5%)
A pretty easy climb.

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What to expect:
Mass sprint if there is anyone in the peloton willing to spend energies for it, otherwise the breakaway will take it by 15 minutes.

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Villa Farsetti, Santa Maria di Sala
 
Re: 2019 Giro d'Italia Stage 18: Valdaora-Santa Maria d.S. 2

I may skip watching this stage, but I will be interested to discover which sprinters (are there others left besides Demare and Ackerman?) have the most left in their legs after a week of climbing. Even riding in the grupetto must have been tough work on Sunday.
 
Re: 2019 Giro d'Italia Stage 18: Valdaora-Santa Maria d.S. 2

Sciatic said:
I may skip watching this stage, but I will be interested to discover which sprinters (are there others left besides Demare and Ackerman?) have the most left in their legs after a week of climbing. Even riding in the grupetto must have been tough work on Sunday.

JuanJo Lobato is still there although he's not the same level of sprinter as Demare and Ackerman.
 
Re: 2019 Giro d'Italia Stage 18: Valdaora-Santa Maria d.S. 2

Koronin said:
Sciatic said:
I may skip watching this stage, but I will be interested to discover which sprinters (are there others left besides Demare and Ackerman?) have the most left in their legs after a week of climbing. Even riding in the grupetto must have been tough work on Sunday.

JuanJo Lobato is still there although he's not the same level of sprinter as Demare and Ackerman.
I'd say the only other one of note left in the race is Cimolai.

There are still some other quick guys of course, Belletti, Simion, van der Sande, Gibbons and so on, but I can't really see either of them challenging Demare and Ackermann. Cimolai has a slim chance at least.
 
I don't think for a moment FDJ will contribute to a chase. If the break is to be brought back it will be by Bora and Bora alone.

In Bora's favour is that they still have a full team.

Against that: Majka and Formolo won't be contributing to the chase; it's predicted to be predominantly a head wind; its 222km.

That spells breakaway success to me.
 
Re: Re:

Tonton said:
Eyeballs Out said:
Alexandre B. said:
Groupama-FDJ will (try to) cancel Bora-Hansgrohe and a big break will form.
They could but my feeling is they'll do the sporting thing, put the Points jersey up for grabs and try for another win with Demare
I hope you're right. And if so I hope they get rewarded.
I actually hope I'm wrong and we get one of those big breaks full of domestiques, old-timers, and random climbers who must have been looking at the wrong page in the roadbook. Something like this would be good

https://cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/race.asp?raceid=2585
 
The exact same profile in the first week would have meant a certain bunch sprint, but now only Bora will chase, so the break is likely to succeed. Nobody notices that Jan Polanc is in it, who regains the pink jersey with a five minute lead. :D

Unfortunately a lot of sprinters have got ill ten days before the end of this Giro, in the sight of the first mountain. The doctor said it was an acute case of cipollinitis.
 

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