2019 Giro d'Italia Stage 20: Feltre - Monte Avena 194 km

[jmdirt]

I hate to support physical violence, but these road side idiots have nothing to fear when they are risking a rider's safety and livelihood. If there is a chance that the riders might slap them around a bit, maybe they will think twice (well most of them aren't even thinking at all, but ...).

I'm glad that the UCI twisted their own rules this time!

 

[RedheadDane]

It's rather stupid - imo - that attacking anyone other than a rider results, at least on paper, in a harsher punishment than attacking a rider.
Spectators just need to get the *** out of the way.

 

[rick james]

Re:

I wonder why Landa doesn't go for the Vuelta more, he's clearly one of the best climbers. The last time he's done the Vuelta was in 2015, but no in 2016, 2017 or 2018.

pfft, with those numbers, he couldn't live with the the dawg at the Vuelta

 

[Robert5091]

Chapeau Movistar - strongest team today with Astana & played it as well as they could. Nibs & Roglic did n't have the legs so Carapaz has one stage left to defend the leader's jersey.
Glad to see Madouas giving it a go - he'll get more chances in the future.

Stage 14, only 131 km, but ...
http://www.cyclingnews.com/giro-ditalia/stage-14/live-report/

17:07:20 CEST
The problem is neither Nibali, nor Roglic, nor Lopez nor Majka want to take responsibility and chase Carapaz. Landa certainly won't. But they're all losing time to him, and the Ecuadorian is going to make himself a real danger man for the overall title.

 

[Cookster15]

Congrats to Carapaz and Movistar. I still wonder why so few picked Carapaz as a pre race favourite. Nibali came up short but will rue backing the wrong horse when Carapaz went up the road in stage 13. Roglic can hold his head high he fought valiantly with lack of team support particularly after his mechanical then fall on an ill fitting bike. Probably peaked a little too soon but that makes his likely podium even more noteworthy.

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

Congrats to Carapaz and Movistar. I still wonder why so few picked Carapaz as a pre race favourite. Nibali came up short but will rue backing the wrong horse when Carapaz went up the road in stage 13. Roglic can hold his head high he fought valiantly with lack of team support particularly after his mechanical then fall on an ill fitting bike. Probably peaked a little too soon but that makes his likely podium even more noteworthy.

Because look at Carapaz previous results and look at the start list

Thats why

 

[ice&fire]

Re: Re:

Congrats to Carapaz and Movistar. I still wonder why so few picked Carapaz as a pre race favourite. Nibali came up short but will rue backing the wrong horse when Carapaz went up the road in stage 13. Roglic can hold his head high he fought valiantly with lack of team support particularly after his mechanical then fall on an ill fitting bike. Probably peaked a little too soon but that makes his likely podium even more noteworthy.

Because look at Carapaz previous results and look at the start list

Thats why

He had been 4th at a GT after Froome, Dumoulin and a random dude who was at his first GT podium. Those are more or less the same GT credentials as Roglic. I saw him as a candidate to fight for 5th place with Landa, Mollema and Majka. I guess Nibali's judgement wasn't much different.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Re:

I agree with this part...

López should get a one minute time bonus for hitting that guy.

As well as this one...

Spectators just need to get the **** out of the way.

There are very few sports where the spectators are able to get as close to the pros as they do in cycling. Only basketball, distance running, or maybe even golf come to mind - in those sports mentioned any physical contact with the athlete would be harshly looked upon by both athlete and spectator. It's just not something that as a spectator you would do.

Why cycling has permitted/tolerated this kind of spectator contact/behavior all these years I do not understand. (Personally, I don't blame Lopez one bit. I blame the rules.)

 

[Cookster15]

I blame that idiots that get so close as to cause problems don't get charged by police when they interfere with the riders despite clear evidence usually caught on video. There is no deterrent. Did that clown who threw the bike in front of the approaching riders the other day get charged? If there were clear consequences there will be less problems.

 

[aarononymous]

Re: Re:

I agree with this part...

López should get a one minute time bonus for hitting that guy.

Definitely should have incurred a 1 minute penalty for striking the fan, and a one minute bonus for the hat flip :lol:

 

[Tonton]

One minute penalty for hitting the "fan", two minutes bonus for hitting the "fan", and may have earned another three minutes bonus for knocking out the "fan", plus an extra ten seconds for every tooth harvested.

Seriously, as much as cops with sticks would shock a few TV viewers, I'd rather have idiots get beat up rather than guys trying to make a living fall victim of stupidity.

For the race, it goes to show that Aesop's lessons ring true to this day. The tortoise and the hare. Nibali the hare giving an advantage to the tortoise, yes the one with a carapa(z)ce .

Carapaz, Nibali, Roglic it seems, not as good or thrilling a Giro as '17 and '18, well, unless a barrage of helicopters influences the outcome tomorrow .

Hats off to Richard, he rode a great Giro. it's not his fault if Nibali and Roglic played a game of chicken that bit them in the ar$e. On the contrary: when you're an underdog, attack: it may pay off, and in this case it may pay off big time.

For today, chapeau Madouas: first GT, a brave ride today, an gutsy attack showing that you can be 15th in a GT and not be the new Montfort. After yesterday's debacle, Groupama-FDJ got it right today.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

When you consider the break had won 9 or 10 stages - Then you exclude the six sprint stages and the 3 ITT's = It suggests this has been a softly pedalled Giro - No comparison to last year's Giro.

Dont really think it has been soft-pedaled, but it lacked something and I have a hard time pointing to exactly what. In many ways quite a weird Giro, but then again, every Giro feels that way. 2018 was very weird in a very good way, 2017 was weird in not so good a way and then you have 2016 as well.

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

When you consider the break had won 9 or 10 stages - Then you exclude the six sprint stages and the 3 ITT's = It suggests this has been a softly pedalled Giro - No comparison to last year's Giro.

Dont really think it has been soft-pedaled, but it lacked something and I have a hard time pointing to exactly what. In many ways quite a weird Giro, but then again, every Giro feels that way. 2018 was very weird in a very good way, 2017 was weird in not so good a way and then you have 2016 as well.

Weird Giro. That I agree with. I think a lot of it was also a lot of atypical mountain stages.

 

[Armchair cyclist]

Re:

I blame that idiots that get so close as to cause problems don't get charged by police when they interfere with the riders despite clear evidence usually caught on video. There is no deterrent. Did that clown who threw the bike in front of the approaching riders the other day get charged? If there were clear consequences there will be less problems.

It would be a brave politician who puts forward a law to make running along a road a criminal offence. No-one is ever going to get charged with falling into the path of someone while running ahead of them because he bumped into someone.

It will stop when and if other spectators make it unacceptable. Not before.

Yes, I believe that the guy who put a broken bike in the road was arrested. Obstruction of the highway, and or inappropriate disposal of rubbish, can be chargeable offences. Running and being a ****head cannot.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Re: Re:

Never mind, crap post on my part.

 

[Tonton]

Weird Giro. If that's how it's remembered...'56 TdF. '90 TdF except that Claudio survived. Yep, weird, but let's be fair to Carapaz: he deserves it. Like Nibali deserved the '14 TdF (many over the years tried to diminish his win).

For the first time in quite some time, when it's all said and done, best GT votes in our threads won't be the Giro. Could it be Le Tour? I'd like to see that.

 

[Koronin]

Re: Re:

There are very few sports where the spectators are able to get as close to the pros as they do in cycling. Only basketball, distance running, or maybe even golf come to mind - in those sports mentioned any physical contact with the athlete would be harshly looked upon by both athlete and spectator. It's just not something that as a spectator you would do.

Why cycling has permitted/tolerated this kind of spectator contact/behavior all these years I do not understand. (Personally, I don't blame Lopez one bit. I blame the rules.)

Well in basketball you do occasionally get players flying into the stands to try to save a ball going out of bounds, but that is on the player and no the fans.



I'd agree with other that this Giro has been different and strange.

 

[yaco]

Re: Re:

Congrats to Carapaz and Movistar. I still wonder why so few picked Carapaz as a pre race favourite. Nibali came up short but will rue backing the wrong horse when Carapaz went up the road in stage 13. Roglic can hold his head high he fought valiantly with lack of team support particularly after his mechanical then fall on an ill fitting bike. Probably peaked a little too soon but that makes his likely podium even more noteworthy.

Because look at Carapaz previous results and look at the start list

Thats why

He had been 4th at a GT after Froome, Dumoulin and a random dude who was at his first GT podium. Those are more or less the same GT credentials as Roglic. I saw him as a candidate to fight for 5th place with Landa, Mollema and Majka. I guess Nibali's judgement wasn't much different.

Perspective - Carapaz got 4th after the late collapse of Yates and Pinot - So he should have finished 6th.

 

[movingtarget]

Re: Re:

Congrats to Carapaz and Movistar. I still wonder why so few picked Carapaz as a pre race favourite. Nibali came up short but will rue backing the wrong horse when Carapaz went up the road in stage 13. Roglic can hold his head high he fought valiantly with lack of team support particularly after his mechanical then fall on an ill fitting bike. Probably peaked a little too soon but that makes his likely podium even more noteworthy.

Because look at Carapaz previous results and look at the start list

Thats why

I think the fourth in a difficult Giro has to count for something but based on wins of course, I can understand why he wasn't one of the favourites.

 

[movingtarget]

Re: Re:

So Roglic has to make up 23 seconds on Landa If he isn't entirely done in that should be within his scope. But I think he's pretty close to 'stick a fork in him' territory. I hope he makes it, he rode a brave race, mostly without a team mate on every single climb. Today he was isolated with 110km to go.

He really peaked too soon it seems, but I wouldn't be too disappointed if I was him, pulling this off without much of a team is great, even better if he manages to get the podium.

His first podium. Of course he'll take it. He's still learning how to ride grand tours.

 

[Robert5091]

Weird Giro - well apart from 2 TT's the GC guys could wait to stage 12 to break a sweat. Those two flat stages - after a rest day were a real waste.

 

[Pantani_lives]

Re: Re:

Congrats to Carapaz and Movistar. I still wonder why so few picked Carapaz as a pre race favourite. Nibali came up short but will rue backing the wrong horse when Carapaz went up the road in stage 13. Roglic can hold his head high he fought valiantly with lack of team support particularly after his mechanical then fall on an ill fitting bike. Probably peaked a little too soon but that makes his likely podium even more noteworthy.

Because look at Carapaz previous results and look at the start list

Thats why

I think the fourth in a difficult Giro has to count for something but based on wins of course, I can understand why he wasn't one of the favourites.

I gave two stars to Carapaz, which put him in the small group just under the six favourites. Before the Giro Landa looked like the leader of Movistar, so it was possible that Carapaz would have to sacrifice his chances. It turned out to be the other way around.

 

[Nirvana]

The best thing of the day was Belli hyped for Lopez punching a fan

Anyway the stage started well but they regrouped after both Cima Campo and Manghen and then nothing happened until the final 10 kms, considering Movistar strenght would have been better if Roglic and Nibali wouldn't have played Schleck and Contador for two days in a row so we could have seen Movistar smashing the field.

Overall one of the most boring Giro i've ever seen.

 

[Jagartrott]

I wonder how this Giro would've unfolded without Dumoulin's crash. He didn't look in the best of form, but it would've changed the dynamic for sure. Ultimately though, Carapaz was really strong and won deservedly. Lacked some real tension though.

 

[Red Rick]

From everything they've said it seemed Dumoulin was perfectly fine and they were just pretty surprised Dumoulin's ITT ended up being 5th.

Dumoulin might have had pink after the long ITT and with his team the crazy would have happened instead of not happening