2019 Giro d'Italia, Stage-by-Stage Analysis

[Laplaz]

Re:

What I'm annoyed is that they don't publish the plan B's well in advance for stages where route alteration is not that unlikely. Even when it starts to seem quite likely that the stage won't happen as planned, they just give vague answers for questions. Is there any reason for it besides that they actually were just making the plan B?

Agreed.

Surely I'm very disappointed about the changement but it won't be tooo different. Of course it would be much harder and everything, but it would also come down to the Mortirolo (although with less legs). Nontheless, a huge loss for the Giro!

 

[Sciatic]

Re: Re:

What I'm annoyed is that they don't publish the plan B's well in advance for stages where route alteration is not that unlikely. Even when it starts to seem quite likely that the stage won't happen as planned, they just give vague answers for questions. Is there any reason for it besides that they actually were just making the plan B?

Agreed.

Surely I'm very disappointed about the changement but it won't be tooo different. Of course it would be much harder and everything, but it would also come down to the Mortirolo (although with less legs). Nontheless, a huge loss for the Giro!

I couldn't agree more that it seems crazy to not have a Plan B already set for a crucial stage, one that everyone knew was likely to be iffy in bad weather. Seems really, really unprofessional. Would be like someone who plans on having a springtime outdoor wedding here in Seattle (i.e., where rain is quite possible) without having a backup indoor plan. It's the big event that all parcticipants plan for months in advance, but you don't have an alternative in place? Looks like a major case of magical thinking!

 

[Red Rick]

I'd be very excited for the final week if it weren't for the parcours in the final week to numb that severely.

 

[luckyboy]

It wouldn't be so bad if stage 17 and 19 had an extra climb before the finish. They don't look particularly fun.

There's no pass even close to San Martino di Castrozza from the south is there? Croce d'Aune in Feltre is far away still. I wonder when the Giro even went there last - it's where Campagnolo thought of the quick release wheel skewer..
And Furcia is close to Brunico on stage 17.

 

[Eshnar]

Re:

It wouldn't be so bad if stage 17 and 19 had an extra climb before the finish. They don't look particularly fun.

There's no pass even close to San Martino di Castrozza from the south is there? Croce d'Aune in Feltre is far away still. I wonder when the Giro even went there last - it's where Campagnolo thought of the quick release wheel skewer..
And Furcia is close to Brunico on stage 17.

oh, there is. Passo Brocon.

 

[OlavEH]

Re:

It wouldn't be so bad if stage 17 and 19 had an extra climb before the finish. They don't look particularly fun.

There's no pass even close to San Martino di Castrozza from the south is there? Croce d'Aune in Feltre is far away still. I wonder when the Giro even went there last - it's where Campagnolo thought of the quick release wheel skewer..
And Furcia is close to Brunico on stage 17.

Both Erbe and Furcia could have been added to stage 17. Erbe is probably one of the most scenic climbs I've seen in cycling, so it's too bad it hasn't been used since 2005.

 

[Gigs_98]

I really don't think that stage needs more climbs. It's good as the medium mountain stage with an uphill finish just as it is now.

 

[Red Rick]

I really don't think that stage needs more climbs. It's good as the medium mountain stage with an uphill finish just as it is now.

It would be good in the first 10 days, now it's kinda just sitting there.

But I don't really have a huge problem with it, my real beef is with stage 18/19

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Double Mortirolo would make the stage absurdly long, sure, but is there really no possibility to climb Mortirolo from Mazzo as far as the junction with the Grosio road, descend into Grosio and then go back up the full way the 2nd time? I mean, at least it'd be something. They've descended that road in competition before, such as 2012.

 

[luckyboy]

Re: Re:

It wouldn't be so bad if stage 17 and 19 had an extra climb before the finish. They don't look particularly fun.

There's no pass even close to San Martino di Castrozza from the south is there? Croce d'Aune in Feltre is far away still. I wonder when the Giro even went there last - it's where Campagnolo thought of the quick release wheel skewer..
And Furcia is close to Brunico on stage 17.

oh, there is. Passo Brocon.

I was thinking that would be too much of a detour and another 200km+ stage unless you cut out that eastern loop

 

[Escarabajo]

Re:

It wouldn't be so bad if stage 17 and 19 had an extra climb before the finish. They don't look particularly fun.

There's no pass even close to San Martino di Castrozza from the south is there? Croce d'Aune in Feltre is far away still. I wonder when the Giro even went there last - it's where Campagnolo thought of the quick release wheel skewer..
And Furcia is close to Brunico on stage 17.

I have to agree with you on this now. In defense of the organization they were designed like this because they came after the monster stage 16 which is no happening now. So stages 17 and 19 look dull now.

Let's wait because I think there will be some good aggressive racing. Especially because sometimes riders have the tendency to ride defensively on days like the Gavia's old stage design.

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

It wouldn't be so bad if stage 17 and 19 had an extra climb before the finish. They don't look particularly fun.

There's no pass even close to San Martino di Castrozza from the south is there? Croce d'Aune in Feltre is far away still. I wonder when the Giro even went there last - it's where Campagnolo thought of the quick release wheel skewer..
And Furcia is close to Brunico on stage 17.

I have to agree with you on this now. In defense of the organization they were designed like this because they came after the monster stage 16 which is no happening now. So stages 17 and 19 look dull now.

Let's wait because I think there will be some good aggressive racing. Especially because sometimes riders have the tendency to ride defensively on days like the Gavia's old stage design.

17 and 19 were super dull regardless of Gavia or no Gavia. The entire of less hard mountain stages is that riders aren't afraid to throw the kitchen sink early but if the stages are mostly flat with a lame climb at the end well that's never happening anyway.

 

[Climbing]

Stage 19 yeah, is really dull especially after "rest day", but stage 17 isn't completely stupid, considering it comes after Mortirolo stage and the penultimate climb could do damage if ridden hard.
One could even attack to bridge the front.
The finale allows only small gaps, tough last kms are around 8%, so it's possible to do a proper attack.

 

[Brullnux]

Stage 17 is a very good design. Would've been better with gavia but today was quite brutal with the weather and all, so should have a similar impact to what was intended. If carapaz doesn't recover well (looked like he was struggling all day) it could be fun

Same climb, other side...

 

[Mayomaniac]

Re:

Stage 17 is a very good design. Would've been better with gavia but today was quite brutal with the weather and all, so should have a similar impact to what was intended. If carapaz doesn't recover well (looked like he was struggling all day) it could be fun

Same climb, other side...

The one thing that would have improved this stage would have been using Furcia as the penultimate climb, it would remove a lot of the false flat before the final climb.
Still, it comes after a really hard stage and will be the 5th consecutive hard gc stage (with a rest day in the middle).
Some of the riders could crack. It's also going to be another wet and cold day, so it's gonna be pretty hard for the riders.

 

[Red Rick]

I would be a lot more positive if stage 19 had Monte Grappa before the instead of all the fluff before SMDC

 

[tobydawq]

Re:

I would be a lot more positive if stage 19 had Monte Grappa before the instead of all the fluff before SMDC

Somehow I doubt that.

 

[Sestriere]

Re: Re:

I would be a lot more positive if stage 19 had Monte Grappa before the instead of all the fluff before SMDC

Somehow I doubt that.

Don't know why, but I'm inclined to agree with tobydawq here...

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

I would be a lot more positive if stage 19 had Monte Grappa before the instead of all the fluff before SMDC

Somehow I doubt that.

I'm sorry I have a tendency to take a crap on things that are crap.

But nah, stage 19 is just brilliant design and I am a whiny little *****

 

[ice&fire]

Grappa + SDMC has been done before. RCS had to propose something different, as they did with Cuneo-Pinerolo

 

[tobydawq]

Re: Re:

I would be a lot more positive if stage 19 had Monte Grappa before the instead of all the fluff before SMDC

Somehow I doubt that.

I'm sorry I have a tendency to take a crap on things that are crap.

But nah, stage 19 is just brilliant design and I am a whiny little *****

Yeah, that was not the point. You never seem happy about anything whose name is not Nibali so the being more positive does not seem likely.

 

[Escarabajo]

At the end of what I thought was a very exiting route ended up being a bomb.

I like the winner and the way he won. But the route really backfired in a hurry.

One quick fix: stop backloading GT's. And for the Giro I hate when they put these high mountains that have a good probability of snow.

 

[Brullnux]

Re:

At the end of what I thought was a very exiting route ended up being a bomb.

I like the winner and the way he won. But the route really backfired in a hurry.

One quick fix: stop backloading GT's. And for the Giro I hate when they put these high mountains that have a good probability of snow.

Today was great imo. The first two weeks were bad, but the snow didn't have that big of an effect and from stage 12 onwards it was a very good race, with good action every day bar two (18 and 19)