Giro d'Italia 2021 Giro d'Italia, Stage 18: Rovereto – Stradella 232 km

[Eyeballs Out]

Think Nelson Oliveira has a good chance today if he can make the break

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Most people yesterday were blaming the Bahrain rider, presumed to be Valls.

 

[limak_]

What/who actually caused the crash that Ciccone went down in, does anybody know?

I don't want to cast aspertions here, but I wondered at the time if any of the Trek riders were responsible?

In fact it's really hard to say from the footage that we have.

It must have been quite a tricky corner and I think that at least two guys crashed independently - one Bahrain rider lying a few meters in front and probably TBE's Schultz or the Movistar guy.

It definitely wasn't Nibali or Ciccone who crashed first. Possibly it could be Ghebreigzabhier, but I really can't say.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lth40XE5Lj8&ab_channel=Velon


0:16

 

[titan31]

I didn't see a Bora guy in that group so no idea why they're blocking

 

[Red Rick]

I didn't see a Bora guy in that group so no idea why they're blocking

Ciclamino

 

[titan31]

Ciclamino

Ya, but you can defend that and get someone like Fabbro or Grossschartner in the break. Might as well try and get an extra stage win anyway.

Unless they intend to ride all day and control it which seems silly for a break that size

 

[Red Rick]

Ya, but you can defend that and get someone like Fabbro or Grossschartner in the break. Might as well try and get an extra stage win anyway.

I'm not saying I agree, but Sagan really wants to bore his way to that jersey

 

[Mayomaniac]

What is Walscheid doing? Not really attacking to get to the breakaway, just riding hard at the front.

 

[Laplaz]

Brutal battle

 

[HelloDolly]

Ulissi or Bettiol

or Gorka ?

 

[Red Rick]

Sagan has literally spent more time in this Giro trying to stop riders from doing stuff than actually doing anything himself. Sad to see.

 

[Red Rick]

So will this break get more or less than 20 minutes?

 

[Eclipse]

Think it's time to knuckle down and do some work...

 

[Kazistuta]

So true.... really not honouring the points jersey (and that's coming from a incarnated Sagan fan)

 

[Velolover2]

No Bora riders in the break.

Will they work for Sagan this time after the hilly Canale stage disaster?

 

[water202]

So true.... really not honouring the points jersey (and that's coming from a incarnated Sagan fan)

with TDF in his mind it is clever actually and for me fresh to see BORA not being stupid as many times before

 

[Screecher]

Sagan has literally spent more time in this Giro trying to stop riders from doing stuff than actually doing anything himself. Sad to see.

I don't think that's entirely for him to decide. His team clearly wants the jersey and is not willing to take any risks plus Sagan has more important goals coming in the near future (Tour) which they must also be taking into consideration.

 

[Earns1985]

No Bora riders in the break.

Will they work for Sagan this time after the hilly Canale stage disaster?

I think they are totally happy, that the break will take the stage. Today would have been the last stage where Gaviria and Cimolai could get points for the point classification.
Now the break will receive all the points, that means that Sagan will win the point classification.

 

[Bonimenier]

I think they are totally happy, that the break will take the stage. Today would have been the last stage where Gaviria and Cimolai could get points for the point classification.
Now the break will receive all the points, that means that Sagan will win the point classification.

You are severely underestimating Gaviria's MTF and TT abilities!

 

[limak_]

I don't think that's entirely for him to decide. His team clearly wants the jersey and is not willing to take any risks plus Sagan has more important goals coming in the near future (Tour) which they must also be taking into consideration.

I've watched a rest day interview with Bodnar. He was asked if their next goal for the race is winning stage 18 with Sagan. He said very clearly that ciclamino is the most important goal for the team and they will mainly focus on defending it. He said that he wasn't rulling out the possibility of Sagan winning this stage but only if such an opportunity would arise. He said that they had already come up short too many times by bringing all the other sprinters to the line after working for the whole stage and now it was other team's (UAE, ISN, Cofidis) turn to do the job if they want to win a stage.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y3vSDvYd50&t=1079s

 

[Anderis]

Ulissi or Bettiol

Both left a lot on yesterday's stage. It wouldn't surprise me if they're beaten by someone who saved more energy yesterday.

 

[yaco]

Think the Giro needs to tweak their routes on transitional days and semi-mountainous days to spice up the battle for the sprint jersey - You have an intermediate sprint after 50 or 60 or 70 kms then it is harder to block - Doubt Sagan is saving himself for the TDF as he proved he was strong in the back to back editions of the 2020 TDF and the Giro.

 

[Lequack]

Will the peloton make the time cut?

As far the break, Remi Cavagna will try to go solo with 30-40k to go. If he gets caught then Ullisi will win.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I've watched a rest day interview with Bodnar. He was asked if their next goal for the race is winning stage 18 with Sagan. He said very clearly that ciclamino is the most important goal for the team and they will mainly focus on defending it. He said that he wasn't rulling out the possibility of Sagan winning this stage but only if such an opportunity would arise. He said that they had already come up short too many times by bringing all the other sprinters to the line after working for the whole stage and now it was other team's (UAE, ISN, Cofidis) turn to do the job if they want to win a stage.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y3vSDvYd50&t=1079s

In this race they'd only really worked one time without success, and if they hadn't worked hard on stage 3 and 10 Nizzolo would probably have won the competition. But now that Sagan (most likely) has won it, it makes sense for them not to work too much. On the other hand, I'd say Sagan would have a great chance on this stage, and with Buchmann out of the race, why not take the chance, when they didn't even get anyone into the break?

 

[limak_]

In this race they'd only really worked one time without success, and if they hadn't worked hard on stage 3 and 10 Nizzolo would probably have won the competition. But now that Sagan (most likely) has won it, it makes sense for them not to work too much. On the other hand, I'd say Sagan would have a great chance on this stage, and with Buchmann out of the race, why not take the chance, when they didn't even get anyone into the break?

Maybe the risk of Sagan somehow getting dropped in the last climbs while for example Gaviria surviving and then winning the stage and taking the ciclamino away from Bora is too high for them (even if such scenario isn't very likely to happen).