• The Cycling News forum is looking to add some volunteer moderators with Red Rick's recent retirement. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to @SHaines here on the forum, or use the Contact Us form to message the Community Team.

    In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.

    Thanks!

Giro d'Italia 2021 Giro d'Italia, Stage 2: Stupinigi - Novara 179km

Which sprinter will start off his Giro the best?

  • Caleb Ewan

    Votes: 35 43.8%
  • Tim Merlier

    Votes: 19 23.8%
  • Dylan Groenewegen

    Votes: 10 12.5%
  • Peter Sagan

    Votes: 3 3.8%
  • Elia Viviani

    Votes: 2 2.5%
  • Fernando Gaviria

    Votes: 1 1.3%
  • Giacomo Nizzolo

    Votes: 6 7.5%
  • David Dekker

    Votes: 2 2.5%
  • Matteo Moschetti

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • None of the above

    Votes: 2 2.5%

  • Total voters
    80
  • Poll closed .
Making the thread for stage 2 of the Giro before Eshnar gets even more mad. :mad::mad::mad:

Stage 2: Stupinigi – Novara 179 km

Sunday, May 9th, 12.40 CEST


Rn5Yy7zs6Q8VgomDsTur_170321-050634.jpg


t1gmSVNna241oFp4vFza_170321-050631.jpg




Technical Overview:

The first road stage of this edition is a very easy flat stage, as it happens way too often. The only somewhat interesting feature of the route will be the first categorized climb of the race, which will assign the first blue jersey. The climb to Montechiaro d’Asti (GPM4, 1.8 km at 5.5%) is almost exactly in the middle of the stage and will surely be contested only by the breakaway.



Final Kilometers

hryyuAPPqF4pc7JuwPGv_210421-034240.jpg




The Climbs:

Montechiaro d’Asti: GPM4, 1.8 km at 5.5%


Just a small climb with a decent gradient. No profile available.



What to expect:

Mass sprint. GC guys will only need to avoid crashes.



cupola-dell-antonelli.jpg


Cupola di San Gaudenzio, Novara
 
Okay, let's see.
Caleb Ewan? No, because I want him to.
Merlier? Possible surprise, but his wins didn't come against the best competition if I remember correctly.
Dylan Blueroads, eh, Groenewegen? No, because since the argument in the Jakobsen thread I don't want him to.
Peter Sagan? Always a good bet at a GT. Too good, no.
Elia Viviani? Ehm, no.
Fernando Gaviria? Have him in my cq-team, so no.
Giacomo Nizzolo? He is Italian, for what it's worth. (And he's not Viviani.)
David Dekker? No, unlikely.
Matteo Moschetti? No, these anaphora sprinters just won't make it on stage 2.

So, accordingly, it's going to be Nizzolo. Sure thing.

Honestly I have no idea, I'd really like it to be Caleb.
 
Looking forward to seeing how Merlier goes in more elevated company than usual.

He has been winning by big margins but the step up is clearly large from the fields he has beaten before.
He did beat Ballerini, Bouhanni, Ackermann and Philipsen at the Brussels Cycling Classic and then Ackermann, Cort, Gaviria and Ballerini at the Tirreno last year, but yes, this is a clear step up.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
Very little bums me out more than following a prologue with a Sunday snorefest.

The stage will be unwatchable until late on but the finale will be the most interesting sprint of the season so far. No DQS to put order on things, lots of very fast guys who kind of need a result, Merlier getting a shot against a field of big boys, Groenewegen’s return...

Id much rather watch that than an ITT
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Bye Bye Bicycle
It could be very chaotic at the end. I’m not sure if there’s a sprinter’s team that can or will control the finale. Lotto are all about Ewan, but taking charge and keeping everything strung out isn’t really their usual approach. Jumbo have the watts to do it but they have GC ambitions and Groenewegen’s form is unknown (also, why haven’t they brought Teunissen?). Alpecin might do a full train I suppose?
 
It could be very chaotic at the end. I’m not sure if there’s a sprinter’s team that can or will control the finale. Lotto are all about Ewan, but taking charge and keeping everything strung out isn’t really their usual approach. Jumbo have the watts to do it but they have GC ambitions and Groenewegen’s form is unknown (also, why haven’t they brought Teunissen?). Alpecin might do a full train I suppose?

Teunissen has not raced this season as well and he is selected for the TDF to help on the flat.
 
Okay, let's see.
Caleb Ewan? No, because I want him to.
Merlier? Possible surprise, but his wins didn't come against the best competition if I remember correctly.
Dylan Blueroads, eh, Groenewegen? No, because since the argument in the Jakobsen thread I don't want him to.
Peter Sagan? Always a good bet at a GT. Too good, no.
Elia Viviani? Ehm, no.
Fernando Gaviria? Have him in my cq-team, so no.
Giacomo Nizzolo? He is Italian, for what it's worth. (And he's not Viviani.)
David Dekker? No, unlikely.
Matteo Moschetti? No, these anaphora sprinters just won't make it on stage 2.

So, accordingly, it's going to be Nizzolo. Sure thing.

Honestly I have no idea, I'd really like it to be Caleb.

Not the worst summary.

As Gaviria is also on my cq team AND my Giro cq team there is no possible way he wins.
Viviani is also on my Giro cq team so we can say unlikely, even though he is Italian and has done well at the Giro in the past.

So I'm going to go with Nizzolo because he's Italian and NOT on any of my cq teams.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
I voted Merlier to have a laugh. It turns out I wasn't the only one.

Ineos will give the pink away, so I expect a successful attack. De Gendt takes the stage; De Marchi takes the pink.

I'd be surprised if the sprinters teams blew this as a chance. You've have Lotto, Alpecin and Cofidis who are all on for sprints and then enough help with Bora, Qhubeka, Jumbo,UAE to make sure no break gets away.

I'd imagine any breakaway guys looking for a stage will be targeting Monday too as having far more potential.
 

TRENDING THREADS