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Giro d'Italia 2021 Giro d'Italia, Stage 9: Castel di Sangro - Campo Felice (Rocca di Cambio) 158 km (Sunday May 16)

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What will happen on stage 9?

  • Remco will take Pink

    Votes: 12 23.5%
  • At least two of Pellaud, Tagliani, Cepeda and Ponomar will be in the break

    Votes: 12 23.5%
  • Bahrain Victorious

    Votes: 5 9.8%
  • Someone (most likely Dan Martin) will crash in the tunnel just before the sterrato climb

    Votes: 11 21.6%
  • Someone will suffer from back pain

    Votes: 7 13.7%
  • Mollema will be bullied again

    Votes: 3 5.9%
  • Ganna will lead the peloton for 100 km on his own

    Votes: 21 41.2%
  • Thomas De Gendt will avenge the death of Ewan's knee with Einer Rubio in his wheel

    Votes: 6 11.8%
  • Ciccone will attack like a madman

    Votes: 22 43.1%
  • Vino

    Votes: 12 23.5%

  • Total voters
    51
  • Poll closed .
I think i wrote this in the Eshnar stage-by-stage thread. You could spice it up a lil bit by ditching the whole Lago Fucino section and go through Sulmona for either Monte Urano from Raiano (4,5km @ ~9,5%, max ~14%) or Monte Motola/Forcella Acciano from Popoli (8,5km @ ~9%, max ~14%) if the road surface allows it. Then follow up with Rocca di Mezzo from Molina Aterno as a slightly harder option to Ovindoli (last 5km @ ~6,5%, max ~8%). It wouldn't change anything though as the finale is a bit too hard/specific to change the stage's outcome besides giving the breakaway less chance to win.

It is also possible to have a much longer stage via L'Aquila via Svolte di Popoli or any other Gran Sasso climbs and similar to Ovindoli Rocca di Cambio (15km @ 4,8%) or even climb straight to Campo Felice via most likely SS584 (15km @ ~5,5%, last 8km @ 6,5%) followed by a 5,5km false flat on Piana di Campo Felice before reaching the dirt finale.

Interestingly last time a similar finish was in a GT Ciccone wore the leader's jersey. This time i feel he's a bit too far back to repeat it.
 
The break will only survive if Thomas De Gendt is part of it, with Ganna setting the pace until the last 5K.
It's perfect for Evenepoel to get a last good training ride before his next week-long stage race starts at Wednesday.
It will be as exciting as a sprint stage (action in the last K), so Attila Valter will survive in pink.

On the plus side, it can't be more boring for GC than it was today.
 
It could be interesting if Ineos decide to ride aggressively, they shouldn't waste too many opportunities to take time on Evenepoel.

Indeed, Ineos seems to be in state where they can really hurt other riders. Of course not all, but most. Moscon's 1km pace upper was not joke today. If they get to that with proper setting of other doms tomorrow... It will be hard test.
 
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I think my most optimistic hope is maybe the likes of Yates, Ciccone or Martin attack on that final climb or from a longer distance on the second last climb, guys like Bilbao, Nibali, Buchmann go (helped if they have guys in the break like Mohoric or Fabbro). I can't see much from Remco or Bernal here bar their teams riding on the front.
 

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