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The 2012 Giro d'Italia had a perfectly fine course and was a borefest. The 2009 Giro d'Italia had a pretty lame route design by Giro standards and was quite entertaining. Actually far more entertaining than the 2008 edition that suffered badly from wrong positioning of the mountain stages.
In the end the riders indeed make the race. The combination of a hard climb to provoke long range attacks followed by a false flat mtf to make those attacks stick has worked off so many times since Les Deux Alpes 1998. Even though this climb really was too long with 20 kilometers.
If Bardet was still in the race and in last Sunday's shape, Carapaz might've actually being forced to attack on the penultimate climb to test the waters with the Frenchman. Now there's simply no need for him to risk such exploits. He can just wait for Santa Cristina to make his move and get his 2 minutes on Almeida. Hindley likely ain't no worry for the Equadorian anyway.
That said, this stage likely always would have been for a Rasmussen like mountain escape.
It's the Kolovrat - Castelmonte stage that's going to suffer from the fact that Carapaz doesn't need to go from far. Unless Hindley surprises us big time of course. Also, why isn't that stage on Ascension like the 2002 Dolomites stage?
In the end the riders indeed make the race. The combination of a hard climb to provoke long range attacks followed by a false flat mtf to make those attacks stick has worked off so many times since Les Deux Alpes 1998. Even though this climb really was too long with 20 kilometers.
If Bardet was still in the race and in last Sunday's shape, Carapaz might've actually being forced to attack on the penultimate climb to test the waters with the Frenchman. Now there's simply no need for him to risk such exploits. He can just wait for Santa Cristina to make his move and get his 2 minutes on Almeida. Hindley likely ain't no worry for the Equadorian anyway.
That said, this stage likely always would have been for a Rasmussen like mountain escape.
It's the Kolovrat - Castelmonte stage that's going to suffer from the fact that Carapaz doesn't need to go from far. Unless Hindley surprises us big time of course. Also, why isn't that stage on Ascension like the 2002 Dolomites stage?
I think everyone has accepted that Carapaz will win this Giro now. That's why they have no more motivation to fight for GC.
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Nibali: Tailwind meant it was pointless to attack on stage 15 of the Giro d'Italia"
Ok, so when it's headwind it's pointless to attack. And when it's tailwind it's pointless to attack.
sooooo.... when is it pointful to attack?
Ok, so when it's headwind it's pointless to attack. And when it's tailwind it's pointless to attack.
sooooo.... when is it pointful to attack?
when attack is in the bag
Cogne better had paid a lot more than anyone was willing to offer to host this abomination of a MTF.
Good to see I've the same diet as VDP. Might get out my bike and win some monuments since it clearly works.
Why? Right now Carapaz is in my eyes not even in Pink. With the TT km that are on the table, Almeida will make the 30 seconds back and then some. So he has to put more time in Almeida. Also it's unclear if he's really better than Hindley at the moment. That is also a very close situation. Landa is still in the race and has the potential to be the best climber in the race.
I didn't like the performance of Ineos in this Giro at all. Throwing away a second viable GC Option. Being generally very passive except on Blockhaus. The domestique performance is really meh throughout the Giro. Today they had the number, but even as Tulett overtook Formolo's pacing like it was nothing they weren't keen on pressing on...
It seems to me that they put a lot of chips down on the Tuesday stage and stage 20. Of course the other two mountain stages are also not easy, but could be less suited to get a big gap on other contenders. Carapaz is the favourite and should be able to distance most competitors or at least neutralize them, but it is suprising that they couldn't create more of a lead.
Could be quite nice for a final mountain stage if you go crazy on the climbs before, or simply as an MTT. But this is gonna be a nothingburger most of the time.
Today's stage has made me grateful for yesterday's stage even more. But chapeau, Ciccone.
I think it was the first stage that really suffered from the lack of ITTs. If Almeida was 2 minutes ahead of Carapaz, I think it would have been ridden aggressively.
With "back problems" apparently nowadays being Jumbos favorite excuse to not seem laughable, it could indeed have been a hunger knock though!
Big Doopie
BANNED
The circuit race around Turino was absolutely brilliant.
it was what many of us have called for. More mid mountain stages with little to no valley time in-between. It is the very best way to get rid of trains and isolate the leaders against each other. Mini Lombardias or LBLs or somewhere in between.
now you have to have MTFs but make them count. Mountain stages ending in the descent can also encourage climbers to attack earlier or Nibali-like descenders.
but three or four stages like the Turino circuit and, yes, some added TT kms and that would be a true test of the strongest most complete rider…and an exciting race to boot.
it was what many of us have called for. More mid mountain stages with little to no valley time in-between. It is the very best way to get rid of trains and isolate the leaders against each other. Mini Lombardias or LBLs or somewhere in between.
now you have to have MTFs but make them count. Mountain stages ending in the descent can also encourage climbers to attack earlier or Nibali-like descenders.
but three or four stages like the Turino circuit and, yes, some added TT kms and that would be a true test of the strongest most complete rider…and an exciting race to boot.
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