Giro d'Italia 2022 Giro d'Italia, Stage 6: Palmi – Scalea 192 km (Thursday, May 12th)

[Netserk]

From @Eshnar's excellent 2022 Giro d'Italia: Stage-by-stage Analysis thread: https://forum.cyclingnews.com/threads/2022-giro-ditalia-stage-by-stage-analysis.37819/#post-2691563

Stage 6: Palmi – Scalea 192 km
Thursday, May 12th, 12:35 CET

Technical Overview:
The race reaches the mainland with a stage running almost entirely along the coast. After starting in Palmi, the riders will head north throughout the day, with just a short detour inland to the only categorized climb of the day, Aereoporto L. Razza (GPM4, 3.8 km at 4.2%), mostly a false flat. After an equally easy descent the peloton will hit the coast and never leave it again. The coast itself is not entirely flat, but there are no serious climbs in sight, the only bump being the small climb after Cetraro Marina, roughly 2.5 km at 4.5% at 35 km to go.

Final km:

The Climbs:

Aereoporto L. Razza: GPM4, 3.8 km at 4.2%
No profile for this one.

What to expect:
Bunch sprint, unless the wind saves us.

Scalea

 

[Didinho]

Echelons please

 

[Netserk]

Echelons please

Nope. They have raced plenty of times along this coast, no significant wind ever.

 

[Amazinmets87]

Redemption for Ewan.

 

[Bonimenier]

Even though people were complaining about the turns in the final of today's stage, tomorrow will show that a long straight is way more dangerous.

 

[titan31]

Sounds like a stage where I can watch the last km and miss nothing

 

[Red Rick]

I'm so happy it's not another sprint again.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Even though people were complaining about the turns in the final of today's stage, tomorrow will show that a long straight is way more dangerous.

The slight curve at 250 metres to go doesn't help either. That being said, the finish of stage 3 was also a long straight, so it doesn't have to end in tears.

 

[Lequack]

I'm so happy it's not another sprint again.

I remember that in the past Giro always had like small muritos at the end of stages, it was almost never a flat finish, and we've had a few already. Did they have to do that to attract sprinters or what?

 

[tobydawq]

I remember that in the past Giro always had like small muritos at the end of stages, it was almost never a flat finish, and we've had a few already. Did they have to do that to attract sprinters or what?

When was that? When Petacchi won nine stages in 2004? Or in the period where Cipollini won 42 stages in total?

 

[Lequack]

When was that? When Petacchi won nine stages in 2004? Or in the period where Cipollini won 42 stages in total?

Maybe my memory is selective and I just remember the good times.

Also, the peloton is leaving Sicily

 

[Valv.Piti]

I don't get why you HAVE to ride along the coast the whole day instead of at least making it somewhat selective like today with some small climbs here and there. At least just for the antipication of something happening instead of the classic 3-man break from the Italian pro-contis -> sprint.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

When was that? When Petacchi won nine stages in 2004? Or in the period where Cipollini won 42 stages in total?

2011 had three flat stages, 2020 had three flat stages plus a similar stage to today's. It was never the norm but we've certainly seen Giri (and Vueltas, for that matter) which were incredibly low on actual flat finishes.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

I don't get why you HAVE to ride along the coast the whole day instead of at least making it somewhat selective like today with some small climbs here and there. At least just for the antipication of something happening instead of the classic 3-man break from the Italian pro-contis -> sprint.

Sadly they very clearly want a certain amount of easy sprint opportunities, they've done similarly easy stages (Praia a Mare 2018), selectively hilly finales (Praia a Mare 2016) and easy HTFs (Terms Luigiane 2017) in this area in recent years so they're not wedded to the main road along the coast.

 

[tobydawq]

Maybe my memory is selective and I just remember the good times.

Also, the peloton is leaving Sicily

I actually think murito stage finishes are quite rare in the Giro. They are used much more frequently in the non-Giro Grand Tours.

 

[Netserk]

2011 had three flat stages, 2020 had three flat stages plus a similar stage to today's. It was never the norm but we've certainly seen Giri (and Vueltas, for that matter) which were incredibly low on actual flat finishes.

The potentially fourth sprint stage was this one:

With this climbs at 15.5 km to go:

Of course, there were also Tropea and Fiuggi Terme, both with Petacchi in the top-3, but Cavendish outside the top-30.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

The potentially fourth sprint stage was this one:

With this climbs at 15.5 km to go:

Of course, there were also Tropea and Fiuggi Terme, both with Petacchi in the top-3, but Cavendish outside the top-30.

That climb was harder than Mont-Saint-Clair, which saw less than 50 riders survive when it was used in a similar spot in the 2012 Tour. Tropea was hard enough to be won by a finisseur attack (Contador even finished second) and Fiuggi was won by Ulissi five years on, both are clearly not an easy sprint finish which is what the discussion was about.

 

[Red Rick]

That climb was harder than Mont-Saint-Clair, which saw less than 50 riders survive when it was used in a similar spot in the 2012 Tour. Tropea was hard enough to be won by a finisseur attack (Contador even finished second) and Fiuggi was won by Ulissi five years on, both are clearly not an easy sprint finish which is what the discussion was about.

I'm pretty sure Tropea's profile is really easy but the final was really chaotic and technical leading to the bunch being all on one line when the climb even started.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

I'm pretty sure Tropea's profile is really easy but the final was really chaotic and technical leading to the bunch being all on one line when the climb even started.

A profile:

It's not too dissimilar to the old Amstel finale. In this year's field, Van der Poel would be the clear favourite.

 

[Netserk]

That climb was harder than Mont-Saint-Clair, which saw less than 50 riders survive when it was used in a similar spot in the 2012 Tour. Tropea was hard enough to be won by a finisseur attack (Contador even finished second) and Fiuggi was won by Ulissi five years on, both are clearly not an easy sprint finish which is what the discussion was about.

I didn't disagree, I tried to expand on the description of the 2011 route (EDIT: and what it had instead of dead-flat stages). I think the results of the stages (including the placings of Petacchi and Cavendish) tell it well how much of a sprint stage they were.

A profile:

It's not too dissimilar to the old Amstel finale. In this year's field, Van der Poel would be the clear favourite.

I think it was the same in 2005 when Bettini won (with a gap) ahead of McEwen and Petacchi.

 

[Cookster15]

Hopefully Caleb can get back on track.

 

[sir fly]

Nothing wrong with the postcard designs.
Just a matter of personal preferences.

 

[titan31]

It's a bit odd of RCS to build stages like this since there's no real top Italian sprinter who's going to beat Cavendish and Ewan. At least before they have Cipo and Petacchi, but now Viviani is the best they have for flat sprints and he had no real chance of selection.

Think they'd favour sprint stages that would suit likes of Colbrelli (if he was fit), Ballerini, Trentin, Albanese or hill finishes for Ullisi, Covi, Bagioli etc in order to get more home wins. For flat sprint stages or proper mountain stages, they don't have much who are competitive there atm.

 

[SafeBet]

It's a bit odd of RCS to build stages like this since there's no real top Italian sprinter who's going to beat Cavendish and Ewan. At least before they have Cipo and Petacchi, but now Viviani is the best they have for flat sprints and he had no real chance of selection.

Think they'd favour sprint stages that would suit likes of Colbrelli (if he was fit), Ballerini, Trentin, Albanese or hill finishes for Ullisi, Covi, Bagioli etc in order to get more home wins. For flat sprint stages or proper mountain stages, they don't have much who are competitive there atm.

Let's be real here: at the moment there is no Italian rider who is good enough to warrant designing a stage based on his skills, regardless of the terrain.

 

[Samamba]

Let's be real here: at the moment there is no Italian rider who is good enough to warrant designing a stage based on his skills, regardless of the terrain.

21 time trials!