Giro d'Italia 2022 Giro d'Italia, Stage 8: Napoli – Napoli 153 km (Saturday, May 14th)

[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-2691566

Stage 8: Napoli – Napoli 153 km
Saturday, May 14th, 13:35 CET

Technical Overview:
In a Giro that desperately lacks time trials, we have a stage that goes from Napoli to Napoli… and it is a road stage. And a very weird one at that. The riders will start in the city, then head west along a wide counterclockwise loop that will bring them to a circuit in Monte di Procida, to be repeated 4 times. The circuit is 19 km long and features a categorized climb, Monte di Procida (GPM4, 2.1 km at 6%) that would be pretty interesting if it wasn’t so far from the finish (the last passage is at 39 km to go). The rest of the stage just gets back to Napoli using the most of the same roads as before, consisting of some rough terrain and a small climb topping at 8 km to go, this one being much better suited for a finisseur attack.

Final km:

The Climbs:

Monte di Procida: GPM4, 2.1 km at 6%
A pretty good climb for a hilly circuit. And the view should be great.

What to expect:
Probably a big breakaway with all stage hunters in it. Their battle for the win will be fun but I doubt this stage will have any GC implications, considering what is in store for tomorrow.

Napoli

 

[Netserk]

Stage 8 in 1975, leaving Potenza:

 

[SafeBet]

Apparently the Bacoli area is famous for hosting marriages. A lot of them were booked in advance but won't be celebrated due to the Giro passing through the town.
Sooooo brides are threatening to organize a protest and block the road...

 

[spalco]

I dislike stages that don't go anywhere, unless it's a TT, but at least the scenery should be nice.

 

[Sciatic]

Apparently the Bacoli area is famous for hosting marriages. A lot of them were booked in advance but won't be celebrated due to the Giro passing through the town.
Sooooo brides are threatening to organize a protest and block the road...

So if they wear their wedding dresses for the protest it means this stage will have an unplanned sector of strade bianche.

 

[SHAD0W93]

AF, FDJ, Lotto, UAE, and Wanty might keep a reign on the break.

 

[Didinho]

I was wrong about today.
But this one looks like a Mathieu breakaway stage win

 

[Laplaz]

Bini vs. MVDP - round 2

 

[titan31]

Either Ghirmay and VDP get in the break or their teams spend the day on the front controlling the break for the sprint. Both of them should be all over this stage.

 

[noob]

So if they wear their wedding dresses for the protest it means this stage will have an unplanned sector of strade bianche.

I wish they did it. What an epic sight it would be!

 

[Lequack]

Hopefully Alpecin and Wanty make it difficult for the big sprinters.

 

[search]

Either Ghirmay and VDP get in the break or their teams spend the day on the front controlling the break for the sprint. Both of them should be all over this stage.

it's a full-points stage, so Groupama will probably try to avoid the former at least

 

[SHAD0W93]

it's a full-points stage, so Groupama will probably try to avoid the former at least

Yeah if FDJ can keep Demare from getting dropped he is with Cav and Quickstep I hope they bell bring Cav back but don’t think he will survive the hills. Demare Chas a huge possibility for a hat trick. He could end the Giro with the same amount of GT stages as Ewan and well more then Gaviria, which is crazy if thinking back from 2012-2018. He’s definitely got stronger with age.

 

[Red Rick]

How hard is the final hill?

Used to think it was a decent puncheur stage but now I think it's probably just a reduced sprint if reduced at all

 

[titan31]

it's a full-points stage, so Groupama will probably try to avoid the former at least

Alpecin and Intermarche should be going hard to drop Demare or get enough of a break together that FDJ struggle to chase it down. If VDP, Ghirmay, Cort etc get in the break, FDJ would need to hope Cav or Ewan can survive to chase it down imo.

Hopefully we get that or Alpecin and Intermarche attacking the hills hard. If they go slow, the sprinters will survive and this stage will be a boring watch.

 

[titan31]

How hard is the final hill?

Used to think it was a decent puncheur stage but now I think it's probably just a reduced sprint if reduced at all

Cycling stage has the two last climbs towards the end as 1.8 kilometres at 5.2% and then 3.4 kilometres at 4.7%, and then the circuit is 2.1 kilometres at 6% and 600 metres at 9.4%.

 

[SHAD0W93]

How hard is the final hill?

Used to think it was a decent puncheur stage but now I think it's probably just a reduced sprint if reduced at all

Hard enough to drop Guardini and Mareczko. If both those last bills are ridden semi to hard they can probably drop Cav and Ewan.

Yeah I had this stage pegged as potential sprint stage when Eshnar posted his analysis even though most were thinking it wasn’t possible. But it depended on how Cav was climbing and if Ewan was still in the race for it to come down to a sprint.

 

[KZD]

Demare has to be the favourite for this stage.

 

[Amazinmets87]

Cycling stage has the two last climbs towards the end as 1.8 kilometres at 5.2% and then 3.4 kilometres at 4.7%, and then the circuit is 2.1 kilometres at 6% and 600 metres at 9.4%.

Easily dispatching of Cav on those last 2 hills. Ewan should drop as well.

 

[Ricco']

Don't know why but this stage gives me vibes of the Milano circuit stage held in 2009. Maybe the weird type of stage design to have mid-GT on a weekend.

 

[SafeBet]

Even if there's a somewhat big group before the last hill, VdP drops the watts bomb there and it's every man for himself. I highly doubt it'll be a bunch sprint.

 

[Cookster15]

If VdP wins it will be interesting. Otherwise looks boring.

 

[gregrowlerson]

So if they wear their wedding dresses for the protest it means this stage will have an unplanned sector of strade bianche.

I know which terrain will be tougher. They say they look radiant....but there is (almost) radiant in gradient.

 

[movingtarget]

Should be a decent sized break but they will probably struggle to hold off the bunch.

 

[RedheadDane]

Hard enough to drop Guardini and Mareczko. If both those last bills are ridden semi to hard they can probably drop Cav and Ewan.

Who'll have to pay?

So if they wear their wedding dresses for the protest it means this stage will have an unplanned sector of strade bianche.

Am I a terrible person for thinking you meant the riders would just... run over all the brides?