Giro d'Italia 2022 Giro d'Italia, Stage 9: Isernia – Blockhaus 189 km (Sunday, May 15th)

[JosefK]

Not at all confident who wins the stage (Landa or Carapaz?) but I’m very confident it will be a GC day. Honestly I’m extremely surprised that a few people whose opinion I respect think the break has a good chance.

Ineos has a full (and strong) team and it’s been softly ridden so far
+
Ineos will also believe the have the strongest climber
+
Possible help from Bahrain
+
Rest day tomorrow
+
Yates is possibly injured and vulnerable
=
Almost no chance for the break.

Yes, this could be the stage when Carapaz does something. That's what I'm expecting. Hope there are other contenders in the fight, too.

 

[gregrowlerson]

If peak Pogacar was here I could see him blowing up the race on Lanciano like he did on Romme.

But since we only have mere mortals, this should be more of a race of attrition.

 

[carton]

Even without attacks, some significant riders will be dropped before that banner. The questions are how significant and how many?

So my quick answer, barring a spell of premature excitement, would be that it depends on how Carapaz is feeling. If he's on a good day I see only the bona fide podium threats hanging on in Porte's slipstream as we approach. If he looks a bit shaky then, if no one is meddlesome enough to find out for us if he's bluffing, it might be a fairly big group riding coach at that point. But again, even given a disappointing lack of curiosity among the leaders, around the time they hit that banner I really do expect someone to make a proper bid to jump the tracks.

 

[gregrowlerson]

So my quick answer, barring a spell of premature excitement, would be that it depends on how Carapaz is feeling. If he's on a good day I see only the bona fide podium threats hanging on in Porte's slipstream as we approach. If he looks a bit shaky then, if no one is meddlesome enough to find out for us if he's bluffing, it might be a fairly big group riding coach at that point. But again, even given a disappointing lack of curiosity among the leaders, around the time they hit that banner I really do expect someone to make a proper bid to jump the tracks.

The more that Ineos drill it, the more riders are dropped and the more time they lose. The softer that Ineos pace it, the more riders attack, and earlier the attacks if the tempo is slow. So I don't see how very little happens here (though of course it might be little enough to dissatisfy the forum), especially with Bora having 4 riders in the mix.

At worst we may get a Grand Columbierre 2020 Tour situation, but even those unlikely chances are reduced further because A) a top contender was already dropped near the bottom (Bernal), and B) Sepp Kuss was being Sepp Kuss.

Maybe if someone like Landa dropped early and was already losing minutes then that might satisfy other contenders, but then you'd also need Porte to ride like Kuss did then, and history says that Richie won't leave anything in reserve. Of course the other alternative is that Porte has his stage 9 crash early and Ineos don't ride hard and the other teams think that's only because he's out, and do nothing either.

But Porte's stage 9 luck is going to turn

 

[hfer07]

Ivan Sosa....... from a breakaway..? I wonder if Dumo gets flashback memories from 2017 and ride FTW?

If not, then a massive GC riders battle between Yates, Carapaz, Bardet, Landa

 

[Izzyeviel]

Ivan Sosa....... from a breakaway..? I wonder if Dumo gets flashback memories from 2017 and ride FTW?

If not, then a massive GC riders battle between Yates, Carapaz, Bardet, Landa

Sosa isn't going to achieve anything this year. He's in my fantasy cycling team. I'm so sorry .

 

[hfer07]

Sosa isn't going to achieve anything this year. He's in my fantasy cycling team. I'm so sorry .

but he already won Asturias

 

[tobydawq]

Hard to see past Valverde here.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Ciccone will try something, it's his training climb when he's at home.

 

[Pantani_lives]

The name Blockhaus ("stone house") refers to a stone fort built during a military expedition against the briganti (bandits). The building doesn't exist anymore.

In 1967 Eddy Merckx won his first Giro stage here. Today the Grenadiers will lead a new military expidition. Hopefully the briganti are ready for a fight.

 

[SafeBet]

The name Blockhaus ("stone house") refers to a stone fort built during a military expedition against the briganti (bandits). The building doesn't exist anymore.

It's still the most random name for a climb in that area.

 

[movingtarget]

Ineos choo choo. Landa fans I admire your loyalty...........top 10 about to be reconfigured. Be interesting to see if anyone can challenge Yates and Carapaz.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Australian television to miss almost the first four hours of tonight's stage in preference for Eurovision.

Vision.....it's music. Could they show the Giro and have the songs played as the audio?

Next big television event: Modelsound.

 

[Red Rick]

Australian television to miss almost the first four hours of tonight's stage in preference for Eurovision.

Vision.....it's music. Could they show the Giro and have the songs played as the audio?

Next big television event: Modelsound.

Did you just get tired of explaining you're not Austrian so you're participating in that?

 

[CyclistAbi]

Just read Yates injured his knee on a crash at stage 4. Hopefully he will be alright. As otherwise GC favorites bunch is really reduced already.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Did you just get tired of explaining you're not Austrian so you're participating in that?

Probably.

 

[RedheadDane]

Australian television to miss almost the first four hours of tonight's stage in preference for Eurovision.

How? There was literally no overlap between the two.

 

[gregrowlerson]

How? There was literally no overlap between the two.

They can't be showing Eurovision live.

Which makes it even less worthwhile watching!

 

[Poursuivant]

1 Carapaz
2 Bardet
3 Yates

 

[sir fly]

I'd go all out on Lanciano.
...and then left on SP220.

 

[Lequack]

Eurosport/GCN commentators sure find some weird places

https://twitter.com/x/status/1525769998802702336

View: https://twitter.com/eurosport/status/1525769998802702336?s=20&t=kG8G5_1CRxr1kaNO2lhFyQ

 

[Lequack]

Contador's take

https://twitter.com/x/status/1525763354626691073

View: https://twitter.com/Eurosport_NL/status/1525763354626691073?s=20&t=DPiA8fsN3VYijfF8TPCR-A

 

[gregrowlerson]

Contador's take

https://twitter.com/x/status/1525763354626691073

View: https://twitter.com/Eurosport_NL/status/1525763354626691073?s=20&t=DPiA8fsN3VYijfF8TPCR-A

I didn't hear any mention of MVDP.

Bertie's become boring.

 

[Lequack]

Time limit today should again be around ~1hr, no worry for any sprinters not making it.
Also, who think Dumoulin will put the hammer down and drop Yates and the others?

 

[Netserk]

We're off!