That Como stage was so disappointing because I was hyped for a big breakaway fight where they raced it like a classic and then it went with a 2-rider break.
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I can't ever be hyped by something with a profile like .... thatWe clearly need to send tons of Emails to the tourist information of Sölden to sell them on the idea that an Ötztaler Ramarathon Granfodo stage is what they need to promote bike Tourism even more.
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In the real world the Monte Lussari MTT rumour from the Friuli region is still ongoing, but I believe it when I see it.
That Como stage was so disappointing because I was hyped for a big breakaway fight where they raced it like a classic and then it went with a 2-rider break.
The positive thing I see for it is that it shouldn't really dissuade attacking either.The problem of the rumoured Como to Bergamo stage is the lack of climbing or descending in the final . Unless somebody has a real crisis, everything would come together before the final two kickers. There, no one can surprise the others, but at least one or two minutes between GC riders are possible. Nevertheless, it doesn't look any similar to this years Torino stage. It would be a typical end of week 2 stage, which gives at least three opportunities for the Dolomites and the Ortler Alps (Stelvio, Gavia) until the Zoncolan (which might be stage 18 or 19, if Slovenia and a hilly stage in Friaul are considered afterwards)
Sigh......5 Might be Montevergine
Double sigh.........7 MTF to Campo Imperatore
These two better be freakin good since the rest of that first week looks crap!8 towards Tuscany
9 all in Tuscany
Oh my freakin god! Honestly! If this is used, it better contain climbs like Veysonnaz and Anzere first.13 ??? - Crans Montana
That would mean perhaps Simplonpass, followed by some easier climbs and mostly flat at the end?14 Sion? - Cesano Maderno (
This looks somewhat better, at least if they do Monte Grappa. But Lussari MTT is still an awful penultimate stage.16 Sarnico - Monte Bondone?
17 Trento? - Possagno? (possibly with Monte Grappa)
18 ??? - Longarone
19 Erto - Tre Cime di Lavaredo
20 Tarvisio - Monte Lussari ITT
yes, if the finish is there it's gonna be a sprint stage. Which makes me hope the Crans Montana stage will be hardish...That would mean perhaps Simplonpass, followed by some easier climbs and mostly flat at the end?
It‘s definitely over 230 k and includes a pretty long but gradual climb. The sprinters teams would have a tough time controlling the race I thinkyes, if the finish is there it's gonna be a sprint stage. Which makes me hope the Crans Montana stage will be hardish...
Wasn't Vegni super happy about the outcome of of 'hold hands until Fedaia'I just cannot understand how every year the Giro is backloading its route, it absolutely isn't working and yet evey year it seems like they are thinking "yeah, we need more of that, let's backload it a little more"
Geography and time of the year. It's natural for the Giro to be the most backloaded of the three GTs.I just cannot understand how every year the Giro is backloading its route, it absolutely isn't working and yet evey year it seems like they are thinking "yeah, we need more of that, let's backload it a little more"
Yeah, but it's still possible to do a lot of really tough stages before hitting the 2000m++ climbs in the Alps and Dolomites.Geography and time of the year. It's natural for the Giro to be the most backloaded of the three GTs.
Sure, but if your most high profile climbs necessarily will be in the end, and you operate with an overall toughness budget, you will ease the first half.Yeah, but it's still possible to do a lot of really tough stages before hitting the 2000m++ climbs in the Alps and Dolomites.
That's a bad excuse. Sure it makes sense that the hardest stages of the Giro take place in the Alps but that's not justification for the Giro not having a properly gc relevant mountain stage outside of the Alps that wasn't a mtf on Blockhaus since when? Etna 2011? All usual Apennines mtf's other than Blockhaus are not steep enough, have a long flat section before the final ramp or something like that. Aside from that, you could still have a backloaded race without absolutely everything coming down to the last week. Like, as much as I complain about the first week of the 2019 Giro, the two crucial stages of that race were actually stages 13 and 14, so not even that late. But in the last three years (and by the looks of it next year as well) the backloading has been taken to another level.Geography and time of the year. It's natural for the Giro to be the most backloaded of the three GTs.
We did have an excellent medium mountain stage this year.2022 had Blockhaus early, as I said the only good HC climb in the "south" of Italy the Giro sometimes uses, and the next proper mountain stage in week 3 where we once again had 4 of them.
Still, the Vuelta is rarely more than a 7/10 race. The Giro has the potential to be more if RCS design the race better. Spain doesn't have Finestre/Sestriere, Mortirolo/Aprica, Stelvio/Torri di Fraele, Tuscany sterrato stages or multiple climb stages of the same difficulty as the Dolomites. Nor the endless potential for tough medium mountain stages.The Giro is dying. I will once again watch, but most likely with very limited enthusiasm. The Vuelta is outperforming the Giro by a mile these years, and nothing can change that apart from firing the totally useless and oblivious Mauro Vegni.