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Giro d'Italia 2023 Giro d'Italia, Stage 13: Borgofranco d’Ivrea – Crans Montana, 199 km (Friday, May 19th)

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The babies didn't want to race today


Race leader Geraint Thomas confirmed that if RCS Sport and the UCI officials had not agreed to cut the stage, the riders could have gone on strike... One well-informed source suggested to Cyclingnews that if relations had spiralled out of control, the Giro d’Italia could have even struggled to reach the finish in Rome.

This never would have happened in the Lance and Ullrich era (likely not during the Contador era either). They raced in bad weather. They climbed multiple mountains in a given day. These babies won't race the mountains in rain

I still dont understand exactly what they were striking about. The weather was not even that bad, the stage had already been made much easier than it originally was and they still had to go down the "dangerous descent" (it was fine). maybe Geraint needs to find a new hobby, or go back to riding on the track where there is no weather.
 
Congratulations to Einer Augusto Rubio Reyes for winning the stage.

Pinot was relentless and would deserve the win. Still he likely wasted too much energy on the wrong things. For sure he will try again to win a stage on this Giro edition.

As for the stage itself. First shortened, to try to keep the integrity of this Giro edition, then a lot of discussion about real men followed. A short and explosive stage was the result. No action from GC guys whatsoever. A GT stage classic. Something real GT fans deeply appreciate and admire.
 
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The babies didn't want to race today


Race leader Geraint Thomas confirmed that if RCS Sport and the UCI officials had not agreed to cut the stage, the riders could have gone on strike... One well-informed source suggested to Cyclingnews that if relations had spiralled out of control, the Giro d’Italia could have even struggled to reach the finish in Rome.

This never would have happened in the Lance and Ullrich era (likely not during the Contador era either). They raced in bad weather. They climbed multiple mountains in a given day. These babies won't race the mountains in rain

Except there was no longer an extreme weather protocol in place at the time . You do yourself no favors by making personal attacks on riders and the like in this forum.
 
The babies didn't want to race today


Race leader Geraint Thomas confirmed that if RCS Sport and the UCI officials had not agreed to cut the stage, the riders could have gone on strike... One well-informed source suggested to Cyclingnews that if relations had spiralled out of control, the Giro d’Italia could have even struggled to reach the finish in Rome.

This never would have happened in the Lance and Ullrich era (likely not during the Contador era either). They raced in bad weather. They climbed multiple mountains in a given day. These babies won't race the mountains in rain
Jan Ullrich probably shakes his head, laughs and thinks "Okay. Then I would've won the 1998 Tour de France!"

Only that Ullrich knows that it wouldn't have been right!
 
and what was the extreme weather today?

It was decided by the Giro organizers and the CPA - This is not just about poor weather at this Giro but look at the ordinary stage design which contributes to the issues - Italy has the best terrain to organise a well designed route, however, like you they live in the past - We don't need monster climbing stages but a variety of hard mountain stages.
 
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It was decided by the Giro organizers and the CPA - This is not just about poor weather at this Giro but look at the ordinary stage design which contributes to the issues - Italy has the best terrain to organise a well designed route, however, like you they live in the past - We don't need monster climbing stages but a variety of hard mountain stages.

perhaps we should design pancake flat routes then. Throw a red flag anytime there is a drop of rain or the weather is outside of a 15-25C
 
It was decided by the Giro organizers and the CPA - This is not just about poor weather at this Giro but look at the ordinary stage design which contributes to the issues - Italy has the best terrain to organise a well designed route, however, like you they live in the past - We don't need monster climbing stages but a variety of hard mountain stages.
What’s the issue with monster climbing stages? It’s just like a TT and part of a balanced GT route.
 
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What’s the issue with monster climbing stages? It’s just like a TT and part of a balanced GT route.

Because the Giro route design is always heavily back-loaded which does nothing for the race - And in fact it often leads to negative racing - The placement of stages has been atrocious - You have 8 stages on the weekend which is prime-time viewing time - What is offered - 3 ITT' s 2 sprinter stages, transitional stages and possiblt tomorrow could have GC action - I suggest you consider the totality of my post instead of cherry-picking one aspect. There
 
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I would never have thought that I would be watching the wheelsucking match of the century between the two masters in the craft. Oh dear, this was the most terrible of outcomes that we didn't want to happen. Between Covid and crashes and the back loading of the stages we ended up with this, a clash between Roglic and Thomas with Almeida watching. Please, someone help us!!!
 
im still baffled by what happened yesterday. why was yesterdays stage such a problem but today was fine? you would think getting todays climb cancelled would've made way more sense.
I think it's a mental thing. People were afraid of yesterdays stage being too ahrd all things together. This was always gonna be a big breakaway, with the climb being cold but everything else being really softly paced.
 
Today, one day after yesterday‘s farce, I‘d say yesterday’s stage 13 was the saddest episode I ever watched in the Giro, since having first watched in 1998. Only Pantani‘s Campiglio 1999 was more sad, for other reasons.

Yesterday‘s stage was so bad that they better cancel all results. It was expected to be a queen stage - in the end, it was more boring than the rest day Cafeteria ride most riders do.

So I‘d say stage 13 of 2023 Giro will go down in history as one of the darkest chapters of Giro history. A disgrace of the worst kind.
 

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