Giro d'Italia 2023 Giro d'Italia, Stage 7: Capua - Gran Sasso d'Italia (Campo Imperatore), 218 km (Friday, May 12)

[OlavEH]

With Etna and Gran Sasso d'Italia the outcome is quite clear all the time.

They could use one of the steeper ascents of Etna. Like the one to Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana.

There aren't many tougher climbs than that in the Apennines. Maybe only San Pellegrino in Alpe, Blockhaus and Nerone. But Giro should really have a climb with gradients of at least 7-8 % over 10+ kms before the first restday. And a big(ish) medium mountain stage. Especially when the don't reach the Alps or Dolomites until stage 13 like this year.

 

[Rackham]

Different situation, he was in 1st position during the first 10stages.

The gaps were minimal in that first week. It's not just about Rogla either, it's about his teammates.

Winning the stage today would have required employing them on the front to chase. Shredding the bunch to launch an attack would also have required making his team work.

I don't get why neutral observers are having a meltdown today, i.e. the action will happen. It's a certainty. And it will be spectacular as well.

 

[Carrick-On-Seine]

Why do you keep trying to steal Juul-Jensen?

The irishman thing is not just about him:
Juul-Jensen born Ireland but rides for Denmark, Ben Healey born England but rides for Ireland so I guess the Irishman is Sam Bennett.

 

[titan31]

The irishman thing is not just about him:
Juul-Jensen born Ireland but rides for Denmark, Ben Healey born England but rides for Ireland so I guess the Irishman is Sam Bennett.

Forgetting Dunbar then though. From a better part of Ireland too

 

[peterfin]

We can't blame Remco for taking it easy today. He wanted to make sure that he has Paret-Peintre as a target and draft kick in the TT.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

The gaps were minimal in that first week. It's not just about Rogla either, it's about his teammates.

Winning the stage today would have required employing them on the front to chase. Shredding the bunch to launch an attack would also have required making his team work.

I don't get why neutral observers are having a meltdown today, i.e. the action will happen. It's a certainty. And it will be spectacular as well.

Because this was the only high mountain stage (kinda) in the first half of the race. Having no proper mano a mano GC fight until stage #13 sucks.

 

[Carrick-On-Seine]

Forgetting Dunbar then though. From a better part of Ireland too

Oops sorry; I had forgotten about him mainly due to the Ineos years. Glad he's got a new opportunity.

 

[Cookster15]

Because this was the only high mountain stage (kinda) in the first half of the race. Having no proper mano a mano GC fight until stage #13 sucks.

I agree having no proper mano a mano GC fight until stage #13 sucks, but I totally understand why Roglic is saving his bullets. Easy to forget they ride to win the Giro. Keeping fans pleased isn't their priority. We can blame the organizers for such a back-ended route this year.

 

[johnymax]

Because this was the only high mountain stage (kinda) in the first half of the race. Having no proper mano a mano GC fight until stage #13 sucks.

Tomorrow we'll have a mano a mano GC fight, hopefully.

 

[staubsauger]

I’ve ridden over Glacier’s Going to the Sun highway. Beautiful yes, but the gradients aren’t as steep nor the road as narrow and winding as the great climbs in the Dolomites and elsewhere in the Alps.

The proper gradients are in Canada rather or just in the (Colombian) Andes?

 

[Gratemans]

Am I the only one thinking it's pretty weird people keep blaming stage design? It's not like stages with gradients >20% are a guarantee for attacks or attractive racing. They could have attacked here, they just chose not to.

I can understand Remco. And Primoz to a slightly lesser extent. But what the hell Ineos, Bahrein, Bora? They're just happy trailing, like lambs to the slaughter? They should grow a pair

 

[VayaVayaVaya]

Tomorrow we'll have a mano a mano GC fight, hopefully.

Keep saying it everyday and surely it will be correct eventually.

 

[EddyMazzoleni]

That's how the horoscope works, but, unless they expect Remco performance in the ITTs to be severely affected by the crashes, which to me seems far fetched, someone should at least try to tire him a bit tommorow.

 

[Red Rick]

Alberto Contador, 6 years retired still the most aggressive rider today

 

[houtdffan]

That's how the horoscope works, but, unless they expect Remco performance in the ITTs to be severely affected by the crashes, which to me seems far fetched, someone should at least try to tire him a bit tommorow.

the risk with that is you risk a repeat of San Sabastien

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Alberto Contador, 6 years retired still the most aggressive rider today

Damn I miss seeing him dancing on the pedals.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

How the hog can such a weak break get away?

RCS should throw out most of the teams after today for not managing to get riders up the road on a stage that was almost certain to be won from a breakaway. I miss guys like Sella and Pirazzi.

 

[red_flanders]

All the moaning, and sure it wasn't a fun stage to watch. At all.

Folks, it was a 219km stage, with a really, really, long climb at the end. Guys are tired. There was a headwind. So yeah, the course design wasn't great, clearly that area is a wind-blasted moonscape and attacks are not going to happen if it's going in the wrong direction. It's too bad, but given the conditions and the course, nothing else was going to happen.

 

[Andy schleck]

Roglič is saving his bullets.

I know this because it's exactly how he rode the Vuelta 2021. There were at least 2 MTF's in that Vuelta in week one where Rog just followed wheels & did absolutely nothing.

Back then people were also saying "oh wow what's up with Rogla"

The answer today is the same as it was 2 years ago: it's just not the right time to attack yet.

Jumbo probably is gonna do something on croix coeur.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Am I the only one thinking it's pretty weird people keep blaming stage design? It's not like stages with gradients >20% are a guarantee for attacks or attractive racing. They could have attacked here, they just chose not to.

I can understand Remco. And Primoz to a slightly lesser extent. But what the hell Ineos, Bahrein, Bora? They're just happy trailing, like lambs to the slaughter? They should grow a pair

Ineos might not have anybody strong enough on their own imho. They need to bring as many guys as possible, as close as possible in GC, as far as possible into the 3rd week, in order to play their numbers if they want to actually have a shot. Jumbo and QuikStep aren't going to let Thomas or Hart go, and if they did attack, chances are they would only expose their own team mates. And instead of 5 guys close in GC at the start of the 3rd week, they would have 1 or 2 at best. And on their own, that 1 or 2 riders aren't strong enough to deal with Roglic and Evenepoel, most likely. If they can get into week 3 with 4 or 5 riders, they can start forcing hands by sending multiple riders in the attack, who are all too close in GC to let go, forcing others to react and possibly overplay their hand too early.
If they were to set up an Ineos train, they would just be doing the work for Jumbo and Quickstep, so that's also not an option. For Ineos the current situation couldn't be better, they have no reason to blow their own riders up at this point, they would only shoot themselves in the foot.

 

[Red Rick]

How the hog can such a weak break get away?

RCS should throw out most of the teams after today for not managing to get riders up the road on a stage that was almost certain to be won from a breakaway. I miss guys like Sella and Pirazzi.

Yeah I think with a massive headwind the GC gruop makes sense. But it makes no sense whatsoever how this weak ass break gets away and just gets the stage for free.

The lack of fight for breakaways in most stages is what's truly awful

 

[Mayomaniac]

Besides the team who had riders in the breakaway only DSM and Quickstep can be happy with how they raced. After Henok was dropped I almost expected Bardiani to drill in in the bunch for the memes.

Besides the already mentioned climbs in Southern Italy you also have Vesuvio, Terminillo, Capitello Matese and Monte Faito. Not to mention the fact that you can have steep murito stages and finishes all over Italy.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Yeah I think with a massive headwind the GC gruop makes sense. But it makes no sense whatsoever how this weak ass break gets away and just gets the stage for free.

The lack of fight for breakaways in most stages is what's truly awful

That's why you don't have nothing but flat for and hour at the start of a mountain stage, you get a weak breakaway.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Also, kinda funny that the "wrong" Bais ended up with a Giro stage win. In the u23 ranks I always rated his brother way higher.

 

[staubsauger]

Why was Vesuvio never raced again since Sastre won there in 2009?