Giro 2017, stage 14: Castellania – Oropa 131 km

[Robert5091]

Re:

Movistar to go full *** before climb like in the Blockhaus-stage.

I don't think they have much choice! Quintana must hope other GC hopefulls help too.

 

[jaylew]

This seems like a MTF stage almost specifically designed for Dumo. Going to be really hard to put any significant time into him here.

 

[WheelofGear]

Mollema to win with a very late attack with 600m to go.

Quintana, Dumo, Nibali and Pinot arriving 4 seconds later.

Pozzovivo being dropped while the rest of the guys are sprinting. 8 secs down.

Rest 30 secs+ down in a larger group.

 

[Tonton]

Re:

Quintana again gathers his team in the morning like on Blockhaus stage and tells them he wants to win the stage only this time he will be out sprinted by Pinot and Nibs. Tom looses 20 secs, Molema 25.

Possible (and attractive outcome).

I agree with the comments....and it goes for both week-end stages: The week-end is when you should get the crowds, TV ratings through the roof, tome that's when mythic stages should take place. Well .

Eshnar, thanks for the great intros; but I will disagree with you. I see two opportunities. The gutsy one, mid-climb, where it's steep, More or less 5 km to go, possible gain - 1 minute? And there's the more likely high tempo racing, with attacks in the last 3, 2.5 or so km to go, steep again. 20-25 seconds gain maybe. That's the more likely scenario IMO. Time gaps 2-5 are so small that I don't see anyone lit the thing on fire like Pantani, get countered, crack, and finish the climb like Cippo. And lose a podium opportunity.

Nibali and Quintana want win or nothing, so they are likely to initiate the action. For Quintana, I feel that it will take a lot of energy to win this Giro...with Geraint out and going to the Tour, very bad news for the double. Maybe the "second place is not good" will sum up the Great Nairo Quintana's 2017 season.

Bottom line: if Dumoulin finishes same time as his foes (regardless of time bonuses), he's the winner of the day and gets one step closer.

 

[Velolover2]

I will not be like Etna but I could see a very reduced group of 3-6 sprinting for the win.

That said, Quintana needs some more time. He has to try something and attack. I think he will take the stage.

 

[jsem94]

It will be full *** on that climb, anything could happen. Gaps will occur.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Despite Etna being a harder climb, this will most definitely be more selective. If ridden properly, 10 riders within a minute and full *** with Izagirre, De La Parte and Anacona from the bottom.

Quintana to imitate Pantani

Does that include Quintana to start the climb half a minute later than the other contenders?

Nah, basically the same he did on Blockhaus. It shouldnt be that hard to control the break either today, Oropa is a good place to win with Pantani and all.

 

[Tonton]

Quintana to pull a Pantani, Dumourain to pull a Indulin, Nibali to pull a Ricco, Tibopino to pull a Piepoli, Zakarin pulls a Berzin, TJVG is the new Armstrong, the thing goes nuclear, The Clinic explodes, we all seek shelter in the "General" forum.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Tejay to pull a Hamilton, crash and wreck his collarbone, then proceed to stun the whole CN board by continuing heroically and grind up the climb in a gear Bert Grabsch wouldn't even have thought of using and win the stage with a face of pure pain, blood and sweet dripping from his forehead, beating Pantani's out of this world record on Oropa.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Thomas to pull a Jesus, somehow reviving himself in the race by the dark forces of dangerous vodoo from the deep forests of Haiti, powering through the flat road of the Po valley and leading the bunch with close to 20 minutes before cracking spectaclarly on the steep gradients of Oropa, desperately in need of carbohydrate, while in some sort of trance, conniously whispering un-understandable and unimaginable things to himself to keep the pedals going.

He didn't finish the stage and disappeared from planet earth for a good 6 months, the legend has it he has he went to heaven where he was told by Coppi, with a cat-shaped body, to start riding on wet-cobbles and sip triple by the Belgian landside again. And so he started eating normal food again and never go hungry to bed again, not sleeping in stupid tents in altitude and definitely never-ever sleeping in a camper-van.

 

[Velolover2]

Pozzovivo to drop the entire peloton on the flat leading up to the climb only to be catch and dropped by a flying Svein Tuft at the steepest sections of the climb.

 

[sir fly]

Where do you find inspiration from, Valv?
Alcohol or...?

 

[carton]

Hate to burst some bubbles, but Quintana needs to sit in. There's no there here for him. If no one else picks it up, then Movi to push just to tire everyone out a bit, maybe throw in a salvo just to check if TomTom is having a bad day.. Because even tomorrow is better than today for him. Pinot and Yates are the favorites here.

In 2017 we're not going to see Chepe Gonzalez sprinting up a climb dodging the motorbikes, Bettini freewheeling behind him. That's not the way these things are raced anymore, for better or for worse.

 

[johnymax]

I can see a Pinot or Dumoulin win here.

 

[Velolover2]

Nairo Quintana: "I know it well, it’s a beautiful ascent, I like it. It’ll be curious to see how we do: it’a short stage and a flat course with such a tough sting at the tail. We should see some decent gaps there, and the approach to the foot of the climb should be ‘interesting’. Let’s hope we can tackle the climb at the front of the bunch and go for what could be a true mountain TT towards the line."

Even Nairo considers it a MTT.

Don't think Dumoulin is going to lose more than 10 seconds. He could even win it.

 

[Robert5091]

"starts very gently, and gets much steeper in the second part." Train! Fast fast fast ...

"Even Nairo considers it a MTT. " Where are those Gazprom guys?

 

[hfer07]

If a breakaway does not make it- then Nairos' name is written all over it.
Time gaps? all comes down to how the GC riders approach it...
hope the stage would live up to the expectations as far as aggressiveness & initiative to shake up the GC regardless who wins and how the GC standing is shaped up afterwards...

 

[SafeBet]

Nibali and Pinot could lose time today. Not much, but I can see both Quintana and Dumoulin distancing them.
It looks like a very good climb for Adam Yates.

 

[dutchdescent]

Re:

Thomas to pull a Jesus, somehow reviving himself in the race by the dark forces of dangerous vodoo from the deep forests of Haiti, powering through the flat road of the Po valley and leading the bunch with close to 20 minutes before cracking spectaclarly on the steep gradients of Oropa, desperately in need of carbohydrate, while in some sort of trance, conniously whispering un-understandable and unimaginable things to himself to keep the pedals going.

He didn't finish the stage and disappeared from planet earth for a good 6 months, the legend has it he has he went to heaven where he was told by Coppi, with a cat-shaped body, to start riding on wet-cobbles and sip triple by the Belgian landside again. And so he started eating normal food again and never go hungry to bed again, not sleeping in stupid tents in altitude and definitely never-ever sleeping in a camper-van.

 

[DFA123]

Re:

It will be full *** on that climb, anything could happen. Gaps will occur.

Agreed, definitey going to be GC gaps. The last 7km at 8% average, with several sections in double figures, is no walk in the park.

 

[Oliver]

Rosa in the attack and take the stage! Otherwise Adam Yates for the win, he can get some time.

 

[Alexandre B.]

Re:

Thomas to pull a Jesus, somehow reviving himself in the race by the dark forces of dangerous vodoo from the deep forests of Haiti, powering through the flat road of the Po valley and leading the bunch with close to 20 minutes before cracking spectaclarly on the steep gradients of Oropa, desperately in need of carbohydrate, while in some sort of trance, conniously whispering un-understandable and unimaginable things to himself to keep the pedals going.

He didn't finish the stage and disappeared from planet earth for a good 6 months, the legend has it he has he went to heaven where he was told by Coppi, with a cat-shaped body, to start riding on wet-cobbles and sip triple by the Belgian landside again. And so he started eating normal food again and never go hungry to bed again, not sleeping in stupid tents in altitude and definitely never-ever sleeping in a camper-van.

Your story reminds me of this: https://rutube.ru/video/ab6bea35ae4e496d00db53dab4d76f5b/

 

[klintE]

NQ goes 3km before, gaining 16 sec on TD and Thibo
Nibali crossing the line 30 s. later

 

[RattaKuningas]

I expect Movistar to go all out on this climb and there is nothing for them to lose. If they do that then Dumoulin is definitely going to lose some time.
Even smaller climbs have had gaps between GC guys, what matters is just how hard are they going race this.

 

[Red Rick]

Train should really be doing the damage until after the hardest part is over.