Giro 2017, stage 16: Rovetta – Bormio 222 km

[pink_jersey]

This year Giro is the best Igor Anton I've seen in years.

 

[Gigs_98]

Re: Re:

I think 220km and 5500m of climbing is going to take its toll on a lot riders, even if were just soft pedalled most of the way.

Yeah 220km with 5500m of climbing will hurt anyway, but they would hurt even more if the race is hard? And why isn't the race hard? Because Movistar thought it would be a better tactic to give Dumoulin some time to rest.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Just make a Mortirolo-Aprica stage instead, that always delivers fireworks anyways.

 

[Der Effe]

Re: Re:

He has three teammates up ahead ready to wait for him. They will easily distance a peloton with only a few tired helpers.

Well, I'm sure that will be the plan on the last climb. Why do it on the Stelvio when Dumoulin can still lean on Trek, FDJ and Quickstep to help limit any gap he can pull out? The whole point is to try to make Dumoulin follow Quintana to push him into the red. He doesn't need to if there is still a biggish peloton with several other teams prepared to work.

For Christ sake what gap would one Trek and one QS guy limit to Quintana?! He would give them 1min in 2-3km easily, even if Jungels and Mollema are working too!!! What Quintana needs is only 20-30 sec on Dumoulin, meybe even less, just to connect with his men upfront. Then it's a winning situation.

Did you see how easily Amador and Landa were pulled back in the valley? What exactly would Amador, Anacona and Quintana have been able to do against a group of ten or so favourites, who would inevitably join togethe on the descent? This is fantasy stuff that you're coming up with, not rooted in reality I'm afraid.

So Quintana would rest behind his teammates while the other favorites are riding behind him and chase themselves. Sounds like a dream scenario to me

If Quintana gained 30 secs he would've wasted a lot of energy for a gap that guys like Dumoulin, Pinot, Zakarin and Jungels would have closed in no time.

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

He has three teammates up ahead ready to wait for him. They will easily distance a peloton with only a few tired helpers.

Well, I'm sure that will be the plan on the last climb. Why do it on the Stelvio when Dumoulin can still lean on Trek, FDJ and Quickstep to help limit any gap he can pull out? The whole point is to try to make Dumoulin follow Quintana to push him into the red. He doesn't need to if there is still a biggish peloton with several other teams prepared to work.

For Christ sake what gap would one Trek and one QS guy limit to Quintana?! He would give them 1min in 2-3km easily, even if Jungels and Mollema are working too!!! What Quintana needs is only 20-30 sec on Dumoulin, meybe even less, just to connect with his men upfront. Then it's a winning situation.

Did you see how easily Amador and Landa were pulled back in the valley? What exactly would Amador, Anacona and Quintana have been able to do against a group of ten or so favourites, who would inevitably join togethe on the descent? This is fantasy stuff that you're coming up with, not rooted in reality I'm afraid.

I very much doubt Jungels and Mollema would chase Quintana. They'll leave Dumoulin to do that, as their race is not for first.

They'd all work together I imagine. Closing Quintana also means closing Amador and Kruijswijk. So it benefits all of them. In any case, it's not really a risk that Quintana needs to take at this stage in the race.

 

[sir fly]

Maybe Quintana can gain more than half a minute on Umbrail with teammates in front and the two climbs in legs.
Looks reasonable considering the Blockhaus stage.

 

[Vroome.exe]

Im sure if Quintana attacked everyone would easily chase him down as they were softpedalling the whole stage.

 

[Brullnux]

Once again: Zakarin and Mollema and Jungels will not chase down Quintana.

 

[ice&fire]

Re:

Eusebio Unzue just talked to Rai about Movistar's tactics. Hermetic poetry :lol:
(his italian was perfect though). I don't know if he is criptic by nature or their tactics are a mess

Their tactics are a mess and he's disguising it with cryptic words

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

I think 220km and 5500m of climbing is going to take its toll on a lot riders, even if were just soft pedalled most of the way.

Yeah 220km with 5500m of climbing will hurt anyway, but they would hurt even more if the race is hard? And why isn't the race hard? Because Movistar thought it would be a better tactic to give Dumoulin some time to rest.

Come on, have a bit of patience. There's still one of the toughest climbs in the race to come yet this stage.

 

[LaFlorecita]

How much time can Quintana take on Dumo on the Umbrailpass? I'd bet on Dumo taking time back in the descent.

 

[rick james]

Re:

Armstrong has more testicals than Quintana.

Classy

 

[Akuryo]

Re:

This year Giro is the best Igor Anton I've seen in years.

Or the rest of the field is just riding so conservative that allows him to shine for once. :lol:

 

[Monstre du Cyclisme]

I've always said that the valley is nasty windy. And every team must have known that beforehand. That's good if you have teammates upfront and you can distance a Dumoulin without a team. I doubt that others team would do a better work than Amador and Anacona as they would not commit as strong as the Moviestar riders. The reason why we didn't see an attack by Quintana is just that he didn't feel having the legs going on the attack so early. Nevertheless, the Umbrail is hard enough to create a gap to Dumoulin if it is ridden hard. This mountain is hard enough to gain minutes if someone fell into trouble.

 

[stetre76]

Deignan calls it a day...falling back from the front group

 

[Samamba]

Re:

How much time can Quintana take on Dumo on the Umbrailpass? I'd bet on Dumo taking time back in the descent.

Zero time.

 

[Rollthedice]

Re:

How much time can Quintana take on Dumo on the Umbrailpass? I'd bet on Dumo taking time back in the descent.

Dumoulin to drop Quintana close to the top.

 

[Ricco']

Re:

This year Giro is the best Igor Anton I've seen in years.

Indeed it is.

Makes me wonder what could have happened in last year's Vuelta if not for his gastrointestinal problems.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Pellizotti not even breathing _O_

 

[sir fly]

Re:

Eusebio Unzue just talked to Rai about Movistar's tactics. Hermetic poetry :lol:
(his italian was perfect though). I don't know if he is criptic by nature or their tactics are a mess

What did he say?
I'm intrigued...

 

[vcampbell]

Re:

How much time can Quintana take on Dumo on the Umbrailpass? I'd bet on Dumo taking time back in the descent.

Quintana attacks, Dumoulin will ride his own pace catching Quintana, counter him getting ~15 seconds till the top then increase it by at lease 1 min on the descent. Amador and co will be called back. TJVG for the stage.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

I never expected much from this stage, but this is still disappointing.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

How much time can Quintana take on Dumo on the Umbrailpass? I'd bet on Dumo taking time back in the descent.

Zero time.

Maybe he won't even try

How much time can Quintana take on Dumo on the Umbrailpass? I'd bet on Dumo taking time back in the descent.

Quintana attacks, Dumoulin will ride his own pace catching Quintana, counter him getting ~15 seconds till the top then increase it by at lease 1 min on the descent. Amador and co will be called back. TJVG for the stage.

 

[Der Effe]

Re:

Once again: Zakarin and Mollema and Jungels will not chase down Quintana.

But they do wanna chase down Amador and Kruijswijk, hence their riders leading the chase...

It's hardly rocket science.

 

[DFA123]

Another possibility is Movistar could be playing the classic rope-a-dope here. Don't try to create unpredictable chaos which could backfire, but instead ride a pace- especially on the final climb - which is like a carrot for Dumoulin to chase. A pace that's too hard for him really, but which he digs really deep to follow - and puts himself in a hole which he won't get out of in subsequent stages. Could be a more effective long-game, rather than dropping him and letting him TT up at threshold, limiting his losses.