Giro 2017, Stage 6: Reggio Calabria-Terme Luigiane 217km

[movingtarget]

Re: Re:

The Giro so far has been a Sunday bunch ride, only serving to reach Blockhaus on Sunday.

As much as I'd like to think Blockhaus is going to be an amazing stage, I have the awful feeling that the current trend of conservative riding will negate it. I really really hope that I am wrong.

I am afraid so. Not sure if Quintana is on top form. Just waiting for the third week. And half of the contenders waiting for the TT to gain time.

It's a bit weird how strong teams like Sky, Orica and Bahrain aren't trying to pressure Quintana a bit more in the first half of the race. Try to create some echeleons, split the race on descents, or pick up potentially valuable time bonuses on stages like today and on Etna. Insteadthey just ride defensively, before inevitably getting destroyed in the third week.

I think the riders that can TT like Dumoulin, Stephen K and even TJVG will be enjoying the type of race it has been so far.

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

This Giro is awful so far. They can't even get action on an uphill sprint stage.

On the contrary, what we got was a good example of an uphill sprint. The problem is that uphill sprints, by and large, are boring. Your murito-fetishism makes these stages, usually a 1km watt fest, appear much more exiting than they actually are. The only way they are exciting is if some action precedes it.

Exactly these shallow 5% are even worse then the 15% monsters. At least there is a gap there

Yep, today clearly wasn't a murito. It was just a slight uphil finish - still the best chance of decent action so far in the race, but the riders were too lame. Proper muritos rock because GC contenders can smell gaps and stage wins - so you have most of the teams race excited and going for the win. Guaranteed excitement.

When most of the GC contenders are diesels. no decent puncheurs are in the race, and the uphill sprint is short and a weak gradient - there's a risk of what happened today.

 

[hfer07]

Re: Re:

The Giro so far has been a Sunday bunch ride, only serving to reach Blockhaus on Sunday.

As much as I'd like to think Blockhaus is going to be an amazing stage, I have the awful feeling that the current trend of conservative riding will negate it. I really really hope that I am wrong.

I am afraid so. Not sure if Quintana is on top form. Just waiting for the third week. And half of the contenders waiting for the TT to gain time.

yes, and who's benefiting the most ? Neither G, nor Quintanita, Nor Nibali, not Pinot either ......

is Dumoulin who's loving it!!!! in fact, Blockhouse is tailor made for him since it's a continuous/constant incline with few tough segments, so he's going to be able to cruise through, and perhaps give it a go if he's got the legs to attempt an attack ....

beware of him....

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

The Giro so far has been a Sunday bunch ride, only serving to reach Blockhaus on Sunday.

As much as I'd like to think Blockhaus is going to be an amazing stage, I have the awful feeling that the current trend of conservative riding will negate it. I really really hope that I am wrong.

I am afraid so. Not sure if Quintana is on top form. Just waiting for the third week. And half of the contenders waiting for the TT to gain time.

It's a bit weird how strong teams like Sky, Orica and Bahrain aren't trying to pressure Quintana a bit more in the first half of the race. Try to create some echeleons, split the race on descents, or pick up potentially valuable time bonuses on stages like today and on Etna. Insteadthey just ride defensively, before inevitably getting destroyed in the third week.

I think the riders that can TT like Dumoulin, Stephen K and even TJVG will be enjoying the type of race it has been so far.

I think everyone will be enjoying it. Like a nice sunday club run, enjoying the coastal scenery, no pressure because no one is actually trying to do anything.

The climbers content to wait for the high mountains, the TTers content to wait for the TT. In that scenario though, based on ability and past form in the third week, Quintana wins easily. It's really up to the other contenders to put the strongest rider in the race under pressure early, when he is most vulnerable and might be undercooked. Instead, they are all just chilling and not trying to give themselves any cushion at all for when the high mountains come.

 

[Scarponi]

Jeez tomorrow's stage is going to be a yawn too

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

The Giro so far has been a Sunday bunch ride, only serving to reach Blockhaus on Sunday.

As much as I'd like to think Blockhaus is going to be an amazing stage, I have the awful feeling that the current trend of conservative riding will negate it. I really really hope that I am wrong.

I am afraid so. Not sure if Quintana is on top form. Just waiting for the third week. And half of the contenders waiting for the TT to gain time.

yes, and who's benefiting the most ? Neither G, nor Quintanita, Nor Nibali, not Pinot either ......

is Dumoulin who's loving it!!!! in fact, Blockhouse is tailor made for him since it's a continuous/constant incline with few tough segments, so he's going to be able to cruise through, and perhaps give it a go if he's got the legs to attempt an attack ....

beware of him....

It's not. Quintana is benefitting the most. He's the best GC rider in the race by a distance at the moment. History suggests he is most vulnerable in the early stages and becomes unstoppable in the final week - particularly one dominated by high mountains.

Just crazy to think a mediocre climber like Dumoulin will take more time in the TTs than he will lose in the high mountains. He needs to build a cushion early in the race.

 

[portugal11]

This giro will surpass 2012 giro or 2013 giro as the worst giro of the last 20 years

 

[sir fly]

I'm not loosing my patience yet.
Maybe Quintana acts as a sedative in the peloton... Who knows?

 

[Brullnux]

Re: Re:

This Giro is awful so far. They can't even get action on an uphill sprint stage.

On the contrary, what we got was a good example of an uphill sprint. The problem is that uphill sprints, by and large, are boring. Your murito-fetishism makes these stages, usually a 1km watt fest, appear much more exiting than they actually are. The only way they are exciting is if some action precedes it.

Exactly these shallow 5% are even worse then the 15% monsters. At least there is a gap there

Yep, today clearly wasn't a murito. It was just a slight uphil finish - still the best chance of decent action so far in the race, but the riders were too lame. Proper muritos rock because GC contenders can smell gaps and stage wins - so you have most of the teams race excited and going for the win. Guaranteed excitement.

When most of the GC contenders are diesels. no decent puncheurs are in the race, and the uphill sprint is short and a weak gradient - there's a risk of what happened today.

A murito guarantees action for 1km, maybe two, and eliminates any potential before then. And the best chance of action so far was Etna, but the headwind and generally negative racing from the likes of Pinot ruined it.

I agree that the race is really calling our for less GC teams and more stage winners like Gilbert or Ulissi.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Nice trio battling for the win. Congrats to Dillier.

I'm getting used to dull GC riders.

 

[ThePirate81]

Black screen for 15 minutes during the "Processo alla tappa" post race debate. Chapeau to Rai!!
Worst Giro ever for me until now.

 

[Breh]

Pretty sure last years Giro was just as boring. I'd even say 2017 is slightly better than 2016 so far.

 

[May0maniac]

Re:

Black screen for 15 minutes during the "Processo alla tappa" post race debate. Chapeau to Rai!!
Worst Giro ever for me until now.

Yes, this year RAI is really going full bush league.

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

This Giro is awful so far. They can't even get action on an uphill sprint stage.

On the contrary, what we got was a good example of an uphill sprint. The problem is that uphill sprints, by and large, are boring. Your murito-fetishism makes these stages, usually a 1km watt fest, appear much more exiting than they actually are. The only way they are exciting is if some action precedes it.

Exactly these shallow 5% are even worse then the 15% monsters. At least there is a gap there

Yep, today clearly wasn't a murito. It was just a slight uphil finish - still the best chance of decent action so far in the race, but the riders were too lame. Proper muritos rock because GC contenders can smell gaps and stage wins - so you have most of the teams race excited and going for the win. Guaranteed excitement.

When most of the GC contenders are diesels. no decent puncheurs are in the race, and the uphill sprint is short and a weak gradient - there's a risk of what happened today.

A murito guarantees action for 1km, maybe two, and eliminates any potential before then. And the best chance of action so far was Etna, but the headwind and generally negative racing from the likes of Pinot ruined it.

I agree that the race is really calling our for less GC teams and more stage winners like Gilbert or Ulissi.

To be fair, that sounds a lot better than what we've got so far this race. Early muritos also create early GC splits - with some riders occasionally losing biggish time. Then that frees them and their team to either abandon the GC and stage hunt or to race more aggressively to gain back time - especially with bonuses on offer. With time gaps changing the GC every stage or two you get a much more dynamic and unpredictable race.

This is just so tedious with three teams hoping for a bunch sprint, a few really weak teams with no rouleurs like Cannondale, DD and Willier basically doing nothing of note, and everyone else just hoping to maintain status quo until Blockhaus. Would never happen with muritos.

 

[Scarponi]

These guys are making Cadel Evans looks like an attacking genius

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

Best synchronised sprint I've ever seen. The slow-mo was beautiful.

 

[Breh]

What was so entertaining about last years Giro? Little GC action untill Corvara, breakaway win after breakaway win mixed in with some Kittel/Greipel domination.

 

[DFA123]

Re:

What was so entertaining about last years Giro? Little GC action untill Corvara, breakaway win after breakaway win mixed in with some Kittel/Greipel domination.

Much higher quality field last year for flat and punchy stages. Every win was hard earned by a rider and their team. Look at the stage winners in the first week: Dumoulin, Kittel, Greipel, Ulissi, Wellens, Brambilla. All really high quality riders. And then look at the rabble who have won so far this race: most of the stages have almost been won by default, or up against one or two other riders, because the majority of teams weren't interested in contesting them.

 

[Valv.Piti]

The more decent to very good stage racers, the more boring. Every team is on the defensive, not trying to lose time. Thats the only conclusion I can draw this far. Look at the top-17 for crying out loud - all those rider's only mission is not to lose time, most of these riders are on different teams so thats the natural goal each and every day for most of the teams in the peloton bar the wildcards team and a few WT-teams.

 

[DFA123]

Re:

The more decent to very good stage racers, the more boring. Every team is on the defensive, not trying to lose time. Thats the only conclusion I can draw this far. Look at the top-17 for crying out loud - all those rider's only mission is not to lose time, most of these riders are on different teams so thats the natural goal each and every day for most of the teams in the peloton bar the wildcards team and a few WT-teams.

Yep. And, Quintana and Nibali aside, pretty much all of the stage racers here are diesel and unspectacular. Aside from Dumoulin's TTs, they barely have a handful of stage wins between them in GTs; they're generally quite dull, uneventful riders. I'm not sure the likes of Aru, Froome, Chaves or Valverde would have been so passive so far. I think they'd at least have been looking for small gaps on Etna and some bonus seconds.

 

[Flamin]

Re: Re:

The Giro so far has been a Sunday bunch ride, only serving to reach Blockhaus on Sunday.

As much as I'd like to think Blockhaus is going to be an amazing stage, I have the awful feeling that the current trend of conservative riding will negate it. I really really hope that I am wrong.

I am afraid so. Not sure if Quintana is on top form. Just waiting for the third week. And half of the contenders waiting for the TT to gain time.

It's a bit weird how strong teams like Sky, Orica and Bahrain aren't trying to pressure Quintana a bit more in the first half of the race. Try to create some echeleons, split the race on descents, or pick up potentially valuable time bonuses on stages like today and on Etna. Insteadthey just ride defensively, before inevitably getting destroyed in the third week.

Bahrein did go full gas on the descent of the last climb in stage 2, to be fair.

The team that baffles me most is probably Astana. No clue what they're saving energy for. There are very few opportunities to make something of your Giro without a top sprinter, climber or GC guy, yet they just let 2 interesting ones slip by.

Meanwhile Cannondale took the bull by the horns today but got screwed over by other team's super defensive riding, and people talk bad about them.

 

[staubsauger]

Re: Re:

The more decent to very good stage racers, the more boring. Every team is on the defensive, not trying to lose time. Thats the only conclusion I can draw this far. Look at the top-17 for crying out loud - all those rider's only mission is not to lose time, most of these riders are on different teams so thats the natural goal each and every day for most of the teams in the peloton bar the wildcards team and a few WT-teams.

Yep. And, Quintana and Nibali aside, pretty much all of the stage racers here are diesel and unspectacular. Aside from Dumoulin's TTs, they barely have a handful of stage wins between them in GTs; they're generally quite dull, uneventful riders. I'm not sure the likes of Aru, Froome, Chaves or Valverde would have been so passive so far. I think they'd at least have been looking for small gaps on Etna and some bonus seconds.

That hardly changes the fact that Quintana only has had about 20 race days in his legs prior to the Giro. Normally he ain't got the shape to win this year's race. He might race into shape in week 3 though. Remember Indurain 1994?

Kruijswijk has the little excuse that he never shines at the beginning of a gt. But if especially Pinot ain't gonna go crazy on Blockhaus like Berzin did on Terminillo it's just major goofy!

 

[alexix7]

Re:

These guys are making Cadel Evans looks like an attacking genius

If you had Cadel´s cycling predispositions, you would ride simply like him.

 

[Max Rockatansky]

Re:

If this was Tour people would have created 20 pages how **** it is

It would mean break with Teklehaimanot, random Cofidis rider, random Fortuneo rider...Sky leading for 210k and Sagan winning ahead of Bala and Kristoff.

 

[ThePirate81]

There's a big chance of another "no contest" on Blockhaus like the one we saw on Etna.
Quintana and Nibali are not at their best and may fear backfire if going full gas while Jungels,Dumoulin,Thomas,Mollema,Kruijswijk and Pinot may save energy for the ITT the day after. Big thanks to the route!!!
The only GC rider I think is willing to attack could be Adam Yates cause he's gonna lose 2' in the ITT (at least) to the best GC time triallists. I'm sure Yatesy knows it!