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

[Laplaz]

STAGE 6: Reggio Calabria – Terme Luigiane 217 km

START TIME: 11.30 CEST

Technical Overview:
The race finally reaches mainland, with a long medium mountain stage starting from Reggio Calabria and heading north almost entirely along the coast. The first climb of the day comes after 27 km: Barritteri (GPM3, 11.3 km at 4.2%) starts with solid ramps and then flattens out towards the top. It will be a key passage for the daily breakaway. After a fast descent, some false flats will lead to another uphill section, made by short, isolated ramps that will bring the riders to the two very close intermediate sprints of the day. Once past those, the route goes back to the coast, and stays there for pretty much the rest of the stage. Roughly 100 km are totally flat and easy (beside the low risk of crosswinds), but after those the terrain starts to get tricky, with the second categorized climb of the day, Fuscaldo (GPM4, 2 km at 6.8%), that is preceded and followed by othe shorter ramps and descents. The top of Fuscaldo is at 24 km to go, and the finale is quite tricky. At 7 km to go the ramp to Acquappesa starts. It's roughly just 1 km at 6%, with some steeper ramps in the secon half, but topping at 6 km to go makes it a possible key point of the race. From there on there is no proper flat, as the peloton rolls back to Guardia Piemontese Marina to tackle the final difficulty of the day, the uphill finish of Terme Luigiane, with 2 km at 5.3% and again steeper gradient at the top, as the last 700m are at 8%.

The Climbs:
Barritteri GPM3
No profile again. Starts much steeper than its overall average, but definitely not steeper than 7%.

Fuscaldo GPM4
A short climb with decent ramps.

What to expect:
Clear opportunity for the puncheurs, the decisive move could come anywhere in the last 10 km. The breakaway might take it as well.

 

[DNP-Old]

This might very well be the hardest stage to predict.

 

[Brullnux]

No Ulissi so I have no idea. A group of about 8 or so to take the last climb with Haas, Villella, Teuns and Conti (among others) in it is my best guess.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Im intrigued if Gaviria is able to win this stage or even thinks he can. Its probably too hard, but I think he will try with no Gilbert around..

 

[Gigs_98]

Re: Giro2017-Stage 6-Reggio Calabria-Terme Luigiane 217km

This stage really misses guys like Ulissi or Gilbert. Hard to say who will win. Theoretically I think even a sprinter with decent climbing legs could win here, but will any team be sure enough to contest in the sprint to control the race. If someone like Nibali or Quintana would lead I'd say this is the stage where they want to give the jersey to someone from the break, but with a QS rider leading maybe they'll try to keep the jersey and give Gaviria a chance to win the stage. I doubt QS really expects to keep the jersey until the end so they'll be happy to have it and are less likely to give it away to save energy.

 

[More Strides than Rides]

It'd be great to see a big breakaway attacking each other classics-style over the last 30k. A ton of people are down on GC, but probably not enough far down enough for one of those 15 person breakaways.

Prediction is a mediocre break gets caught, and someone sneaks away on the penultimate ramp.

 

[Orbit501]

Haas is in tremendous form.

Dimension Data are lively most days.

Surely Haas has to be the favourite for this one.

 

[May0maniac]

Today at the start Modolo mentioned that he thinks he has a chance on this stage. The field lacks real punchers and he has been pretty good in the Belgian cobbled classics, maybe he'll be able to do something.
Edit: Yes, Haas should be the favourite, but guys like Gasparotto could also have a chance.

 

[Laplaz]

Rui Costa, Woods, Battaglin, Yates, Haas, Konrad, Slagter, Rosa, Hermans, LL Sanchez or Dylan Teuns for the win!

 

[Screecher]

Ewan ftw.

 

[staubsauger]

Brutt, Conti or Firsanov from the breakaway if Gav doesn't care!

 

[classicomano]

Theres no way to predict this.

 

[the asian]

Haas is probably the favourite.

Should be too difficult for Gav.

 

[Flamin]

That downhill section between km 5 and 4 from the finish has a serie of 7-8 genuine hairpins in quick succession. If there's a team going ballistic from Acquappesa (banking on Astana if LLS feels well), the peloton will be stretched out and gaps could open up on that descent. Then the roads stay quite narrow and bendy until 2,5km to go, great for attackers.

So there's very decent potential to get more than just an uphill sprint. Looking forward to it.

 

[Mr.White]

Battaglin or some other Italian for the win

 

[Squire]

Re:

Battaglin or some other Italian for the win

May 11th, the day that Albanese announced himself to the world

 

[Netserk]

Re:

That downhill section between km 5 and 4 from the finish has a serie of 7-8 genuine hairpins in quick succession. If there's a team going ballistic from Acquappesa (banking on Astana if LLS feels well), the peloton will be stretched out and gaps could open up on that descent. Then the roads stay quite narrow and bendy until 2,5km to go, great for attackers.

So there's very decent potential to get more than just an uphill sprint. Looking forward to it.

Beautiful hairpins!

 

[Gigs_98]

Re:

That downhill section between km 5 and 4 from the finish has a serie of 7-8 genuine hairpins in quick succession. If there's a team going ballistic from Acquappesa (banking on Astana if LLS feels well), the peloton will be stretched out and gaps could open up on that descent. Then the roads stay quite narrow and bendy until 2,5km to go, great for attackers.

So there's very decent potential to get more than just an uphill sprint. Looking forward to it.

I think they will only really take 4 of that hairpins though and the turn left instead of taking the fifth.

 

[Eyeballs Out]

Re: Re:

That downhill section between km 5 and 4 from the finish has a serie of 7-8 genuine hairpins in quick succession. If there's a team going ballistic from Acquappesa (banking on Astana if LLS feels well), the peloton will be stretched out and gaps could open up on that descent. Then the roads stay quite narrow and bendy until 2,5km to go, great for attackers.

So there's very decent potential to get more than just an uphill sprint. Looking forward to it.

Beautiful hairpins!

Presumably same finish as 2003, Garzelli
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=en9rMFWoZh8
Hairpins about 10 mins in

 

[BYOP88]

Thomas to take the stage and the jersey.

 

[Flamin]

Re: Re:

That downhill section between km 5 and 4 from the finish has a serie of 7-8 genuine hairpins in quick succession. If there's a team going ballistic from Acquappesa (banking on Astana if LLS feels well), the peloton will be stretched out and gaps could open up on that descent. Then the roads stay quite narrow and bendy until 2,5km to go, great for attackers.

So there's very decent potential to get more than just an uphill sprint. Looking forward to it.

I think they will only really take 4 of that hairpins though and the turn left instead of taking the fifth.

Damn, reckoned they'd go all the way down but I see now that's indeed the road they took in previous finishes there.

 

[Ricco']

Make Pippo Great Again

 

[DFA123]

Finally! This race has been crying out for an uphill sprint to liven things up a bit.

 

[ThePirate81]

Punchers (Haas,Woods,,LLS,Teuns,Rui Costa,Gasparotto,Battaglin) vs sprinting GC climbers (Thomas,Dumoulin,Yates and Pinot).
Very hard to predict indeed.

 

[Escarabajo]

Thomas, Jungels or Dumoulin!

Maybe Pinot!