Giro d’Italia 2024, Stage 16: Livigno – Santa Cristina Valgardena/Sankt Christina in Gröden (Monte Pana), 202.0k 206.0k

[Rackham]

This, by the way, is Jensi solution for all Weather Protocol issues:

the people who decide if it's okay to ride, have to drive the stage in an open cabriolet, no matter the weather. And if it's to hot or to cold for them to do so, you don't ride.

Edit: thinking about it for a second, this could only work as an instrument of measurement if the people in the car also can only wear what a cyclist could realistically use. Also they should be on home trainers, which means that there probably needs to be an open Truck on which they all sit on the home trainers. And because this is a TV sports event, they'd also do their own race, like the E-Giro.

I don't know why everyone keeps on overthinking the problem or 'guessing' about the actual conditions based on social media posts (which is what we seem to get non-stop from the media & people in the peloton).

It's simple, i.e. like in F1 where the safety car does some laps in the rain to gauge the amount of water on the track: enrol some retired cycling pros as part of the UCI organism/whatever it's called & get them to ride the descent/or whichever part of the route is 'problematic' in full gear for 20km in the morning before the stage & then report back.

If it's too dangerous or too cold (& the weather forecast shows no improvement), they'll let the organizers know immediately. If it's 'okay', they race (or they can also 'neutralize' timings & everyone can go slow in the dangerous part as a stop-gap measure).

 

[Miha81]

I didn't read through everything but everyone keeps mentioning O'Connor.
What did he say?

"It's probably one of the worst organised races I think and I'm just being honest. This would never happen in 99% of other situations," O’Connor, who is fourth overall, told Eurosport.

O’Connor criticised Giro race director Mauro Vegni, adding: "I'd like to see him in our position, go outside on the bike and do the start of the stage and see what his answer is after those couple of hours.
"I wish he could experience it because then he would have a bit of a sense of what it's actually really like rather than turning on the climate in his car and saying this is great for people to watch."

 

[Oldermanish]

Need to emphasize that all the podium cosplayers got dropped by Rafal geriatric Majka after Majka was already pulling the false flat.

Why diss Majka? As for the folks he's dropping that has been a recurrent theme. But then UAE's other mountain tempo-er is busier doing other things...US Road championships? WTF

 

[jono]

Why diss Majka? As for the folks he's dropping that has been a recurrent theme. But then UAE's other mountain tempo-er is busier doing other things...US Road championships? WTF

aka punching his ticket for the Olympics.

 

[Oldermanish]

My favourite moment of the stage was Alaphilippe doing domestique work for the Costiou/Scaroni/Pellizzari attack with like 3km or so to go, just after he got caught. Burying himself to give them a tiny chance.

Julien usually does something dramatic with cameras on him. Not always to his best interests.

 

[Oldermanish]

aka punching his ticket for the Olympics.

That adds emphasis to what's wrong with USAC.

 

[jono]

That adds emphasis to what's wrong with USAC.

What is that, exactly?

 

[Brullnux]

in other words "frenchies are a pain in the ass"....signed:

This could be from anyone

 

[Extinction]

in other words "frenchies are a pain in the ass"....signed: an italian.

Nah, it's all good.

 

[Red Rick]

Why diss Majka? As for the folks he's dropping that has been a recurrent theme. But then UAE's other mountain tempo-er is busier doing other things...US Road championships? WTF

Majka usually brings it down to like 10 guys, he never dropped everyone else before, even it his prime. And he was pulling on the false flat as well

 

[Extinction]

“It’s probably one of the worst organised races, I think and, I’m just being honest, this would never happen in 99% of other situations. It’s just a bit of a shame that it’s 2024 and you still have dinosaurs who don’t see the human side of things,”

Ben O'Connor says Giro d'Italia is run by 'dinosaurs' amid anger over stage 16 conditions

'I'd like to see him get out on the bike and do the start of the stage and see what his answer is' says Australian

www.globalcyclingnetwork.com

Maybe he should ask Andy Hampsten. I know, I'm upitty in response to kind. If he doesn't like how the Giro is organized then boycott all RCS events. So no MSR, no TA and Lombardia. In fact, why doesn't he pull out now. Oh, wait, the sponsors...

I hope he never races up the Stelvio, Gavia, Fedaia and doesn't get mentioned amongst the greats who contributed to legandary cycling. At least he won't feel too cold and wet.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Julien usually does something dramatic with cameras on him. Not always to his best interests.

He's gone from being diet Valverde to diet Voeckler, you mean?!

 

[Mayomaniac]

Pellizzari asked about what he thougt when he saw Pogacar coming: "That B***ard again" (he was joking).
He asked for Pogacar's glasses because his little brother is a huge fan and told him to get them, if he ever gets the chance.

 

[Lequack]

Quintana still waiting for his complementary Pog glasses and jersey after 2nd place last stage.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Majka usually brings it down to like 10 guys, he never dropped everyone else before, even it his prime. And he was pulling on the false flat as well

At the prestigious Tour of Slovenia he dropped everyone and even beat his leader after an unconventional finale!

 

[RedheadDane]

Quintana still waiting for his complementary Pog glasses and jersey after 2nd place last stage.

Is Dayer a big fan?

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Majka usually brings it down to like 10 guys, he never dropped everyone else before, even it his prime. And he was pulling on the false flat as well

Well, since everyone else has given up on first place and the final climb was consistently steep so draft didn‘t matter, everybody just rode their own tempo and didn‘t follow Majka, who is basically the only gregario who does these launch ramp accelerations in the last 20 years. They could have, but it would be very dumb.

 

[dgodave]

I mean they probably have their yak haired cycling clothing

And yak milk in their bidons.

 

[search]

Today's Processo alla Tappa had quite a lively discussion between someone from RCS and a CPA representative. If anyone is interested, here's the video (in Italian):

Watch Giro_dItalia_2024_Stage_16_Processo_alla_Tappa | Streamable

Watch "Giro_dItalia_2024_Stage_16_Processo_alla_Tappa" on Streamable.

streamable.com

 

[QueenStagiaire]

And yak milk in their bidons.

And they probably don‘t have bikes but ride yaks…

 

[Froome]

Need to emphasize that all the podium cosplayers got dropped by Rafal geriatric Majka after Majka was already pulling the false flat.

I risk to say even guys like Hindley would look like Merckx on this race, due to this field being so weak.

Even Hindley would had won this race eqsily with 5/6 wins. I'm not even going to talk about Vingegaard, Remco or Roglic.

 

[Sciatic]

I don't know why everyone keeps on overthinking the problem or 'guessing' about the actual conditions based on social media posts (which is what we seem to get non-stop from the media & people in the peloton).

It's simple, i.e. like in F1 where the safety car does some laps in the rain to gauge the amount of water on the track: enrol some retired cycling pros as part of the UCI organism/whatever it's called & get them to ride the descent/or whichever part of the route is 'problematic' in full gear for 20km in the morning before the stage & then report back.

If it's too dangerous or too cold (& the weather forecast shows no improvement), they'll let the organizers know immediately. If it's 'okay', they race (or they can also 'neutralize' timings & everyone can go slow in the dangerous part as a stop-gap measure).

That exactly how it should be but that’s not what happened here. RCS had no clear criteria to make the decision about safety —which they said they did but were swayed by wa rider boycott threat. Then they revised the stage but riders didn’t agree with that essentially picked a new start point. Is that what F1teams and drivers do when track officials make a decision? Seems like a faulty comparison.

 

[Red Rick]

Pellizzari asked about what he thougt when he saw Pogacar coming: "That B***ard again" (he was joking).
He asked for Pogacar's glasses because his little brother is a huge fan and told him to get them, if he ever gets the chance.

Pogacar "uh god here they come begging for gifts again"

 

[Escarabajo]

Well

Martinez already did the damage to Thomas. Now can Thomas hang on to 3rd?

Well, He arrived with O'Connor, so no problem there. It is his own teammate He has to watch out for.

 

[Rackham]

That exactly how it should be but that’s not what happened here. RCS had no clear criteria to make the decision about safety —which they said they did but were swayed by wa rider boycott threat. Then they revised the stage but riders didn’t agree with that essentially picked a new start point. Is that what F1teams and drivers do when track officials make a decision? Seems like a faulty comparison.

Maybe I didn't write that post properly but I'm basically 'spelling out' how it should be, aka the ideal set-up for these types of problems.

I don't know exactly what went down in Italy today (I can't be bothered to siphon through all the blame game on social media tonight) but in an 'ideal world' there needs to be an independent organism with credibility & authority which can come up with a literal scientific yes or no regarding the practicability of the racing conditions. That means IMO getting guys out there in racing gear to do a test run on the road.