Giro d'Italia 2011: Stage 13 Spilimbergo to Grossglockner

[will10]

Plz no... I dont wish that to nobody... not even to Andrew... not even joking... = /

I wish him no harm, just a few minutes deficit

 

[Anonymous]

In the interests of the race I'm hoping Contador crashes/mechanical/allergy issues tomorrow. That way perhaps he will go full bore on Saturday

maybe lose around 1:30 minutes...that'd be great for the Giro, but i have serious doubt lolzzz

 

[LabMonkey]

The GC hopefulls are staring a few hard days square in the face, but who would be most likely to lose some time?

Contador, Nibali, and Kreuziger seem to be climbing well,

But what about the others?

Scarponi, Sivtsov, Le Mevel, Arroyo, Cataldo, Carrara...

Which of these will be losing out big time, and on which stage?

Who will be pushing up the rankings?

Rujano appears likely, how about Anton, Gadret, anyone else?

Exciting days ahead!

 

[JPM London]

1.rujano
2.contador 1:20
3.scarponi 2:00
4.rest of favourites who never attack each other 2:20

Or someone slips in a banana peel and Canc appears out of nowhere and neutralises the stage after km 1...

 

[Publicus]

I think that They are not going to mark him cuz They wont want to spend energies marking a guy who is 6min back and if They do that They will be spending energies that They will need to cover Alberto's attack... They dont want another Etna

Well then he will gain back a ton of time tomorrow if that's the case.

 

[El Pistolero]

I'm already surprised Cataldo is still there.

 

[Liquigas]

Go Rujano! I'm hoping he takes 5 minutes on Contador this weekend.

1 min tomorrow, 1 more on Saturday, and I hope at least 2 on the marmolada.

 

[Climbing]

I'm already surprised Cataldo is still there.

Yeah, he's good... and expected to be there by many.
I hope he can keep going well, the tough part is just coming!

 

[hfer07]

Looking closely to the Graphics-that flat section after the 13km of climbing might help the likes of Nibali & Kreuziger to catch up to Contador & Co, if they get behind/dropped-& also the 3 kms left are easer than the first part-so I predict it might be the chance to do something afterwards. Let's hope so in order to embrace the spectacle

 

[LugHugger]

omg the weekend in hell is about to begin

i have been waiting for this weekend since the route was announced!!!!!

It's fantastic, isn't it? I know it's over used but...EPIC

 

[El Pistolero]

Yeah, he's good... and expected to be there by many.
I hope he can keep going well, the tough part is just coming!

He's on quickstep Thus the surprise

Anyhow

http://www.as.com/ciclismo/articulo/hernandez-listo-ayudar-etapas-salvajes/20110506dasdascic_4/Tes

Think some legs will hurt tomorrow.

 

[myrideissteelerthanyours]

are we gonna see sastre and/or menchov at all? I would love to see them factor into the last half of this giro but I have a bad feeling that it wont play out like that.

 

[benpounder]

ah it is hard at times living in paradise

crappy tv times for cycling, but otherwise paradise

Here in Colorado, I get to watch in the morning; cycling is usually done by 0830-1000hrs local, and in the winter (ours) the World Cup (Ski racing - my real passion) is done in time for me to hit the slopes. That is, all the races in Europe; everything NorAm I have to tape.

As they say, just another shitty day in paradise. (Which by the way, it is. All that snow that California got last weekend is here. Temps around 2-5C.)

Back to the race, I dont think we will see anyone with GC ambitions striking out. The risk to reward is quite high given the following three stages.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I'm already surprised Cataldo is still there.

why? he was already good last year until he had to pull out. He was doing better than Mollema f.e.

 

[Opalius]

Anton and Nibali to attack. Everyone expects them to save energy, and have a go saturday. This is the Giro, and they are up against Contador; we will see action tomorrow.

Surprise attack by the two (not necessarily together though).

 

[cyclingfanatik]

contador drops his chain and is forced to walk to the top. Rujano takes the stage and Nibbles gets pink.

 

[Scirea]

Go Rujano! I'm hoping he takes 5 minutes on Contador this weekend.

1 min tomorrow, 1 more on Saturday, and I hope at least 2 on the marmolada.

Yeah sure. Taking time on Contador in 1 of the 3 stages would be extremly hard, taking time on 3 of 3 is impossible.

 

[blaxland]

Contador will win by 30 seconds to Rujano/nibali/Scarponi...Increasing his lead in the overall classification..

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Anton and Nibali to attack. Everyone expects them to save energy, and have a go saturday. This is the Giro, and they are up against Contador; we will see action tomorrow.

Surprise attack by the two (not necessarily together though).

Nibali, attack?? lol.

Maybe in a downhill somewhere, to try and get back after being dropped on the Crostis.
But Nibali is never going to attack uphill. Unless it's 1km from the top or nearly flat, like on Etna

 

[Sylvester]

Nibali may not be the very best of climbers in this Giro and I do expect he will lose a few minutes on the Zoncolan, but who would drop him on the Crostis? Contador won't attack there, and I think a group of 25-30 riders, with all the favourites, will go to the Zoncolan together.

As for tomorrow: Contador might be thinking about Saturday already. The break might make it, and otherwise a Rujano/Pozzovivo/Nieve type of rider could possibly try his luck on the final climb. The time gaps between the favourites won't be that big, I guess.

 

[Walkman]

Here in Colorado, I get to watch in the morning; cycling is usually done by 0830-1000hrs local, and in the winter (ours) the World Cup (Ski racing - my real passion) is done in time for me to hit the slopes. That is, all the races in Europe; everything NorAm I have to tape.

As they say, just another shitty day in paradise. (Which by the way, it is. All that snow that California got last weekend is here. Temps around 2-5C.)

Back to the race, I dont think we will see anyone with GC ambitions striking out. The risk to reward is quite high given the following three stages.

Do you tape NorAm? Although Grange and Ligety did race some NorAm's this year, didn't they? Nice to see that there are more alpine ski fans out there! Do you race?

As for tomorrow I would love to se some really hard racing from the top dogs but it feels like they will watch each other and then someone will make a move with a kilometer or two left.

 

[Scirea]

Scarponi could be the negative surprise in the next 3 says. He really looks like somebody who is over his top form...

 

[Walkman]

Scarponi could be the negative surprise in the next 3 says. He really looks like somebody who is over his top form...

I actually think you are right about this one. He has done what Evans did last year...

 

[will10]

Nibali may not be the very best of climbers in this Giro and I do expect he will lose a few minutes on the Zoncolan, but who would drop him on the Crostis? Contador won't attack there, and I think a group of 25-30 riders, with all the favourites, will go to the Zoncolan together.

The group may swell on the descent but i'd be very surprised to see that many riders together at the top of the Crostis. Think about it - on paper at least, the Crostis is harder than the Mortirolo - how many times have we seen 30 guys together at the top of the Mortirolo???

 

[GoAndyGo]

The group may swell on the descent but i'd be very surprised to see that many riders together at the top of the Crostis. Think about it - on paper at least, the Crostis is harder than the Mortirolo - how many times have we seen 30 guys together at the top of the Mortirolo???

I am too a believer of Crostis breaking alot of people. On paper by grade, length and height it is the toughest climb in the Giro this year I think (not the highest peak). I can see a group of 15 or less going over Crostis together but possibly reforming on the way down. I think the way down Crostis is going to be the only place for Nibali to even have a chance to not allow Contador to open huge gaps. Nibali is a much better descender than the other GC guys but he will end up getting left on Zoncolan maybe even breaking on Crostis.

Somewhere deep down inside me I can see there being a gap of an hour or more between the maglia rosa and 15th-20th place by Sunday evening.