Giro d'Italia 2015 stage 19: Gravellona Toce–Cervinia 236km

[Ataraxus]

Very difficult to predict this stage.
Contador wants a stage win but he can wait up for Sestriere
Astana want to make his life hard and possibly take another stage win but they have to be concerned about Aru.
Plus the Trofimovs, Amadors, Hesjedals, Krujswijks, breaks, chains, punctures, weather.....weather is expected to be good at least.
Either Landa takes it and gaps Contador (today's effort will affect Contador IMO) or the break.

 

[Taxus4a]

Re: Re:

This stage has non sense. the strong rtider of the Giro cant attack, so, it is a pity, this way they are finishing cycling.
Other way would be an stage to remember very long.

I thought he attacked last 3 mountain stages in a row, maybe you werent paying attention

Can attack for the stage, no more, but I hope anyway he dont obey...it is just a dream, no more..
When he attacked today?

 

[Electress]

I think Landa, Aru and Contador will be affected by today's ride. But the key question for me is whether or not Aru can hang on to podium. I like Aru, and in some ways I'd like him to cling on because he's been in a world of pain for the last few stages.

I guess the ideal situation for Contador's Tour efforts would be for Aru to lose a chunk of time, so Astana had to work hard on Saturday to try and protect him.

 

[ILovecycling]

Re: Re:

This stage has non sense. the strong rtider of the Giro cant attack, so, it is a pity, this way they are finishing cycling.
Other way would be an stage to remember very long.

I thought he attacked last 3 mountain stages in a row, maybe you werent paying attention

Can attack for the stage, no more, but I hope anyway he dont obey...it is just a dream, no more..
When he attacked today?

I obviously meant Contador ...not Mikel, that supposed to be a joke on your ridiculous comments of past few days

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Landa or AC FTW

 

[observer]

I'd love to see a full gas train from the start, and the GT contenders isolated in front on the first mountain pass. going at it mano e mano till the end.
would be nicer if landa was a bit closer on gc to make it interesting.

 

[blaxland]

contador to win this stage to show once and for all who is king of grand tours"landa and aru both to loose time and kruswikj and hesjedal to come 2nd and 3rd in stage.

 

[The Barb]

This is the decisive stage for the King of the Mountains, which is still remarkably interesting this late in the race.

Surely Intxausti looks to go in the break, having taken it so easy yesterday. If he gets over the first two Cat 1 climbs in the lead then that just might seal it for him. Kruijswijk will be monitoring this, obviously, but would he be allowed to get in a break himself? (8th on GC, about 3 minutes from Trofimov in 5th). I hope so, as he is strong enough to kick on and win the stage if he does. And it would be great to see them going head to head up the earlier climbs.

And of course Landa could still stumble into winning the KOTM without specifically trying.

 

[For The World]

Re: Giro d'Italia 2015 stage 19: Gravellona Toce–Cervinia 23

Contador will lose 2 minutes to Landa on the final climb, just to keep things interesting for Stage 20, whereby he will crush all comers and ride triumphantly into Milan as the winner of the Giro.

 

[veganrob]

Re: Giro d'Italia 2015 stage 19: Gravellona Toce–Cervinia 23

Contador has done pretty much whatever he has wanted to do thus far and tomorrow will be no different.

 

[Sasquatch]

Re:

This is the decisive stage for the King of the Mountains, which is still remarkably interesting this late in the race.

Surely Intxausti looks to go in the break, having taken it so easy yesterday. If he gets over the first two Cat 1 climbs in the lead then that just might seal it for him. Kruijswijk will be monitoring this, obviously, but would he be allowed to get in a break himself? (8th on GC, about 3 minutes from Trofimov in 5th). I hope so, as he is strong enough to kick on and win the stage if he does. And it would be great to see them going head to head up the earlier climbs.

And of course Landa could still stumble into winning the KOTM without specifically trying.

Kruijswijk

"I was lucky that the break took all the points at the top. I’ll keep an eye on Intxausti, but it’s quite difficult for me, as I don’t want to lose my position in the overall. I shouldn’t waste my strength.”

 

[Sasquatch]

Riders that are after a stage win from the break should try for tomorrow and not today thus save their strength. I have a feeling the break won't contest the finish today as the pace could be high on the first climb. Whereas tomorrow they will be given 10-12 minutes again and that's enough for a strong climber to hold on.

 

[gregrowlerson]

The queen stage.

Landa to win the stage, approximately thirty seconds ahead of Contador. TIme gaps in general should be huge on such a long high mountain stage. 10th place on the stage might not finish within ten minutes of the stage winner.

 

[Jelantik]

Re: Re:

Humm at what KM to go will AC be isolated? Will he isolate himself attacking? These are the burning questions

I think our Berto will get isolated near the top of Saint Pantaleon but Berto will not panic of course and will follow the Astana train until he feels the time is right to attack!

He might not attack. If Astana rides too aggressive they are risking to dispatch aru off the podium. They need to ride carefully, unless Aru is a sacrificing lamb now. In this last 3 stages, Aru doesn't seem to get better. Looks like, his fatigue starts to sink in. He is no doubt hanging by the seat of his pants now. One big acceleration by the GC rival, he'll be done. Landa has either to help pace aru or save his spot. Dilemma, dilemma. If Astana wants to win the stage, TS should send roman in the breakaway. Then TS should not riding in the front and let the breakaway goes to 8 minutes. Make Truvimov, Amador, Konig and Caruso chase. Hopefully Hesjedal is in the break again.

 

[Jelantik]

Re:

The queen stage.

Landa to win the stage, approximately thirty seconds ahead of Contador. TIme gaps in general should be huge on such a long high mountain stage. 10th place on the stage might not finish within ten minutes of the stage winner.

if Landa rides away, Aru is going to slip off the podium. So win the stage or let Aru lost his podium?

 

[The Barb]

Re:

Riders that are after a stage win from the break should try for tomorrow and not today thus save their strength. I have a feeling the break won't contest the finish today as the pace could be high on the first climb. Whereas tomorrow they will be given 10-12 minutes again and that's enough for a strong climber to hold on.

I thought it might be the other way around. If Contador wants a stage win he is better suited to tomorrow's final climb, and I'm not sure Astana will want to make it too hard because they risk Aru losing his spot on the podium. Maybe Movistar or Katusha make it hard to try to displace Aru, but I doubt it.

Could Uran salvage something from this disaster and get a breakaway win?

 

[movingtarget]

Amador to move into third place on GC. Aru to slip further. Contador and Landa to fight it out. Another shake up of the top 10. Contador could take it easy and do something tomorrow instead but I don't think he will. Sooner or later the riders like Hesjedal will have to pay for their efforts. Would like to see Hesjedal win a stage but I don't think it will happen now.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Re:

This stage has non sense. the strong rtider of the Giro cant attack, so, it is a pity, this way they are finishing cycling.
Other way would be an stage to remember very long.

What? Hesjedal can attack all he wants to!

 

[Tank Engine]

Betancur from the breakaway.

 

[Kwibus]

Re:

This is the decisive stage for the King of the Mountains, which is still remarkably interesting this late in the race.

Surely Intxausti looks to go in the break, having taken it so easy yesterday. If he gets over the first two Cat 1 climbs in the lead then that just might seal it for him. Kruijswijk will be monitoring this, obviously, but would he be allowed to get in a break himself? (8th on GC, about 3 minutes from Trofimov in 5th). I hope so, as he is strong enough to kick on and win the stage if he does. And it would be great to see them going head to head up the earlier climbs.

And of course Landa could still stumble into winning the KOTM without specifically trying.

Maybe lotto jumbo has to control the break on the flat. The only part where the team could actually do this.
Keep the break within range until the first climb.

He shouldnt try to get in the break himself since teams like Bmc will start to defend Caruso's position etc.

 

[Kwibus]

Re: Re:

Humm at what KM to go will AC be isolated? Will he isolate himself attacking? These are the burning questions

I think our Berto will get isolated near the top of Saint Pantaleon but Berto will not panic of course and will follow the Astana train until he feels the time is right to attack!

'our berto' ?

Yes he's ours.... don't you dare say otherwise

No but really, speak for yourself.

Contador gets a lot of love here, but not from everyone. It's not the Contador fanclub forum

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

Humm at what KM to go will AC be isolated? Will he isolate himself attacking? These are the burning questions

I think our Berto will get isolated near the top of Saint Pantaleon but Berto will not panic of course and will follow the Astana train until he feels the time is right to attack!

'our berto' ?

Yes he's ours.... don't you dare say otherwise

No but really, speak for yourself.

Contador gets a lot of love here, but not from everyone. It's not the Contador fanclub forum

Did you see, who I replied to originally

 

[Jagartrott]

236 km and 3 big climbs, end of week 3. If anyone sets a high pace, spectators will be seeing many corpses.

 

[Jalgratas95]

Contador will break Landa today.
Expecting Hesjadal to move up even more.

 

[coimbrawu]

Landa: 'The Giro is decided, now it's time to try to win another stage, and keep Aru on the podium'

I don't think Astana will set a high tempo as they will try to keep Aru's 3rd place. And Tinkoff-Saxo is not strong enough to keep the breakaway in touch and set high tempo. imo GC will be decided in the last climb and the stage winner is for early breakaway.