Giro d'Italia 2015 Stage 20: Saint-Vincent – Sestriere 199km

[staubsauger]

Re: Giro d'Italia 2015 Stage 20: Saint-Vincent – Sestriere 1

Does anyone know if this was the same route of Sestriere as was used in the 1999 Tour, (apparently there are three routes) because Aru just had the fasted time up the ascent ever according to climbing-records.com

Different routes

Oh dear as if Aru rode faster than Riis & Armstrong.

 

[Ataraxus]

Rewatching Landa's attack now. It lasted 24 seconds and was a very good attempt in a 9.2% slope but I've seen better this year (Froome Andalucia for sure, Quintana T-A probably). Even though AC was at his wheel before the attack was launched, a 2-bike length distance was immediately opened as soon as Landa rose on the pedals. AC who usually is a very careful and prompt rider tries to stick to the wheel immediately but this time he didn't. Either he didn't expect the attack at that point (highly improbable as he was in Landa's wheel), or wasn't decent enough to follow. So IMO Contador was worn enough prior to the point of Landa's attack. His response to the attack made the matters even worse.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Re: Giro d'Italia 2015 Stage 20: Saint-Vincent – Sestriere 1

I just don't understand why they don't use any hard mountains before finestre. The stage is still great but especially the fact that the penultimate mountain stage finished in the area of aosta makes me wonder why they don't make a monster like that:

To be honest that would maybe even be too difficult but I would love to see something like that
(btw the climbs are: Col du Petit St. Bernard, Col de I`Iseran, Col du Mont Cenis, Colle delle Finestre, Sestriere

Why?

Because Contador would have lost the Giro

 

[Lambanna]

Re: Giro d'Italia 2015 Stage 20: Saint-Vincent – Sestriere 1

As a bmc fan just want to gauge peoples on Damiano Caruso and his potential going forward, he is not going to be a big race winner but 8th in the giro and 9th in the vuelta are solid results, it's just he hasn't done much outside of that which I can't put my finger on, no top 10 or pushing for stage win in either Oman, TA or Romandie or showings in hilly 1 day races, is there any hope for him challenging for top 5 in a giro/vuelta if route is favourable or is that wisful thinking on my part?

 

[gregrowlerson]

Re:

That 2005 stage was so awesome. One i'll never forget. Savoldelli caught more then one lucky break. Rujano probably waited way too long with helping Simoni, he really could've won il giro that day. Killer looked strongest on Sestriere but unfortunately cramped up on the false flat. And Ardila and Van Huffel somehow starting to work for il Falco and waiting for him after they dropped him. Great great stage. Savoldelli still deserved that Giro cause of his brilliant tactial masterpiece that led to his stage win on Zoldo Alto.

Really hope tomorrows stage is similar to 2005 and not to 2011 cause that was quite a letdown

And it was sort of similar. Yet more drama in a Giro filled with it.

Huge respect for Ryder for his tenacity; 5th place is well deserved for the Canadian.

Kudos to Astana for having a ridiculously strong team here; don't know how they did it with some riders being saved for Nibali and France. But six guys in the top twenty-five on GC when many of those riders did a heap of work for the leader, that's amazing. Even the super strong US Postal teams didn't have that many domestiques riding relatively highly in the overall standings.

Landa: The next big thing? No, he's already there.

A lot of Aru bashing on the forum, but winning the last two high mountain stages when your grand tour is apparently falling to pieces is pretty admirable in my book.

And to Contador go the biggest plaudits. Three of each now, on the road. And it's how he wins. He isn't necessarily that much stronger than his rivals (although that ITT was incredible), but it's the way that he never panics. That ride up the Mortirolo was epic. And on the Finestre and beyond that? Perhaps even more so. He was in a fair bit of trouble Alberto, but he knew that the only way to lose the race was to totally bonk, for a descent and shallow climb weren't going to defeat him if he only saved a little energy. And that's what he did on those final few km's of the Finestre. I reckon he could have tried a little harder to go with those guys, but if he had then he really might have lost the Giro. And that's what makes Contador so great at times: he doesn't let his ego get in the way, he doesn't panic. Brilliant.

 

[movingtarget]

Not sure what Astana were playing at. Contador was losing time quickly but managed to get it under control but when Astana should have been drilling it at the front they were asking the other riders like Uran to help them. Landa should have waited for Aru a lot sooner. They may not have won the Giro but should have finished much closer. They had Contador in the perfect position on his own with no one in front or behind to assist him. Astana' tactics in the Giro have been all over the place. Saxo's have even been worse and Contador's team have either been weak on almost every mountain or have been riding at the front wasting energy when they did not need to. It makes no sense to kill your own team to pull back a break that does not have a dangerous rider in it.

 

[just sayin']

Re: ASTANA tactics, or lack thereof

Not sure what Astana were playing at. Contador was losing time quickly but managed to get it under control but when Astana should have been drilling it at the front they were asking the other riders like Uran to help them. Landa should have waited for Aru a lot sooner. They may not have won the Giro but should have finished much closer. They had Contador in the perfect position on his own with no one in front or behind to assist him. Astana' tactics in the Giro have been all over the place. Saxo's have even been worse and Contador's team have either been weak on almost every mountain or have been riding at the front wasting energy when they did not need to. It makes no sense to kill your own team to pull back a break that does not have a dangerous rider in it.

M Target, Spot on comment. Contador could have/might have been put in much more trouble on the descent and between the descent and the final climb. Unbelievable miss by Astana.

 

[IamIronMan]

Rewatching the stage, most of the time I think these guys are full of sh** when they make excuses for their performances, but in this case, I really do think Contador was telling the truth about having some kind of momentary bonk or dehydration issue. He was clearly up to the challenge with the earlier attacks, covering every move, which were numerous. He even covered moves after Landa attacked and showed to be the strongest. Then it just seems like all of a sudden he lost it, and everyone rode away from him. But because the end of the stage was so far away still, and a long decent, he had time to recover. There was never a chance for the Giro to be lost today, even if Landa went full gas to the line, because there was not enough road left. Everyone descends at the same speed, so those K's are neutralized, and the final climb is not difficult enough, or long enough.

It does seem like if Landa had been given freedom earlier in the race, it could have been a different outcome on GC, but it's hard to say. Tactics for everyone change, so it's not just a simple matter of assuming Landa would ride away from everyone, every time he attacked. Overall, I do wish everyone who was in this race, and had a chance to win, was allowed to ride at their full ability. That's the only regret I have watching this giro.

 

[Asero831]

Atapuma will outdo Caruso. So the best that Caruso could be a the #1 domestique

 

[phanatic]

Re: Giro d'Italia 2015 Stage 20: Saint-Vincent – Sestriere 1

Pretty funny to see ghost rider in eleventh place and almost as close - time-wise -to Ryder in fifth as he is to twelfth place. I don't remember seeing him all Giro.

 

[Dedelou]

Re:

UCI to check Contador's bike for motors and Martinelli's head for brains.
Equally likely to find anything.

best comment of the day .....

 

[gregrowlerson]

Re: Giro d'Italia 2015 Stage 20: Saint-Vincent – Sestriere 1

Pretty funny to see ghost rider in eleventh place and almost as close - time-wise -to Ryder in fifth as he is to twelfth place. I don't remember seeing him all Giro.

I seem to recall him being in the Kreuziger breakaway group on stage 4, but now I'm beginning to believe that that was just a perpetuated myth

Zubeldia has some work to do at the Tour to compete with this ninja's display

 

[bassano]

Re: Giro d'Italia 2015 Stage 20: Saint-Vincent – Sestriere 1

I just don't understand why they don't use any hard mountains before finestre. The stage is still great but especially the fact that the penultimate mountain stage finished in the area of aosta makes me wonder why they don't make a monster like that:

To be honest that would maybe even be too difficult but I would love to see something like that
(btw the climbs are: Col du Petit St. Bernard, Col de I`Iseran, Col du Mont Cenis, Colle delle Finestre, Sestriere

Why?

Because Contador would have lost the Giro

Or maybe how exactly Col de Iseran looks like these days? Maybe simillar to Stelvio 2 years ago lot of snow, temperature below zero and simmilar nice conditions

 

[Psalmon]

Astana could have won the Mountains Jersey if they had let Landa keep going and win the stage. Testament that they were behind Aru, but truly a dominant team performance: 2nd and 3rd on GC, White jersey, Team classification, Azzuri, Primero Energy, and if they wanted it the Mountains. Wow.

 

[Carols]

Re:

Astana could have won the Mountains Jersey if they had let Landa keep going and win the stage. Testament that they were behind Aru, but truly a dominant team performance: 2nd and 3rd on GC, White jersey, Team classification, Azzuri, Primero Energy, and if they wanted it the Mountains. Wow.

I may be wrong but I think I heard that Landa only had to finish in the top 3 to get the mountains jersey. Not interested enough to check though.....

 

[staubsauger]

Re: Re:

Astana could have won the Mountains Jersey if they had let Landa keep going and win the stage. Testament that they were behind Aru, but truly a dominant team performance: 2nd and 3rd on GC, White jersey, Team classification, Azzuri, Primero Energy, and if they wanted it the Mountains. Wow.

I may be wrong but I think I heard that Landa only had to finish in the top 3 to get the mountains jersey. Not interested enough to check though.....

He only had to oversprint Hesjedal for 2nd if I'm right. Points would've been equal with Visconti, but of course he has won the Cima what should've made him the overall winner.

 

[Carols]

Re: Re:

Astana could have won the Mountains Jersey if they had let Landa keep going and win the stage. Testament that they were behind Aru, but truly a dominant team performance: 2nd and 3rd on GC, White jersey, Team classification, Azzuri, Primero Energy, and if they wanted it the Mountains. Wow.

I may be wrong but I think I heard that Landa only had to finish in the top 3 to get the mountains jersey. Not interested enough to check though.....

He only had to oversprint Hesjedal for 2nd if I'm right. Points would've been equal with Visconti, but of course he has won the Cima what should've made him the overall winner.

I was bored enough to go look it up . You are correct.

 

[Psalmon]

Re: Re:

Astana could have won the Mountains Jersey if they had let Landa keep going and win the stage. Testament that they were behind Aru, but truly a dominant team performance: 2nd and 3rd on GC, White jersey, Team classification, Azzuri, Primero Energy, and if they wanted it the Mountains. Wow.

I may be wrong but I think I heard that Landa only had to finish in the top 3 to get the mountains jersey. Not interested enough to check though.....

It looks like Sestriere was 7 4 2 1 and Landa came up 3 short so maybe only second, but he would have won the stage if not called back.