According to legends told from one generation of Nijmegian students to the next, the only good thing to come from Arnhem . . . is the train to Nijmegen. Now there are certain days I can agree with that. Its actually almost always the case.
But it is not this day.
Because this day the most beautiful race on this earth will come from Arnhem to Nijmegen. As such, Nijmegen, called Oppidium Batavorum more than 2000 years ago, will be under the rule of Italy once more.
Nijmegen, or Nimwèège as it is called in the local dialect, home to some of the toughest climbs in the Netherlands. In fact the Holleweg from Beek to Berg en Dal, as will be climbed today, is well known as the bane of hungover students, especially the ones on city bikes, many of whom have met an unfortunate ending there. For a Giro worthy peloton, it will not be nearly as deadly, so action is going to be limited to breakaway riders mistiming their sprint up the hill for the KoM jersey, and crazy spectators pulling crazy ***.
Will it be a stage for the ages? No, but we'll go crazy all the same, and we'll remember it for a long time. So any one of you whining about the Giro starting in the Netherlands, you can stick it up your ass
For reference
Finishing straight on the upper right hand of the large roundabout
But it is not this day.
Because this day the most beautiful race on this earth will come from Arnhem to Nijmegen. As such, Nijmegen, called Oppidium Batavorum more than 2000 years ago, will be under the rule of Italy once more.
Nijmegen, or Nimwèège as it is called in the local dialect, home to some of the toughest climbs in the Netherlands. In fact the Holleweg from Beek to Berg en Dal, as will be climbed today, is well known as the bane of hungover students, especially the ones on city bikes, many of whom have met an unfortunate ending there. For a Giro worthy peloton, it will not be nearly as deadly, so action is going to be limited to breakaway riders mistiming their sprint up the hill for the KoM jersey, and crazy spectators pulling crazy ***.
Will it be a stage for the ages? No, but we'll go crazy all the same, and we'll remember it for a long time. So any one of you whining about the Giro starting in the Netherlands, you can stick it up your ass
For reference
Eshnar said:STAGE 2: Arnhem – Nijmegen 190 km
Stage start: 12.40 CET, 7 May
Technical Overview:
The first road stage of the 2016 Giro is a flat one, as it is sadly usual nowadays. Ok, we are in the Netherlands, so it'd be silly to expect anything different, but still... 190 km almost entirely flat, with the sole exception of one categorized climb, Berg en Dal (1.13 km at 6.5%, GPM4), which will assign the first blue jersey, at 45 km to go. This climb is actually only 18 km from the finishing line, but unfortunately there is a city circuit in Nijmegen to be ridden twice, 8.6 km with very long straights and only a few real curves.
The Climbs:
Berg en Dal GPM4
This little wall starts at a solid 6% and then ramps up to 12% in the last metres.
What to expect:
The breakaway to battle it out for the blue jersey and to be caught by the full peloton shortly after.
Finishing straight on the upper right hand of the large roundabout
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