Giro d'Italia 2016 stage 2 - Arnhem – Nijmegen 190 km

[hrotha]

Re: Re:

Hopefully no crashfest, fingers crossed.

Hopefully no crosswinds doing damage to GC hopefuls either. The race is already a bit short of star talent for the overall; would be a bit of a disaster if Landa or Valverde lost several minutes somwhere in the first week.

Why would you not want some action today in hopes that we may (but may not) get some action later on?

 

[Miburo]

Losers isn't a right word, lotto jumbo is a team that never even thinks of winning. How they can be losers? You can't lose something that you never aim to win.

They're celebrating when they get a top 20 somewhere.

Teams like that need to exist i guess, I wish they don't, they're just filling up space with those ugly shirts.

 

[Miburo]

In the giro big GC crashes almost never happen. That's only in the tour, cause fodder teams and fodder sprinters don't know their place and the ASO needs to have a ruling that you won't lose time in the last 20 km in a flat stage.

 

[matter]

Just rode the parcours around Nijmegen. The last 2 km are nowhere flat, althoug it flattens out at the finish. Especially just after the bridge there is a 300m bump of around 2,5% with a headwind. Not sure if this might affect Kittel.
The Berg and Dal climb is actually the van Randwijckweg and is probably only the third (maybe second) hardest climb after the Nieuwe Holleweg (via the Bosweg) and Oude Holleweg (de Nijmeegse muur)

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Re: Re:

they could've done a lot harder with the course. rijk van nijmegen is most similar to south limburg and a lot harder than the veluwe or any other place in netherlands. the oude holleweg is 16% for instance,. however I understand for narrow roads and potential danger they don't do those climbs.

I will go stand on the van randwijckweg and the zevenheuvelenweg from groesbeek to berg en dal

every stage could've been a lot harder. Doesn't mean they have to make it as hard as possible.

that's what I said

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

Hopefully no crashfest, fingers crossed.

Hopefully no crosswinds doing damage to GC hopefuls either. The race is already a bit short of star talent for the overall; would be a bit of a disaster if Landa or Valverde lost several minutes somwhere in the first week.

Why would you not want some action today in hopes that we may (but may not) get some action later on?

I prefer the GC battle to be decided in the mountains and on the TT's. Not by who makes it into the best group during some echelons. Nibali probably has the strongest team for echelons out of the GC contenders; if he gains a couple of minutes here, the GC is all but over on stage 2.

 

[Kwibus]

Re: Re:

Hopefully no crashfest, fingers crossed.

Hopefully no crosswinds doing damage to GC hopefuls either. The race is already a bit short of star talent for the overall; would be a bit of a disaster if Landa or Valverde lost several minutes somwhere in the first week.

Why would you not want some action today in hopes that we may (but may not) get some action later on?

I prefer the GC battle to be decided in the mountains and on the TT's. Not by who makes it into the best group during some echelons. Nibali probably has the strongest team for echelons out of the GC contenders; if he gains a couple of minutes here, the GC is all but over on stage 2.

Riding in the wind is also a quality of a good GC rider.
I guess supporting Landa will make you anxious for wind though. Sky is good in windy situations though, but they didn't really bring the best echelon squad

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

Hopefully no crashfest, fingers crossed.

Hopefully no crosswinds doing damage to GC hopefuls either. The race is already a bit short of star talent for the overall; would be a bit of a disaster if Landa or Valverde lost several minutes somwhere in the first week.

Why would you not want some action today in hopes that we may (but may not) get some action later on?

I prefer the GC battle to be decided in the mountains and on the TT's. Not by who makes it into the best group during some echelons. Nibali probably has the strongest team for echelons out of the GC contenders; if he gains a couple of minutes here, the GC is all but over on stage 2.

Riding in the wind is also a quality of a good GC rider.
I guess supporting Landa will make you anxious for wind though. Sky is good in windy situations though, but they didn't really bring the best echelon squad

All true, and if this stage was in the last week, I'd be all in favour of echelons. I just don't want to see the GC move decisively in one direction so early.

I'd be surprised if Landa finished on the podium - I don't see him as a serious contender. He's never won a WT stage race, can't time trial and has never been a leader before in such a big race - far too many weakness to be exploited. It's the likes of Valverde and Uran who I could see losing big time in cross winds - which would be bad for the race.

 

[HelloDolly]

People saying they don't want echelons to decide the GC earlier...but seriously who is gonna cry if Valverde has a puncture at the wrong time ...Not Amador or even Betencur I suspect

Every race has an unfolding narrative that is yet to be told....wouldn't want to control anything...let the cards fall as they may and bring on the echelons

 

[DFA123]

Re:

People saying they don't want echelons to decide the GC earlier...but seriously who is gonna cry if Valverde has a puncture at the wrong time ...Not Amador or even Betencur I suspect

Every race has an unfolding narrative that is yet to be told....wouldn't want to control anything...let the cards fall as they may and bring on the echelons

The day the Giro d'Italia is decided on a flat road in the Netherlands, will be a sad day for cycling.

 

[Kwibus]

I don't expect much from the wind. It's about 20km/h so I can't see anything happening tbh.

The netherlands apparently have the hottest weather of europe right now. 28 celsius

 

[HelloDolly]

Re: Re:

People saying they don't want echelons to decide the GC earlier...but seriously who is gonna cry if Valverde has a puncture at the wrong time ...Not Amador or even Betencur I suspect

Every race has an unfolding narrative that is yet to be told....wouldn't want to control anything...let the cards fall as they may and bring on the echelons

The day the Giro d'Italia is decided on a flat road in the Netherlands, will be a sad day for cycling.

First of all every stage should be able to to have an equal impact and wining should be not only be the preserve on the mountains

Second of all you could say the Tour last year was not won in the mountains ( but don;t want to start that off)

And 3rd what about the Vuelta 2012 ...is it ok if Contador wins a race on a flat stage

As I said let the cards fall where they may and not try and control every bit of the race

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

People saying they don't want echelons to decide the GC earlier...but seriously who is gonna cry if Valverde has a puncture at the wrong time ...Not Amador or even Betencur I suspect

Every race has an unfolding narrative that is yet to be told....wouldn't want to control anything...let the cards fall as they may and bring on the echelons

The day the Giro d'Italia is decided on a flat road in the Netherlands, will be a sad day for cycling.

First of all every stage should be able to to have an equal impact and wining should be not only be the preserve on the mountains

Second of all you could say the Tour last year was not won in the mountains ( but don;t want to start that off)

And 3rd what about the Vuelta 2012 ...is it ok if Contador wins a race on a flat stage

As I said let the cards fall where they may and not try and control every bit of the race

I don't really care if the Tour is decided on echelons - it shouldn't be so loaded towards climbers anyway. And Vuelta 2012 - with Collado de la Hoz and Fuente De clearly wasn't a flat stage.

The point is though that, for me, this Giro is about great battles in the beautiful backdrop of the dolomites, or an epic hilly time trial through the rolling Chianti region. It's the genuine climbers tour and should be won and lost in the hardest mountain stages. I have nothing against Netherlands, which is clearly a proper cycling country with rich history - I just don't want to see the Giro being decided there.

 

[MatParker117]

Omar Fraile (Dimension Data), Giacomo Berlato (Nippo Vini Fantini), Maarten Tjallingii (LottoNL-Jumbo) make up the break.

 

[PremierAndrew]

Re: Re:

[quote="
Hopefully no crosswinds doing damage to GC hopefuls either. The race is already a bit short of star talent for the overall; would be a bit of a disaster if Landa or Valverde lost several minutes somwhere in the first week.

Why would you not want some action today in hopes that we may (but may not) get some action later on?

I prefer the GC battle to be decided in the mountains and on the TT's. Not by who makes it into the best group during some echelons. Nibali probably has the strongest team for echelons out of the GC contenders; if he gains a couple of minutes here, the GC is all but over on stage 2.

Riding in the wind is also a quality of a good GC rider.
I guess supporting Landa will make you anxious for wind though. Sky is good in windy situations though, but they didn't really bring the best echelon squad

All true, and if this stage was in the last week, I'd be all in favour of echelons. I just don't want to see the GC move decisively in one direction so early.

I'd be surprised if Landa finished on the podium - I don't see him as a serious contender. He's never won a WT stage race, can't time trial and has never been a leader before in such a big race - far too many weakness to be exploited. It's the likes of Valverde and Uran who I could see losing big time in cross winds - which would be bad for the race.

Well Landa's already finished on the podium of the Giro whilst towing up an inferior climber. Wonder what he can do now as the leader, against weaker opposition

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

Well Landa's already finished on the podium of the Giro whilst towing up an inferior climber. Wonder what he can do now as the leader, against weaker opposition

The other side of the coin is how will he deal with the significant pressure of being a leader, how will he cope with being a marked rider and being attacked? How will he use his team - considering his lack of experience as a leader?

Also, however good last year's performance was, ultimately he only finished above Amador, Hesjedal and Konig - none of whom are serious GC contenders.

 

[ILovecycling]

The question is who is gonna take the first mountain jersey
My pick is Fraille

 

[Irondan]

Kittel FTW!

I know this isn't an earth shattering prediction but it has to be put out there.

 

[Irondan]

JC Van Damme in a pair of penny loafers... classic!

Gotta love ES commercials!

 

[More Strides than Rides]

Re: Re:

People saying they don't want echelons to decide the GC earlier...but seriously who is gonna cry if Valverde has a puncture at the wrong time ...Not Amador or even Betencur I suspect

Every race has an unfolding narrative that is yet to be told....wouldn't want to control anything...let the cards fall as they may and bring on the echelons

The day the Giro d'Italia is decided on a flat road in the Netherlands, will be a sad day for cycling.

Not that the race was decided, but the crosswinds in 2010 were certainly a factor in the awesomeness of that giro.

 

[trevim]

Someone should tell Hesjedal that it's okay to be at the back of the peloton. He just doesn't need to be dead last all the time.

 

[Popchu]

Nizzolo needs to calm down... Going 'all-in' on the first day for the points classification is not necessary.

 

[trevim]

Re:

Nizzolo needs to calm down... Going 'all-in' on the first day for the points classification is not necessary.

Specially since he's versatile and most decent sprinters will quit somewhere along the way

 

[StryderHells]

Re: Re:

Nizzolo needs to calm down... Going 'all-in' on the first day for the points classification is not necessary.

Specially since he's versatile and most decent sprinters will quit somewhere along the way

Well it did work for him last year so I guess he is following the same game plan

 

[lemon cheese cake]

Omar Freile takes the KOM jersey.