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

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 :D

For reference

Eshnar said:
STAGE 2: Arnhem – Nijmegen 190 km

Stage start: 12.40 CET, 7 May

T02_Nijmegen_alt-PRE.jpg

Jxb2W5p.jpg


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.

T02_Nijmegen_ukm-pre.jpg

kItXKpq.jpg


The Climbs:

Berg en Dal GPM4
This little wall starts at a solid 6% and then ramps up to 12% in the last metres.
T02_S01_Berg-PRE.jpg


What to expect:
The breakaway to battle it out for the blue jersey and to be caught by the full peloton shortly after.

nijmegen-2.jpg


Finishing straight on the upper right hand of the large roundabout

Nijmegen.jpg
 
May 4, 2016
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Re:

Mayomaniac said:
Hopefully no crashfest, fingers crossed.

Same thing for me, the first stages are always very nervous, especially if the weather is windy with direction changes
Fortunately it seems this will not be too windy this afternoon

My bet : Kittel - Greipel - Ewan - Viviani - Nizzolo
 
Mar 31, 2010
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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
 
Re:

Ryo Hazuki said:
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.
 

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