Giro d'Italia 2018 stage 16: Trento – Rovereto 34.2 km ITT

[Armchair Cyclist]

Re: Re:

Ulissi went out one minute after his team mate Conti, who immediately lost a minute, and then they worked as a pair.

Didn’t they used to separate teammates in the start list just to prevent exactly that happening?

it's still possible, even the Giro regulations themself say "In the case that two or more riders belonging to the same team should result in consecutive starting order, the Commissaries’ Panel could change that order by inserting competitors from other teams who are immediately preceding or following them in the general classification."

Yesterday they did not though, for whatever reason

I suspect they didn't think that it was necessary in the case of riders with no TT pedigree, so no expected chance of a stage result, and nothing to gain in GC.

The Conti/Ulissi situation (and Pedersen's) seems so blatant and preplanned that the punishment seems very lenient, time penalties for those for whom GC time is irrelevant and essentially simply saying "you are not allowed to benefit from cheating". To allow them to escape with a position essentially the same as it would be had they had not cheated is not punishment.

 

[RedheadDane]

I suspect they didn't think that it was necessary in the case of riders with no TT pedigree, so no expected chance of a stage result, and nothing to gain in GC.

Pedersen does have a bit of a TT pedigree, though, doesn't he? Of course I don't know what B. Van Poppel's TT pedigree is like; the organisers might have simply believed that it's equal to - or better than - Pedersen's, thus preventing any issues.

 

[search]

both him and Ulissi do, yeah. But to be fair, personally I wouldn't really know where to cut the line there either. With a 30% time limit, even a team mate starting 5 minutes earlier could just wait behind the next corner

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

Nibali took 14s out of Quintana today.

They finished 3rd to last and dead last respectively

Hopefully they will both get in the break in the mountains and settle this once and for all. The real fight is in May, not July

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

Nibali took 14s out of Quintana today.

They finished 3rd to last and dead last respectively

Hopefully they will both get in the break in the mountains and settle this once and for all. The real fight is in May, not July

Absolutely.

It is the only rivalry that matters

 

[staubsauger]

Ulissi and Conti were caught live on TV spinning around like in a TTT! Then, apparently Aru drafted to. But of course non-intentional. Yeah, sure. Saronni should just shut up. If they're that desperate to get results it tells a lot about what a miserable team UAE is and Lampre mostly has been...

 

[MartinGT]

Just rewatched some of this stage this morning. Some of the road surfaces was absolutely shocking.

 

[Kwibus]

Re: Re:

What's with all the whining about Dumoulin. Aside from Yates in superform he is far ahead of everyone else

I expected Dumoulin to be quicker today closer to Dennis, I think he may be fading.

Thrn everyone is fading. Look at the relative poor Tts from Pinot, Lopez and Pozzovivo. They have done better flat ITT as well. They are all tired

Except Yates who is tired afterwards and did, by his own admission, the TT of his life.

He's having the weeks of his life pretty much.

 

[Kwibus]

Re: Re:

Anyone got a clip of Ulissi snd Aru drafting?

Aru drafted off a police bike.

Ulissi went out one minute after his team mate Conti, who immediately lost a minute, and then they worked as a pair.

I have no clip for you, sorry.

If you don't mind doing such obvious cheating then what is keeping people like them from using doping?

Crazy stuff.

 

[RedheadDane]

Re:

both him and Ulissi do, yeah. But to be fair, personally I wouldn't really know where to cut the line there either. With a 30% time limit, even a team mate starting 5 minutes earlier could just wait behind the next corner

Which is why it would be easier to simply not have teammates start right after each other. A rider might be able to wait/hide - we saw that already with Wellens and Hansen - it's a bit harder to hide the team-car...

 

[memyselfandI]

Re: Re:

Pinot stuck with the uran syndrome.

Thats an insult to Uran

Uran found his TT again in last year's Tour. He rode a smart race but hardly an inspired one. Pinot usually does neither just hangs around the podium without really forcing the race. He needs to take some risks or maybe he's just not good enough to take the next step against the current opposition. When Froome and Nibali retire he could get better results but by then some of the younger riders will also be better.

They are just those key differences between Uran and Pinot. Uran takes bit more risks and is an excellent tt'er. If you compare them via points per race it shows there too: tt's to Uran, classics to Uran (risky business), GC points to Tibopino as he only does them.

Uran even took a risk with Vino at the Olympics..well..

 

[webvan]

Re: Re:

It's interesting how many commenters still see Froome as a real threat.

I'm not so sure about that, though I'm always in favor of a closely contested race. If Froome had strung together two good days in the mountains I would agree, but he looks somewhat diminished from peak GT form. It may in fact come down to Poels -- he help launch Froome's attack on Zoncolan. Looking at the last three stages, there's ample opportunity to gain large chunks of time, but can Froome put together 2 or even 3 good days? I can't wait for the Finistre -- still recall watching Salvodelli lose, then win the Giro...

I wouldn't be surprised if Poels and Froome tried something crazy on Friday. I doubt Froome has any interest in going for the podium at the Giro so he'll take big chances. Friday's stage is the only "real" TDF style 3x high mountain passes stage at the Giro this year and Froome has shown he can handle these...

Good call ;-)