Giro d'Italia 2018 stage 19: Venaria Reale – Jafferau 184km

[carton]

Also, I doubt a true break will make it. Even a strong one. So unless they can stick to an early GC move, Aru,Ciccione and friends might one to save their powder one more day.

 

[May0maniac]

Re:

Also, I doubt a true break will make it. Even a strong one. So Aru,Ciccione and friends might one to save their powder one more day, because tommorow will be raced hard.

Cima Coppi and tons of KoM points on the line, they'll probably still try something.

 

[fauniera]

Re: Re:

Also, I doubt a true break will make it. Even a strong one. So Aru,Ciccione and friends might one to save their powder one more day, because tommorow will be raced hard.

Cima Coppi and tons of KoM points on the line, they'll probably still try something.

They have to. Saturday has a flat start, climbers will have a very hard time to get into the break.

 

[Laplaz]

Will be interesting to see Astana and Sky's tactics tomorrow. If i were Sky i would put Henao, Elissonde and Kiri in the break and keep De la Cruz and Poels to make a hard pace in the maglia rosa group. Hopefully they read this forum

 

[DFA123]

Re:

https://imgur.com/a/QmSkziO#Zcv1T9f

O wow.

I wonder if we'll see some planned bike changes. If the surface is going to be that muddy then something like 32mm tyres, with a bit of tread on (!), could offer quite a big advantage.

 

[Nirvana]

In a muddy sterrato riders who climbs on the saddle could do a big difference, I remember Contador saying that his rear wheel slipped every time he tried to go out of the saddle, and this year the road is worse.
If Froome go all out I think only Dumoulin will stay with him.

 

[ice&fire]

Re:

In a muddy sterrato riders who climbs on the saddle could do a big difference, I remember Contador saying that his rear wheel slipped every time he tried to go out of the saddle, and this year the road is worse.
If Froome go all out I think only Dumoulin will stay with him.

I'd keep a safety distance with Froome riding on a slippery surface

 

[Climbing]

Dumo and Froome to falter a bit, Yates holding fast, Pozzo with the form of his life to deliver fireworks.
All the while I will be working...

 

[Bot. Sky_Bot]

It may be an alliance against Yates. He will not be able to respond all attacks, Nieve shape may be crucial.
Everything may happen, but finally.. yes, maybe Pozzo FTW, but will gain less than 1 minute at Yates. Dumo dropped. Froome behind Yates, following Poels.
Overall: Yates, Pozzo, Froome.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Two years ago i did two of those climbs with a motorcycle (Finestre & Sestrière) and i think they would suit a powerclimber/tempoclimber pretty good... but the road we took up the Finestre looked nothing like the pictures posted above... so i'm not sure if we did the same climb.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Pozzovivo and fireworks in the same sentence? That's a first. Anyway, let's hope that some will light this baby up on Finestre. Lopez seems the most likely, but hopefully Froome will try something as well - perhaps with Poels as well?

 

[carton]

Re: Re:

Also, I doubt a true break will make it. Even a strong one. So Aru,Ciccione and friends might one to save their powder one more day, because tommorow will be raced hard.

Cima Coppi and tons of KoM points on the line, they'll probably still try something.

Edited it a bit just before your post.

Yeah, it's a tradeoff. Last year Landa and Tejay succeed by going on early moves on similar stages, it was the last stage where no one could really move. But if Froome is in it to win it I just don't see the break making it tommorow. I think they're better off going for it the 130km run in on Saturday. BWDIK

 

[Amazinmets87]

Will Froome be satisfied battling for the final podium position or is he more likely to gamble for a long-shot victory? In the latter case an attack on Finestre is more likely.

 

[DFA123]

Re:

Two years ago i did two of those climbs with a motorcycle (Finestre & Sestrière) and i think they would suit a powerclimber/tempoclimber pretty good... but the road we took up the Finestre looked nothing like the pictures posted above... so i'm not sure if we did the same climb.

I rode Finestre as well a couple of years ago, and tbh, didn't find it that much different than just riding a paved road. The difficulty was the 16km at 9% way more than the sterrato. If anything I think the lower half (paved part) suits more punchy climbers, because there are so many tight hairpins, that it's difficult to settle into a rhythm. But it was dry then.

Those pictures above with the mud looks like it will be a completely different challenge; I'm not sure whether its good or not for us fans. It could almost end up neutralizing things, if everyone feels its too much of a risk/waste of energy to attack on the mud with 90km of riding to go, and then try to hold an advantage on a wet, narrow descent.

 

[Climbing]

Not only that, if they can't compact it a bit, they won't just race upon it, unfortunately...

 

[Bot. Sky_Bot]

Re:

Dumo and Froome to falter a bit, Yates holding fast, Pozzo with the form of his life to deliver fireworks.
All the while I will be working...

The same. I will record the whole stage, not enter The Forum till 7pm! - when I start to watch it, read posts simultaneously, skip commercials!, swallow some beers= >great evening

 

[DFA123]

Re:

Not only that, if they can't compact it a bit, they won't just race upon it, unfortunately...

That would be a disaster. I'd guess the only option then would be to just go on the main road straight to the Bardonecchia climb - no Finestre nor Sestriere.

Unless they fancied an extra loop around the Col d'Izoard. :twisted:

 

[Nirvana]

Slight change in the finale, they'll ride the highway to Bardonecchia after Sestriere descent.

https://static2.giroditalia.it/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/T19_Bardonecchia_ALT_zoom.jpg

 

[roundabout]

Re: Re:

The first 90 minutes will be 100% insane.

The whole stage is going to be insane. I reckon they'll start broadcasting from start to finish?

Doesn't look like they will.

14:04 CEST is the earliest start for Finestre according to the time schedule, but that's approximately with a 40 km/h average for the first 2 and a quarter hours.

 

[Red Rick]

Lopez, Pozzovivo and Froome absolutely have to go for it on the Finestre. They don't really have a choice. So it will happen.

I expect that the fight for the breakaway will be insane, but also that all but the better climbing domestiques will be roasted bringing bad breakaways back, so if the pace is high on the Finestre, the breakaway might be caught way before the top, so by the time the favourites get there, almost no domestiques will be left.

 

[Velolover2]

Stage would have been better without Jafferau.

 

[yaco]

It will be a battle to get into the break - In a perfect world the leading teams will get two riders in the break - You don't want rain or part of the route will be neutralised - Noticed that MS purposely rested their climbers ( except for Nieve ) later in the climb - Didn't see many Astana or Sky riders in the finale - Whether they sat up or tired we will wait and see - It should be an exciting stage.

 

[SafeBet]

I'll be on Finestre tomorrow. I will try to take some pictures to give you an idea of the road. Weather seems all right.

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

I'll be on Finestre tomorrow. I will try to take some pictures to give you an idea of the road. Weather seems all right.

That'd be very cool

 

[Jagartrott]

Re:

Lopez, Pozzovivo and Froome absolutely have to go for it on the Finestre. They don't really have a choice. So it will happen.

I expect that the fight for the breakaway will be insane, but also that all but the better climbing domestiques will be roasted bringing bad breakaways back, so if the pace is high on the Finestre, the breakaway might be caught way before the top, so by the time the favourites get there, almost no domestiques will be left.

Every contender's team will want someone in the break, which could well make for an easier break formation. Aru will definitely try being in it.