Giro d'Italia 2018 STAGE 4: Catania – Caltagirone 198 km

[Red Rick]

Aaaight. Time for the Real Giro

#makeilgirogreatagain

STAGE 4: Catania – Caltagirone 198 km

May 8th

Technical Overview:
The Giro gets back to Italy with a very nervous stage in Sicily. From Catania, the riders will face a continuous series of twisty roads through the Sicilian countryside. None of this roads are particularly steep however, as the profile is inflated a bit. There are two categorized climbs on the way. The first one is Pietre Calde (GPM4, 9.3 at 2.8%), while the second is Vizzini (GPM4, 4.8km at 4.4%), both without any serious ramps. They should be quite irrelevant. The abundance of twists and turns will probably be the bigger issue for the peloton, as well as the absence of properly flat and straight road sectors. However, the stage ends with what is by far the hardest ramp of the day, which comes after an uphill drag of 9 km at 3.3% and 6 very tricky km, where an important point will be the fight for positions leading into the uphill sprint. The last 900m have an 8.5% average gradient, which is lowered by a 200m flattish section right at the start, after a first very short ramp. The rest of the finale is always over 10%.

Final km

The Climbs:
Pietre Calde (GPM4, 9.3 at 2.8%)
RCS don't seem to bother providing a profile for this kind of climbs, if they are in Italy...

Vizzini (GPM4, 4.8km at 4.4%)
See above.

What to Expect:
Uphill mass sprint. Maybe some minor gaps, besides time bonuses. The breakaway has a decent chance of success, though.

Caltagirone

 

[Brullnux]

Really open, there are loads of potential winners I think. However, to restore order to the world, after Abate somehow scored a goal yesterday, Ulissi will win and take his seventh Giro stage.

 

[Velolover2]

The pink jersey to win it?

Paracombe 2.0.

 

[Velolover2]

Is it too hard for Stybar? He might have to wait for stage 5 which is a bit easier.

 

[ice&fire]

One for the puncheurs. Betancur to punch them all.

 

[SafeBet]

Can't see Ulissi losing this.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Ulissi, Betancur, Wellens, Chaves, Yates, Stybar, Woods, Bennett, Poels.. the list of punchers isnt very big

 

[Laplaz]

Breakaway has a decent chance imo. Otherwise Stybar.

 

[Velolover2]

Re:

Ulissi, Betancur, Wellens, Chaves, Yates, Stybar, Woods, Bennett, Poels.. the list of punchers isnt very big

Both Froome, Dumoulin and Dennis can outkick him.

The fact that the Poels/Heano duo (two of the most explosive climbers) is in service of Froome makes him a very good candidate for the stage.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I doubt that, I've seen Bennett do some crazy kicking stuff.

 

[Velolover2]

Re:

I doubt that, I've seen Bennett do some crazy kicking stuff.

It can go many ways. Froome, Dumoulin and Dennis also have their punchy movements.

A punch is different from a sprint. Otherwise, I would have favored Pinot who has a great sprint but a weak punch.

For me, Yates is still the favorite. But both Dumo, Froomo and Dennismo could podium easily.

 

[Red Rick]

Ulissi by a country mile. This is a hilly stage in the Giro after all

 

[Squire]

Giovanni Visconti will win this bike race.

 

[Koronin]

It may not be hard enough for Yates, but I think he's the best of the puncheurs that are here. There aren't exactly many of them. Wellens, I think, could give this stage a shot to try to win. The list of puncheurs is pretty small.

 

[Bot. Sky_Bot]

The Dark Knight is coming. But we will have to wait at least till Thursday.

 

[DanielSong39]

One for the breakaway? Or puncheurs?

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

One for the breakaway? Or puncheurs?

Don't think BMC will let go

 

[May0maniac]

Goncalves winning this one would be pretty awesome.

 

[WheelofGear]

1. Yates
2. Wellens

gap..

3. Froome, 2 secs
4. Woods, s/t
5. Pozzo, s/t
6. Dumo, s/t

gap

7. Pinot, 7 secs
8. Dennis, s/t
9. Bilbao, s/t
10. Bennett, s/t
11. Schachmann, s/t
12. Lopéz, s/t
13. Henao, s/t

gap

14. Konrad, 12 secs
15. Ullisi +
16. (with a struggling) Aru (on his wheel)

gap

17.+ Larger group at 20 secs+

 

[Red Rick]

Finish looks really similar to the uphill sprint Gilbert won in 2015 with Contador coming in 2nd. But that was in the middle of the 2nd week, after a stage with bigger climbs than this and some horrible weather along the way.

And compared to that, the steepest pitch now is at 500 from the line, you can't launch there, that's way too early on a finish like this.

I don't think this will be one for where GC riders come out on top. It's not hard enough.

 

[Bakkie]

Schachmann? Good rider!

 

[Son of Amsterhammer]

Re:

Finish looks really similar to the uphill sprint Gilbert won in 2015 with Contador coming in 2nd. But that was in the middle of the 2nd week, after a stage with bigger climbs than this and some horrible weather along the way.

And compared to that, the steepest pitch now is at 500 from the line, you can't launch there, that's way too early on a finish like this.

I don't think this will be one for where GC riders come out on top. It's not hard enough.

Seems very unlikely to be gaps at the front. Like you say, it’s not hard enough.

 

[Netserk]

Time for the master! _O_

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

I'd really like it if Betancur could win this stage

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

I'd really like it if Betancur could win this stage

Imagine this forum, CN would probably break down.