Giro d'Italia 2019 rumours

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

So basically the Gavia south descent is the most Zomegnan thing that ever happened?

that actually happened, probably yes. That and Gardeccia.

What was so special about Gardaneccia? The totality of the stage or the climb itself?

- 5 major climbs
- Fedaia
- 230 km
- It came 2 days after a Grossglockner finish, and 1 day after a Zoncolan finish
- Contador was attacking for *** and giggles from 80km out
- Fedaia
- Nibali was doing yoyo's by attacking on descents, getting dropped uphill, getting back and immediately attacking downill again
- The weather was sh!te through major parts of the day.

 

[Valv.Piti]

I remember watching this stage tuning in around Giau and just going wtf. This was when I was a huge Antón fan so I was a bit sad, but man, this stage was just epic and probably the best overall GT stage I have seen.

 

[Climbing]

Certainly was the most brutal stage I ever saw on tv.

 

[OlavEH]

Re: Re:

- 5 major climbs
- Fedaia
- 230 km
- It came 2 days after a Grossglockner finish, and 1 day after a Zoncolan finish

So totality then.

Definitely the most epic stage I've ever seen. The closest thing to this have to be a couple of the Mortirolo stages in course of the years and the Chianale stage in 2003. The latter also had really bad weahter, snow on the top of Sampeyre.

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

- 5 major climbs
- Fedaia
- 230 km
- It came 2 days after a Grossglockner finish, and 1 day after a Zoncolan finish

So totality then.

Definitely the most epic stage I've ever seen. The closest thing to this have to be a couple of the Mortirolo stages in course of the years and the Chianale stage in 2003. The latter also had really bad weahter, snow on the top of Sampeyre.

Also, lot of really long stages, insane transfers, and no single team was really strong.

But yeah, the true marathon mountain epics are going out of style, and instead the Giro is really starting to go for 120 different variations of Mortirolo/Aprica.

I don't mind it, it's miles better than what other GTs bring, but keep a little bit more variation please.

 

[OlavEH]

Re: Re:

But yeah, the true marathon mountain epics are going out of style, and instead the Giro is really starting to go for 120 different variations of Mortirolo/Aprica.

I don't mind it, it's miles better than what other GTs bring, but keep a little bit more variation please.

Agreed. You don't need 3 or 4 220km, 5000 height meters stages tok make it a good GT, but at least one would be okay. Especially in the Giro. Right now the Grand Tours are getting more and more similar. Shorter stages which is supposed to encourage aggressive cycling.

 

[Laplaz]

New bomb of Beppe Conti:
After the Cuneo-Pinerolo there will be a stage from Pinerolo to Lago Serru.

The Colle del Nivolet without the last 6 km.

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

New bomb of Beppe Conti:
After the Cuneo-Pinerolo there will be a stage from Pinerolo to Lago Serru.

The Colle del Nivolet without the last 6 km.

I thought sheer climb duration and altitude were the only cool things about Nivolet.

But Conti gonna Conti

 

[Eshnar]

Since I was thinking exactly of the Nivolet when I put the ??? in Option 3, I tend to believe this
Sad that the last few kms are missing though.

 

[Eshnar]

In other News, today a local article confirms Carpi - Novi Ligure. If anything, it fits nicely.

1. Bologna - S.Luca (8.2 km ITT)
2. Bologna - Fucecchio
3. Vinci - Orbetello
4. Orbetello - Frascati
5. Frascati - Sabaudia
6. Cassino - S.Giovanni Rotondo
7. Vasto - L'Aquila
8. Tortoreto Lido - Pesaro
9. Riccione - S.Marino (34.7 km ITT)
rest
10 Ravenna - Modena
11 Carpi - Novi Ligure
12 Cuneo - Pinerolo
13 Pinerolo - Colle del Nivolet (Lago Serrù)
14 Ivrea - Courmayeur
15 St. Vincent - Como(or surroundings)
rest
16 Lovere - Ponte di Legno
17 Val di Sole - Anterselva
18 Dobbiaco - S. Maria di Sala
19 Treviso - S. Martino di Castrozza
20 Feltre - Passo Croce d'Aune (or above)
21 Verona - Verona (15 km ITT)

 

[Kyllingen86]

Re: Giro d'Italia 2019 rumors

So Giro 2019's key stages will be:

9. San Marino (ITT)
13. Nivolet (MTF)
14. Courmayeur
16. Ponte Legno
20. Croce D'Aune


What about the Appenines?

Stages to Aquila usually favours break aways with no GC-action. Not even in the last kilometers.
Any idea how stage 8 will look in profile?

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

Since I was thinking exactly of the Nivolet when I put the ??? in Option 3, I tend to believe this
Sad that the last few kms are missing though.

I just thought Nivolet was one of those climbs that were rumoured every year but never happening in a million years.

 

[Eshnar]

Re: Re:

Since I was thinking exactly of the Nivolet when I put the ??? in Option 3, I tend to believe this
Sad that the last few kms are missing though.

I just thought Nivolet was one of those climbs that were rumoured every year but never happening in a million years.

it is. But unlike other ever-rumoured climbs, it is actually raceable, or at least nothing prevents that. Let's say I don't trust it blindly, but I find it very possible.

 

[Eshnar]

Re: Giro d'Italia 2019 rumors

What about the Appenines?

Stages to Aquila usually favours break aways with no GC-action. Not even in the last kilometers.
Any idea how stage 8 will look in profile?

If stage 8 really ends in Pesaro, don't expect much. It would be slightly hilly and probably favour attackers, but might also be a reduced sprint. Stage 6 and 7 will be much more important, but probably still not much GC Action.

 

[Red Rick]

So basically this Giro looks like an amazing one week stage race in week 2.

 

[Gigs_98]

Re: Giro d'Italia 2019 rumors

Don't get me wrong I always wanted to see the colle nivolet in action but if they finish at lago serru it's kinda meh. The three things that make the nivolet so interesting are the altitude the length of the climb and most importantly the scenery on the top looking down on the two lakes. The first two aspects are hampered if they don't go all the way to the top, but the third one is basically gone completely. It's still a cool mtf, but just not the extraordinary thing I was hoping for

 

[ice&fire]

I see a 3km long tunnel in the first hard section of the climb to Nivolet. There's an parallel open road but it doesn't look well maintained. What's the chance they go through the tunnel and we miss what goes on in there?

 

[Eshnar]

Re:

I see a 3km long tunnel in the first hard section of the climb to Nivolet. There's an parallel open road but it doesn't look well maintained. What's the chance they go through the tunnel and we miss what goes on in there?

The chance is there. I would hope the plan is to work on the old road, but I have no info.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Lets be real, theres no need to complain over a route thats most likely 10x better than anything the Vuelta and Tour are coming up with. Liking it so far.

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

Lets be real, theres no need to complain over a route thats most likely 10x better than anything the Vuelta and Tour are coming up with. Liking it so far.

Sorry. I have to prove somebody wrong who claims I only complain about routes when Froome wins.

No doubt the route will score over 21 out of 5 on Vuelta and Tour scale, but this is Il Giro

 

[Valv.Piti]

I get you, but the pacing of the route is very nice with pretty hard MTF, first queen stage in Aosta, hard Como stage, rest day and second queen stage over Mortirolo. Its really nice and I have no problem with a pretty easy start with some nice hilly stages and time trials.

 

[Gigs_98]

Re: Giro d'Italia 2019 rumors

I think it's a nice route until the last three stages which are pretty meh. I really hoped stage 20 would finish in Feltre or with an easier mtf, but now with a probably rather difficult stage finish the last two mountain stages are pretty much all about the final climb and that's exactly how it shouldn't be. A pity especially as stage 14 and 16 are looking to be extremely interesting.

 

[Sestriere]

Why wouldn't they go all the way up to the Nivolet? At the Rifugio Savoia, about one kilometer of descent after the pass there is plenty of space to host the finish. And like Gigs mentioned, the length and altitude of the climb would only really factor in if they rode those last kilometers as well. And frankly, I cannot imagine why RCS would want to miss out on the broadcast of the stunning images that could be produced up there.

 

[ice&fire]

Riders need to climb back to the summit before descending to wherever their team buses are parked. Given how narrow is the road, they'd probably have to wait for the last rider to finish before turning back. So having the finish at Lago Serrù riders can turn back as soon as they cross the line.
Rifugio Savoia is just 2km away from Lago Serrù as the crow flies, so they can show the landscape flying a helicopter high above the area.

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

Riders need to climb back to the summit before descending to wherever their team buses are parked. Given how narrow is the road, they'd probably have to wait for the last rider to finish before turning back. So having the finish at Lago Serrù riders can turn back as soon as they cross the line.
Rifugio Savoia is just 2km away from Lago Serrù as the crow flies, so they can show the landscape flying a helicopter high above the area.

That makes sense

It also makes every bit of difference for the race. Now it's just a pretty lame MTF sandwiched inbetween harder stages.