Giro d'Italia 2020, stage 10: Lanciano – Tortoreto 177 km

[ice&fire]

2 riders is enough to justifiably carry on, I do worry a little about the effect on cyclists, the rona is no joke and due to the extreme nature of a GT their immune systems can’t exactly be ideal for fighting a virus.

On the other hand, due to a potential cancellation a couple of anonymous top 10 riders must be seeing their name in lights, ‘what if I can go for a mad one on those modest hills and they let me have it?’.

They kept Castroviejo under control last Sunday. I don't see DQS with a will to give up the maglia rosa.

 

[Billie]

The devil works hard but the shark works harder

 

[Red Rick]

They kept Castroviejo under control last Sunday. I don't see DQS with a will to give up the maglia rosa.

They'll try to keep it, as theyre not gonna get it back in the 3rd week anyway.

 

[Eclipse]

It's a classic 'riders make the race' stage but I think the problem is nobody from GC who is suited to attack will look at the rest and think they need to.

Fuglsang and Kelderman could absolutely put pressure on Nibali and Kruijswijk together here,

 

[tobydawq]

It's a classic 'riders make the race' stage but I think the problem is nobody from GC who is suited to attack will look at the rest and think they need to.

Fuglsang and Kelderman could absolutely put pressure on Nibali and Kruijswijk together here,

I think enough pressure has been put on Kruijswijk...

 

[Eclipse]

I think enough pressure has been put on Kruijswijk...

Well that's what I get for not reading the news before jumping into the race thread

 

[gregrowlerson]

It's a classic 'riders make the race' stage but I think the problem is nobody from GC who is suited to attack will look at the rest and think they need to.

Fuglsang and Kelderman could absolutely put pressure on Nibali and Kruijswijk together here,

Sometimes we have to step outside of the Nibali thread

 

[SafeBet]

Hopefully no sh*tting around today. Full gas in the last 40 km.

 

[RedheadDane]

Hopefully no sh*tting around today. Full gas in the last 40 km.

Dumoulin isn't in the race.

 

[Gigs_98]

Don't they, though. The way I understand it, the only difference from the Tour is the absence of a strict "two strikes - within a week - and you're out" rule, and M-S is basically applying that rule on their own accord anyway.

I read something about TJV and MS riders getting their food from the same buffet as the tourists at the hotel. Maybe that was misonformation but to me that cries for covid to spread. Whatever.

You know what really annoys me though? That all the positive riders are big names. Like, the field is already horribly thin and then the ones that get covid have to be among the biggest names remaining...

 

[SafeBet]

Dumoulin isn't in the race.

I was begging for someone to take my assist and dunk it.

 

[DFA123]

Coming from Melbourne, I am surprised that any of this cycling is going on, considering the covid numbers in Europe. In the last fortnight we are barely averaging 10 new cases a day, and we have a grand total of 0 people in intensive care with the virus, yet we are in serious lockdown (to the extent where you cannot travel further than 5kms from home except for work). So it seems crazy how casually Europe appears to be taking it (though i also think that our restrictions are too extreme).

But since the race/s have started, I don't see a major reason why they should stop. Unless you double your number of hospital patients within a week or something.

Places like Italy and Spain have already gone through a long lockdown which was several orders of magnitude more strict and serious than anything in Australia, and also got the cases pretty much down to nothing. Having done that once, there is pretty much zero appetite or economic possibility to do the same again. It seems to be accepted now that a certain level of the virus has to be tolerated, and that includes allowing stuff like cycling races to go ahead with just minor restrictions. I don't think its being casual, more an awareness of the problems that shutting everything down caused, without really resolving much in the long term.

So hopefully they will keep the cycling going; but I do fear that things like the Giro and Vuelta are kind of easy and visible targets if governments want to look like they are taking stronger action. Also, it is a bit devaluing to a great race like the Giro, to have such a low quality GC battle, but it surely won't produce a worse winner than 2012 anyway.

 

[RedheadDane]

I read something about TJV and MS riders getting their food from the same buffet as the tourists at the hotel. Maybe that was misonformation but to me that cries for covid to spread. Whatever.

Even under normal circumstances, I think teams are unlikely to share buffets with regular people. They pretty much all bring their own kitchen staff - and sometimes kitchen - along to races.

I was begging for someone to take my assist and dunk it.

I am glad to be of service.

 

[Eclipse]

Sometimes we have to step outside of the Nibali thread

But why though?

I'm really sad for Steven - he's had a rough season and if he did grow into the race a podium was definitely on for him and he's another rider that's running out of years.

 

[danielovichdk2]

Forecast of rain. No wind.

There will be ridden a hard pace the last 50km I hope, with Bora leading the action but QS to take over and ride Masnada into top 5.

Fuglsang to attack on the second last hill and solo to a stage win.

 

[Rollthedice]

Absolute wasted year for Kru, hope he'll get over corona easy. No companion left for Nibali on Agnello.

 

[search]

Even under normal circumstances, I think teams are unlikely to share buffets with regular people. They pretty much all bring their own kitchen staff - and sometimes kitchen - along to races.

not so much for the Giro, as food is usually excellent everywhere around Italy. But at the moment it shouldn't happen of course, as UCI rules require "grouping each team on a single floor (or a wing of the hotel) and a reserved and independent dining room, whenever possible" - and there is no reason why it should not be possible in Palermo, with hundreds of hotels around.

 

[SarahtheDane]

Guys, I can still bet on Sagan placing better than Matthews on today's stage. What on earth.

The return is low on Matthews finishing before Sagan. They really don't expect much from him anymore. :/

 

[hrotha]

It seems to be accepted now that a certain level of the virus has to be tolerated

This is weird to me because keeping R0 roughly at 1 would require the same measures either with 500 daily cases or with 10,000 daily cases, so why not aim for the lower figure.

 

[Red Rick]

This is weird to me because keeping R0 roughly at 1 would require the same measures either with 500 daily cases or with 10,000 daily cases, so why not aim for the lower figure.

I think the common "logic" is

"I would rather have R0 of 1 while living normally than an R0 of 1 in lockdown. O wait can't have the former. Surprisedpikachuface."

 

[search]

Guys, I can still bet on Sagan placing better than Matthews on today's stage. What on earth.

you can, but matchbets always require both riders to start the stage/race. So all you'll "win" is a refund anyway, and the bookie may ban/limit you for trying to cheat them.

 

[SarahtheDane]

you can, but matchbets always require both riders to start the stage/race. So all you'll "win" is a refund anyway, and the bookie may ban/limit you for trying to cheat them.

This is on a danish site, they even made the odds after it was announced that Matthews is pulled from the race. Someone is not doing their job.

 

[gregrowlerson]

you can, but matchbets always require both riders to start the stage/race. So all you'll "win" is a refund anyway, and the bookie may ban/limit you for trying to cheat them.

But isn't cycling all about cheating?

 

[Jagartrott]

Places like Italy and Spain have already gone through a long lockdown which was several orders of magnitude more strict and serious than anything in Australia, and also got the cases pretty much down to nothing. Having done that once, there is pretty much zero appetite or economic possibility to do the same again. It seems to be accepted now that a certain level of the virus has to be tolerated, and that includes allowing stuff like cycling races to go ahead with just minor restrictions. I don't think its being casual, more an awareness of the problems that shutting everything down caused, without really resolving much in the long term.

So hopefully they will keep the cycling going; but I do fear that things like the Giro and Vuelta are kind of easy and visible targets if governments want to look like they are taking stronger action. Also, it is a bit devaluing to a great race like the Giro, to have such a low quality GC battle, but it surely won't produce a worse winner than 2012 anyway.

Yes.

And what is also important to realize is how connected countries are. It's much, much easier to organize "crushing the curve" on islands than on a continent with many very connected countries. Almost all of the good examples are basically islands (New Zealand, Japan, S-Korea <given there's only N-Korea connected over land>, Australia) or not strongly connected to other countries (like China, they can close off pretty easily). So getting cases down to zero would be extremely difficult in a European context.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

apparently whole jumbo now pulled out?