Giro d'Italia 2020, Stage 17: Bassano del Grappa – Madonna di Campiglio 203 km

[Bolder]

How would the riders from 2006-2018 who had to deal with peak Contador and Froome look at these races? Riders like Basso, Cadel , Menchov , Scarponi having to deal with brutal attacks and watching the last two years crap.

That's a bit unfair, IMO.

I wouldn't necessarily call the 2019 Giro "crap," maybe not a race for the ages...

But this Giro is looking comparatively weak because Thomas, SK, Yates and Evenpoel aren't in the race anymore, or didn't start, for health reasons; all the top GT riders aimed for the Tour; and already two full teams have pulled out, again for health reasons.

Putting a positive spin, we're seeing riders like Almeida, Ganna, Hart and Hindley step up, and teams like Sunweb and DQS showing that they are legit GT support teams.

This would have been a very different race in a "normal" year -- can you imagine Carapaz, Evenepoel, Nibali and Yates (and maybe Kruijswijk) slugging it out in May in the third week with these great stage profiles, along with one or two other emerging contenders?

 

[Berflamand]

So we're less than 20k from the finish in a 200k+ high mountain stage and DQS only had to put Keisse and Ballerini to work?

I mean, yes Almeida might break and lose pink anyhow but the other teams aren't exactly making things difficult for DQS.

 

[richwallone]

Zakarin's gonna go Soon...

 

[Red Rick]

This is exactly how a GT stage would look if Froome already had a 3 minute lead.

 

[luckyboy]

This is the worst Giro since Hesjedal's. Thank god the Vuelta is on at the same time

 

[Eclipse]

DS don't realise it's allowed to drill *** before the last climb.

Especially considering Hindley rode Almeida off their wheel no biggie.

Maybe they're scared of Hindley riding Kelderman off his wheel too and causing an inter team issue lol

 

[Bolder]

This is the worst Giro since Hesjedal's. Thank god the Vuelta is on at the same time

^^But won't the Vuelta just be a replay of stages 1-20 of the TdF, with everyone just trying to hold the Jumbots' wheels?

I prefer this sort of leap into the unknown, fits in with 2020 as a whole. I'd never even heard of Jai Hindley until this year...

 

[richwallone]

Movistar... Gone!!! Almost

 

[Red Rick]

Maybe they're scared of Hindley riding Kelderman off his wheel too and causing an inter team issue lol

Easy decision Hindley is staying Kelderman isn't

 

[richwallone]

OMG, the peloton suddenly woke up

 

[Eclipse]

Imagine trying to set the pace and looking to your side and just see Ganna steaming up.

It's like Sunweb saw him looked around and said 'nah ok you're good'

 

[luckyboy]

Movistar masterclass

 

[Pantani_lives]

I predicted Vanhoucke and I'll stick with him. Zakarin is of course a candidate as well.

In my memory this climb was much tougher, because Pantani has won here. He didn't always need those really high gradients to make the difference.

EDIT: De Gendt looks stronger than Vanhoucke.

 

[Mayomaniac]

De Gendt's pace harmed Harm.

 

[SafeBet]

Movistar masterclass

Scientific approach to always get dropped from the break when it matters.

 

[woodburn]

Does DeGendt ever come off the front?

Edit: Now Dennis takes it up.

 

[richwallone]

De Gendt wants it, attacked, but didn't create much separation... Vanhoucke struggling...

 

[SafeBet]

O'Connor with a gap.

 

[Red Rick]

O'Connor paying for his efforts yesterday

 

[richwallone]

Ben O'Connor looks good... Too soon???

 

[Pantani_lives]

If Kelderman feels good enough to take pink today he should do it. Tomorrow he will have to attack from further with the team, and Saturday will be cancelled/replaced.

 

[johnymax]

Trek chasing to save Nibali's 7th place from Pernsteiner.

 

[Eclipse]

Antonio decimating the peloton in his 10s effort

 

[Red Rick]

Never seen Antonio doing a pull in the sunshine

 

[SafeBet]

Brother Tony driving the pace.

Most memorable 30 seconds of the stage for us believers.