Giro d'Italia 2020, stage 18: Pinzolo - Laghi di Cancano 207 km

[Andy262]

Just watched on catch up. Awesome stage that lived up to all the expectations. Where has Rohan Dennis been hiding that capability?

Hindley looked the strongest all the way up that final climb. Wonder how much time he could have put into Tao if he'd been let off the leash.

Bilbao made up alot of time there so once Dennis dropped they weren't going so fast in front.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Most disappointing performance of the day belongs to Paret-Peintre, who finished the stage in 18th, putting a sad end to his streak of stages outside the top20.

But he managed to gain two positions in the GC. That's a fine ride by a guy, we're not totally sure isn't created by
thisfrenchpersondoesnotexist.com

 

[luckyboy]

It looks like Sunweb scored an own goal today. I would imagine Kelderman could finish with Fuglsang if Hindley was there to help him.

Now they have Kelderman who rode for 9km up Stelvio alone, all down the descent alone, 9km in the valley alone, 10km to the finish alone, so will be more tired than Tao... And Hindley, who is a worse TTer than Tao and maybe can't drop him enough anyway.

 

[Red Rick]

It looks like Sunweb scored an own goal today. I would imagine Kelderman could finish with Fuglsang if Hindley was there to help him.

Now they have Kelderman who rode for 9km up Stelvio alone, all down the descent alone, 9km in the valley alone, 10km to the finish alone, so will be more tired than Tao... And Hindley, who is a worse TTer than Tao and maybe can't drop him enough anyway.

No he couldn't. He got dropped off the wheel

 

[Forever The Best]

They blew past him.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Kelderman got dropped off the wheel because he just spent 7km in the valley alone. Vs bilbao/fugl who weren't alone @Red Rick

So if Hindley waited, Kelderman would spare energy and would not have dropped to Bilbao and Fugl.
I think Kelderman was still the 3rd strongest GC man today, but had to spent more time on his own and therefore dropped behind Bilbao and Fugl..

 

[JosefK]

No he couldn't. He got dropped off the wheel

Yeah, I think that would have been a huge gamble to drop Hindley back to help Wilco. When it was happening, there was no way to know how badly Wilco was fading. He could have blown up altogether, and then Sunweb would have had Hindley wasting his GC chances to tow a cracked Wilco to a 3-minute deficit. Of course, it didn't turn out that way, and maybe in hindsight Kelderman could have finished with Fuglsang with Hindley helping, but there was no way to know this when the bleep was hitting the fan.

 

[Red Rick]

Yeah, I think that would have been a huge gamble to drop Hindley back to help Wilco. When it was happening, there was no way to know how badly Wilco was fading. He could have blown up altogether, and then Sunweb would have had Hindley wasting his GC chances to tow a cracked Wilco to a 3-minute deficit. Of course, it didn't turn out that way, and maybe in hindsight Kelderman could have finished with Fuglsang with Hindley helping, but there was no way to know this when the bleep was hitting the fan.

I see now that Hindley/TGH did the final climb over a minute slower than Bilbao? Yeah Sunweb would be so much worse off if Hindley had waited.

 

[Red Rick]

Hindley/TGH same climbing time as Van Vleuten 2019 @Libertine Seguros

Dennis explodes the watts and the Giro on Stelvio!

Passo dello Stelvio 2020:24,8 km@7,4%---1:11:06---average speed 20.93 km/h(Dennis-Geoghegan Hart-Hindley) ...

www.climbing-records.com

 

[Lequack]

15 Big Photos from Stage 18 (more to come) — corvos/rcs/bettini
http://www.steephill.tv/2020/giro-d-italia/photos/stage-18/

http://www.steephill.tv/2020/giro-d-italia/photos/stage-18/

 

[Red Rick]

Kelderman got dropped off the wheel because he just spent 7km in the valley alone. Vs bilbao/fugl who weren't alone @Red Rick

So if Hindley waited, Kelderman would spare energy and would not have dropped to Bilbao and Fugl.
I think Kelderman was still the 3rd strongest GC man today, but had to spent more time on his own and therefore dropped behind Bilbao and Fugl..

If Hindley waits, TGH goes faster on the final climb cause he doesn't worry about getting dropped by Hindley. If Kelderman blew up that bad compared to 2 guys who were with 2, then that's his mistake.

Kelderman taking pink would be iffy if TGH has nobody to worry about. You're also left with one card to play that got beaten on the previous mountain stages.

 

[luckyboy]

Now they have a card to play that will get beaten in the time trial anyway

 

[richwallone]

This was a correct strategy, there was no other way for Sunweb but to keep Hindley with Tao and mark him all the way until finish... They just didn’t expect Kelderman to struggle in the last bits as much... If he didn’t, he’d have about a minute on Tao...

Btw, someone needs to teach him how zip a jacket, or Sunweb can maybe invest into Velcro zippers

 

[hrotha]

To be honest, even in hindsight I think there's no way to tell whether it was the right call.

 

[roundabout]

I do think that Hindley should have at least tried an attack near the end of the last climb

 

[Red Rick]

To be honest, even in hindsight I think there's no way to tell whether it was the right call.

First he looked in control of the gap, then he looked to be absolutely bonking and a lost cause. Worst case scenario is that Hindley waits for Kelderman on Stelvio then it's too late to win for both of them and that can happen in no time flat. Today is the best outcome all things considering, especially since Hindley and TGH did the final climb pretty slow.

I think the worse decision was not letting Hindley try to get a gap yesterday.

I do think Hindley is stronger uphill than TGH but a worse ITTer so he probably needs to drop TGH. How much is the question for me.

 

[Red Rick]

I do think that Hindley should have at least tried an attack near the end of the last climb

I think it was either immediately or not at all. TGH wasn't going full out.

 

[roundabout]

I think it was either immediately or not at all. TGH wasn't going full out.

You mean immediately at the start of the last climb?

 

[fbjim]

Plus he's nearly guaranteed at the very least the bonus seconds by sitting on the flats at the end of the climb, plus a few seconds back for Kelderman if TGH decides to play any sprint games.

 

[Red Rick]

You mean immediately at the start of the last climb?

The steep part near the start. Probably not in the first meter, but if TGH isn't going all out you can't wait that long either.

 

[macbindle]

I think it was either immediately or not at all. TGH wasn't going full out.

I think he was. He'd had Hindley on his wheel the whole way. That stage was only going to end one way

 

[42x16ss]

Hindley/TGH same climbing time as Van Vleuten 2019 @Libertine Seguros

Dennis explodes the watts and the Giro on Stelvio!

Passo dello Stelvio 2020:24,8 km@7,4%---1:11:06---average speed 20.93 km/h(Dennis-Geoghegan Hart-Hindley) ...

www.climbing-records.com

If you think that Hart was anywhere near his limit on the final climb there's a bridge in Brooklyn I'd like to sell you

 

[Red Rick]

If you think that Hart was anywhere near his limit on the final climb there's a bridge in Brooklyn I'd like to sell you

Neither were. Or Kelderman wouldn't be in pink.

 

[42x16ss]

I think he was. He'd had Hindley on his wheel the whole way. That stage was only going to end one way

I don't think so, Hart seemed to have the stage win at the forefront of his mind

 

[macbindle]

Exactly. Which was why I think he went full out for it. But...his opponent had a 50k leadout