Giro d'Italia 2020, Stage 4: Catania – Villafranca Tirrena 140 km

[Devil's Elbow]

Majka made the podium at the 2015 Vuelta.

I've managed to forget he was even in that race. Even so, great opportunity for him.

 

[Red Rick]

I've managed to forget he was even in that race. Even so, great opportunity for him.

The 4 riders between Dumoulin and Aru all feel like they weren't there lol

 

[Anderis]

Cast your mind back to this stage in 2017, also in the first week. Similar climb, but closer to the finish and with more climbing before it. Greipel won and Gaviria and Ewan also survived.

That climb was significantly easier than the tomorrow's one. Tomorrow has 11 consecutive kilometers with each kilometer of 4.5% or above. And 8 consecutive kilometers with gradient of 5% and above.

 

[search]

looks like there'll be a crosswind along the coast, both before as well as after the climb. Not sure it's going to be strong enough though.

 

[BlueRoads]

How about a podium Almeida, Bilbao, Kelderman? Will McNulty be able to fight them for a spot?

 

[More Strides than Rides]

I'm not sure what it is about 2020, but there are so many more riders I don't recognize/are new to me, than in past years. That's a good thing, and I hope it leads to good chaos throughout the race.

 

[Sciatic]

G and Yates dropped today, Nibali tomorrow.

I hope so, as that means I won't have to see the words bag, cabinet, trophy and voodoo a hundred times a day the next month.

The forum needs a redact-word function!

 

[Forever The Best]

The 4 riders between Dumoulin and Aru all feel like they weren't there lol

Except Purito, who looked like he could win, before blowing it in the TT again

 

[Forever The Best]

They both also have GC riders to look after, both of whom have a golden chance at their first ever GT podium and possibly even the win after today, so not sure they have enough riders between them that they're willing to expend. Plus that Stage 6 is a much easier opportunity to get rid of Démare and Gaviria before the sprint.

Cast your mind back to this stage in 2017, also in the first week. Similar climb, but closer to the finish and with more climbing before it. Greipel won and Gaviria and Ewan also survived.

I was hoping for some nice stage hunting action that day. It was so disappointing.

 

[Red Rick]

Except Purito, who looked like he could win, before blowing it in the TT again

I remembering analysing TT results before that ITT and I remember concluding he had 0 chance of keeping red.

 

[hayneplane]

Looks like Sagan vs Matthews which means based on 2020 almost any other scenario will instead play out.

 

[WKA311]

Even if Demare is dropped on that climb, I don't think Bora and Sunweb will invest enough manpower to hold off the FDJ train. And looking at FDJs team, they got a lot of horse power and will put it into Demares bids whenever they can. I expect a bunch sprint with everybody of note there, maybe missing Hodeg.

 

[Kangaridoo]

EF will keep the bunch together to steal bonus seconds on the first sprint.

 

[movingtarget]

I'm guessing the only reason this stage exists is because they couldn't do another stage in Sicily without a mountain. Even Ewan wouldn't have minded this one. Should be some nice scenery anyway.

 

[Luthor]

Ulissi to win again? Don't see him dropped on the climb.

 

[klintE]

Majka made the podium at the 2015 Vuelta.

Only that Bora had nothing to do with it.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Nibali to pull some voodoo and split the group on the descent gaining time.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

This is a fine sprinter's stage. Some outside posibility that not all sprinters will survive. Will we see Bora try to push the pace?

 

[tobydawq]

Even if Demare is dropped on that climb, I don't think Bora and Sunweb will invest enough manpower to hold off the FDJ train. And looking at FDJs team, they got a lot of horse power and will put it into Demares bids whenever they can. I expect a bunch sprint with everybody of note there, maybe missing Hodeg.

It's not that long they have to keep a chasing group at bay. 40 kilometres.

 

[tobydawq]

Ulissi to win again? Don't see him dropped on the climb.

Okay, I think you're severely overestimating the difficulty of the climb if that's your take.

 

[SafeBet]

If I'm Trek I push a decent enough pace on the climb just to check if Yates is recovered. And if he isn't, I bury him for good. No extra baggage in the third week.

 

[Netserk]

If I'm Trek I push a decent enough pace on the climb just to check if Yates is recovered. And if he isn't, I bury him for good. No extra baggage in the third week.

I would agree if it wasn't for the stage tomorrow. He will have to be in worse shape than yesterday to drop today, and in that scenario I can't see him survive tomorrow.

 

[gregrowlerson]

OMG DESCENT FINISH

Don't make everyone too aware of it. Tony Martin is here.

 

[Ranagazoo]

Based on what I saw yesterday, here are my predictions for today:

Kruijswijk to crash into either a ravine or the sea.
Fuglsang to mistakenly drink from Vlasov's bidon and spend the day spewing into his team car.
Kelderman to be thrown out the race by Sunweb for being a minute late to the team briefing.
Majka to follow Kruijswijk's wheel into the ravine/sea.
Almeida to be abducted by aliens.
Nibali to have a nice quiet day but denies he has the race in the bag, as Antonio is seen frantically stashing several voodoo dolls into the Nibali trophy cabinet.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

EF will keep the bunch together to steal bonus seconds on the first sprint.

Only the second sprint has bonus seconds on offer, right?