Giro d'Italia 2020, stage 9: San Salvo – Roccaraso 208 km

[Cance > TheRest]

Not difficult enough for big gaps. I think guys like Fuglsang, Bilbao and maybe even Almeida will be able to gain 10-20s at best. In 2016 when Nibali blew up he only lost 24s to the best GC guys (Fuglsang). Less than 10s compared to guys like Valverde, Majka or Uran. Depending on the pace on the early climbs even Ulissi could have a chance.
On the other hand. It´s 2020 and the it´s october. One of the favorites is probably dropped on the Passo Lanciano and we will see total carnage for the rest of the stage.

That is probably an exaggeration. Nibali made one half-assed attack (an attempt to bridge to Fuglsang?) and Dumoulin countered Nibali's failed move with Zakarin and managed to get away. In the end, big differences were not made, but I think that someone who blows up will lose more than 24 seconds, because the last ramp is as steep as it is and because it has been extended.

 

[staubsauger]

Sooo many sporting events tomorrow.
French GP MotoGP at Le Mans
Eifel GP Formula 1 at Nurburgring
Gent-Wevelgem
Paris-Tours
Giro d'Italia Stage 9
Roland Garros Men's Finals

I don't know which one to watch. I plan to watch MotoGP than check the others from time to time. MotoGP has been amazing this season with some very close races and a great title fight. Hopefully another great race at Le Mans.

Why exactly Paris - Tours isn't on Monday when the Giro d'Italia has it's rest day?

There won't be any valuable TV audience outside of France tomorrow and spectators preferably should stay at home anyway.

Weird planning IMHO.

 

[RedheadDane]

Why exactly Paris - Tours isn't on Monday when the Giro d'Italia has it's rest day?

There won't be any valuable TV audience outside of France tomorrow and spectators preferably should stay at home anyway.

It's always* been on a Sunday, and it was actually able to keep the original date.
Also, in Denmark it's being shown on the main channel, not the sport-specific ones, so definitely getting quite good coverage here.

*Okay, maybe not "always", as in "the race's entire story", but in recent years.

 

[tobydawq]

Sooo many sporting events tomorrow.
French GP MotoGP at Le Mans
Eifel GP Formula 1 at Nurburgring
Gent-Wevelgem
Paris-Tours
Giro d'Italia Stage 9
Roland Garros Men's Finals

I don't know which one to watch. I plan to watch MotoGP than check the others from time to time. MotoGP has been amazing this season with some very close races and a great title fight. Hopefully another great race at Le Mans.

The worst possible choice, are you kidding me?

 

[Forever The Best]

Worst possible choice? MotoGP? Well, MotoGP is between 14-15 in Turkey time ( 17-18 GMT ), and F1 and Roland Garros start later, and the cycling won't have an action during that time frame anyway.

 

[Red Rick]

The worst possible choice, are you kidding me?

The obvious choice is to switch channels when Nadal is picking his bum or Djoko is bouncing the ball so you can catch 90% of the race.

 

[Koronin]

Why exactly Paris - Tours isn't on Monday when the Giro d'Italia has it's rest day?

There won't be any valuable TV audience outside of France tomorrow and spectators preferably should stay at home anyway.

Weird planning IMHO.

As strange as this sounds, it's actually on TV in the US in the middle of the day. So it might get a few casual fans to stop and watch. Coverage ends right before NFL games start, so it won't be competing with the NFL.

 

[Anderis]

A 5-6 men breakaway of very average riders to finish 10 minutes ahead of the 70-men peloton.

 

[tobydawq]

The obvious choice is to switch channels when Nadal is picking his bum or Djoko is bouncing the ball so you can catch 90% of the race.

I'm not even going to try to quintuple screen tomorrow. It'll be the tennis and then I have plenty of time to watch the three races later on Sunday or on Monday.

So I guess you guys can expect to not have to endure my presence here the next couple of days xD

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Sooo many sporting events tomorrow.
French GP MotoGP at Le Mans
Eifel GP Formula 1 at Nurburgring
Gent-Wevelgem
Paris-Tours
Giro d'Italia Stage 9
Roland Garros Men's Finals

I don't know which one to watch. I plan to watch MotoGP than check the others from time to time. MotoGP has been amazing this season with some very close races and a great title fight. Hopefully another great race at Le Mans.

You forgot that there is also a round of UEFA Nations League tomorrow

 

[Broccolidwarf]

A 5-6 men breakaway of very average riders to finish 10 minutes ahead of the 70-men peloton.

I hope you are not right.

I think the prospect of mountains getting cancelled, and having seen the first Corona case in the peloton, a lot of GC riders will think, that tomorrows stage might get crucial, even if the route doesn't quite read that way.

Add to that, that we will see a lot of descending, on small, windy Italian roads full of fall leaves, with rain being forecast for the second half of the stage.

Oh, and to add to the potential drama, Fuglsang was angry Trek pulled when he had a technical today, and told Nibali to be careful when to take a piss the rest of the Giro, so both Astana and Trek are clearly hyped up and ready to stick it to each other..... if one of them has a technical or comes off, all hell might break lose..... Fuglsang is better in the rain, Nibali is better on descents.

So tomorrow could become epic, if the stars align...... but then you are right, that the stage profile itself looks like an exercise in boredom, in terms of GC action, and that is most probable.

 

[topcat]

The obvious choice is to switch channels when Nadal is picking his bum or Djoko is bouncing the ball so you can catch 90% of the race.

The obvious choice is to watch lawn bowling.
This is the giro. What's left of Trek to put the hammer down tomorrow.

 

[TomLPC]

Becoming a massive fan of some of the smack talk being laid down by Fuglsang.

It's the kind of petty, childish and quite frankly unsportsmanlike conduct we all love to see. The Nibbler is a delicate young flower too so hopefully some of the animosity translates to the racing like it did for a short while today.

 

[tobydawq]

Becoming a massive fan of some of the smack talk being laid down by Fuglsang.

It's the kind of petty, childish and quite frankly unsportsmanlike conduct we all love to see. The Nibbler is a delicate young flower too so hopefully some of the animosity translates to the racing like it did for a short while today.

Is Fuglsang really the one being unsportsmanlike here? By being a bit grumpy by being attacked while having a puncture on a completely innocuous descent?

 

[TomLPC]

Is Fuglsang really the one being unsportsmanlike here? By being a bit grumpy by being attacked while having a puncture on a completely innocuous descent?

They both are, Jakob was talking some *** in his blog before the incident. Pretty funny to be fair.

 

[search]

I'm not even going to try to quintuple screen tomorrow. It'll be the tennis and then I have plenty of time to watch the three races later on Sunday or on Monday.

So I guess you guys can expect to not have to endure my presence here the next couple of days xD

and that on the day which could see three Danes winning those three races...

 

[Velolover2]

If there is no top 20 rider in there, Trek and Quick Step should let the break go and take the bonus seconds.

After having rewatched the final in 2016, I must say that Fuglsang have a good chance of gaining 5 (Kelderman) to 15 (Kruijswijk) secs on his main rivals in the last k. It's longer and steeper than last time.

I honestly don't think anyone can match his pace setting when it's a short, steep effort. I would have been a different story with the rest of the climb had been harder.

 

[skippo12]

Is Fuglsang really the one being unsportsmanlike here? By being a bit grumpy by being attacked while having a puncture on a completely innocuous descent?

Attack meaning that just like in every other descent so far Trek was at the front to protect Nibali? Don´t know if Treks scheme is smart but they already were at the front prior to Fuglsangs puncture and did not go any faster after it.

 

[Danskebjerge]

Fuglsang's blog is brilliant. There's definitely a ghostwriter involved, but still - so many nice details. Especially I love his honesty, not least when it's about people that annoy him.

 

[jfazendeiro]

I think tuesday stage will produce larger diferences.

 

[broppo]

Becoming a massive fan of some of the smack talk being laid down by Fuglsang.

It's the kind of petty, childish and quite frankly unsportsmanlike conduct we all love to see. The Nibbler is a delicate young flower too so hopefully some of the animosity translates to the racing like it did for a short while today.

yes brings back the armstrong pantani vibe, I love it!

 

[HelloDolly]

A wise man would try and gain time tomorrow as race may not go to Milan

Pello and Pozzo are two riders to lookout for imo

 

[Tonton]

Is Fuglsang really the one being unsportsmanlike here? By being a bit grumpy by being attacked while having a puncture on a completely innocuous descent?

Yep. Il Squalo is ruthless, his low blows are well recorded, and when you call him out he'll show you his trophy case. Birdsong was close to being another victim.

Two schools of thought here: the Paladin, lawful good, if you lose social media blasts you for not being tough enough. Or you can be a Thief. Alignment.

My days playing AD&D are catching up with me.

Nibali will find a way to win. The Carapaz episode was a fluke, not the norm. And it may be ugly. He doesn't give a donkey crap (referring to earlier posts). He's a shark, not a gazelle.

Question is: is Nibali in great form or bluffing? Others have to make that determination and act.

 

[movingtarget]

Yep. Il Squalo is ruthless, his low blows are well recorded, and when you call him out he'll show you his trophy case. Birdsong was close to being another victim.

Two schools of thought here: the Paladin, lawful good, if you lose social media blasts you for not being tough enough. Or you can be a Thief. Alignment.

My days playing AD&D are catching up with me.

Nibali will find a way to win. The Carapaz episode was a fluke, not the norm. And it may be ugly. He doesn't give a donkey crap (referring to earlier posts). He's a shark, not a gazelle.

Question is: is Nibali in great form or bluffing? Others have to make that determination and act.

Carapaz was obviously helped by the theatrics of Nibali and Roglic but I thought an organized Movistar rode that race well which was more unusual. Roglic had peaked too early as many suspected and also had a crash that may have effected him, Lopez had his usual issues. I still think Nibali would have had trouble dropping Carapaz who was in great form. It will be a bigger fail if he loses this race or at least doesn't finish in the top two. Two of his biggest rivals are gone already and he is up against who ? None of the others have won a grand tour, only SK has been close. Obviously he isn't prime Nibali and he hasn't won a grand tour since 2016. The TTs should be interesting as the mountain stages may not decide it and there isn't a dominant team.

His biggest hurdle in the third week could be aging legs. He will be 36 next month. that always counts in grand tours as the record books show.

 

[Tonton]

Carapaz was obviously helped by the theatrics of Nibali and Roglic but I thought an organized Movistar rode that race well which was more unusual. Roglic had peaked too early as many suspected and also had a crash that may have effected him, Lopez had his usual issues. I still think Nibali would have had trouble dropping Carapaz who was in great form. It will be a bigger fail if he loses this race or at least doesn't finish in the top two. Two of his biggest rivals are gone already and he is up against who ? None of the others have won a grand tour, only SK has been close. Obviously he isn't prime Nibali and he hasn't won a grand tour since 2016. The TTs should be interesting as the mountain stages may not decide it and there isn't a dominant team.

His biggest hurdle in the third week could be aging legs. He will be 36 next month. that always counts in grand tours as the record books show.

Hence my "is he bluffing" take. Everybody is scared of a grande Nibali. He's running the table.