well, on paper maybe, but one would go to 2nd best Pro Team Arkea then (additional to the fixed one for Alpecin). So (unless one of those teams decides not to come) RCS is stuck with two "real" wildcards, no matter what happens with Qhubeka
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My reaction yesterday after seeing the mountain stages:
My reaction today after seeing the final ITT mileage:
My reaction today after seeing the final ITT mileage:
Seriously, you could expect a route like this from the Vuelta or the Tour but getting it from the Giro is really, but really, bad, IMHO the worst since the 2004 sprinterfest. I don't even know to favour who that has been done, maybe is only cuck Vegni final act of kneeling before Salvato and the bunch of pussies that nowadays peloton has become before going out of the scene.
I can give you that there are a couple of good hilly stages like Potenza and Torino, even if too short for my liking, and the long Etna from sea level and Lanciano+Majelletta are really good first week mountain stages but other than that almost all the sprinters stages go back to the old pan flat style instead of putting at least some little hills here and there to tentatively spicy a bit the otherwise dull canvas, a couple of hilly stages are just ridiculous and mountain stages looks like have been willingly designed to have the worst possible solution for the given start and finish locations. Add to that that Cogne and Fedaia with a long flat section and three climbs look taken directly from Gouvenou designing manual, they basically avoided going over 200 kms, they almost avoided trying the hard climb/easy climb combo that always deliver with the exception of the Friuli stage where they still put a detour before the final climb to discourage attacks, if Fedaia the day after isn't enough for that, there isn't a real Giro mountain stage and also the connection between climbs is generally bad, up to terrible in the Fedaia stage.
I can give you that there are a couple of good hilly stages like Potenza and Torino, even if too short for my liking, and the long Etna from sea level and Lanciano+Majelletta are really good first week mountain stages but other than that almost all the sprinters stages go back to the old pan flat style instead of putting at least some little hills here and there to tentatively spicy a bit the otherwise dull canvas, a couple of hilly stages are just ridiculous and mountain stages looks like have been willingly designed to have the worst possible solution for the given start and finish locations. Add to that that Cogne and Fedaia with a long flat section and three climbs look taken directly from Gouvenou designing manual, they basically avoided going over 200 kms, they almost avoided trying the hard climb/easy climb combo that always deliver with the exception of the Friuli stage where they still put a detour before the final climb to discourage attacks, if Fedaia the day after isn't enough for that, there isn't a real Giro mountain stage and also the connection between climbs is generally bad, up to terrible in the Fedaia stage.
My reaction yesterday after seeing the mountain stages:
My reaction today after seeing the final ITT mileage:
Honestly this the worst Giro route that I have ever remember.
There are too few mountain stages and they have a wrong order and having 7 flat stages, up to 9 that can end up in a sprint is something that I have never seen in the Giro with the clear objective of bringing the best sprinters in the world since the Tour will not have many sprint stages. As if this was not enough they decide to have just 26km of TT with both of then having a hill on the course. Even if they are able to attract some ofthe top tier GC contenders they still won't be able to get the absolute best with this route. We can criticise the Tour for having always the same climbs but at least they were able to create a balanced route with some pretty good stages.
The only thing that saves this Giro are a few of the hilly stages like stage 14 or 19 but its not enough to feel anywhere happy with this.
There are too few mountain stages and they have a wrong order and having 7 flat stages, up to 9 that can end up in a sprint is something that I have never seen in the Giro with the clear objective of bringing the best sprinters in the world since the Tour will not have many sprint stages. As if this was not enough they decide to have just 26km of TT with both of then having a hill on the course. Even if they are able to attract some ofthe top tier GC contenders they still won't be able to get the absolute best with this route. We can criticise the Tour for having always the same climbs but at least they were able to create a balanced route with some pretty good stages.
The only thing that saves this Giro are a few of the hilly stages like stage 14 or 19 but its not enough to feel anywhere happy with this.
Well that has to be the wet dream route of all those generation Z kids. Congrats on that.
This post is the only good thing about the route smh.
Why on earth should gen Z be in favour of this? And what problem do you have with that generation?
So what he is really saying: This route is a gift to UAE & Pogacar to try the double.
I was just about to post it. I'm not gonna miss Vegni, the guy is delusional
Listen, ASO might not thank me but get the contract out, put it on the table. Let him sign it. Let him write whatever numbers he wants on there, given what he's done since he's come in. Vegni's at the wheel, man. He's doing it. He's doing his thing. Giro-Tour doubles are BACK
"if there are big gaps after 20 stages it's not fair to lose the jersey at the 21st stage"
I can't believe Vegni actually said this. LOL, that's beyond delusional.
I can't believe Vegni actually said this. LOL, that's beyond delusional.
Even aside from Vegni's delusions regarding this route's potential to lure Pogacar, this is such a bad take. Why on earth would you routinely put TTs on the final day if you don't want them to have a major impact on GC? And how would a final TT of similar length to this year's cause a big lead like Bernal's to be overturned? And why is the lead changing hands on the final day a bad thing in the first place?
A bad route, while regrettable, would not be the end of the world, but this kinda sounds like a paradigm shift, like a conscious decision to sell out and be more like ASO, like this is the Giro's major label debut and it absolutely blows.
Even then, it'd be easier to swallow without all that insulting stuff about this being what GT contenders want. Gee, I wonder why? Not like race organizers as a whole have been marginalizing ITTs for over a decade, so basically they're saying that a group of mostly climbers isn't fond of time trialing and they're trying to convince me that's an insightful revelation. Or about how "unfair" it would be for riders to lose the race on the final time trial, like what the actual f*** is that supposed to mean, Vegni, like time trialing isn't a legitimate part of a race? Get out of here.
It's so sad that one of the best ever eras for one-day races and a very good era for one-week races also coincides with such a dreadful era for GTs.
Even then, it'd be easier to swallow without all that insulting stuff about this being what GT contenders want. Gee, I wonder why? Not like race organizers as a whole have been marginalizing ITTs for over a decade, so basically they're saying that a group of mostly climbers isn't fond of time trialing and they're trying to convince me that's an insightful revelation. Or about how "unfair" it would be for riders to lose the race on the final time trial, like what the actual f*** is that supposed to mean, Vegni, like time trialing isn't a legitimate part of a race? Get out of here.
It's so sad that one of the best ever eras for one-day races and a very good era for one-week races also coincides with such a dreadful era for GTs.
"fair" is something you pay a taxi or an airline
No such thing as it's only fair for someone to win a race, just because they have a lead before the finish
Vegni is what is wrong with modern society
Lots of the usual whining about the route - People forget that 2020 was a poor edition of the race because of the quality of the stage winners - It's more important how the riders perform in the stages.
Agreed, but with the current route it is not very likely that we'll see many attacks 20-30km or more from the stage finish. The mountain stages are to a very large degree designed for action the last 5-10 km. Last 5 km at Fedaia. No earlier than the start of the last steep section on Santa Christiana and Menador, that is within the last 11-12 km. On the Cogne stage I don' think it will be much action at all. Perhaps some brief attacks and a sprint among the GC contenders the last km or so.
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It seems like it only gets worse for every year.
The forum's petulant whining over every single race parcours, that is.
The forum's petulant whining over every single race parcours, that is.
Yeah man, if you ignore the every time the forum is positive then HOW DARE EVERYONE BE NEGATIVE ALL THE TIME.
When is the forum positive when a race route is announced? It seems rather absurd that you of alle people think reactions are well balanced.
Edit: I think I may recall one Dauphiné route once where you were satisfied, otherwise there is always something wrong.
Well, there is just one thing. Almost all three GTs does the same thing now. Design mountain stages where it is very likely that the action will occur within the last few km. And does stages and/or climbs in a strange order, or does other things that discourage aggressive racing.
Engage with and correct the criticism, this unspecific meta whining is lazy.
The new Amstel finish was met with great praise, and guess what it really made a positive difference to the race.
Do you think this route is better than any other recent Giro routes? If so, why? If not, you are just tone policing without any substance.
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