Giro d'Italia Giro d'Italia 2025 stage 20: Verrès – Sestrière, 205 km

[YavorD]

If he can't put 1'30 into McNulty who's like 10kg heavier than him and never does anything on big, steep climbs, or an 89 year old Majka then I will just go back to complaining about the level of this Giro and suggest the Giro be relegated from GT status.

I think the Giro is just down to your beloved Sky-era.
Level wise and team strength wise.

Now that you remembered what the Sky-era was, do you miss it so much?

 

[Red Rick]

I think the Giro is just down to your beloved Sky-era.
Level wise and team strength wise.

Now that you remembered what the Sky-era was, do you miss it so much?

With all my heart. Though admittedly more so for non cycling-related reason than my dislike of how the sport has changed.

 

[Cycling111]

I think the Giro is just down to your beloved Sky-era.
Level wise and team strength wise.

Now that you remembered what the Sky-era was, do you miss it so much?

And that's because the leader is a young rider who needs this.

Sky always raced this way, even with an established and dominant cyclist like Froome.

 

[Escarabajo]

If Majka/McNutly/Yates stay close to Del Toro that means that He will lose the Giro!

No way Del Toro can stay with the Block. Not on Finestre. People are dreaming here!

 

[hayneplane]

How much help do we think that the clear proficiency at riding gravel will be be for Del Toro or is it really all about whether he can do an hour long climb at those gradients with the very best in the race.

 

[E_F_]

How much help do we think that the clear proficiency at riding gravel will be be for Del Toro or is it really all about whether he can do an hour long climb at those gradients with the very best in the race.

I'm sure it helps some, but it probably doesn't impact much on such a climb.

 

[YavorD]

To be honest the Red Bull bonuses may end up crucial tomorrow.
EF should prevent the break go and attack before the bonuses.

 

[Cycling111]

How much help do we think that the clear proficiency at riding gravel will be be for Del Toro or is it really all about whether he can do an hour long climb at those gradients with the very best in the race.

More than that, it helps the rider who climbs seated.
That section must be climbed sitting.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Isaac de toro to attack from km 0. A big solo breakway. Fuga de la figa. On colle finestre he crashes , gets back up, punctures, throws his bike off the mountain, grabs an old colnago from a spectator on the mountain. Turns to the camera and says in slovenian accent 'why not eh?' . Hold off the peleton to the finish, on the finish line he brings gianetti on the road and kisses and caresses gianetti'd shiny bald head to celebrate the win. . Gives an interview that he is proud to represent the great state nation of United Aran Emirates . Announces his next goal as the tour de France. Says Masnada is his Inspiration to be an attacking rider

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Says Masnada is his Inspiratipn

Everything seemed pretty realistic until this

 

[Cycling111]

Simon doesn't seem happy with the team

https://twitter.com/x/status/1928476819868573995

View: https://x.com/Domestique___/status/1928476819868573995

If Majka/McNutly/Yates stay close to Del Toro that means that He will lose the Giro!

No way Del Toro can stay with the Block. Not on Finestre. People are dreaming here!

McNulty will defend his top 10 againts Adam Yates

 

[YavorD]

Says Masnada is his Inspiratipn

I imagine Del Toro almost crying:
- When I was a kid in 2018, I remember sitting in front of the TV shouting "Vai Fausto, vai" on Gran Sasso, I cried and I promised myself to destroy that Simon lad....
That win is for you, Fausto, I wouldn't have done it without your inspiration. Amore infinito.
"asks for a tissue" because there's too much tears...and then his idol Fausto arrives.

 

[ashhutch1997]

Is there a more regular climb than the finestre?

Passo Giau?

 

[ashhutch1997]

I'm going to have to disagree with the stage description, despite @Devil's Elbow 's amazing work. Mortirolo/ Aprica is the best hard/easy climb combination. The original.

 

[Cycling111]

To be honest the Red Bull bonuses may end up crucial tomorrow.
EF should prevent the break go and attack before the bonuses.

Del Toro is being faster than Carapaz.

 

[Tonton]

¡Vamos Isaac! He has come too far. He will give everything.

Isaac del Toro showed on Wednesday what a great champion he is, how big his heart is. He had a bad "after-rest" day and overcame it, he bounced back and made a fan out of me. I will sheer for him.

Isaac can follow Richard, he has a small but not that small cushion, Carapaz's back wheel should be Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C. Not being caught off-guard when (not if) Rishark attacks.

Isaac del Toro has this thing three-quarter in the bag. He's resurrecting THE BAG. Tie it up baby, tie it up.

¡Vamos Isaac!

 

[YavorD]

Del Toro is being faster than Carapaz.

It won't matter if Carapaz attacks and drops Del Toro before the RB kilometer.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

I'm going to have to disagree with the stage description, despite @Devil's Elbow 's amazing work. Mortirolo/ Aprica is the best hard/easy climb combination. The original.

Hot take: Mortirolo is a little bit overrated. Crazy gradients don't deliver as much as they used to until ~10 years ago. Would take Finestre, Stelvio from Prato, Grossglockner from the north, Fauniera from the east and probably also the Italian side of Agnel over it. Which still puts it near the top, but it definitely isn't best pass in the world material for me.

 

[Sciatic]

I think the Giro is just down to your beloved Sky-era.
Level wise and team strength wise.

Now that you remembered what the Sky-era was, do you miss it so much?

Well, except “Sky era” rarely happened at the Giro.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Is there a more regular climb than the finestre?

Two sides of the same pass:

 

[E_F_]

Crazy gradients don't deliver as much as they used to until ~10 years ago.

True. What we need is crazier gradients!

 

[Tonton]

Isaac de toro to attack from km 0. A big solo breakway. Fuga de la figa. On colle finestre he crashes , gets back up, punctures, throws his bike off the mountain, grabs an old colnago from a spectator on the mountain. Turns to the camera and says in slovenian accent 'why not eh?' . Hold off the peleton to the finish, on the finish line he brings gianetti on the road and kisses and caresses gianetti'd shiny bald head to celebrate the win. . Gives an interview that he is proud to represent the great state nation of United Aran Emirates . Announces his next goal as the tour de France. Says Masnada is his Inspiration to be an attacking rider

Post of the week, of the month, of the year.

 

[Red Rick]

Hot take: Mortirolo is a little bit overrated. Crazy gradients don't deliver as much as they used to until ~10 years ago. Would take Finestre, Stelvio from Prato, Grossglockner from the north, Fauniera from the east and probably also the Italian side of Agnel over it. Which still puts it near the top, but it definitely isn't best pass in the world material for me.

But but we haven't seen any of them proper with any decent sample in forever. In short I'm not a believer in Grossglockner north and I'd sooner throw Agnello int here.

Main metric for me is probably total duration at 9-10% or higher and then longer is just better. But steeper is more reliable, and thus Mortirolo tends to just always work the same with with Aprica after it.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

But but we haven't seen any of them proper with any decent sample in forever. In short I'm not a believer in Grossglockner north and I'd sooner throw Agnello int here.

Main metric for me is probably total duration at 9-10% or higher and then longer is just better. But steeper is more reliable, and thus Mortirolo tends to just always work the same with with Aprica after it.

Jaufenpass-Rombo-Rettenbachferner works.

Also classic Mortirolo side is usually chained to other great climbs, especially Gavia or Trivigno, which helps massively because Aprica is such a nothing climb as well so it's hard to leave anything until then, but a climb like Gavia beforehand will get rid of a lot of domestiques.

The other thing is the significant differences in the characteristics of the climbs as well - Gavia is not so steep but is very long and high altitude, being over 2600m at the summit, and so often suits a completely different type of climber from Mortirolo which is nearly double the gradient and where the benefit of drafting is reduced and it's much more every-man-for-himself.

 

[AnotherArmChair]

Someone has to get rid of that Maijka early on ...nice guy and great road captain and all that but enough is enough