Giro d'Italia Giro d'Italia 2025, stage 3: Vlorë > Vlorë (160 km)

[stianbraathen]

Depends on Pedersen and Trek. If Pedersen really wants that Pink jersey back they will go for it and hope no on really goes full on the climb/Pedersen can come back afterwards.

Honestly If I'm Trek I just send Vacek in the break. He can win and even if he doesn't he can get pink.

The stage profile looks exactly like this stage in TDF back in 2011 TDF 2011 Stage 13 Results , and a sprinter/classic rider won..

 

[AupaPyama]

lol, All UAE going for GC. Hope they don't hamper each other but it will be fun to watch.

My thought exactly. UAE without Teddy is no team. Have you seen Yates play donkey for Ayuso in Tirreno/Catalunya? I cant see a UAE masterplan in action right now.

 

[hayneplane]

The last climb is a proper GC climb, hard enough to create substantial gaps but unfortunately it's almost 40 km from the line. Will any team really go for it? I doubt it (reminder: no Teddy in the race).

With 4 riders up there on GC UAE could seek to play a card (most logically McNulty) to see what response it gets and who will be sacrificed to work from other teams.

Most likely is we get a hard pace from Lidl Trek that sheds the sprinters and keeps Pedersen in the group.

Probably a group gets a minute over the top but is chased down by a reduced bunch of 20-40 riders.

 

[hayneplane]

Would be a travesty if this stage doesn't get raced hard with the rest day coming up.

Certainly given that both their GC riders are already behind I think Ineos ought to be aggressive and try to get back in the mix.

If only the final of the stage was 15km shorter it would be far more enticing for GC action.

 

[tobydawq]

The problem with these plans is that no one will believe Ayuso will allow another teammate a chance at winning the Giro.

Would Ayuso give Del Toro a margin like O'Connor had in the Vuelta? If necessary, he'll avoid it himself. His ego is too big. If his work as Pogacar's domestique was so disastrous in the TDF, Bora knows that Ayuso won't allow another teammate to be the leader above him.
They won't take an attempt by McNulty or Del Toro seriously.

I agree that Ayuso doesn't want that but who says he is the one calling the shots? Just because pundits put him on an equal footing to Roglic before the stage doesn't mean that the team sees it that way.

 

[Red Rick]

If I'm the strongest rider in the race, and I have a strong team myself, I'm not gonna mainly relying on my abilities as a mindreading ninja.

 

[Unchained]

The problem with these plans is that no one will believe Ayuso will allow another teammate a chance at winning the Giro.

Would Ayuso give Del Toro a margin like O'Connor had in the Vuelta? If necessary, he'll avoid it himself. His ego is too big. If his work as Pogacar's domestique was so disastrous in the TDF, Bora knows that Ayuso won't allow another teammate to be the leader above him.
They won't take an attempt by McNulty or Del Toro seriously.

This is were all early problems can happen quality like Jai Hindley will need to chase any suicide missions by UAE or Trek, plus Italian teams need camera exposure so if UAE can get someone like McNulty, Del Toro or Vine doing anything aggressive Bora has to chase it..UAE has multiple weapons early because of results in sprint stage and TT ..it's not stacked but close. Trek is working great together. I don't know if UAE saves calories and just surround Ayuso and follow his lead.

 

[tobydawq]

I think this stage is very hard to predict. I don't think Roglic was thrilled with O'Connor getting five minutes' advantage early in the Vuelta so I think he and his team would be a bit cautious with letting any gap balloon too much (however, they probably would gladly let the jersey go in a controlled manner).

I would be surprised if Lidl-Trek really think that Pedersen can win this stage from the favourites but he has been showing some insane climbing this year, so it can't really be ruled out. Getting Vacek or Pedersen into the break would probably be ideal, especially if it's both of them.

 

[E_F_]

Tomorrow the P in "Mads P." stands for Pink once again.

 

[EddyMazzoleni]

I agree that Ayuso doesn't want that but who says he is the one calling the shots? Just because pundits put him on an equal footing to Roglic before the stage doesn't mean that the team sees it that way.

The problem with UAE secondary GC rider attacking is that it only works if they are able to get in a move without Hindley. The only one that may be an exception is Yates, but if DelToro/Vine/McNulty get in a break with Hindely, its the latter that is the most significant GC threat.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Pellizzari's ITT surprised me. He was really bad at ITT.

Tbf, do you expect anyone on Bardiani to be decent at TTing?

 

[hayneplane]

The problem with UAE secondary GC rider attacking is that it only works if they are able to get in a move without Hindley. The only one that may be an exception is Yates, but if DelToro/Vine/McNulty get in a break with Hindely, its the latter that is the most significant GC threat.

A Del Toro/Pellizarri combo in the break getting 3/4 minutes could be fascinating to see who proves to be most dangerous longer term.

Tudor must be tempted to give it a go and try to capitalise on Storers form while he is still flying.

 

[Cycling111]

Tbf, do you expect anyone on Bardiani to be decent at TTing?

No, but in Bardiani Pellizzari finished 3 minutes behind Luca Covili, or 2 minutes behin Pozzvivo who was very bad in time trial.

It's not that he was bad, it's that he was terrible
We're talking about losses of 6 minutes. Not 3 or 4 like many cyclists on those teams.

 

[staubsauger]

The problem with these plans is that no one will believe Ayuso will allow another teammate a chance at winning the Giro.

Nobody believed that with Gilberto Simoni either. Not even Gibo himself.

6 years later Simoni & Cunego were back together at Lampre, drinking coffee and laughing about how that was the exact reason it worked out!

 

[Samu Cuenca]

No, but in Bardiani Pellizzari finished 3 minutes behind Luca Covili, or 2 minutes behin Pozzvivo who was very bad in time trial.

It's not that he was bad, it's that he was terrible
We're talking about losses of 6 minutes. Not 3 or 4 like many cyclists on those teams.

There's no doubt he's improved, but that is also to be expected for someone who rode his first GT for Bardiani and wasn't targeting GC. Also, those time trials were two and three times as long as the one today, so we'll have to wait and see if he can perform on a similar level on stage 10, if he still has a reason to go all out by then.

 

[Cycling111]

LOL

13	21	▲8	YATES Simon	Team Visma | Lease a Bike			0:33
14	26	▲12	YATES Adam	UAE Team Emirates - XRG			0:36

 

[Red Rick]

I think this stage is very hard to predict. I don't think Roglic was thrilled with O'Connor getting five minutes' advantage early in the Vuelta so I think he and his team would be a bit cautious with letting any gap balloon too much (however, they probably would gladly let the jersey go in a controlled manner).

He said that before and he repeated that again today. I think back then they were just very cautious about burning domestiques before the final climb and it was just that sort of day where the 3rd and 4th best domestiques had been barbecued in the heat and ups and irregularties. He was definitely worried considering he went attacking for bonus seconds the very next day.

 

[Cycling111]

I agree that Ayuso doesn't want that but who says he is the one calling the shots? Just because pundits put him on an equal footing to Roglic before the stage doesn't mean that the team sees it that way.

From Matxin's interviews, it's clear that only Adam Yates is a co-leader. Today, he reiterated that neither McNulty nor Del Toro will be leaders and that they´ll work for the others. That rules them out of any plans.

In any case, at the Tour, the team made it clear to Ayuso that he was a domestique, and look how things went with him. If they had to scold him in the Tour, he wouldn't accept having Del Toro above him even if the team says so.

 

[Cookster15]

Tough climb might be too far from the finish for non climbers to chase back. But Lidl-Trek were the strongest team in today's TT so they might try to regain pink for Pedersen before the finish.

If I have to pick someone I'll pick Mads Pedersen to win the stage and regain pink.

 

[broppo]

Mads pedersen is an incredibly huge favourite for this stage with the bookies x2.75. I guess most people see this stage differently..

 

[Red Rick]

Mads pedersen is an incredibly huge favourite for this stage with the bookies x2.75. I guess most people see this stage differently..

I do think it's the type of profile that can often underwhelm.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

I do think it's the type of profile that can often underwhelm.

If there is little fight for the break, I will be very disappointed. I don‘t expect anything except for either the break or someone on the climb beating Pedersen. GC moves are unlikely.

 

[Gigs_98]

Idk if Trek can control the stage for Pedersen but I think they think they can control the stage and that might be the crucial factor for how this stage goes. Let's not forget Pedersen didn't just survive the climbs in stage 1, he used his team to go on the offensive. I think it's perfectly plausible a similarly sized group goes over the top of the big climb here.

I also don't think we will see any gc moves. Red Bull is too strong to be easily attacked and if a single UAE rider gets away on the final flat stretch than so be it. He will have to spend a lot of energy to gain almost nothing.

 

[Red Rick]

Idk if Trek can control the stage for Pedersen but I think they think they can control the stage and that might be the crucial factor for how this stage goes. Let's not forget Pedersen didn't just survive the climbs in stage 1, he used his team to go on the offensive. I think it's perfectly plausible a similarly sized group goes over the top of the big climb here.

I also don't think we will see any gc moves. Red Bull is too strong to be easily attacked and if a single UAE rider gets away on the final flat stretch than so be it. He will have to spend a lot of energy to gain almost nothing.

Pretty much. Stage 1 it was limited mostly by what what damage Ciccone could do on a 5% climb. It will mostly likely be about preserving enough manpower to keep it together, and I doubt Pedersen is particularly afraid of Van Aert in a sprint for example.

 

[tobydawq]

Axelgaard thinks it will only be a reduced sprint very much like yesterday and basically rules all other scenarious out. I think that seems rather ill-advised. I'm not saying it can't happen but it certainly isn't an odds-on scenario for me.