Giro d'Italia 2025 Stage 6: Potenza – Napoli

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Sounds good for a week-one mountain stage.

Or do people want the race decided already in the first week?

If a rider is so good that he decides the Giro in week one, then the outcome is pretty much decided and waiting for week 2 or 3 is almost like trying to delay the unavoidable, giving us false hope for a battle.


However, if you put a serious MTF in week one, you may get a Simon Yates like performance. Starting too hot (because you have to with a very important stage early), only to fade by week 3.
 
Since when is this the complaint?

We've regularly seen Etna as early as stage 3 or 4 and finishes on Blockhaus on stage 9. GC has been decided on either exactly once.

If you have a rider much better than everyone else, keeping it close simply because you limit all action is not a good thing.

Obviously you can put the hardest stages in the final 3rd of the race, but that doesn't mean you can't have decently hard MTFs in the first week.

The stage 7 finish is decently hard, yet people complain.

Week 2 is the issue here, not week 1. I agree that the racing has not been thrilling but that's not really the route's fault.
 
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To continue the discussion these great performances are not surprising for early followers of Mads such as myself who is well known in wide circles for strong prognosises about what's going to go on later in cycling races. ;)

Here's an interesting fact about Mads Pedersen. He is from the town Toelloøese really just a village close to Hoelbaek, island of Sjaellland not far from Copenhagen capital of the nation. One of Europe's big airports and world's famous bakery scene. Even pancakes are very popular too. Pancakes are made out of flour and several other ingredients and many danish people consider this food a type of bread as well as other types of bread made with wheat and sugar and flour and more ingredients. Ha ha. :D

After the world's title in Yorkshire Mads was invited to pancakes by the mayor of Copenhagen, a nice tradition after great achievements in sport and even handball. :)

Thinking about the events that memorable day reminded me of Rasmus Klump, the famous Danish comic book character. Rasmus is a bear and he built his own boat to explore the world with his buddies a pelican, a penguin and a tough sea lion that used to smoke a pipe but only until left wing banned smoking in literature for kids also Pippi Langstroempes dad is no longer king of the pirates. :(

Rasmus and the others really love pancakes, it's like their whole diet is pancakes and has never been seen cooking a full wholesome meal. :oops:

The comics are great and have been translated into many languages like english (where his name is Bobby Rock), swedish (Nalle Nalle och Pelle), russian (расмус клумп), netherlandish (Pol (waitwhat :eek:)) and polish (Miś Poldek).

In my favorite story they meet a reptile/mammal character the owner of a locomotive and also like 50 metres of tracks to ride back and forth on in his locomotive. Our heroes help this sad lonely train fanatic out by tying the tracks together to form a big ring so their new associate can start travellin and see the world. :cool:

That's a great lesson for kids. ;)
 
To continue the discussion these great performances are not surprising for early followers of Mads such as myself who is well known in wide circles for strong prognosises about what's going to go on later in cycling races. ;)

Here's an interesting fact about Mads Pedersen:p. He is from the town Toelloøese really just a village close to Hoelbaek, island of Sjaellland not far from Copenhagen capital of the nation. One of Europe's big airports and world's famous bakery scene. Even pancakes are very popular too. Pancakes are made out of flour and several other ingredients and many danish people consider this food a type of bread as well as other types of bread made with wheat and sugar and flour and more ingredients. Ha ha
:D.

After the world's title in Yorkshire Mads was invited to pancakes by the mayor of Copenhagen, a nice tradition after great achievements in sport and even handball. :)

Thinking about the events that memorable day reminded me of Rasmus Klump, the famous Danish comic book character. Rasmus is a bear and he built his own boat to explore the world with his buddies a pelican, a penguin and a tough sea lion that used to smoke a pipe but only until left wing banned smoking in literature for kids also Pippi Langstroempes dad is no longer king of the pirates. :(

Rasmus and the others really love pancakes, it's like their whole diet is pancakes and has never been seen cooking a full wholesome meal. :oops:

The comics are great and have been translated into many languages like english (where his name is Bobby Rock), swedish (Nalle Nalle och Pelle), russian (расмус клумп), netherlandish (Pol (waitwhat :eek:)) and polish (Miś Poldek).

In my favorite story they meet a reptile/mammal character the owner of a locomotive and also like 50 metres of tracks to ride back and forth on in his locomotive. Our heroes help this sad lonely train fanatic out by tying the tracks together to form a big ring so their new associate can start travellin and see the world. :cool:

That's a great lesson for kids. ;)
10/10

Great bit
 
The stage 7 finish is decently hard, yet people complain.

Week 2 is the issue here, not week 1. I agree that the racing has not been thrilling but that's not really the route's fault.
We're about to get the 5th sprint in the first 6 days, the other stage being a short TT. While week 2 is the main issue, I do not like week 1.

While stage 7 isn't bad in isolation, looking at the complete picture of the first 12 stages, it's just not enough as the sole uphill finish.

The only true big GC road stage in the first 15 stages is the Strade Bianche stage.
 
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We're about to get the 5th sprint in the first 6 days, the other stage being a short TT. While week 2 is the main issue, I do not like week 1.

While stage 7 isn't bad in isolation, looking at the complete picture of the first 12 stages, it's just not enough as the sole uphill finish.

The only true big GC road stage in the first 15 stages is the Strade Bianche stage.

All sprint stages are not equal, though, and it's not like it's just been a walkover to get to the line. Also, it's the passivity of others that's mainly responsible for Pedersen winning three stages, if that's your issue (I agree that there's too little climbing in general in the first two thirds, but there was a good climb in Albania which the riders chose to ignore).
 
All sprint stages are not equal, though, and it's not like it's just been a walkover to get to the line. Also, it's the passivity of others that's mainly responsible for Pedersen winning three stages, if that's your issue (I agree that there's too little climbing in general in the first two thirds, but there was a good climb in Albania which the riders chose to ignore).
I don't blame Pedersen for winning.

I just don't think reduced sprints are that much greater that ___________ flat sprint stages like it's a get out of jail card for a complete absence of GC stages in the first 2 weeks.
 
Seriously. Check out the two short climbs on streetview.
This would be cool.
With a life long interinterest in classic motorsports, I've before played with the thought of a final loop dublicating the old Gran Premio di Napoli slopes from the 1930ies to the 50ies in the automotive sport. Your suggestion with an augmentet loop I'm totally in love with!
Though should say the finish line stretch before the park and the dive down the hairy slopes is in bad conditions as of today, but a bit of repair and renovation would be welcomed by the locals I think.

Those are indeed historical grounds!

And with beautiful heliTV sight to nearby Stadio Diego Armando Maradona you could almost say it's a multiple union of sports with such a final.

I'm all in!
 
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The stage 7 finish is decently hard, yet people complain.

Week 2 is the issue here, not week 1. I agree that the racing has not been thrilling but that's not really the route's fault.
Some of us who are often accused of complaining too much have actually praised the first half of the Giro route. If complaining too much is bad, then a good criticism of that is balanced by praise for those who deliver more balanced critism of routes.
 
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