Giro d'Italia Stage 1: Amsterdam ITT (8.4km)

[auscyclefan94]

He seems to prefer to be light on race miles this time of year. Was worried a bit when I saw his race fitness earlier last month, but it looks like he knows what works for him.

I'm more confident now than I was with him riding himself into good form during the Giro, to be ready when it matters.

I think Sastre would have to be happy. He has better than he thought. Basso is not as bas as people thought as well.

 

[D Avoid]

After all that straining, Chiggens finally managed to lay an egg!!

 

[taiwan]

Just some comments he has made. I'll try to dig them up.

Was Matt White the DS for the Australian WCRR team: giviing Gerrans leadership? Mind you at the time I was liking Gerrans for that race too.

 

[Francois the Postman]

I think Sastre would have to be happy. He has better than he thought. Basso is not as bas as people thought as well.

Better than some of we thought, not as he thought. I can't read his mind, but I assume he knows his own abilities, and how his preparation progressed. For an ITT, Evans has hardly delivered him a blow that would worry him, I think. We'll need to go uphill a bit before any of the GT contenders will draw too many conclusions about where everyone is.

I think it might assure some on his team though. They haven't much racing miles together, and some questions were raised in lesser races about his progress. As Contador realizes, communal race miles are important enough to travel the best part of a continent by car for, just to make sure people around you can experience your race presence first hand.

As far as I can see all the main contenders more or less landed where you'd expect them, and since "prologues" won't win you a GT, but might make it so much harder if you mess it up, it's been presentation business as usual, I'd say.

Now onto some real challenges. The Giro hasn't even started yet. No need to dwell on 8km through Amsterdam more than we need to. Seems everyone is more or less there by their own bench marks, so that bodes well for what is to come.

 

[Straßenrennen]

Where does it say you can't take it on day 1 and then just not bother defending it on day 2?

I never got that line of reasoning.

When Sky did it at the Tour of Quatar (spelling ) and got totally abused by the rest of the peloton for the remainder.

 

[Jamsque]

When Sky did it at the Tour of Quatar (spelling ) and got totally abused by the rest of the peloton for the remainder.

This is basically the point. As the holder of the leader's jersey it is seen as a team's obligation to set the pace in the peloton and at least stop breaks from getting huge time gaps. It's a matter of etiquette.

 

[Francois the Postman]

When Sky did it at the Tour of Quatar (spelling ) and got totally abused by the rest of the peloton for the remainder.

Think wind played a role there, and Sky's team leader breaking a collar bone a few yards into the race.

But even if all that had no influence, don't you think it is kind of weird to hear other teams say "we blew it because one single team didn't work for what suited us, and we (as in all the other teams combined) didn't respond to that until we were too late too"?

Sounds to me as the ones caught napping at the wheel were road captains, and the entire lot in the cars behind, with instant race info at their fingertips, and ear pieces to direct at will. "Sky didn't do what they ought to do" is a convenient, but ridiculous excuse to hide your own failure behind.

 

[Barrus]

When Sky did it at the Tour of Quatar (spelling ) and got totally abused by the rest of the peloton for the remainder.

I thought that had more to do with Sky attempting to increase the speed of the peloton at a feeding zone, or while a lot of other riders were taking a ****. Which really ****ed a lot of people of, that led to the next day in which everyone was riding at their max while the sky riders were busy bringing their leader back up to the peloton after he was down at the team car, or something similar happened, at least everyon tried to ensure that Sky was no longer in the peloton.
They did another big etiquette no-no at Tour of Oman and gotten a beat down there as well due to it

 

[Susan Westemeyer]

Hey... I'm confused... just looked at the live coverate where it said that Greipel opens the sprint wasn't it a TT today?

It was a joke.......

Susan

 

[Francois the Postman]

See, those I see at etiquettes that make sense. You don't try to advantage yourself during accepted time-outs for the sake of all. Or when a genuine contender has a mishap he didn't initiate during the race, as long as it doesn't put your own position at risk too.

But I fail to see why a team is obliged to disadvantage themselves when there is a genuine competition to beat the others over 3 weeks in full swing.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I thought that had more to do with Sky attempting to increase the speed of the peloton at a feeding zone, or while a lot of other riders were taking a ****. Which really ****ed a lot of people of, that led to the next day in which everyone was riding at their max while the sky riders were busy bringing their leader back up to the peloton after he was down at the team car, or something similar happened, at least everyon tried to ensure that Sky was no longer in the peloton.
They did another big etiquette no-no at Tour of Oman and gotten a beat down there as well due to it

That was the Tour of Oman.

At Qatar, they just let Mol and Steurs go, building their lead up to 23 minutes at one point. The team did no work and alienated a lot of the péloton. When the race split up due to wind, only Ian Stannard was even in the front three groups. Yes, losing Arvesen was a problem there, but they didn't have to drag Mol and Steurs back, just keep the gap halfway manageable to dangle the carrot out there that somebody else would come and do the work if they sensed a win.

Anyone know where I can get the intermediate timing for today?

 

[mr. tibbs]

I've been impressed with Vino's form this year. I really didn't expect him to feature, and yet here he is, riding strong all spring. A far cry from the returning Basso. Vino didn't take two years off from the bike, that's for sure, but does he still have the stuff to do it for 21 days?

Given the riders' previous performances, Vino's my pick to win it at this point, though we'll have to see which Evans and which Sastre show up in the mountains.

And go Nibali! (What's this I read about The Shark killing a pigeon?)

 

[Barrus]

And go Nibali! (What's this I read about The Shark killing a pigeon?)

He rode over a pigeon in one of the corners, the pigeon couldn't get away fast enough

@ libertine: ah, quess I mixed the two races up. Anyway lets just state that at the beginning of the season Sky wasn't the most well-behaved team in terms of etiquette

 

[stefrees]

to whoever said bmc were in the lead in the team gc (the most important classification sponsored by radioshack) its actually sky

 

[Anonymous]

..

 

[Winterfold]

yes dim

indeed

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

I was pondering the same thought. Dim is smiling somewhere. I'm sure I'll find a tweet elsewhere from him.

Big win for Sky fans, and of course Brad too. This makes their whole sponsorship worth it for 2010. Just to have Wig come across the line first, and put on the Maglia Rosa.

I wouldn't read too much into the finish in Milan on this one start, though I'd have to say Evans has to be pleased with himself, and his shot across the bow. But it was a prologue, short, in the rain, and the results can be a bit askew. I mean even I barely know who Brent Bookwalter is!

 

[Winterfold]

I've been impressed with Vino's form this year. I really didn't expect him to feature, and yet here he is, riding strong all spring.

I agree, Vino looks in amazing condition, and has charisma you can sense even through the telly.

Once Brad had gone fastest today, from a parochial-nationalist pov Vino was the only rider I was worried might beat him. Cuddles might get close but I dont think he has the readiness to take risks that it would have taken to beat Wiggo, who was clearly on the limit. Vino might have done, but he is also tactically asture and calculating, and i guess decided being in touch was enough.

Vino did wrong, and should have been more contrite, but I am glad he is back.

But - huzzah for Wiggo - he took the risk of biging himself up for this stage, then delivered.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

I saw a flock of pigs above my house today and instantly knew that Team Sky had won a race.

 

[Barrus]

Big win for Sky fans, and of course Brad too. This makes their whole sponsorship worth it for 2010. Just to have Wig come across the line first, and put on the Maglia Rosa.

Is the Giro this big in the UK?

 

[Straßenrennen]

I think Sky is big in Italy and other European markets.

 

[Walshworld]

Wiggins delivers big time.

Easy to talk the talk but with all the pressure on, Wiggins gave it everything. Teammate Roddy Hammersmythe had an intriging explanation of Wiggin's ability. http://www.atwistedspoke.com/

 

[Anonymous]

Is the Giro this big in the UK?

For Sky-Italia its huge.. For Sky Italy which is what the race is all about, to win on their debut in their home grand tour is massive.

Of course, Greipel is likely to take the jersey tommorow with the sprint bonus's on offer. Sky's tactic would appear now to be to keep Henderson in contention over the next two days to give them a chance of retaining it, or at least holding the points jersey (if greipel is in pink) after the TTT

In fact there is every chance that if Henderson can finish top 4 tommorow behind greipel, Greipel will take pink, but Hendo will hold the points jersey by 1pt even if greipel wins.

 

[Barrus]

Too bad, was really hoping the Giro was getting huge in Britain, and an explosion of cycling related interest there, that would've made for a real interesting chance.

 

[Anonymous]

Too bad, was really hoping the Giro was getting huge in Britain, and an explosion of cycling related interest there, that would've made for a real interesting chance.

well its big.. not as well followed as the tour as its only on eurosport, and also less accesible from the uk (except obviously the prologue etc), not on itv or anything, more followed by the serious fans. but not on a par with the tour.
But for sky, the italian market is a big one.

That said, the newscorp papers will have nice big photos of brad over the next few days, which doesnt hurt