Giro d'Italia Stage 11: Lucera - L'Aquila (262km)

[tgsgirl]

The clue is in the fact that Cummings has little to no hair

Right, I'll ask him to take of his helmet next time

 

[Sasquatch]

I can understand them letting Porte get a big advantage - he's no danger to the overall.

Assuming the main challengers claw back 10 minutes, to give Tondo 4+ minutes and Sastre 1 minute on Vino is insane. Cervelo now suddenly have a two-pronged attack in the high mountains and Tondo is more than capable of winning the Giro based on his performance in the MTF the other day. He's my tip for the uphill TT.

 

[Spare Tyre]

Both have looks like, the front one has thinned out a bit

I think the front group and the Maglia Rosa group are now about the same size, around 45-50 riders.


Edit: CN text feed says the front group is larger than the Maglia Rosa group.

 

[thrawn]

hurray tennis over! eurosport coverage should start soon

 

[Archibald]

It just happened in bits and pieces. Group after group after group got away, stayed together and no one at BMC or Astana figured out that "small group with great riders" + "small group with great riders" + "small group with great riders" + "small group with great riders" = "one hell of a big group with great riders".

so the term "casual f**kup" is what's happened...

 

[valentius borealis]

The tennis just finished. Hopefully we aren't subjected to Planet ********* before we get live pictures.

 

[trompe le monde]

This is amazing.

To all the people saying "The Giro is Over" after the massacre of Eroica, take your words back immediately.

A 5-10 minute gap to Evans et al sets up the perfect race - a couple of lesser climbers in the lead, with Sastre and Tondo back in the hunt.

Over 10 minutes and it means Evans et al will be on the warpath. How did it work so perfectly, that the top5 GC favourites going into the stage (Vino, Evans, Garzelli, Scarponi, Cunego) all missed the split?

Bonkers!

Turning out to be a good stage, for Lloyd, anyone got a summary of the points?

Yes, this edition of the Giro is excellent so far in dispensing the unexpected. The narrative seems to change every three or so days - Holland crashes, Liquigas time trial dominance, Vinokourov, the May15th massacre, Sastre's terrible luck.... There's so much still to be written.

 

[Cerberus]

I think the tennis match just ended, Giro should be coming on soon.

 

[Jamsque]

The gap is under 15 minutes now, but not coming down nearly fast enough.

The Grupetto is three minutes behind the Maglia Rosa group.

 

[taiwan]

Group Vino/Evans

The chipper group at the back with Cuddles and Vino.

Both have looks like, the front one has thinned out a bit

Thanks. Could I suggetst "Vino group", "MR group" , "chase group"?

 

[Sum_of_Marc]

Right, I'll ask him to take of his helmet next time

The side on shots

They had one of the Sky rider, there was no hair, so it was definately Cummings.

 

[Spare Tyre]

There are going to be a few cold, wet, tired and grumpy blokes at the end of this stage.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I can understand them letting Porte get a big advantage - he's no danger to the overall.

Assuming the main challengers claw back 10 minutes, to give Tondo 4+ minutes and Sastre 1 minute on Vino is insane. Cervelo now suddenly have a two-pronged attack in the high mountains and Tondo is more than capable of winning the Giro based on his performance in the MTF the other day. He's my tip for the uphill TT.

If they get 10mins , sastre and vino are on equal time basically.

 

[BroDeal]

Yes, this edition of the Giro is excellent so far in dispensing the unexpected. The narrative seems to change every three or so days - Holland crashes, Liquigas time trial dominance, Vinokourov, the May15th massacre, Sastre's terrible luck.... There's so much still to be written.

And that is all before the real mountains. Lovin' it.

 

[Archibald]

If they get 10mins , sastre and vino are on equal time basically.

either way, cuddles just lost any advantage...

who was it that said it was all his now?

 

[hamperium]

sastre

sastre is dangerous for vino
why give the hell did vino give him 15 minutes?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hamperium_espana/4590904059/

 

[Cerberus]

It is Porte's first grand tour, he will most likely fade and lose plenty of time in the final week.

Probably so, but on the other hand it is his first GT so who knows what to expect. Just saying it's really stupid to put it to the test. Of cause even leaving aside Porte it's still really stupid, because Sastre and others are there.

 

[taiwan]

Tondo is more than capable of winning the Giro based on his performance in the MTF the other day. He's my tip for the uphill TT.

Plan de Corones TT? Evans FTW.

 

[auscyclefan94]

either way, cuddles just lost any advantage...

who was it that said it was all his now?

not me....

 

[kjetilraknerud]

A lot of talk in here about how the teams messed this up. In my opinion, only A&S, Androni, Astana and BMC messed this up. Liquigas are fine, they have two excellent climbers in the break who are well placed on GC, and they have the best team. They will break Arroyo on the big climbs.

 

[Kender]

a gap like this was how pereiro got handed his tour de france victory (after flandis got ejected that is)

 

[Sum_of_Marc]

who was it that said it was all his now?

Probably somebody who hasnt noticed how weak Evans' team is

 

[BroDeal]

Plan de Corones TT? Evans FTW.

Yup. I am betting on Evans killing it.

 

[Sasquatch]

Probably so, but on the other hand it is his first GT so who knows what to expect. Just saying it's really stupid to put it to the test. Of cause even leaving aside Porte it's still really stupid, because Sastre and others are there.

He was finishing in the autobus in Paris-Nice. Porte won't be able to hold it together in the third week over those mountains. He's not that type of rider, not yet anyway.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Evans will still probably take home the points jersey. He'll be consistently up there in the mountain stages, especially if he has a gap to get back.

It was me that said this was Evans' to lose, but I did add, if he lost it, it's because his team were embarrassing or he was an idiot. It's been a combination of both really, in letting this group go and being too weak a team to control it before it got too big.