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

[DenisMenchov]

I would agree that his has been an amazing Giro, so far. The stages have been very challenging, if not mountainous, and the attacks have been greater and more furious than in any GT I can ever remember, including some Tours of recent years.

Astounding that Sastre was 8 minutes back after two bad crashes and missing key breaks, and now has to be considered a favorite, nearly 3 minutes up on Vino and five on Cadel. I don't know if Brad can climb well enough to podium, but Arroyo can consistently, and could podium as well.

IMHO Arroyo is a big favourite now along side Kiserlovski.

 

[Jamsque]

TheHog makes a good point, though. So far in this race no team has managed to effectively defend their leader. Sky crashed Wiggo out of pink, BMC abandoned Cadel to chase for it solo, Astana gave it up in the TTT. Liquigas briefly looked strong, but then dissolved in the rain and mud. Astana had another crack at it and did better for a while, but they basically imploded today and are seriously short on manpower from here on out.

Is there any team here that you would trust to defend the Maglia Rosa for more than a few days? I'm sure Saxo will be well-organised and give their all, but they really have sent their B-est of teams.

 

[killswitch]

I assume you mean protests from the riders - not the fans.

For the fans, this Giro has been massively entertaining.
But for the riders, mechanics, swanyears etc not so much. A Real Pain.

I could see some riders that are riding the Giro this year not wanting to return next year.

And what happens if the riders using the Tour of California for TdF prep end up doing beter than the guys riding the Giro?

If the Tour of California survives and has a 2011 edition, I could see more TdF DangerMen showing up.

The majority of the riders in the Giro don't ride it just to prepare for the Tour.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Yep, that's what I mean. It's fast becoming a joke race. They may as well start putting oil down on parts of the course to see who can make it through that. The fans will love it so why not?
It's no longer about the riding. This tour is already down on a few people this year - next year it could be a mass exodus.

Just make sure you practice what you preach.
Please save yourself, abandon the Giro, now and don't sign on, next year.
Clearly, for you, this sort of race isn't good preparation for watching the Tour de France.
Biege your favourite colour?

The majority of the riders in the Giro don't ride it just to prepare for the Tour.

Isn't it amazing how this fact doesn't sink in with some folk?

 

[Polish]

The majority of the riders in the Giro don't ride it just to prepare for the Tour.

Of course they do not.

The majority of ALL riders period do not ride ANY race "just to prepare for the Tour".

But a select few GT DangerMen DO ride races to prepare for the Tour.

Those GT DangerMen might be better off riding a Tour of California as prep.

It wil be interesting to see who does best in the 2010 TdF;

1) the Tour of California Riders
2) the Giro Riders
3) the "stay at home during May" riders

 

[Oldman]

Just make sure you practice what you preach.
Please save yourself, abandon the Giro, now and don't sign on, next year.
Clearly, for you, this sort of race isn't good preparation for watching the Tour de France.
Biege your favourite colour?


Isn't it amazing how this fact doesn't sink in with some folk?

In the previous editions the major riders planning of abandoning at a certain point had the good sense to keep their mouths shut out of respect for the race and the promoters. Now that everyone's got a twitter audience they feel the need to chat, alot. The Giro is generally more exciting than the Tours of the last couple of years.

 

[The Sheep]

The Tour of California has gone from the 2nd GT in the world to a TDF preparation training ride


I would rather watch a real race like the Giro

 

[Eyjafjallajokull]

We as fans should boycott the Giro for making it into such a random farce where riders can work their butts off to find themselves 10 minutes down.

This may well have ruined Evans career.

Lets unite together and only watch the ToC.

 

[Jan the Man]

@ Polish -

Other than Wiggins which GT contender is riding the giro to prepare for the tour.

Nibali wasn't due to ride either the Giro or Cali but given the opportunity he know wants to do everything possible to win the Giro.

Basso, Evans, Vino and Sastre all have the Giro as a primary objective.

The Giro is a tough race in its own right. In fact it is the toughest race in pro cycling.

People generally ride to a peak there.

 

[The Sheep]

We as fans should boycott the Giro for making it into such a random farce where riders can work their butts off to find themselves 10 minutes down.

This may well have ruined Evans career.

Lets unite together and only watch the ToC.

I don't think you enjoy cycling maybe you should watch another sport

 

[Archibald]

Screw Sastre. It's Arroyo. How do they get ten minutes back from him.

with this race, anything's possible right now...

Yeah there are going to be huge protests if the Giro don't get their act together for next year.

The ToC is going to replace the Giro if they're not careful.

The Giro has just become a lottery with no skill to winning. It's now totally random.

Hahaha!! If you had any credibility, you just lost it with that post...

 

[Oldman]

with this race, anything's possible right now...



Hahaha!! If you had any credibility, you just lost it with that post...

"had" is past tense, presuming prior possession.

 

[neineinei]

*

Please Vinokourov, do as you did the last time you lost lots of time on a main tour, hook onto the first bag of blood you can find.

 

[The Sheep]

"had" is past tense, presuming prior possession.

that's why there is an if in that sentence.

 

[theswordsman]

@ Polish -

Other than Wiggins which GT contender is riding the giro to prepare for the tour.

Nibali wasn't due to ride either the Giro or Cali but given the opportunity he know wants to do everything possible to win the Giro.

Basso, Evans, Vino and Sastre all have the Giro as a primary objective.

The Giro is a tough race in its own right. In fact it is the toughest race in pro cycling.

People generally ride to a peak there.

Nibali was supposed to be team leader in California, and he trained hard for it, coming off a recent camp.

Based on the race so far, my prediction for Thursday is that neo pro Jack Bobridge will take a solo flier at the gun and finish two hours and twenty four minutes ahead, taking the stage and pink jersey for Australia. People will question afterward whether he was right to accelerate when the whole peloton was stopped by a cattle drive, and then a Peta protest because the riders said mean things to the cattle.

That won't really happen (probably) but whatever does will be just as interesting and unexpected.

 

[killswitch]

We as fans should boycott the Giro for making it into such a random farce where riders can work their butts off to find themselves 10 minutes down.

This may well have ruined Evans career.

Lets unite together and only watch the ToC.

Having watched cycling since 2005, i have never seen a better race. The only thing you can blame the Giro organizers is maybe the stage 2 route.

 

[Eyjafjallajokull]

with this race, anything's possible right now...



Hahaha!! If you had any credibility, you just lost it with that post...

I'm not denying it's exciting to see a race decided on crashes and terrible weather conditions causing an unprecedented 50 man break.

But the riders don't like it, which will be a real problem for it in the foward - the notorious dangerous finishes have already seen many people dodge it - and it's also nice to see the best rider win a race.

Evans is probably the best rider in that tour, but the dangerous first stages left him down a minute and a half, and now he just lost another ten minutes.

Wiggins also had an impressive prologue performance but then imediately lost 3 minutes in a series of crashes in the tight roads selected by the organisers. Luck has seen him put in a better position, but it's not satifactory.

Imagine what you'd all be saying if this was the tour and AC had to put up with this?

 

[theyoungest]

We as fans should boycott the Giro for making it into such a random farce where riders can work their butts off to find themselves 10 minutes down.

This may well have ruined Evans career.

Lets unite together and only watch the ToC.

Why do you have to keep bringing up one of the most boring races on the calendar in a thread about one of the most exciting ones?

 

[Jamsque]

Imagine what you'd all be saying if this was the tour and AC had to put up with this?

'That's bike racing'

 

[The Sheep]

Evans is probably the best rider in that tour, but the dangerous first stages left him down a minute and a half, and now he just lost another ten minutes.

He didn't lose 10 minutes because of the course, he lost 10 minutes because no one wanted to ride to get that group back until it was too late

 

[Mellow Velo]

Why do you have to keep bringing up one of the most boring races on the calendar in a thread about one of the most exciting ones?

Hell hath no fury, like a jealous troll scorned?

 

[Polish]

The Giro is generally more exciting than the Tours of the last couple of years.

I agree whole heartedly, the Giro has been much more entertaining.

Maybe the ASO bought into the Tour of California as a defensive move.
Start attracting the TdF DangerMen over to California during May....

 

[Galic Ho]

Only just saw what happened. Can I say retards? Sastre is now ahead of everyone. Dumb. dumb, dumb. Gerdemann, Efimkin and Arroyo also got time. So did Porte. How stupid are these people? Someone will lose out big time over this.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Being Miserable Crybabies didn't want to ride, neither did Kazachstana...
LeakyGas thought they didn't have to because of Kiserlovski and Agnoli, but in the end they did ride

 

[Zen Master]

Only just saw what happened. Can I say retards? Sastre is now ahead of everyone. Dumb. dumb, dumb. Gerdemann, Efimkin and Arroyo also got time. So did Porte. How stupid are these people? Someone will lose out big time over this.

Hmmmm IMHO Sastre is now 5 min behind of Kiserlovski and Arroyo