Giro d'Italia Stage 12: Città Sant'Angelo - Porto Recanti (206km)

[Moondance]

Giro d'Italia Stage 12: Città Sant'Angelo - Porto Recanti (206km)

Well, after a hectic day of craziness, I hope a slight sense of normalcy returns to the Giro. Although it's profile suggest a sprint, I imagine after the almighty efforts teams gave today, most teams will be happy to let a group of non-threatening riders have their day in the spotlight, and let the big guns rest for the slew of hot mountain-on-mountain action which the peloton is slowly, but surely, approaching.

Because I'm predicting a break, it makes very little sense to name one guy, since it could be anyone of dozens, I'll nevertheless venture a guess. Since I imagine he'll come from a team that didn't absolutely work their asses of today, either in the break or in the peloton, I'll be parochial and go with Jos van Emden, just for kicks.

 

[Ferminal]

That bump has a crazy Vino attack written all over it..!

 

[Jamsque]

I agree, I think we will have an unofficial rest day tomorrow after today's insane brutality. A lot of the usual breakaway suspects were in the move and working hard today (Tommy V, Dave Millar) so I think we will see a victory from Oscuro Italiano, who I saw rolling across the line in the autobus looking fresh and calm today.

 

[The Sheep]

What will the weather be like? will the wind play no role?

 

[Mellow Velo]

Ah, it's one of those Giro stages. Pan flat, then inland and a twisty rollercoaster all the way. Probably some narrow roads as well.
If it's wet, the GC top 10 could all crash............

 

[taiwan]

What will the weather be like? will the wind play no role?

I'd like to know that, but I'm struggling. Can anyone make sense of this wind report? I think it's for a location on the route. Would seem to indicate cross/headwind but not strong. Anyone?

 

[Pharazon]

stong wind, straight roads by the sea...

could be echelon city

i think everyone wants a quiet day though

 

[Moondance]

I'd like to know that, but I'm struggling. Can anyone make sense of this wind report? I think it's for a location on the route. Would seem to indicate cross/headwind but not strong. Anyone?

Don't know about that one... But this one shows the wind will be mild, at best:

http://nl.windfinder.com/forecasts/wind_italy_n36.htm

But what wind there would be would come from the South-West, so that means wind coming largely from behind, ergo, echelons possible if strong enough.

 

[Barrus]

Thank god it's this stage that I won't be able to watch, while my recorder is broken (desperately hope to get it working before sunday) But I guess this will be a true sprinters race. Think Farrar will take it again, he looks to be in great form

 

[Frosty]

But that shows a north or north-easterly wind?

Forecast tomorrow is for a brisk rather than strong wind - it is likely to be north or north-easterly so will be a mix of cross and headwind. It should stay dry though with temperatures on the low ground around 20C. The likely weather for the next few days is for it to generally be dry but with the risk of an afternoon heavy shower or thunderstorm - be unlucky to see one of these though.

I think tomorrow will be an easy day. A lot of the potential breakaway people will know that this could be the last chance for some of the sprinters and so the sprinters and their teams will be looking to go all out to pull back attacks.* This should dissuade most of the potential breakawayers and many people will want a semi-rest day ahead of the challenging days to come. Dont think it will be as slow as that day in the vuelta a few years ago though..

http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008//vuelta08/?id=results/vuelta0816

15km in the first hour, 28km in the second and 31km in the third

*Stage 13 could see the sprinters hold finish with the peloton but with two climbs of roughly 8% in 6km, even that far from the finish, a lot of sprinters wont want to rely on it.

 

[Claudiu]

I see Thomas Voeckler coming first, after a successful breakaway.

 

[killswitch]

I see Thomas Voeckler coming first, after a successful breakaway.

He may be too tired after today's efforts. Arashiro could try, after taking it easy and finishing in the grupetto.

 

[theswordsman]

It's the Giro. Of course an Italian will win the stage

 

[Claudiu]

He may be too tired after today's efforts. Arashiro could try, after taking it easy and finishing in the grupetto.

Yes, you are right, and probably Yukiya will try his luck again, but to win...i don't know, if the breakaway contains more than 3 riders, it's possible to be overpowered in the final kilometers. In another occasions, for this stage i would said Pippo Pozzato could grab the stage win, due to the home ground, long stage and the bumps

 

[issoisso]

I don't think the sprinters' teams will be too interested in this. Everyone needs a break, and the only team really itching for it would be Garmin....but after Farrar was docked 25 points for finishing OOT they surely know the red jersey's a lost cause.

 

[taiwan]

But that shows a north or north-easterly wind?

Forecast tomorrow...

Right, that'll do for me. Now picks. No way Evansvinobassocune... can turn the tables and split the field on that sort of parcours if it isn't windy. However that last hill is hardly more than 10k out from the finish. i think the sprinters teams would have to be wide awake to prevent escapes here if nowhere else. Who? I don't have a clue, but Saxo, Androni, A&S, Caisse and Footon have nothing to gain by waiting for a sprint.

[edit] Yes. Ashahiro, Pozzato. Why did I bother posting this again?

 

[Sea The Stars]

I don't think the sprinters' teams will be too interested in this. Everyone needs a break, and the only team really itching for it would be Garmin....but after Farrar was docked 25 points for finishing OOT they surely know the red jersey's a lost cause.

What do you mean OOT? New enough to cycling but had Farrar backed each way the Points Classification at 9/1. Surely can't win it if he's been docked 25 points.

 

[issoisso]

What do you mean OOT? New enough to cycling but had Farrar backed each way the Points Classification at 9/1. Surely can't win it if he's been docked 25 points.

Out Of Time.
He was outside the time limit. But as so many riders were, they got special dispensation to continue with only a 25 point penalty.

It's hard enough for a sprinter to win the consistency jersey given how one-dimensional sprinters tend to be, but after this he's barely got a chance. It's Evans' to lose.

 

[Sea The Stars]

Out Of Time.
He was outside the time limit. But as so many riders were, they got special dispensation to continue with only a 25 point penalty.

It's hard enough for a sprinter to win the consistency jersey given how one-dimensional sprinters tend to be, but after this he's barely got a chance. It's Evans' to lose.

Yeah the Points Classification in the Giro isn't really for sprinters. One thing I personally don't like.

Surely, there should be a time dock as opposed to a point dock given he finished outside the TIME limit. No?

 

[issoisso]

Yeah the Points Classification in the Giro isn't really for sprinters. One thing I personally don't like.

It's a consistency classification. It's for the most consistent rider. Why should it be for a one-dimensional rider such as a sprinter? There's only one race that skews it towards the sprinters: The Tour de France with its controlled, sedate racing of packed bunches and much higher points in the flat stages.

Surely, there should be a time dock as opposed to a point dock given he finished outside the TIME limit. No?

Penalizing a guy who lost a ton of time with more time lost is like penalizing a sprinter in climbers' points for not having any: it's not actually a punishment

 

[The Sheep]

It's a consistency classification. It's for the most consistent rider. Why should it be for a one-dimensional rider such as a sprinter? There's only one race that skews it towards the sprinters: The Tour de France with its controlled, sedate racing of packed bunches and much higher points in the flat stages.

I wouldn't mind it changing to a sprinters jersey, in the tour sprinters really go for the points jersey. In the Giro not so much most of the time when a GC contender wins it they won't really care that they won it, since they either won or lost the GC.

 

[issoisso]

I wouldn't mind it changing to a sprinters jersey, in the tour sprinters really go for the points jersey. In the Giro not so much most of the time when a GC contender wins it they won't really care that they won it, since they either won or lost the GC.

Actually we usually see GC riders going for minor placings on stages that don't suit them just so they can get the points' jersey.

Cunego, for example, tends to do that pretty much every year.

 

[hfer07]

after stage 11, I'm inclined to believe anything can happen.....
Now is Cervelo's duty to protect Sastre & Tondo at all costs-perhaps Liquigas can create a situation to get rid of Evans & Vino once for all.
with the main teams getting weaker & loosing riders, I see an environment more appropriate for breakaways by riders Ag2r, BBT, Codofis, Colnago,Milram & Lotto, and one of them might cause a headache.....

good racing!!!

 

[Ferminal]

Out Of Time.
He was outside the time limit. But as so many riders were, they got special dispensation to continue with only a 25 point penalty.

It's hard enough for a sprinter to win the consistency jersey given how one-dimensional sprinters tend to be, but after this he's barely got a chance. It's Evans' to lose.

Deja vu...!

 

[benpounder]

I don't think the sprinters' teams will be too interested in this. Everyone needs a break, and the only team really itching for it would be Garmin....but after Farrar was docked 25 points for finishing OOT they surely know the red jersey's a lost cause.

Wow, I wonder if the other forty riders that finished s.t. were similarly penalized. [edit yes they were. 46 min out on a 260km ride through the rain where the top GC riders finished 12 minutes out - seems a petulant jury ruling to me]