Giro d'Italia Stage 15: Mestre - Monte Zoncolan (222km)

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He still came second on the Queen stage with a depleted team. He's done very well.

+1
anyone coming in second on that ***** of a stage doesn't qualify for any criticism.

 

[The Sheep]

Sad to see all the innuendo after such a fantastic race and spectacle.
Give it a rest. You have Armstrong to go to town on.

Tour of Luxembourg it's the 3rd GT in the world

 

[bobs nob]

the crowds, still watching the finish on gazzetta, unbelievable mobs.

 

[Parrot23]

Agree with this. He really did tank in the moments after Basso stepped it up.

He must have already been way in the red (re all that standing), while Basso was spinning the whole way. But standing in first half of a long, long climb is hard to fathom.

 

[Moondance]

He still came second on the Queen stage with a depleted team. He's done very well.

+1

Nothing more to say.

Hope he can recover and still take this. It would be incredible.

 

[bobs nob]

Sad to see all the innuendo after such a fantastic race and spectacle.
Give it a rest. You have Armstrong to go to town on.

oh stop it.

 

[Parrot23]

Nice looking podium girls.

Some of them this year have been fantastic.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

He often does that. Holds on too long and blows a bit more than he should. Difference is today he did not blow 2 minutes like he has in the past. He only dropped 1'19". Evans did very well. Cunego and Scarponi are going to turn third into a dogfight.

it is good to see cunego riding so consistent in a GT again. Last year's Vuelta gave me glimmers of hope. I realize he is probably a better one day racer, but I really wanna see him win a GT again.

 

[Francois the Postman]

I wouldn't count out nibali for a strong tdf. Watch him to sit up if basso doesn't slip into this week.

I think that that decision was already made back at HQ the other day. Nibali will not tire himself out here and ruin himself for the Tour. get a stage, and from here on, just assist Basso onto the last climbs, then peddle home.

 

[taiwan]

Sad to see all the innuendo after such a fantastic race and spectacle.
Give it a rest. You have Armstrong to go to town on.

right, exactly.

 

[Mellow Velo]

He still came second on the Queen stage with a depleted team. He's done very well.

Except this isn't the queen stage. The worst is yet to come.
Over 6000 metres of climbing on stage 20 not less.
Eat yer heart out Tour.
Image of the day:

 

[luckyboy]

Yeah, I had hoped he would do well at the Tour. Damn Pellizotti being caught and making him race

 

[hfer07]

Great stage-I hope this won't stir controversy-but Basso glowed today like in 2006......just saying...... he was a beast today!!!

 

[Cobblestones]

GC now:

Arroyo
Porte
Basso
Sastre
Evans
Vino
Nibali

which is a bit of a shakeup from yesterday.

Tondo, Kiserlovski, Gerdemann, Wigans gone and five riders switched places
from yesterday which was:

Sastre
Nibali
Vino
Evans
Basso

 

[Maxiton]

He must have already been way in the red (re all that standing), while Basso was spinning the whole way. But standing in first half of a long, long climb is hard to fathom.

Yeah, Evans did superlatively considering what he was up against. Look at Basso's face at the end. Doesn't look like a man who's turned himself inside out, does he? But I'm sure his defenders are right, Basso would never dope. Oh wait . . . .

 

[Galic Ho]

Except this isn't the queen stage. The worst is yet to come.
Over 6000 metres of climbing on stage 20 not less.
Eat yer heart out Tour.
Image of the day:

I stand corrected. I thought it was being the Zoncolan. I'll take a look in my Ride magazine for the later profiles. Have to wait 5 hours though...it is 2am here.

 

[bobs nob]

Yeah, Evans did superlatively considering what he was up against. Look at Basso's face at the end. Doesn't look like a man who's turned himself inside out, does he? But I'm sure his defenders are right, Basso would never dope. Oh wait . . . .

Don't talk like that or someone might get sad.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Except this isn't the queen stage. The worst is yet to come.
Over 6000 metres of climbing on stage 20 not less.
Eat yer heart out Tour.

yeah stage 20 is a monster. The final climb might not be so testing, but the riders will be wrecked after the previous climbs.

 

[hamperium]

what a great day at the Giro 2day
and i think Basso is now the man to beat
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hamperium_espana/4591534916/
big surprise to me !

 

[Galic Ho]

Yeah, I had hoped he would do well at the Tour. Damn Pellizotti being caught and making him race

Nibali will be fine for the Tour if he backs it off now. If not Roman and him can reverse their places on GC just like they did last year from 2008. Those two reverse places all the time.

 

[sublimit]

A lot of effort to finish second for Cadel, but well done for that.

The tour will be tougher because of Contador, A Shleck, Cancellara, Wiggins. Tony Martin. Maybe Richie Porte can do something at the Tour, the lad is not hyped up but what a bike rider.

 

[Mellow Velo]

I stand corrected. I thought it was being the Zoncolan. I'll take a look in my Ride magazine for the later profiles. Have to wait 5 hours though...it is 2am here.

That's OK. If it was in the Tour, it most certainly would be the Queen stage.

 

[Delicato]

Personally, I think Basso has already won the Giro. With the team he has, it would be nearly impossible to his fellow contenders to make any damage. Kronplatz ITT shouldn't make a great impact on overall GC(remember 2008, even super-charged Sella was only seconds ahead of Contador), so that leaves two stages, the one with Mortirolo and the other with Gavia. On these stages the strong team should control everything (and I think Basso will ride away from everyone on Mortirolo).

The only person who is still a threat is Sastre, not Cuddles. Give him another couple of stages to rest before two super hard ones and I can imagine a mano-a-mano battle with Basso.

 

[richo36]

That was an amazing ride from Basso. Evans, wow!!!!! He really is showing his heart this tour. It really means alot to him. I have never rated sastre but i dont know how he does it, wierdest tactic, last to 5th. I know basso was strong today but i cant help thinking satre will win the tour, i hope not but he is starting to look so strong. I hope evans is able to recover on the rest day. Cmon evans!!!

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

The differences on the Kronplatz were bigger than you think. F.ex almost 2 minutes between 1 (pellizotti) and 10 (menchov) and 4 minutes on nr 20...
Don't underestimate it