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

[Ferminal]

I think I know how to get information from ex-USPS riders...

I'd be surprised if Evans can walk, he was an absolute wreck.

Basso simply too good, but I don't think it's over just yet, we don't really know how people will recover from that.

Sastre continues to be consistent, **** at the start, and the fastest over the 2nd half.

Don't think I've ever seen them come over the line in ones and twos like that.

 

[Galic Ho]

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

Heard about the Zoncolan when the race format was announced and googled it. Learn about its history and how many routes up it has. They went up the hardest of the three. Figured, assumed, that it had to be the hardest stage this year. Yay for viewing though if it isn't!

 

[Bumeington]

Arroyo
Porte +2'34
Basso +3'33 (0)
Sastre +4'21 (+48)
Evans +4'43 (+1'10)
Vino +5'51 (+2'18)
Nibali +6'07 (+2'34)
Scarponi +6'35 (+3'02)
Cunego +9'19 (+5'46)
Pinotti +9'53 (+6'20)

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

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.

I think evans is still a danger man, if he loses no time until stage 20. I can see him trying something on the gavia descent. And then he should get some time (not much though) in the final itt.

That being said, If basso gets more time from evans in the kronplatz itt he will be in the drivers seat.

Sastre is still a threat I agree, if continues to improve he good be really good on the gavia stage.

Arroyo still an outside shot also.

 

[theyoungest]

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.

I think he really tried today. This is just too steep for Nibali.

Oh, and to those saying Basso is doping again: you'd be hard pressed to find a climb more suited to Basso's strengths. This is hardly a surprise.

 

[Lance Armstrong]

5th Liquigas win this week. Not bad.

 

[Galic Ho]

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.

The Tour will be tougher because of Contador. Wigans and Martin won't do much. It is all about AC, AS, FS, Samu, Menchov and Valverde (if he races). Those are the hard hitters.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I think he really tried today. This is just too steep for Nibali.

Oh, and to those saying Basso is doping again: you'd be hard pressed to find a climb more suited to Basso's strengths. This is hardly a surprise.

I agree. The forum reaction was a poor one.

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.

 

[hfer07]

Arroyo
Porte +2'34
Basso +3'33 (0)
Sastre +4'21 (+48)
Evans +4'43 (+1'10)
Vino +5'51 (+2'18)
Nibali +6'07 (+2'34)
Scarponi +6'35 (+3'02)
Cunego +9'19 (+5'46)
Pinotti +9'53 (+6'20)

there U have the real contenders

 

[Bumeington]

Anyone think Sastre did a delibrately moderate (ok well not moderate to get to the top of the zoncolan but not quite everything) as he is now only 48 seconds back on Basso, perfect position to attack

 

[Delicato]

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

Well Di Luca (who was the major GC player who lost 2 mins) is surely not a TT-er (even though it was a mountain TT) and he is not good at the steep climbs, no wonder he lost.

As for Menchov-actually he had the problem with his Colnago bike, couldn't switch to lower gears, IIRC.

Other ones(Simoni, Pellizotti, Contador, Ricco) were nearly on the same level.

 

[search]

Arroyo
Porte +2'34
Basso +3'33 (0)
Sastre +4'21 (+48)
Evans +4'43 (+1'10)
Vino +5'51 (+2'18)
Nibali +6'07 (+2'34)
Scarponi +6'35 (+3'02)
Cunego +9'19 (+5'46)
Pinotti +9'53 (+6'20)

Gerdemann should be somewhere between Scaponi and Cunego, he did not finish more than ~4 minutes behind Arroyo today.

 

[Glockers]

I think he really tried today. This is just too steep for Nibali.

Oh, and to those saying Basso is doping again: you'd be hard pressed to find a climb more suited to Basso's strengths. This is hardly a surprise.

I agree, Basso's ride was brilliant. Personally I just find it amusing people are praising the Mollema, Cunego and Vino rides yet are just carrying on about Evans blowing up.

Those other rides were good, but behind Basso the best rider was Evans. It was a gutsy and strong ride to match it with Basso for so long and not blow up to the extent that Scarponi, Cunego and Vino would have ridden back past him.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

That starting field beat Andy Schleck the next year

Andy Schleck was a little kitten back then (21yo)

 

[taiwan]

GC now:

Arroyo
Porte

porte wow. keeps missing opportunities to lose lots of time; still in the gc. where's the usual hype? ok, i'll start. is richie porte the next, next, next merckx?

 

[Wallace]

I think he really tried today. This is just too steep for Nibali.

Oh, and to those saying Basso is doping again: you'd be hard pressed to find a climb more suited to Basso's strengths. This is hardly a surprise.

I also agree--and when you add into it that Evans killed himself yesterday to limit his losses to Nibali, while Basso just relaxed and stayed on his wheel, and so was a lot fresher today (as others have pointed out), the stage makes sense.

 

[hfer07]

Anyone think Sastre did a delibrately moderate (ok well not moderate to get to the top of the zoncolan but not quite everything) as he is now only 48 seconds back on Basso, perfect position to attack

Sastre is a climbing diesel-he can't go fast at the bottom of the climbs-he needs to get on his own pace, and as soon as the engine is warmed up, then he can switch gears at will. today's stage was what I expected from him.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

porte wow. keeps missing opportunities to lose lots of time; still in the gc. where's the usual hype? ok, i'll start. is richie porte the next, next, next merckx?

To be fair, he is in the position he is in because of the break (Mollema would about on par with him at the moment, if not in the white if that break didn't happen), but irregardless of that, he has had an excellent ride and seems like a good GT prospect for australia.

Glockers: I don't think evans even copped that much slack, sure it was commented during the race that he 'blew up' but that is because he did. None the less it was a great ride. Other then that, some people merely suggested he could limited his loses a bit by going his own pace. Fair call imo.
As for cunego, it was his recovery that was applauded, and Mollema had an impressive ride considering it is his debut GT.

 

[Zoncolan]

Seriously impressed by Pinotti's ride in the whole Giro.
For a big guy like that to have climbed a climb like Zonco so well makes you think what he would be able to do at the Tour if he had the freedom to ride for GC. Based on what we've seen this year and his TT skills, he should be every bit as good as Mick Rodgers.

On Basso:
ET or no ET? If he starts winning TTs again, I'll let you know.

 

[DamonAlbarn]

Absolutely spot on.

I think he really tried today. This is just too steep for Nibali.

Oh, and to those saying Basso is doping again: you'd be hard pressed to find a climb more suited to Basso's strengths. This is hardly a surprise.

But that could also be said about Sastre, so in my humble opinion he's out of the overall.

Oh btw aussiefan, I'm sure you are a diamond geezer and all that, but even if you are already safely tugged in your "Cadel Evans bedsheets season 10" by now, it would really suit you to be a tad more neutral generally speaking.

 

[Cobblestones]

Where did Wigans end up?

 

[taiwan]

rai's onto volleyball already, wtf? seems even quicker than usual.

 

[rghysens]

Maybe Richie Porte can do something at the Tour,

Dream on...

 

[DamonAlbarn]

He is not even considered

Huge prospect but not even Andy Schlecks rather successfull Giro made Bjarne Riis reconsider.
O'Grady is a doubt, but I reckon the Saxo's team will be:

Breschel
Cancellara
C.A. Sørensen
Nicki Sørensen
Voigt
A. Schleck
F. Schleck
G. Larsson / O'Grady
Fuglsang

 

[taiwan]

Sastre is a climbing diesel-he can't go fast at the bottom of the climbs-he needs to get on his own pace, and as soon as the engine is warmed up, then he can switch gears at will. today's stage was what I expected from him.

he may not have a good tt at kronplatz because of the above. agree?