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

[Galic Ho]

How much time does everyone think Arroyo will lose? If any?

I'm thinking 1 1/2 minutes. He seems like the sensible sort who won't panic and will be happy to ride at his own pace if he has to.

4 or 5 minutes. Arroyo will crack. Won't be first but he will crack.

 

[Delicato]

Actually, if you had targetted this stage and saved something for it, the amount of time you could take would be huge:the difficulty, the fact that it's the twelfth straight day of active racing (pretty much).

If so,one should attack before the final climb and/or hope for opponent to have a bad day. Zoncolan is too steep, i.e. the speed is too slow, hard to make a difference. Remember, the gaps between the strongest on Angliru also aren't huge.

Personally I prefer climbs which are less steep (Plateau-de-Beille, Alpe d'Huez), the gaps are bigger. Better than Zoncolan, where you actually cannot attack, only ride away.

 

[dgodave]

Probably a couple of hours. Maybe not quite that much.

Thanks... that should give me 45 min... hope I dont miss a key attack.... or a nice basilica.
.

 

[BroDeal]

Your really just making his point as there is really nothing memorable in your citations.

I would make a crack about "Rabobus" but Mellow would hate me for plagiarism and Dekker would put a curse on me.

 

[issoisso]

If so,one should attack before the final climb and/or hope for opponent to have a bad day. Zoncolan is too steep, i.e. the speed is too slow, hard to make a difference. Remember, the gaps between the strongest on Angliru also aren't huge.

Personally I prefer climbs which are less steep (Plateau-de-Beille, Alpe d'Huez), the gaps are bigger. Better than Zoncolan, where you actually cannot attack, only ride away.

Which is perfect for Basso. He can't really attack like the others. But he can set a high pace for longer than the others, most likely, forcing them to either drop or blow up.

 

[Galic Ho]

I am betting that Evans puts the hurt on people today.

It'll arrive in the next hour or two. People are going to be hurt. I'm thinking Evans is going to do some of it. Not all, but some of the dishing out in the pain stakes.

 

[theyoungest]

I would make a crack about "Rabobus" but Mellow would hate me for plagiarism and Dekker would put a curse on me.

Apparently it's Rabo's curse to be regarded as Rabobus even when they're second in the teams GC.

 

[BroDeal]

Thanks... that should give me 45 min... hope I dont miss a key attack.... or a nice basilica.
.

If it were me I would try for half an hour or so to be safe. Plus I would get a second opinion.

 

[powderpuff]

Mrs Evans pic from Zoncolan

 

[Steampunk]

The breakaway with Stamsnijder succeeded, that was just days ago, the breakaway with L'Aquila had Ardila and Kruijswijck in it, succeeded as well
And Mollema even attacked in the final KM's of the Terminillio stage. Can't say you payed much attention

L'Aquila was a breakaway?? It was 56 riders. Good to have two Rabo riders in that. Look: I can come up with anecdotal evidence to say that every team has been prominent. I'm not saying they were invisible. No: I haven't watched every minute of every stage; I just haven't seen a lot of orange. That's all I was trying to say; really didn't mean to offend. If it makes you feel any better, in spite of Gerdemann's strong GC showing, Milram have been pretty invisible, too.

 

[taiwan]

Eurosport say estimates of 1 million people on the Zoncolan, in 2007 and that it's the same today.
How's that California?

I'm concerned that the Tour og California has or will damage the Giro. It's generated a fair amount of reluctant interest on forums, has recieved media coverage disproportionate to it's sporting importance, and it's weakened the Giro field,arguably. The race itself isn't worth it.

 

[goggalor]

Planet Chechu now...

Oh, Eurosport.

 

[Jamsque]

My Rai Sport stream is showing football instead of the Giro. WHAT IS GOING ON.

 

[Mellow Velo]

WTF? UKHD doing a "Planet Checu". Has LA handed Eurosport a UCI size bung?

 

[Boleyn]

Planet Chechu now...

Oh, Eurosport.

Unbelievable!! Back to Gazzetta.

 

[UlleGigo]

Surprised it wasn't Planet OUCH VIP Tent.

 

[Crunchy Frog]

WTF? UKHD doing a "Planet Checu". Has LA handed Eurosport a UCI size bung?

Started out as 'Planet Without Armstrong', which sounds like somewhere I'd enjoy tbh.

 

[theyoungest]

L'Aquila was a breakaway?? It was 56 riders. Good to have two Rabo riders in that. Look: I can come up with anecdotal evidence to say that every team has been prominent. I'm not saying they were invisible. No: I haven't watched every minute of every stage; I just haven't seen a lot of orange. That's all I was trying to say; really didn't mean to offend. If it makes you feel any better, in spite of Gerdemann's strong GC showing, Milram have been pretty invisible, too.

By this standard, everyone except Liquigas has been invisible.

 

[Jamsque]

Surprised it wasn't Planet OUCH VIP Tent.

That I would actually like to watch.

 

[luckyboy]

I'm concerned that the Tour og California has or will damage the Giro. It's generated a fair amount of reluctant interest on forums, has recieved media coverage disproportionate to it's sporting importance, and it's weakened the Giro field,arguably. The race itself isn't worth it.

It certainly hasn't damaged the Giro this year. Which riders have been taken away? Look at all the GC guys here. The only stage I've watched was that mountaintop finish, and I regretted that..

 

[scribe]

The Giro organizers were afraid that Armstrong would organize a protest about the bianche strade stage and the Holland stages and the rain stages and the gravel climbs...well, pretty much the whole Giro

They wouldn't kick LA out of the bed, but they certainly wouldn't offer an appearance fee.

 

[trompe le monde]

...If it makes you feel any better, in spite of Gerdemann's strong GC showing, Milram have been pretty invisible, too.

Dunno. Voss was in green for a few days. Rohregger was right there in classification alongside Gerdemann before he pulled out with a sinus infection on the L'Aquila stage. They haven't done much in the last three days, sure, but it doesn't mean they've been pretty invisible throughout the entire Giro.

 

[Steampunk]

By this standard, everyone except Liquigas has been invisible.

Actually, no. QuickStep, BBox, Campagnolo, and others have seemed more present. Sky, obviously, too. Even Saxo, which sent its B-team. But, yes: Liquigas has been very impressive.

 

[Gregory]

Duron approaching...

 

[Lance Armstrong]

Passo Duron! Some action finally.