• The Cycling News forum is looking to add some volunteer moderators with Red Rick's recent retirement. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to @SHaines here on the forum, or use the Contact Us form to message the Community Team.

    In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.

    Thanks!

Giro d'Italia Stage 19: Brescia - Aprica (195km)

The Passo di Mortirolo... The name strikes fear into the hearts of cyclists worldwide. Tomorrow it must be tamed. The Mortirolo is so dangerous because there is simply very little let up, much like the Zoncolan. When the climbing starts it doesn't stop until the peak is reached. If a rider gets dropped there is really little to no chance of recovery during the climb. It's 13 kilometers and 1'300m of near constant torture.

While the stage doesn't end at the top of the pass, history is not kind to those who get dropped on it. There's very little record of those who failed to stick to the best on the Mortirolo returning on the descent and the final, gradual climb to Aprica. The showdown we are all waiting for is Basso v. Evans; Massacre on the Mortirolo 2010 it would be billed by a boxing promoter. Can Basso, with the help of his team, crack the plucky Aussie? Or will Cuddles dig in and blast The Bass on the slopes to Aprica? Can Arroyo avoid the hemorrhage he suffered on the Zoncolan, like he did (to a certain extent) on the Kronplatz? We shall see.

My bet's on Basso though. I think he'll break his competition on the Mortirolo and stay away to take the stage, and put himself in the pink, and on course for overall victory.

alt_19new_600.jpg


pla_19new_600.jpg
 
Apr 21, 2010
93
0
0
Visit site
I think basso's goal will be to just stick with Evans and save as much energy as possible, while Nibali attacks and takes the Stage.

The next day on the Gavia will be Basso's day.

It worked for Liquigas last weekend, so why should they change their strategy?


And please no stupid Oscuro Italiano jokes in this stage...
 
Scarponi didnt sound too keen in his write-up for cyclingnews but maybe he can get over the top with Evans and Basso and enjoy the ride while the other two try to break each other. Then go for the win at the end.

Breakaway to stay away? I think Liquigas will be forcing the pace quite hard tomorrow so unless its a very slow start for the peloton then they'll be gobbled up. Could see Simoni go for a last hurrah? Maybe Garzelli'll fancy being in the day's break?
 
Mar 10, 2009
1,318
0
0
Visit site
Moondance said:
The Mortirolo is so dangerous because there is simply very little let up...

Nonsense! The last three klicks are much easer than the preceding part. After 5km of an average 12.2%, 9.2% is a walk in the park. /sarcasm

salite_19_2_600.jpg
 
benpounder said:
Nonsense! The last three klicks are much easer than the preceding part. After 5km of an average 12.2%, 9.2% is a walk in the park. /sarcasm


If the Gavia is out, on Saturday, it will be climbed again from Grosio. Now, that will be unusual, if somewhat less steep. 15kms at 8.3%. Still, a hell of a lot tougher than Alpe D'Huez.

FWIW: Basso going up, Cuddles coming down. (Also, a good reason for AZ to dump the horrendous Gavia descent, on Saturday. Pink, with Basso brown, is a bit of a clash)

t19s01.jpg

Not exactly easy, either.
 
Mar 18, 2009
775
0
0
Visit site
Moondance said:
The Passo di Mortirolo... The name strikes fear into the hearts of cyclists worldwide. Tomorrow it must be tamed. The Mortirolo is so dangerous because there is simply very little let up, much like the Zoncolan. When the climbing starts it doesn't stop until the peak is reached. If a rider gets dropped there is really little to no chance of recovery during the climb. It's 13 kilometers and 1'300m of near constant torture.

The Passo di Mortirolo: at the very name professional cyclists shyte themselves. The carnage will be tremendous. Some riders will gouge their own eyes out with their bike forks, rather than even attempt the climb. Others will have their legs literally ripped off, and will finish the ascent pedaling with their hands. Others will die...

I understand your point--and thank you for posting the course info--but perhaps the rhetoric should be turned down a little?
 
Wallace said:
The Passo di Mortirolo: at the very name professional cyclists shyte themselves. The carnage will be tremendous. Some riders will gouge their own eyes out with their bike forks, rather than even attempt the climb. Others will have their legs literally ripped off, and will finish the ascent pedaling with their hands. Others will die...

I understand your point--and thank you for posting the course info--but perhaps the rhetoric should be turned down a little?

I will confidently predict deaths in the peloton. My money's on Rick Flens, Mauro Facci and Ignatas Konovalovas. :p:p:p

Seriously though... I can't engage in a bit of rhetorical flourish? Seems too boring and too easy to just post:

"Yeah, here is the stage. Profiles look sick. Basso will win"
 
Jun 29, 2009
589
0
0
Visit site
Considering his awful downhill skills Basso would need atleast a minute on the top of the Mortirolo to win this stage, yeah he had a minute on the Zoncolan but there he had the advantage of being fresher than those who had to work hard on the previous day. I'm going with Evans in a sprint over Scarponi and Basso.
 
Mar 18, 2009
1,844
1
0
Visit site
Moondance said:
I will confidently predict deaths in the peloton. My money's on Rick Flens, Mauro Facci and Ignatas Konovalovas. :p:p:p

Seriously though... I can't engage in a bit of rhetorical flourish? Seems too boring and too easy to just post:

"Yeah, here is the stage. Profiles look sick. Basso will win"

Yea...I like the rhetoric!! Gets the nerves going. My pick...Cunego!! I pick him all the time, gotta be right once? Maybe....
 
Sep 25, 2009
7,527
1
0
Visit site
this stage will pretty much decide the podium. if basso does not lay the hammer down tomorrow, he will not take this giro.
 
BTW, here is how Scarponi described the stage:
Michele Scarponi said:
Grappa, Zoncolan, Plan de Corones, Mortirolo… I don't think I want to talk about this Giro any more, let alone ride it! Cazzo, it's going to be a bloodbath! The Mortirolo is a horror, absolutely interminable. If anyone's still alive, the riders who get over the Mortirolo first should then pull away on the final climb up to Aprica, as they always do.

A man after my own heart. :p
 
May 27, 2010
5,376
0
0
Visit site
I know i might be a bit bias but im thinking that evans can go for a stage win if he stays with the overall GC contenders at the 2nd climb and then attacks on aprica
 

ttrider

BANNED
Apr 23, 2010
386
0
0
Visit site
no doubt mortirolo better for basso but +1 with evans being better on apricia
how deep will everyone go with apricia to come? Can see evans being dropped on apricia because he will go very deep on mortirolo, scarponi is a real dark horse

Gavia being dropped is good news for 2 people, Arroyo and Porte
 
Apr 26, 2010
325
0
0
Visit site
Sophistic said:
Considering his awful downhill skills Basso would need atleast a minute on the top of the Mortirolo to win this stage, yeah he had a minute on the Zoncolan but there he had the advantage of being fresher than those who had to work hard on the previous day. I'm going with Evans in a sprint over Scarponi and Basso.

Awful downhill skills? Did you perhaps see stage 14??? Nibali attacks, Evans and Scarponi try to respond and do their best descending and Basso simply danced around them comfortably racing down without losing a single second.
Basso will be fine. He, Scarponi, Evans, Nibali, Cunego (just for kicks):p to go over top together, Basso to attack on the final climb, will fail, Cunego wins the sprint! :D
 
Apr 8, 2010
1,257
0
0
Visit site
benpounder said:
Weather. Gavia tops out at 2618m (8600ft). I live at 2040m (6700ft) and it snowed here on Monday.

Then fly in hampsten.:rolleyes:

ilmeteo.it says the 0 degree celsius altitude will be 3000 m in bormio at saturday. Has there been any anouncements about cancelling or is it just gessing?
 
Apr 1, 2009
1,488
0
0
Visit site
Magnus said:
Then fly in hampsten.:rolleyes:

ilmeteo.it says the 0 degree celsius altitude will be 3000 m in bormio at saturday. Has there been any anouncements about cancelling or is it just gessing?

They said they will decide on the day before.

Liquigas will blow it apart (I hope). Basso goes over the top of Mortirolo first, then Evans, Scarponi, and Nibali catch him on the way down. Scarponi takes the stage.
 
Mar 18, 2009
775
0
0
Visit site
I like the rhetoric too--just joking around.

If the conditions on the descent are at all sketchy then Evans will be able to put in some serious time on Basso--it'll be one of the few places where having or not having a team won't matter at all. Remember what happened in stage 20 of the 2006 Giro, when Basso had ask/allegedly bribe Simoni not to leave him behind on the descent--and Evans is at least as good a descender as Simoni.

It will be fun to watch. There will be carnage, with great loss of life and limb. Evans takes the stage.
 

TRENDING THREADS