Giro d'Italia Stage 5: Novara - Novi Ligure (162km)

[Moondance]

After the dust has settled on the TTT the riders will prepare for the 2nd shortest road stage of the Giro, a mostly flat affair to the small city of Novi Ligure... Which seeks to confuse me by having Liguria in its name, while sneakily actually being in the Piemonte.

While a couple of hills are present, they aren't really close enough to the finish for an attack to work. Liquigas will work to protect the pink, while the surprisingly still win-less Columbia will finish the job and propel Andre Greipel to victory.

 

[Jamsque]

It's got to be Greipel tomorrow. He's had the rest day and a short day today to settle his stomach, and the wide(r) Italian roads will suit Columbia's train better.

I think we will see a battle of the sprint trains from Sky, Columbia and Garmin, and the result will be Greipel first, Farrar second and Graeme Brown for a novelty pick third.

 

[kjetilraknerud]

Agreed about Greipel. Seeing him keeping up with the pace in the TTT is a good sign that the stomach bug thing isn't a big problem anymore. The rest day was probably good for him.

1. Greipel
2. Farrar
3. Petacchi
4. Brown
5. Goss

 

[jaylew]

Should be the first true bunch sprint of the Giro. A well as the three Jamsque mentioned, Petacchi and McEwen should finally make an appearance at the front.

 

[The Sheep]

What about Weylandt?

 

[joy118118]

Goss has a far better form than Greipel.

When can he fight for himself?

 

[Tornadin]

hmm, the rest day may suit Greipel's chances here, but I wouldn't be too sure.

don't think he'll dominate the sprint. Instead we're gonna see a close finish with Greipel, Farrar, Petacchi, Mcewen and some outsiders like Sutton, Henderson, Weylandt, Sabatini or Brown all being a potential winner here.

It's gonna be a great sprint before the sprinters get a "rest" during the following intermediate stages.

 

[jaylew]

What about Weylandt?

Despite his earlier win, I just don't yet have faith in him in a traditional Giro sprint against the big names.

 

[santacruz]

Roddy Hammersmythe will bring the hammer, carrying Wiggo in a breakaway to cross the line at least 3 minutes ahead of everyone else, he will also pull out a tiny bottle of good luck mini-bar gin from his jersey pocket, and wave it in front of the camera before drinking it.. Wiggo will be seen in the background face palming.

 

[theswordsman]

I'm rooting for a break to stay away, and that idea was put in my head by Eurosport UK commentators.

 

[Cobblestones]

hmm, the rest day may suit Greipel's chances here, but I wouldn't be too sure.

don't think he'll dominate the sprint. Instead we're gonna see a close finish with Greipel, Farrar, Petacchi, Mcewen and some outsiders like Sutton, Henderson, Weylandt, Sabatini or Brown all being a potential winner here.

It's gonna be a great sprint before the sprinters get a "rest" during the following intermediate stages.

I was wrong in the other thread. Greipel is 26" behind Nibali, so even winning the stage and bagging 20" won't give him pink. Maybe it's time for a breakaway. Today was a hard TTT, and they just may take it easy tomorrow.

 

[theyoungest]

I was wrong in the other thread. Greipel is 26" behind Nibali, so even winning the stage and bagging 20" won't give him pink. Maybe it's time for a breakaway. Today was a hard TTT, and they just may take it easy tomorrow.

I think Petacchi won't agree. He'll want a win, with all the northern nonsense behind him.

 

[Anonymous]

Im going for a breakaway, theres a few riders at 15 minutes down who will fancy a day out that the big teams may let go away.

Possoni/Froome - sky
Bobridge/Meyer - garmin
Moncoutie - Cofidis
Hinault - Ag2R
Pederson - Footon
Wegmann - Milram
Iglinskiy - astana
Lund - saxo
Flens - Rabo
and pozzato to try and join in..

 

[Jamsque]

The TTT was hard, but it was short, and it was coming off the rest day. I think the sprinter's teams will be raring to go, and Liquigas is clearly strong enough to stop a break getting too far away.

Columbia will really want to get Greipel the win even if his chance at pink has slipped away.

 

[Tugboat]

Henderson... he's flying at the moment and if he can stay upright now that there'll be less road furniture then Sutton will deliver him to the line easy.

 

[Anonymous]

Henderson... he's flying at the moment and if he can stay upright now that there'll be less road furniture then Sutton will deliver him to the line easy.

maybe not, hes lost his shoes, along with his knee supports.

 

[Potomac]

So will this stage go as expected from looking at the profile or will it create unexpected gaps?

I gotta believe Greipel gets it figured out this time.

 

[blaxland]

Bunch finish results;1st=Farrar(Garmin will provide a good leadout)
2nd=Pettachi
3rd=Brown
Breakaway results;1st=murphy(BMC)
2nd=Moncoutie
3rd=any Footon/agr rider?
Would like to see a breakaway suceed but Pettaci and Lampre need a win in Italy....But Farrar will upset them........

 

[Ferminal]

What's this

Take us back to Holland!

 

[Eyjafjallajokull]

If Greipel doesn't win today then I think my opinion of him will go down. I was starting to believe he was on the same level as Cav and would smash everybody at this tour, finally showing he is top sprinter at the grand tour level. I suppose the first couple of stages had unusual conditions so he can be excused, but the stakes are high now.

 

[Sasquatch]

Moncoutie could feature in the breaks over the next few days to get cheap KOM points. He could feature in one of them, two of them or all three of them.

 

[Andre.J]

Wouter Weylandt to win.

 

[palmerq]

If Greipel doesn't win today then I think my opinion of him will go down. I was starting to believe he was on the same level as Cav and would smash everybody at this tour, finally showing he is top sprinter at the grand tour level. I suppose the first couple of stages had unusual conditions so he can be excused, but the stakes are high now.

I would say greipel is certainly not on the same level as cavendish or any of the great sprinters of the past.... I think he is very overrated with a great team he can win but he loses so many sprints I cannot say he is a very good sprinter..... he is in a time when all his ain rivals except cavendish are on the downward slope.... greipel is no match to petacchi..mccewan and even boonen of the old days .... I think greipel is a good sprinter with good speed **** he is lacking many skills to make him world class............... he still might win this stage though :S


I think he wont win much once he leaves columbia.....


i am not sure what was censored here by the forum :S

 

[longtimelistener-1sttimecaller]

have to agree with these comments re greipel. has been a lot of debate about who is better out of him and cav but unless greipel leaves the giro with a couple of stage wins, i think the debate is over.
personally being from oz, i would love to see a bobridge or meyer get in the break and look for the stage (i know its unlikely as they are on tyler's team, but a guy can dream). perhaps this will be more likely later in the tour.

 

[issoisso]

I'm hoping for a normal sprint for once. No insane bends right before the finish please. Just a normal sprint like in previous years and in every other race.

As for the Greipel debate you guys are having, I think it's pretty moot considering he's ill and unable to sprint properly.