Giro d'Italia Stage 8: Chianciano - Monte Terminillo (189km)

[Moondance]

As we all recover from the shock and awe campaign that was stage 7, we now look forward to stage 8, with the first serious mountain finish to Monte Terminillo. Having left the, ummmm, 'beauty' of Tuscany we now head further south to Lazio. The Terminillo was last included in the Giro in 2003, when Simoni put the hammer down, although thats unlikely to be repeated now.

The Terminillo towers above the ancient city of Rieti, as old as Rome itself, and a rival Samnite stronghold in the infancy of what would become the great empire. The first mountain finishes will define further what the standing in the GC are. Can Liqui recover from the disaster on stage 7? Can Evans continue to put the hammer down? Can Vino's return to form carry him up a mountain?

My guess is that the slugfest will take some of the sap out of the battle on the Terminillo. My guess is that a smart guy like Moncoutie will look to get in a break and take the stage when Astana, Liqui or others find themselves too tired to seriously chase. I say that Nibali or Basso might try to have a dig, but Evans easily shuts them down, and Vino manages to cling on for dear life... And no major gaps appear between the GC men.

 

[ak-zaaf]

Liquigas clusterbombs?

 

[python]

i tip evans for tomorrow too, then nibali, then vino - for classment competition

 

[issoisso]

The terminillo isn't overly hard. I'm not expecting massive gaps.

However, Basso's crash could make that different.

As for Evans, he's much better in long hard slogs than in a single-climb stage, but given his current form, who knows.

 

[Ferminal]

Providing none of them bonk, I don't think there will be much more than 30s if any between the top favourites (which is an increasingly diminishing list).

I think the breakaway has to be the favourite tomorrow, otherwise Garzelli.

You would think that today's racing would neuter the main guys (although that can mean an opportunity for one or two), but who knows what to think... Everything which has happened up 'til now means different riders will be in different conditions, and everything which has happened up 'til now means that the unexpected will prevail. Throw the textbook away, this is madness

 

[Jamsque]

I think we'll see a big group get away and stay to the finish, with the GC guys sticking together on the climb. I'm going to tip Dan Martin to take the win from the breakaway.

 

[eljimberino]

Sastre is now forced to attack tomorrow. What else was he saving himself for?

 

[Publicus]

I'm just going to enjoy the race from here on out. This is Evans' Giro to lose in my opinion, but given the way the first 7 stages have gone, I realize that anything can happen between now and the finish. Anything.

 

[xmoonx]

I think its going to be a break away group. That was (TOTALLY AWESOME) brutal racing today; my guess is the top GC'ers are pretty wiped out.

 

[Cobblestones]

I think its going to be a break away group. That was (TOTALLY AWESOME) brutal racing today; my guess is the top GC'ers are pretty wiped out.

+1. Reasonable guess.

 

[Andre.J]

Sastre for tomorrow

 

[auscyclefan94]

Sastre for tomorrow

ditto....

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I'm just going to enjoy the race from here on out. This is Evans' Giro to lose in my opinion, but given the way the first 7 stages have gone, I realize that anything can happen between now and the finish. Anything.

+1

Sastre will surely try tomorrow. I wouldn't be surprised to see either Garzelli or cunego try also.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I realize that anything can happen between now and the finish. Anything.

Even pellizotti can still win...

 

[ErmOkk]

Sastre will lose a lot more time tommorow imo. What was he thinking only racing a few days before the Giro? I think he might win a stage or two in the last week but not now, and he surely won't be a threat for GC.

 

[Cobblestones]

ditto....

So you're not picking Evans? Amazing!

 

[Walkman]

Even pellizotti can still win...

I think you are stretching it a bit too far...

 

[Barrus]

I believe Sastre will at least try something tomorrow make an attempt to at least regain some time on the rest of the main contenders

 

[cesko_jr]

Kiserlovski for White jersey for sure!!! Great to see two Croatian riders in top 30 in Giro.

Miholjevic..one of most experience Giro riders in this year peleton and rookie in Giro young Kiserlovski.. let's go guys!!!!

 

[Cobblestones]

I believe Sastre will at least try something tomorrow make an attempt to at least regain some time on the rest of the main contenders

He might try (or want to try) but my feeling is he doesn't have it in him right now. He didn't save himself today. Today he lost his chances for the overall. You're not saving yourself and sacrificing that for a possible stage win the day after.

 

[theswordsman]

After the brutal stage today, they have the mountain finish Sunday, and seven more stages after that before the rest day. These guys are going to be cooked.

I always root for the break to stay away, but there's so much racing still to come, and so many guys dinged up, that I think the peloton will take it really easy Sunday prior to the climb. The break might be larger than usual, and I hope some guys with GC ambitions will attack. But if there's some decent weather, and tifosi lining the climb, I'm just going to kick back and enjoy whatever happens.

The pressure is mounting for an Italian stage win.

Those poor team mechanics have a lot of mud to deal with tonight.

Edit: Oh, I hope that the guys who claimed (possibly for sponsors) that the Tour Of California is just like a grand tour watched the stage today. Today is the 4th day of racing out of twelve in a row, with three mountain stages before the rest day. And THEN things get tough.

 

[Francois the Postman]

So, that's what a first week in a GT can look like. Anyone missing the wide motorways yet?

Bring on week2!

 

[hfer07]

He might try (or want to try) but my feeling is he doesn't have it in him right now. He didn't save himself today. Today he lost his chances for the overall. You're not saving yourself and sacrificing that for a possible stage win the day after.

Sastre crashed, had to change his bike twice & hit the wall 8k to the finish-so I wouldn't call it as a lack of form-simply he was fvcked up today in a vicious manner

 

[Mellow Velo]

So, that's what a first week in a GT can look like. Anyone missing the wide motorways yet?

Bring on week2!

Indeed.
Umm, MTF tomorrow and 6 consecutive stages over 200kms.
I know today's stage did major damage to the GT, but I reckon it might just make the L'Aquila and Monte Grappa stages more tasty, with a few trying to regain lost minutes.........

 

[trompe le monde]

Sastre crashed, had to change his bike twice & hit the wall 8k to the finish-so I wouldn't call it as a lack of form-simply he was fvcked up today in a vicious manner

Bad luck for Sastre - I had hoped that he would win the GC but now that possibility seems almost too distant. He would have to put in an almost Herculean effort to tear back over 7 minutes on Vinokourov.

But as others have said, a great, if not too chaotic, first week of Il Giro. Liquigas still have the strongest team so there are more cards to play with two weeks left.

As for tomorrow, I'd like to see either Cunego or Rohregger break away for the stage win, that is unless Sastre does his best Contador impression and leaves everyone in his climbing wake. I wouldn't be surprised if Rohregger winds up being the better placed Milram rider once the Giro finishes, unless of course he will be under strict team orders to tow Gerdemann up the Zoncolan, Mortirolo et al.

Speaking of Milram, they've had a decent Giro so far. Voss was in green for a few days and they have two riders placed in the top 10.