Giro d'Italia Stage 8: Sapri-Tropea, 217km

[Ferminal]

I can't believe ACF wasn't here to see Kristoff take a glorious 4th...

 

[will10]

Omg kristoff!!!!!!!

 

[Bala Verde]

that explains why his team was working... It was so narrow individuals could easily get away from the peloton that was slightly disorganized. None of the sprinters really survived that 8% incline, or seemed to have a good position to contest the sprint.

Contador set to take pink tomorrow?

 

[luckyboy]

Don't know about smart, but definitely interesting.

Riding hard for 1.5km to get 17 seconds is pretty smart.

 

[thirteen]

Was it worth getting 5 seconds +12 bonus considering whats coming tomorrow?

oh yes!

he was just having a little fun

 

[luckyboy]

Haha Nibali and Basso cooking up a shoe.

 

[Moondance]

Who's the BMC in 3rd/4th?

TOAK

Blah blah

 

[Ferminal]

Also Contador is worried about all the points Scarponi is racking up in the points class...

 

[superconfex]

Russ Downing 3rd ???

 

[Sylvester]

Pretty nice move. It's like in the fable: the "slow tortoise" beats the hare.

Quality win by Gatto, too. Many would have faded away in the final kilometre, he timed his attack perfectly.

 

[El Pistolero]

When is Contador going to take his first win on Italian soil?

 

[Jamsque]

Russ Downing 3rd ???

I think that was Appolonio

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I can't believe ACF wasn't here to see Kristoff take a glorious 4th...

lol that is actually an impressive effort.
Almost justifies BMC's existence.

 

[The Hitch]

Omfg tgaf 3

 

[theyoungest]

Just when you least expect it... TGAK could have won a stage!

Crazy final 3k, gotta love Italy.

 

[thirteen]

Oscar Gatto = solution to boredom. He's a quality rider.

must keep an eye on him -- that was quite sweet... chapeau!

 

[icefire]

anyone able to translate what he said just then?
(contador that is)
did he explain what he was doing?

Just taking the bonus seconds.

 

[Climbing]

So... Scarponi and Contador wasting energies?
Nibali wins at home tomorrow!

 

[BYOP88]

This is what annoys me about Eurosport, still 40 minutes left until coverage of the ping pong game and they end the cycling, yet when superbikes or tennis ends early they stick around and have interviews etc etc.

 

[Kazistuta]

TOAK was pretty close to Ale Jet, so he almost WON!!! (If you discount the great efforts by Gatto and Contador).

Kristoff will definitely be up there again tomorrow, now he regained his confidence.

On a more serious note, our hyped Norwegian actually did rather great today, didn't think he'd have it in him.

 

[jens_attacks]

alberto earning all my respect right now.damn that was crazy as hell

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

still no result up??

 

[hrotha]

Contador going honey badger is definitely good news.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

nice ride by gatto! amazed by contador as well

 

[Libertine Seguros]

that explains why his team was working... It was so narrow individuals could easily get away from the peloton that was slightly disorganized. None of the sprinters really survived that 8% incline, or seemed to have a good position to contest the sprint.

Contador set to take pink tomorrow?

Would make a good finish to a one-day race too, flat or not. I'd argue that Petacchi, Ventoso and Kristoff are all sprinters and all survived it though.

Also Contador is worried about all the points Scarponi is racking up in the points class...

You jest, but I wonder about that - could Contador have all three major classifications in mind? Menchov was a whisker away from it in the 2007 Vuelta, and with the number of big mountain finishes, unless somebody really has the GPM in mind, a couple of wins could really put Contador in a good place for that too.

must keep an eye on him -- that was quite sweet... chapeau!

This looks like his kind of route. He was 5th in stage 5 and 7th in Montepaschi Strade Bianche this year too; he was Visconti's wingman in the Tour of Turkey last year, where he absolutely rode himself into the ground, being part of multiple attacks, doing both his and Visconti's share of the work in the break in the queen stage and chasing down Cofidis riders all week. A real fighter.