Giro d'Italia Stage 9: Messina - Etna, 169km (let the race begin!)

[taiwan]

Kudos to Scarponi for trying to follow Contador although it was risky at best. If not for riders trying stuff like that we'd simply have no race.

 

[ManInFull]

i have absolutely no interest in seeing contador in a bike race. boring.

Please elaborate. Is it because you're a LA fan, you dislike AC for doping, or are you not a cycling fan?

 

[taiwan]

Probably because he dominates so much it can become predictable?

 

[indurain666]

What an amazing day!!!!! Contador is el puto amo!!!

By far, the best of the best..


I have really enjoyed the Giro so far.

 

[Maxiton]

It's definitely not over. But as I watched Contador leaving everyone behind this morning, I heard the fat lady who lives next door warming up her voice. Rumor has it she'll soon be singing "Go Tell It On the Mountain." He really demoralized the competition today. The race is a week old and they're all scrambling for a strategy and for hope.

I think I originally went with Nibali to win, more out of wishing for a competitive race than conviction. Picking Contador was too easy - though if there were money involved, who else could you really go with?

I like Contador. He's a real bike racer, i.e., he goes out to race and win. He doesn't do races for training only and he doesn't hold back because of the time of year or because of where he is in his preparation cycle. That's the way bike racing is supposed to be done. If he goes on to win this Giro, then the real question becomes can he race the Tour? And if he does, will he win? And if he wins, will he be able to keep his victory or have it taken away from him? I hope he wins it and keeps it.

 

[58teeth]

I'm not much of an "analyst", more of a fan, so, excuse my question if it's elementary, but, I realize Contador was flying, why didn't the lead GC men at least work together to minimize the damage? They could have called a temporary truce? There was so much firepower in that group that you'd figure even if they pulled the last 2k together, they'd definitely bring it in closer. They were all looking around for someone to come up, and it was some Lampre domestique.

 

[Ryaguas]

I love seeing Ryaguas getting excited

Today? He do like this all the time. From early spring to late in July

I was, too, very impressed by Rujano today. However, i see a massive loss in the mountains later on, in my crystal ball. It is too much Santiago Botero over him.

Yep but is not the same dropping an Scarponi in Catalunya than dropping a super in form Scarponi in Il Giro... He dropped him like a rock and not even Lo Squalo trusting his diesel couldn't minimize the damage... If Niemiec wasn't there the gap would have been like 2min...

Also the moral blow is just so much... in Troppea He made a point but yesterday He killed them!

 

[Ryaguas]

I'm not much of an "analyst", more of a fan, so, excuse my question if it's elementary, but, I realize Contador was flying, why didn't the lead GC men at least work together to minimize the damage? They could have called a temporary truce? There was so much firepower in that group that you'd figure even if they pulled the last 2k together, they'd definitely bring it in closer. They were all looking around for someone to come up, and it was some Lampre domestique.

Cuz there was an strong head wind... and nobody wanted to put himself in the wind and spend energies trying to reel back Alberto... Also I'm pretty sure that everyone there was in panic... Roman had 2 or 3 domestiques there but He didnt use them... Lo Squalo was alone and Michele had only Niemiec who burned himself pacing the group big part of the climb...

Mentally they are riding for 2nd just Michele is thinking about winning it that's why He tried to follow Alberto but Alberto is so much class, He isn't at 100% and you see what He did... I think that no other GC rider is going to recover from the moral blow that They took yesterday...

 

[The Hitch]

I love seeing Ryaguas getting excited . It was a really cool stage, but it is kind of boring to have one rider just dominate everything.

Ryagas always gets excited. Its amusing. An extreme version of the cycling view i have, happy for everyone that wins cos they ride a bike. Only Ruben Dario takes it to new levels.

Every rider that wins its "YEEESSSS!!!!! D"

must be quite something to get excited by cycling so much.

Apart from Andrew Franklin and Cancellara of course

I like Contador. He's a real bike racer, i.e., he goes out to race and win. He doesn't do races for training only and he doesn't hold back because of the time of year or because of where he is in his preparation cycle. That's the way bike racing is supposed to be done. If he goes on to win this Giro, then the real question becomes can he race the Tour? And if he does, will he win? And if he wins, will he be able to keep his victory or have it taken away from him? I hope he wins it and keeps it.

Yes, thats one of the main reasons i have huge respect for Contador. I dont dismiss his detractors. They do have a point. But Contadors will to go for the win in all races, due to a love of cycling, is something i respect a lot.

 

[Ryaguas]

Ryaguas always gets excited. Its amusing. An extreme version of the cycling view i have, happy for everyone that wins cos they ride a bike. Only Ruben Dario takes it to new levels.

Every rider that wins its "YEEESSSS!!!!! D"

must be quite something to get excited by cycling so much.

Apart from Andrew Franklin and Cancellara of course

I cheer in cycling as I cheer in Football! You have to give it all!
I didnt realize that I was cheering and yelling so hard for Rujano and Alberto until my sister told me to STFU cuz She was trying to rest hahaha

Perfect day for me!
Contador tear the field apart ---> We could see the Contador from 2007 and 2009 came back
Rujano could follow Contador's wheel and looks strong
Romain Feillu takes the overall in Picardie ---> Vacansoleil can't stop weening
UFFF... what a day! seriously

 

[Parrulo]

why did you put those scissors there?

they weren't scissors its a heart. <3

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=%3C3

^_^

 

[indurain666]

I cheer in cycling as I cheer in Football! You have to give it all!
I didnt realize that I was cheering and yelling so hard for Rujano and Alberto until my sister told me to STFU cuz She was trying to rest hahaha

Perfect day for me!
Contador tear the field apart ---> We could see the Contador from 2007 and 2009 came back
Rujano could follow Contador's wheel and looks strong
Romain Feillu takes the overall in Picardie ---> Vacansoleil can't stop weening
UFFF... what a day! seriously

+1,

I am curious to see if Rujano can follow him on the steeper climbs.

Kudos to Scarponi too, for really giving him a bit of a fight.

 

[AussieGoddess]

I don't know, I think he'll go Valverde on us. Trying to race as much as possible animate races and try to win as much as possible, just in case he gets a suspension. Today, just as yesterday it appears as though he did not listen to team orders that much. I say this because there was no order yesterday and today he appeared to have his earpiece out at the moment of, and most of the time after, his attack. I would not even be surprised if he tried something on stage 11

Totally Agree.

I think AC is out there to smash everyone .... just in case he gets its stripped

I think they will all ride for 2nd place and then pray for a Contador suspension...

+1

 

[webvan]

Rujano was impressive today, it could get interesting once it gets really steep, the Etna climb would have been a Cat 3 on the TDF, heck Mende is much harder :

The field really looks weak this year at the Giro.

 

[Ferminal]

Rujano was impressive today, it could get interesting once it gets really steep, the Etna climb would have been a Cat 3 on the TDF, heck Mende is much harder :

The field really looks weak this year at the Giro.

Mende as in 4.0km at 9% or whatever it is?

Yes, definitely a match for 20km @ 6% + 20km of categorised climbing.

The field may look weak, but that's what Contador does when he wants to crush them. We have known that since 2007.

 

[craig1985]

Seriously why hasn't Niemiec been riding for a WT team up until this year? The work he has done for Scarponi has been impressive.

 

[Tuarts]

Robbie McEwen:
Didn't finish on time (way out actually) on Mt.Etna stage. Giro over for me. Haven't felt good at all. Home, recover & rebuild for June.

I laughed.

 

[LukeSchmid]

Robbie McEwen:
Didn't finish on time (way out actually) on Mt.Etna stage. Giro over for me. Haven't felt good at all. Home, recover & rebuild for June.

I laughed.

Apparently he has had hamstring problems so no great surprise at all. Wonder if he will ever do another GT.

 

[Ryaguas]

they weren't scissors its a heart. <3

I know I just couldnt put this "" cuz I was at the limit of emoticons...

Rujano was impressive today, it could get interesting once it gets really steep, the Etna climb would have been a Cat 3 on the TDF, heck Mende is much harder :The field really looks weak this year at the Giro.

No no no... Webvan... that is the profile just for the final KMs... Etna is a climb of 20km!

 

[mombus]

Why did Contador's eyes look like they were going to burst out of his head on the podium today?

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

I'm not much of an "analyst", more of a fan, so, excuse my question if it's elementary, but, I realize Contador was flying, why didn't the lead GC men at least work together to minimize the damage? They could have called a temporary truce? There was so much firepower in that group that you'd figure even if they pulled the last 2k together, they'd definitely bring it in closer. They were all looking around for someone to come up, and it was some Lampre domestique.

Nobody wanted to work just so the other guys can jump around and attack.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Why did Contador's eyes look like they were going to burst out of his head on the podium today?

I think he had just finished a really hard bike race.

 

[webvan]

I know I just couldnt put this "" cuz I was at the limit of emoticons...

No no no... Webvan... that is the profile just for the final KMs... Etna is a climb of 20km!

Yes, found that since http://climbbybike.com/profile.asp?Climbprofile=Etna---Rifugio-Sapienza&MountainID=2118

Still, the climb was unimpressive overall, even worse than Verbier, must have been the wide road then?

Let's see :
Etna : 19k at 6.4% and last 8k at 6.4%
Verbier : 25.7 at 3.7% but last 8k at 8%

Well, I guess I'm looking forward to next week ;-)

 

[djconnel]

Andrew Hood posted an interesting tidbit. Contador did a bike change on the climb with about 30 kilometers to go. That was before I had English commentary, so I figured it was a mechanical, but nope, it was planned ahead of time. They said during Giro recon he was testing out equipment. Did anybody spot anything on the video?

http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/05/news/a
ndrew-hoods-giro-ditalia-notebook-menchov-sli
des-as-contador-flies_173367

VeloNews claims his initial bike had iLinks, the latter bike standard housings. Strange. Fresh battery, perhaps?

 

[Ryaguas]

Still, the climb was unimpressive overall, even worse than Verbier, must have been the wide road then?

Was the strong head wind that was there... and every rider afraid to chase Contador... He broke them mentally They are just riding for 2nd...

Fresh battery, perhaps?

He is not the c0cky c0ck