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

[Ferminal]

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 ;-)

Verbier has 8km above 7%
Etna has 7km above 7%

Altitude gain of Verbier is 1000 (over 25km)
Altitude gain of Etna is 1200 (over 19km)

I'm not sure what obtuse method you have of rating climbs, but I would like to see a proper rating system which judges Rifugio Sapienza (Nicolosi) as being easier than Verbier. Verbier is a false flat until the final 8-9km. The false flat of Etna is the 25km before the actual climb starts.

 

[kukiniloa]

Totally Agree.

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




+1

Today looked pretty emotional, and I think his attack was pretty unplanned and he simply responded to Astana's show of force leading up to the Mount Etna climb.

As 60% of American cycling fans think that Contador is the worst thing since French people it is a SAD DAY FOR AMERICA.

But I imagine that Alberto does have a clue and realizes that the machine was against him. Which is great, because in 10 years it will be Merckx and it will be Contador, mentioned together in the same sentence.

Suck on it, fanboys!!!

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

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.

because he never wanted to be a helper and preferred racing with miche and be leader everywhere he rode. but at certain age now he knows miche won't make the step up they were supposed to do years ago and wants to ride gt's. his riding doesn't come as a surprise to me at all. he's like szmyd but more allround

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

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 ;-)

look at the stats they don't lie and there was tremendous headwind

 

[Michielveedeebee]

Very impressed by Rujano, I thought he wouldn't be at the level he should be going in the Giro, glad I was wrong

 

[danjo007]

One big disapointment was the lack of fans. THey said there would be close to a million. I hardly saw any.

they were all at Tahoe in the snow.

 

[yourwelcome]

I am wondering if Scarponi has this image in his mind of Clint Eastwood saying 'A man has got to know his limitations.'

Or is it just a giant forehead slap? 'Oh snap I think I left my stove on!' Either way, a huge part of this gig lies between the ears.

Yes... serious climbs excel at bringing egos down to earth by demonstrating the limits of willpower vs. physics.

So to speak.

Great stage yesterday, especially watching one person apparently defying physics, or at least impersonating one convincingly.

 

[spalco]

Cuz He doesnt speak english and is from texas??

No, you totally misjudge me there, I passionately hate Armstrong and everything he stands for, much more than I dislike Contador.

 

[El Pistolero]

I think the most important question on everybody's mind is, will Contador go all pink on us tomorrow?

 

[Cimber]

Today looked pretty emotional, and I think his attack was pretty unplanned and he simply responded to Astana's show of force leading up to the Mount Etna climb.

No it was plannen. Riis' and Bertie's tactic was that if he felt good he should attack between 5-8 km from the finish where the climb is steepest.

I think the most important question on everybody's mind is, will Contador go all pink on us tomorrow?

I dont think SBS mind letting a break go and let some random (i.e. no GC threat) take the jersey. They wanna conserve energy for the upcoming crazy stages. But that doesnt mean that he wont go all pink, cos i think he feels pretty confident that he will get the jersey abck again soon enough 80;

Yes... serious climbs excel at bringing egos down to earth by demonstrating the limits of willpower vs. physics.

There is a lot of Scarponi bashing going on, but I actually have a lot of respect for him showing some real balls. He tried to go with Bertie, while the rest just didnt wanna risk it. If u wanna win the race and not settel for 2.place u have to make such risks and test yourself beyond your known limits. Kreuziger has said something along with "Scarponi tries but we saw the result of that". While Kreuziger might be right, I really think that what cycling often needs is riders trying to risk it all and follow/attack the great favorites like Contador (or Lance back in the days). What Lance and Bertie does will is to gain a psycological advantage over rivals making them believe that its impossible to beat him.

I hope that Scarponi and others will risk it again if he feels he has the legs. And/or that ppl will risk attacking early. Risk it all, win it all. I wish a lot more riders where willing to risk a top5 GT result for a possible win.

 

[just some guy]

I think the most important question on everybody's mind is, will Contador go all pink on us tomorrow?

God I hope not. Wear the top and maybe the helmet with standard kit of gloves, shorts socks.

I hate the full colour kit.

 

[Cimber]

Why does Contador have to be Contador? Why can't someone more likable be that good?

Just be glad that he aint Spartacus

 

[Maxiton]

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.

Yep. The example he sets of the impassioned lover of bike racing who sets it all on the line, every time, is fantastic for the sport. If Contador sticks around and continues winning, we should see this approach becoming the norm again, as it was before 1999.

 

[Tangled Tango]

Contador doesn't get credit for his smarts but if you notice he often will time his accelerations for just when the moto's are passing, slipping into their draft and almost matching their initial speed. Those opponents left unawares are better served waiting for some other poor sucker to try to bridge to his wheel or simply hoping that they can reel him back in collectively. The fact that he said that he was feeling good should be a really bad sign for his opponents since I don't recall him ever saying that in last year's Tour where his entire performance was quite below that of his 2009 Tour and it showed.
That is one the reason that I so much enjoy watching him race. When he knows he has the legs, he is the hammer and I guess everyone else are the nails. Watching him out of the saddle, accelerating like he does makes me just shake my head in amazement. We are witnessing greatness, regardless of what the future holds.

I agree 100%. Another area where Contador doesn´t get enough credit is his use of mind games. He repeatedly spoke about how the pressure was on his Italian rivals to attack him, as this is their race. Thus letting those rivals to believe that he would probably wait for them to make the first attack. At least that is how I see it. He knows what to say and when to say it, just as he knows how and exactly when to attack on the bike. The gauntlet has been thrown and we can expect some serious fireworks as AC´s rivals fight to reclaim the pink. The pressure now is definitely on them.

 

[Tangled Tango]

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

Wouldn´t your eyes burst if you were standing in the middle of two beautiful Italian podium girls?

 

[Archibald]

I think the most important question on everybody's mind is, will Contador go all pink on us tomorrow?

no, but maybe on tuesday he might

 

[bobs nob]

Today looked pretty emotional, and I think his attack was pretty unplanned and he simply responded to Astana's show of force leading up to the Mount Etna climb.

As 60% of American cycling fans think that Contador is the worst thing since French people it is a SAD DAY FOR AMERICA.

But I imagine that Alberto does have a clue and realizes that the machine was against him. Which is great, because in 10 years it will be Merckx and it will be Contador, mentioned together in the same sentence.

Suck on it, fanboys!!!

That's a clueless comment. Maybe a sad day for Americans who haven't watched a lick of cycling in 10 months and have no idea what Greek sandwiches have to do with the tour de france. Americans who watch cycling, like this one, are probably engrossed and feel like they are watching d'Avinci paint.

 

[auscyclefan94]

One big disapointment was the lack of fans. THey said there would be close to a million. I hardly saw any.

It's not a surprise. The crowd was probably less because of the flying debacle and you would have to get up to Etna quite early. There wouldn't be much spots to park a car or caravan there anyway. Totally unrealistic to expect that!

 

[Angliru]

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

So we can't anticipate hearing from you in the Giro threads then? Bummer.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Suck on it, fanboys!!!

I'm somewhat lost when it comes to the distinction between Armstrong fanboys and Contador fanboys.

 

[auscyclefan94]

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

Quite a few people aren't happy that he is racing but you should still try to enjoy the race. It will still be very entertaining. The pure brutaility of the parcours should make things interesting. Some of the other favourites who are behind are going to try more ambitious tatics to take time. I think some gc guys will attack in parts where we don't expect them to to put AC on the back foot (or at least they should do that).

 

[Angliru]

I'd never seen Rujano in full flight on a climb like that. He was pretty impressive.

Now you see why many of us were holding out hope for a return of the Rujano from the 2005 Giro. As Ryo has tried to tell us, when he's on form he's pretty good.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Now you see why many of us were holding out hope for a return of the Rujano from the 2005 Giro. As Ryo has tried to tell us, when he's on form he's pretty good.

I guess I'd never seen him ride so well so when you read all this hype but he never does anything you become sceptical. Now I am a believer.

 

[Angliru]

In that race he bonked because he forgot to eat. And that was basically the only time in the last years.

For those holding out hope for another bonk or bout of allergies, there was the opening stage of Criterium International, where his allergies got the best of him and he couldn't perform to his usual standards. He did come back and win the ITT I believe though to somewhat redeem himself.

 

[taiwan]

I think the most important question on everybody's mind is, will Contador go all pink on us tomorrow?

He can wear what he likes on road stages, but no condom costumes in the chrono, thankyouverymuch.