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

[dlwssonic]

F Savini (COG) 15 pts
M Fränk (BMC) 10
J Bakelandts (OLO) 6
Y Popovych (RSH) 4
P Lastras García (MOV) 2

thanks. good to see BMC at least trying. So i Guess savini gets the KOM jersey?

 

[Granville57]

I'm really liking that Farnese team kit and bike.

 

[will10]

thanks. good to see BMC at least trying. So i Guess savini gets the KOM jersey?

Yup

These drags before the climb proper are thinning the bunch down more than I expected.

 

[spalco]

I'm really liking that Farnese team kit and bike.

Yeah, I like team kits that are easily recognisable - Astana and Lampre are good that way too.

 

[Bala Verde]

only 36k to go, it seems as if time/the peloton is flying!

although it's all uphill from here on. I wonder when we can expect the first firework, because Lampre seems to be doing quite some work on the front.

 

[Elko66]

Saxo don't seem to have a strong team here, Lampre are just going to jab away at contador- try death by 100 cuts!

 

[Sciatic]

Crappy weather where I am too, after 6 weeks of hot sunshine.

40 k to go all up hill

It's pouring here this morning too. As nice as it is to have this live on tv, the Universal announcers get so tiring because, like broadcasts of the Olympics, they talk as if we're all new to cycling. So we get the same comments every day.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Depends - if somebody who already has points wins at the top - there's 15 more points available.

Savini moves on to 16 points. The following riders can overhaul him:

Bart de Clercq (if 3rd or higher)
Martin Kohler
Federico Canuti
Gianluca Brambilla
Yaroslav Popovych
Michele Scarponi (if 2nd or higher)
Roman Kreuziger
Christophe Le Mevel
Jérôme Pineau
Stefano Garzelli
Giovanni Visconti
Sebastian Lang
Pablo Lastras
Pavel Brutt
Valerio Agnoli
Lars Ytting Bak (if they win the stage)

Nibali can draw level if he wins, assuming Savini doesn't finish in the top 5. Of those I'd consider Scarponi, Garzelli, Kreuziger and Le Mevel the threats.

 

[Granville57]

Popo hunting for a stage win?

 

[will10]

Possible stage + jersey for Lastras here.

 

[Jamsque]

There have been 3 Sky jerseys in the 2nd row of the peloton for the past 30km. I hope at least one of them can hang on to the summit.

 

[Kwibus]

I was planning to watch the race on my pc, because of the added fun of this forum. No belgian feed is spoiling it!
Back to the tele.

 

[spalco]

Eurosport is starting to seriously annoy me, when was the last time they showed the podium celebrations etc that extensively after a cycling stage?

 

[Scirea]

There have been 3 Sky jerseys in the 2nd row of the peloton for the past 30km. I hope at least one of them can hang on to the summit.

Lovkvist will be there at the end, it's not too hard.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Yup

These drags before the climb proper are thinning the bunch down more than I expected.

the peloton to me seems almost complete

 

[Michielveedeebee]

anybody knows wether or not seeldraeyers is back at the peloton already?

 

[La Pandera]

If that was Purito who had a problem with his rear wheel, wouldn't it have been faster to just give him his back up bike than trying to switch wheels?

 

[The Hitch]

The Astana tactics talk shown on ES right now is quite interesting.

 

[dlwssonic]

breakaway to stay away?

 

[sulgpallur]

The Astana tactics talk shown on ES right now is quite interesting.

Yep heard that too

 

[joy118118]

The Astana tactics talk shown on ES right now is quite interesting.

what do they say?

 

[I Watch Cycling In July]

Definitely windy higher on Etna.

 

[will10]

If that was Purito who had a problem with his rear wheel, wouldn't it have been faster to just give him his back up bike than trying to switch wheels?

It was Brutt.


Who's the favourite for the stage from the break?

 

[Bala Verde]

If that was Purito who had a problem with his rear wheel, wouldn't it have been faster to just give him his back up bike than trying to switch wheels?

I thought the italians said it was brut, if we are talking about the same incident.

 

[Mellow Velo]

The Astana tactics talk shown on ES right now is quite interesting.

Not as interesting as the actually race, though, which they are yet to show.
Oooh look, they are on with 27kms to go.
Bunch of tw#ts.