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

[Angliru]

Lo Squalo was good today! but He needs to show more balls if He really wants to win this Giro! Will be hard to ambush Alberto! and now He has to show some initiative and use a lot of energies to gain some time and Alberto will just "rest" following wheels until He gets bored and attacks them to put another min in the middle!

Gosh I love cycling...!!!!
Today was a perfect day for me!!!
All the riders that I'm a fan did and showed something today!!

I think Scarponi was riding with his heart and not his head when he tried to respond to Contador's attack. At that point I guess there was no way for him to know what the short term outcome for him would be. He saw the race favorite going up the road and he felt he had to react. I imagine that at the time Scarponi had good legs and was feeling pretty good. Less than 2 km's later you see by the look on his face once he was reeled in by the chasers that he had been struck with quite a blow to his morale by Contador.

 

[Angliru]

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.

^^All of that!^^

 

[Angliru]

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.

He might be that rare professional that honors his contracts.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

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.

the thing is what many people don't believe or didn't believe is how well he raced in colombia and venezuela it was the most impressive I've ever seen a rider ride and the level there is very high so I knew he would be the only rider able to contest contador in mountains. other people say giro 2005 was worse competition and too long ago which is both true so I didn't fall back on 2005 at all for my personal believe in him but rather on 2009/2010 when he won 21 races in those 2 years including vuelta colombia(first foreigner to win in 60 years!), tachira and venezuela and especially the way how I knew he was better than ever which is normal because in 2005 he was 23 and rode his first gt. now he is 29

also I know stories from certain people about his physical tests and talent that are out of this world, higher even than contador. so technically speaking he should be able to do better in mountains and mentality wise I knew he had changed since 2009 and has been training very hard again because he had only one goal and taht was to win this giro and he still hasn't put that out of his mind, this giro is going to be 2005 all over again. then he started with 8 minutes gap this time with 6. we will see it will be very exciting!

 

[El Pistolero]

This time, he won't be able to get free time in breakaways. Besides, Contador has never released any physical data tests.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

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

contador fanboys are more knowledgable than armstrong fans who are mostly either cancer patients or obese housewives and "americans" who think the tour is the only bike race in the world and lance is the best cyclist ever

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

This time, he won't be able to get free time in breakaways. Besides, Contador has never released any physical data tests.

why not?? who is going to take him back?? in 2005 he was also a threat eventually in the final week and they stil couldn't held him back in the breaks because in a break especially with teammates they go harder than contadors best helpers or any leaders best helpers.

 

[El Pistolero]

Because he'll not be allowed to take off.

Liquigas and Astana will never let it happen.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Because he'll not be allowed to take off.

Liquigas and Astana will never let it happen.

With what helpers? Burn Niemec early? Or what.
Because the other helpers are clearly not strong enough

 

[El Pistolero]

With what helpers? Burn Niemec early? Or what.
Because the other helpers are clearly not strong enough

Uhm, Astana had like 4-5 guys in the final yesterday.

Besides the MTF are so hard, that it will be pointless to attack before they start.

 

[Archibald]

I think Scarponi was riding with his heart and not his head when he tried to respond to Contador's attack. At that point I guess there was no way for him to know what the short term outcome for him would be. He saw the race favorite going up the road and he felt he had to react. I imagine that at the time Scarponi had good legs and was feeling pretty good. Less than 2 km's later you see by the look on his face once he was reeled in by the chasers that he had been struck with quite a blow to his morale by Contador.

I suspect that Scarponi was expecting others like Nibali and Kruziger to go with him - working together they may have succeeded, but alone, the result was obvious. Poor ba$tard...

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

They may have 4-5 guys there, if they can't ride as fast as the break uphill they still have a problem

 

[taiwan]

I think Scarponi was riding with his heart and not his head when he tried to respond to Contador's attack. At that point I guess there was no way for him to know what the short term outcome for him would be. He saw the race favorite going up the road and he felt he had to react. I imagine that at the time Scarponi had good legs and was feeling pretty good. Less than 2 km's later you see by the look on his face once he was reeled in by the chasers that he had been struck with quite a blow to his morale by Contador.

He maybe felt he had to try and respond because he still had a chance of taking the pink jersey on that stage. If he had any legs at all he could beat Contador in a sprint too. Even if he could have hung on for just a couple more accelerations, or worked with Rujano even, he'd have gained a nice 30" or something on Nibali. It made some tactical sense but it was optimistic. Looked like it really hurt. Some job by Niemiec though, the other great Polish mountain domestique. Incidentally Liquigas aren't looking so deep this year. Lampre and Astana are looking good in the mountains though, going by that stage.

 

[Sylvester]

But do Astana honestly believe Kreuziger can win the Giro? I don't think Astana will control the race. And with Vanotti, Marangoni, Salerno, Sabatini and Dall'Antonia in their line-up, well, Liquigas are also going to have a very hard time if they want to control every mountainous stage.

 

[taiwan]

Nah I don't know if any one team has the strength to control the race. Not Saxo Sungard anyway, I'm pretty sure about that. Lampre have been pretty commanding up until this point though. If Scarponi's going to be quite active as he has been, and Niemiec is capable of being there very late in mountain stages, then they'll play a major part IMO. Quite stylish to have Petacchi heading up the peloton for the first big mountain stage as well, that was cool.

I don't think that cancer patients or obese housewives are incapable of having rational opinions or that they are inherently worth of derision.

true.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

But do Astana honestly believe Kreuziger can win the Giro?

No, but they're aiming for a top 3.

 

[Climbing]

After the stage he said he is very happy (Rujano), but still away from top condition!
To me it seems he is more calm and confident with age, so I'm looking forward to those hard stages coming.
Still 6 minutes (5 considering Scarponi and Nibali) it's a long way, and I’m not sure he is really interested in GC (he’s likely to lose time where he really shouldn’t).
Nonetheless Nibali seems very strong to me and his strength is his recovery and he hasn’t peaked yet.
After the stage Nibali said he didn’t feel good for all the stage, so didn’t want to risk to follow Conti (or try to follow)… than later he felt better (and saw all the others in his group feeling bad), so tried to limit the damage done from AC and attacked (and I think he recovered like 10 seconds).
Well, let’s see, I hope in some good epic stages coming!

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Still 6 minutes (5 considering Scarponi and Nibali) it's a long way, and I’m not sure he is really interested in GC (he’s likely to lose time where he really shouldn’t).

Rujano is definitely interested in GC. He is on record saying he wants to win this Giro.

 

[El Pistolero]

They may have 4-5 guys there, if they can't ride as fast as the break uphill they still have a problem

Yeah, there's always flat parts and descends. Rujano makes the Olsen twins look fat.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Sorry but I can't see Nibali coming anywhere nearer or better the next mountain stages.

This was a mountain stage that suited Nibali most of all. A long gradual climb. Even on his home training ground, and he got blown away by Contador, and also couldn't get rid of Arroyo or Sivtsov either.

Coming the next week come climbs that are ultra steep and don't suit Nibali's strengths at all. Including the climb where he lost 3'30 to Basso last year, the Zoncolan.

I can see Nibali struggle to maintain a podium place. His 'luck' however is that it looks like Rodriguez and Menchov are nowhere near good form and even Anton looked dodgy (and already stated the GC is no goal).

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

contador fanboys are more knowledgable than armstrong fans who are mostly either cancer patients or obese housewives and "americans" who think the tour is the only bike race in the world and lance is the best cyclist ever

I don't think that cancer patients or obese housewives are incapable of having rational opinions or that they are inherently worth of derision.

Amstrong had greater appeal for the general public because of his illness, recovery and comeback. And the general public, perhaps not including the Belgian general public, know very little about professional cycling. I suspect that Contador also has a considerable though lesser number of these fans - people who are fans of the famous rider rather than the sport - in Spain, but as I don't read Spanish I thankfully don't come across them very often.

But Armstrong also had many admirers from within that subset of the population which cares or knows about professional cycling. And those people don't seem to me to be intellectually or morally inferior to Contador's ardent fans. Both are groups of people emotionally invested in the continued dominance of an overwhelming favourite, both are equally capable of simply ignoring the elephant in the sports clinic, and both are prone to making rather wild claims about their favourite being the greatest of all time or up there with Merckx.

It's particularly bizarre to see Contador fanboys sneering at Armstrong fanboys for being fanboys.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

even Anton looked dodgy (and already stated the GC is no goal).

Well, he lied. He's definitely going for GC, that much is obvious. He may not be in top shape, but a good GC result should be possible. Top 10, no question.

 

[rzombie1988]

Did anyone else kind of feel offended when so many guys were saying they weren't there to win the GC? To me, it's like why are you racing then?

 

[Climbing]

Sorry but I can't see Nibali coming anywhere nearer or better the next mountain stages.

This was a mountain stage that suited Nibali most of all. A long gradual climb. Even on his home training ground, and he got blown away by Contador, and also couldn't get rid of Arroyo or Sivtsov either.

Coming the next week come climbs that are ultra steep and don't suit Nibali's strengths at all. Including the climb where he lost 3'30 to Basso last year, the Zoncolan.

I can see Nibali struggle to maintain a podium place. His 'luck' however is that it looks like Rodriguez and Menchov are nowhere near good form and even Anton looked dodgy (and already stated the GC is no goal).

I don’t want to start an argument with you, but I think you’re underestimating Nibali (like many did during last Giro and Vuelta too).
And even if you were perfectly correct about Nibali, who was stronger than him yesterday, apart Contador and – possibly- Rujano? Many strong favourites for GC failed badly yesterday.
Let’s be honest… it’s Contie which is from another planet… at least until June…

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Nibali is very good at getting the maximum out of his capabilities by riding smart.
That still doesn't help you any up climbs like the Crostis and Zoncolan, where the most talented will surface.

Nibali is much like Savoldelli. And even Savoldelli found out multiple times in his career, that riding smart doesn't always cut it. Sometimes you're outclassed