- Mar 24, 2011
- 10,524
- 1,923
- 25,680
Re:
To everybody:
Thanks to all 7 participants to enter Some of you were a surprise actually, when I said I expected 7 only 5 of the actual players were included in my counting. We could've been 9 then
Anyway, today I'll post the first jury votes. I'll first gather all of them via PM and then post them anonymously
no problembarmaher said:
To everybody:
Thanks to all 7 participants to enter
Some of you were a surprise actually, when I said I expected 7 only 5 of the actual players were included in my counting. We could've been 9 then Anyway, today I'll post the first jury votes. I'll first gather all of them via PM and then post them anonymously
- Feb 18, 2015
- 13,655
- 9,431
- 28,180
Re: Re:
Oh and I would have preferred it if every jury member would post their points on their own because that way they could also explain why they gave the points. That would be very interesting
Whom else did you expect?Eshnar said:no problembarmaher said:
To everybody:
Thanks to all 7 participants to enter
Anyway, today I'll post the first jury votes. I'll first gather all of them via PM and then post them anonymously
Oh and I would have preferred it if every jury member would post their points on their own because that way they could also explain why they gave the points. That would be very interesting
- Mar 24, 2011
- 10,524
- 1,923
- 25,680
Re: Re:
Plus, keep in mind that the point system I chose isn't meant to be fair by any means (it is extremely politically incorrect, on purpose ) So I want votes to be kept anonymous
edit: oh, and I expected Netserk and Lemon cheese cake to play too. They couldn't apparently.
they can still do it... if they give me comments, I'll post them too. I just wanted them not to influence each other (I mean, if a judge starts giving votes the others would be influenced).Gigs_98 said:Whom else did you expect?Eshnar said:no problembarmaher said:
To everybody:
Thanks to all 7 participants to enter
Anyway, today I'll post the first jury votes. I'll first gather all of them via PM and then post them anonymously
Oh and I would have preferred it if every jury member would post their points on their own because that way they could also explain why they gave the points. That would be very interesting
Plus, keep in mind that the point system I chose isn't meant to be fair by any means (it is extremely politically incorrect, on purpose
) So I want votes to be kept anonymousedit: oh, and I expected Netserk and Lemon cheese cake to play too. They couldn't apparently.
- Sep 28, 2014
- 3,639
- 1,608
- 16,680
Re: Re:
I kept forgetting and when you said there was a week left, I thought it would be too rushed and quite bad.Eshnar said:they can still do it... if they give me comments, I'll post them too. I just wanted them not to influence each other (I mean, if a judge starts giving votes the others would be influenced).Gigs_98 said:Whom else did you expect?Eshnar said:no problembarmaher said:
To everybody:
Thanks to all 7 participants to enter
Anyway, today I'll post the first jury votes. I'll first gather all of them via PM and then post them anonymously
Oh and I would have preferred it if every jury member would post their points on their own because that way they could also explain why they gave the points. That would be very interesting
Plus, keep in mind that the point system I chose isn't meant to be fair by any means (it is extremely politically incorrect, on purpose
edit: oh, and I expected Netserk and Lemon cheese cake to play too. They couldn't apparently.
- Feb 18, 2015
- 13,655
- 9,431
- 28,180
Good morning
100th GIRO D'ITALIA stage 2: Verona - Padova
While the first stage was pretty open between sprinters and attackers this one should go the fastest men in the peloton Thats because although there are 4 categorized climbs, they get easier at the end of the stage and after the last climb there is a flat section to catch a possible break.
But lets start at the beginning. The start of the stage is in Verona so we get some more nice camera pics of the city. The first half of the stage is completely flat, so we wont get a lot of action neither in the bunch nor in the break, which should already exist. After a little bit more than 50 kilometers there is an intermediate sprint in Montagnana. Montagnana is a beautiful old town inside a big city wall. My route wont enter the town itself because a sprint would be very dangerous in the narrow center of the town. However to see the riders ride by the city wall will also cause some great pictures.
Shortly after we leave Montagnana the difficult part of the stage starts with the climb to Rovenello. If someone wants to crack a sprinter who is a very bad climber, this is the right place to do that. Although the majority of the climb is flat the first two km's are absolutely brutal, with an average gain of over 10% and slopes near 20%. The only problem for the attackers in this stage is that there is always a flat section after a climb. So the good climbers never get a chance to build a serious advantage over the peloton. However if some sprinters fade in Rovenello, some sprint teams might stop working, which is the biggest chance for a break. The second climb to Castelnuovo also has the steepest sections in the first half but they aren't almost as steep as the streets earlier. The last two climbs to Teolo and Rovolon are actually only two bumps which shouldnt cause any big problems for the sprinters. After the last descent there are still about 15 panflat kilometers to go before the riders arrive in Padova. These would probably be taken at a very high pace.
Padova is one of the oldest cities in Italy. A legend says that the city was found 1184 BC, by the Trojan Antenor. In fact we only know that in the fourth century BC a fishing village developed. One of the most famous sights of padova is the Prato della Valle a huge square inside the town. The stage will finish there.
Padova:
(Prato della Valle is the square in the background)
100th GIRO D'ITALIA stage 2: Verona - Padova
While the first stage was pretty open between sprinters and attackers this one should go the fastest men in the peloton Thats because although there are 4 categorized climbs, they get easier at the end of the stage and after the last climb there is a flat section to catch a possible break.
But lets start at the beginning. The start of the stage is in Verona so we get some more nice camera pics of the city. The first half of the stage is completely flat, so we wont get a lot of action neither in the bunch nor in the break, which should already exist. After a little bit more than 50 kilometers there is an intermediate sprint in Montagnana. Montagnana is a beautiful old town inside a big city wall. My route wont enter the town itself because a sprint would be very dangerous in the narrow center of the town. However to see the riders ride by the city wall will also cause some great pictures.
Shortly after we leave Montagnana the difficult part of the stage starts with the climb to Rovenello. If someone wants to crack a sprinter who is a very bad climber, this is the right place to do that. Although the majority of the climb is flat the first two km's are absolutely brutal, with an average gain of over 10% and slopes near 20%. The only problem for the attackers in this stage is that there is always a flat section after a climb. So the good climbers never get a chance to build a serious advantage over the peloton. However if some sprinters fade in Rovenello, some sprint teams might stop working, which is the biggest chance for a break. The second climb to Castelnuovo also has the steepest sections in the first half but they aren't almost as steep as the streets earlier. The last two climbs to Teolo and Rovolon are actually only two bumps which shouldnt cause any big problems for the sprinters. After the last descent there are still about 15 panflat kilometers to go before the riders arrive in Padova. These would probably be taken at a very high pace.
Padova is one of the oldest cities in Italy. A legend says that the city was found 1184 BC, by the Trojan Antenor. In fact we only know that in the fourth century BC a fishing village developed. One of the most famous sights of padova is the Prato della Valle a huge square inside the town. The stage will finish there.
Padova:
(Prato della Valle is the square in the background)
Giro di Barmaher
Stage 2 Lamezia Terme to Rossano 226km
So for my next Giro stage, we are going to be having a little bit more fun, as viewers that is. The riders won’t enjoy this too much, I don’t think.
We are staying in Calabria. It will be hot, the roads will be lumpy, and there will be a new pink jersey holder by the end of the day. I don’t expect GC boys to come out to play today (apart from a few digs in the last 15km), but there will be real racing, and some favoured riders may show weakness. It will go to a break, and the rider who wins the stage (and likely takes pink) will need to be a good climber. 4900m of vertical gain today, will make for a leg breaker!
We will depart the city of Lamezia Terme, which is another historical city in the area. This city and its surroundings are crammed with archaeological relics from a long time ago, along with churches, towers and ruins showing the connection to Byzantine, Norman and Greek history.
At the start line, we can see the statue of Federico II of Sverva, who was king of Italy, Sicily, Jerusalem, Germany and Holy Roman Emperor in the 13th century. Indeed he established this area of Italy as the hub of a powerful and efficient nation state, the first of its kind. By many, he is considered the first modern ruler.
Riders won’t have too long to enjoy this, as they will be tackling the climb up to Acquabona from the get go. Indeed, as you can see, it is a very tough day.
Climbs
Cat 1 Passo di Acquabona 998m altitude. 14.5km @ 5.5%
Cat 1 Canelle 1155m altitude. 24km @ 3.7%
Cat 1 Monte Scuro 1614m altitude. 22.5km @ 6%
Cat 4 Terzo Tratto Duri 1480m altitude. 3.5km @ 4.3%
Cat 4 Santa Maria delle Grazie 254m altitude. 3.5km @ 5.8%
Cat 3 (finish) Rossano 294m altitude. 3.1km @ 5.7%
This first climb (in the opposite direction) was rumoured to be the ITT on Day 1, but the organisers relented. It is a very tough climb, with 15km at 5.5%, and around 5km in the middle at over 7%. And with over 200km to go after they crest the top, our sprinters are going to be in for a tough day.
After a descent and a grind up to Canelle (just 24km at 3.8%!), riders will descend into Cosenza for the TV sprint. Due to its cultural past, it was known as the Athens of Italy and today it houses the largest university campus of the nation. We will see some very nice shots from the helicopter here.
After Cosenza, the riders will attack a brute. Monte Scuro. A true HC climb, which is 23km long at around 6%. I can’t find evidence of the Giro ascending this side before, but they came down it in 1985. The climb is pretty tough, looks beautiful on Google maps, and seems to have a few steep sections.
Future Giri may decide to have this as a pivotal point in a stage, but on the first weekend, I want to save the GC battles for later in the tour. Therefore we move on after a short descent and some false flat, we reach a small category 4 climb (3.5km km at 4.3%) before a long descent to the shores of the Ionian Sea.
Nearly there now. After Rossano Stazione, the road turns left for a short sharp climb up to Santa Maria delle Grazie (3.5km at 5.8%), before a similar descent and another similar climb of 3.1km at 5.6% to the finish in Rossano, around 600m false flat (3%) in the town of Rossano. Whew!
Person of the Stage
Rossano was the birthplace of randy Pope John VII. Born the grandson of a Senator, and the son of a state official, made John VII the first Pope to be born from a distinguished family line. He was also Pope during the time of the “Byzantine Papacy”, wherein all Popes had to be approved by the Byzantine emperor to ensure that all decisions made would suit the state, though as with other Popes during that time things didn’t always go so smoothly. But it wasn’t the state that would see to his end, but rather the enraged husband of a woman John VII was sleeping with who caught them in the act, and beat the Pope to death. My kind of pope! You will also notice that his head was used as a prototype for some of the aero helmets worn by time triallists, which is rather fitting.
Munch for the Bunch
After a long, hard day in the saddle, riders are going to be hungry. So they will be dished up a plate of Frittole, which will be cooked in a vat over hot coals near the finish line. Frittole is prepared by cooking pork rind, pork meat and other less noble parts of the pig (part of the neck, cheek, tongue, nose, ears, kidneys, etc.) with pork fat (for taste). Yum yum!
Stage 2 Lamezia Terme to Rossano 226km
So for my next Giro stage, we are going to be having a little bit more fun, as viewers that is. The riders won’t enjoy this too much, I don’t think.
We are staying in Calabria. It will be hot, the roads will be lumpy, and there will be a new pink jersey holder by the end of the day. I don’t expect GC boys to come out to play today (apart from a few digs in the last 15km), but there will be real racing, and some favoured riders may show weakness. It will go to a break, and the rider who wins the stage (and likely takes pink) will need to be a good climber. 4900m of vertical gain today, will make for a leg breaker!
We will depart the city of Lamezia Terme, which is another historical city in the area. This city and its surroundings are crammed with archaeological relics from a long time ago, along with churches, towers and ruins showing the connection to Byzantine, Norman and Greek history.
At the start line, we can see the statue of Federico II of Sverva, who was king of Italy, Sicily, Jerusalem, Germany and Holy Roman Emperor in the 13th century. Indeed he established this area of Italy as the hub of a powerful and efficient nation state, the first of its kind. By many, he is considered the first modern ruler.
Riders won’t have too long to enjoy this, as they will be tackling the climb up to Acquabona from the get go. Indeed, as you can see, it is a very tough day.
Climbs
Cat 1 Passo di Acquabona 998m altitude. 14.5km @ 5.5%
Cat 1 Canelle 1155m altitude. 24km @ 3.7%
Cat 1 Monte Scuro 1614m altitude. 22.5km @ 6%
Cat 4 Terzo Tratto Duri 1480m altitude. 3.5km @ 4.3%
Cat 4 Santa Maria delle Grazie 254m altitude. 3.5km @ 5.8%
Cat 3 (finish) Rossano 294m altitude. 3.1km @ 5.7%
This first climb (in the opposite direction) was rumoured to be the ITT on Day 1, but the organisers relented. It is a very tough climb, with 15km at 5.5%, and around 5km in the middle at over 7%. And with over 200km to go after they crest the top, our sprinters are going to be in for a tough day.
After a descent and a grind up to Canelle (just 24km at 3.8%!), riders will descend into Cosenza for the TV sprint. Due to its cultural past, it was known as the Athens of Italy and today it houses the largest university campus of the nation. We will see some very nice shots from the helicopter here.
After Cosenza, the riders will attack a brute. Monte Scuro. A true HC climb, which is 23km long at around 6%. I can’t find evidence of the Giro ascending this side before, but they came down it in 1985. The climb is pretty tough, looks beautiful on Google maps, and seems to have a few steep sections.
Future Giri may decide to have this as a pivotal point in a stage, but on the first weekend, I want to save the GC battles for later in the tour. Therefore we move on after a short descent and some false flat, we reach a small category 4 climb (3.5km km at 4.3%) before a long descent to the shores of the Ionian Sea.
Nearly there now. After Rossano Stazione, the road turns left for a short sharp climb up to Santa Maria delle Grazie (3.5km at 5.8%), before a similar descent and another similar climb of 3.1km at 5.6% to the finish in Rossano, around 600m false flat (3%) in the town of Rossano. Whew!
Person of the Stage
Rossano was the birthplace of randy Pope John VII. Born the grandson of a Senator, and the son of a state official, made John VII the first Pope to be born from a distinguished family line. He was also Pope during the time of the “Byzantine Papacy”, wherein all Popes had to be approved by the Byzantine emperor to ensure that all decisions made would suit the state, though as with other Popes during that time things didn’t always go so smoothly. But it wasn’t the state that would see to his end, but rather the enraged husband of a woman John VII was sleeping with who caught them in the act, and beat the Pope to death. My kind of pope! You will also notice that his head was used as a prototype for some of the aero helmets worn by time triallists, which is rather fitting.
Munch for the Bunch
After a long, hard day in the saddle, riders are going to be hungry. So they will be dished up a plate of Frittole, which will be cooked in a vat over hot coals near the finish line. Frittole is prepared by cooking pork rind, pork meat and other less noble parts of the pig (part of the neck, cheek, tongue, nose, ears, kidneys, etc.) with pork fat (for taste). Yum yum!
Attachments
- Mar 24, 2011
- 10,524
- 1,923
- 25,680
a couple hours agoGigs_98 said:When does Eshnar wake up?
Now here are the votes, as I got them.
Judge 1:
Technical rating:
Stromeon 5 (I really like a start in Rome and it's longer than a prologue)
Finn84 and barmaher 4, both are great ways to start a GT
Libertine (nice concept, but I think that it's a little bit too hard as an opening TT, a downhill TT on the other hand would have been 5) and Billie 3
Brullnux (nice first road stage, but I prefer a short TT/prologue) and Gigs_98( nice concept, but not a roadstage that I want to see as stage one of a modern Giro) 2 points.
Cultural rating:
Libertine 5
Gigs and barmaher 4
Stromeon and Finn84 3
Brullnux and Billie 2
Judge 2:
Brullnux T: 4/5 C: 2/5
Barmaher T: 4/5 C: 3/5
Gigs_98 T: 3/5 C: 3/5
Billie T: 2/5 C: 5/5
Finn84 T: 2/5 C: 4/5
Libertine T: 5/5 C: 2/5
Stromeon T: 3/5 C: 4/5
Comments:
I'm not going to be negative on day 1 so I will focus entirely on the positives. My pick for the route has to be Libertine's Mountain prologue, it's a superb idea and it means the GC riders will have to be on the ball from the very start to not lose any serious time here. The other stages I liked were the technical descent prologue from Barmaher, again this adds something different and is much more interesting than just a run-of-the-mill flat TT. I thought Brullnux's route was nicely done too, it's not too testing but there should be plenty of action on those little hills in the fight for pink.
Culturally my pick is Billie for the Firenze start, riding over thre Ponte Vechio and through the piazza della Signolia would be a great sight. special mention to Finn84 and Stromeon who chose Rome, also a very nice start point.
Judge 3:
Technical:
Brullnux 5 (Very interesting and open road stage)
Gigs and Stromeon 4 (already gc oriented the former, prologue with decent length the latter)
Libertine and Barmaher 3 (MTT is cool but 2 km is pointless, not a particular fan of descent tt)
Finn and Billie 2 (really short prologue)
Cultural:
Gigs 4 (very cool idea, would be 5 if the first stage was exactly the same as the 1st edition)
Finn and Stromeon 3
Billie and Libertine 2
Barmaher and Brullnux 1
Therefore, we have our first classification:
Stromeon 22
Gigs 20
Libertine 20
Barmaher 19
Finn 18
Billie 16
Brullnux 16
- Mar 24, 2011
- 10,524
- 1,923
- 25,680
Here's Brullnux's stage 2:
Brullnux said:LA CENTESIMA STAGE 2: LICATA-CATANIA 210.1km
The second stage is one for the sprinters. This stage will be on the first Saturday of the Giro, as there will be 3 rest days this Giro, one extra to facilitate the transfer away from Sicily to Catanzaro.
The day begins in Licata. Fans of the Inspector Montalbano series will immediately recognise this town. It is a very beautiful, typical Sicilian town, who would easily have enough money to host a stage as the tourists have streamed in since 2000, when Montalbano was born. A very rolling and tough opening 100km is contrasted by the second 100 - flat with a Cat. 2 climb plumped into the middle of it. The climb is too far away from the finish, though to produce any real drama. However, it might be just enough to drop Marcel
The finish is in Catania, a famous city with millenia of history. Recently, however, troubles have ensued thanks to the Forza Italia mayor who has done an unbelievably good job at slowly, but surely, destroying this city. The route takes us into Catania with 9km to go; a nervy 7.5km through the streets of the city, these are technical and cobbled - nice, city cobbles but still - before taking us out onto a wider road by the sea where the stage finishes.
- Sep 1, 2010
- 1,526
- 372
- 11,180
Stage 1, Rome-Mondragone 194.5 km
Honorary start for the first road stage is actually placed in Vatican City. Going through Via della Conciliazione the route goes next to the river until crossing over at Ponte Sublicio. Through few junctions in the city, SS7 is the road used to exit from Rome. The actual start will be once the riders have gone under Grande Raccordo Anulare.
The route goes to south-east towards Frosinone which is the venue for first intermediate sprint in the race. After that the route goes towards the Thyrrenian coast. Between Frosinone and the first coastal comune of Sperlonga, the riders tackle through the first mountain sprint (17.5 km/2.2 %) of the Giro.
Last 60 kilometres of the stage will be run in the western coast before finish in Mondragone. The stage will undoubtedly be one for sprinters. Second intermediate sprint is 25 kilometres from the finish so some teams may try to get the breakaway back at that point, if bonus seconds distributed for intermediate sprint and finish are enough to have a chance to take maglia rosa off the shoulders of prologue winner.
Torre del Paladino, 1st-century BC mausoleum, located in Mondragone
Honorary start for the first road stage is actually placed in Vatican City. Going through Via della Conciliazione the route goes next to the river until crossing over at Ponte Sublicio. Through few junctions in the city, SS7 is the road used to exit from Rome. The actual start will be once the riders have gone under Grande Raccordo Anulare.
The route goes to south-east towards Frosinone which is the venue for first intermediate sprint in the race. After that the route goes towards the Thyrrenian coast. Between Frosinone and the first coastal comune of Sperlonga, the riders tackle through the first mountain sprint (17.5 km/2.2 %) of the Giro.
Last 60 kilometres of the stage will be run in the western coast before finish in Mondragone. The stage will undoubtedly be one for sprinters. Second intermediate sprint is 25 kilometres from the finish so some teams may try to get the breakaway back at that point, if bonus seconds distributed for intermediate sprint and finish are enough to have a chance to take maglia rosa off the shoulders of prologue winner.
Torre del Paladino, 1st-century BC mausoleum, located in Mondragone
- Jul 24, 2014
- 150
- 0
- 0
I'm in the lead I really doubt that will last long though
Giro di Stromeon Stage 2: Roma - Cassino 172km
After a spectacular opening time-trial on the streets of Rome, the second stage sees the riders heading south-east, after departing from the Lateran Basilica in southern central Rome, to the town of Cassino, famous for the Montecassino monastery and also for the Battle of Monte Cassino, a key WWII battle that ended as a pyrrhic victory for the Allies, leaving the town, and the monastery, in ruins. I could easily have ended the stage with the climb up to Montecassino, which would have been nice, but 1) I decided after a first draft of the route that there were too many hilly stages and 2) The climb was used only 3 years previously. We can still have a stage in remembrance of the tragic events, even if it is a sprint stage. Although there are a few difficulties on the route that might eliminate a few of the poorly-climbing or out-of-form sprinters. The first is the Colli Albani, perched above the craterous Lago Albano, fairly near the start of the stage, a fittingly spectacular scene for the first climb of the Giro, and after rolling through Frosinone, a regular Giro stop-off, there is the first 3rd category climb, to Santopadre. A little Cat.4 bump near the finish could provide a launchpad for attackers, but in all likelihood it will come to a sprint, although the likes of Kittel could have been eliminated.
Lateran Basilica:
Cassino:
In this Giro I'm trying not only to remember important moments in cycling history and important cycling figures, but also try and showcase Italy, as, this being the 100th Giro, it should get a lot of media attention. Thus linking in parts of the country's history is all part of the cultural appeal of the Giro di Stromeon.
I really doubt that will last long though Giro di Stromeon Stage 2: Roma - Cassino 172km
After a spectacular opening time-trial on the streets of Rome, the second stage sees the riders heading south-east, after departing from the Lateran Basilica in southern central Rome, to the town of Cassino, famous for the Montecassino monastery and also for the Battle of Monte Cassino, a key WWII battle that ended as a pyrrhic victory for the Allies, leaving the town, and the monastery, in ruins. I could easily have ended the stage with the climb up to Montecassino, which would have been nice, but 1) I decided after a first draft of the route that there were too many hilly stages and 2) The climb was used only 3 years previously. We can still have a stage in remembrance of the tragic events, even if it is a sprint stage. Although there are a few difficulties on the route that might eliminate a few of the poorly-climbing or out-of-form sprinters. The first is the Colli Albani, perched above the craterous Lago Albano, fairly near the start of the stage, a fittingly spectacular scene for the first climb of the Giro, and after rolling through Frosinone, a regular Giro stop-off, there is the first 3rd category climb, to Santopadre. A little Cat.4 bump near the finish could provide a launchpad for attackers, but in all likelihood it will come to a sprint, although the likes of Kittel could have been eliminated.
Lateran Basilica:
Cassino:
In this Giro I'm trying not only to remember important moments in cycling history and important cycling figures, but also try and showcase Italy, as, this being the 100th Giro, it should get a lot of media attention. Thus linking in parts of the country's history is all part of the cultural appeal of the Giro di Stromeon.
- Feb 20, 2010
- 32,508
- 14,281
- 28,180
Stage 2: Bologna - Firenze, 212km
Like many of the other traceurs here, I am keen to ensure we don't get a tame start to the race, and have followed up my uphill prologue with an intermediate stage which links two of the original 1909 Giro cities. The stage is somewhat akin to the Imola stage of the 2015 Giro which Ilnur Zakarin won in format.
Crossing the Apennines via a couple of second category climbs (first the Valico del Paretaio at 10km @ 6%, and then the similar Passo della Sambuca, the riders arrive in Firenze, a historic city full of the traditions of Italy (birthplace of the renaissance etc.), and also for the Giro as one of the original hosts (the first stage winner here was indeed Luigi Ganna, the first ever Giro winner). Florence has also served as the local major city for some of Italy's biggest name cyclists (though Casagrande is arguably the most famous from the city itself, depending on where you draw the boundaries). A famous urban myth about the development of the Italian language koiné was that it was based upon old Church Florentine so that everybody could read Dante; all four of the artists who became known to a younger generation via the Ninja Turtles lived and worked here. This is a city steeped in Italian history and therefore a perfect spot for a weekend stage.
It also hosted a rather entertaining World Championships race in 2013, which was of course won at the last by Rui Costa thanks to Valverde falling asleep at the wheel at the red kite. The course was hilly but not too mountainous, but certainly enough to be selective; the short final climb makes a good platform for attacks from a small group, just 5km from the line, but also even if the riders race like complete idiots and a bunch comes in, the final straight is a kilometre long and wide open so the risk of somebody's race ending in a mess of broken collarbones and bikeframes is minimized.
Following this we will finish the stage with four loops of this circuit, though in true Giro tradition, the stingy points available in the GPM mean that only one pass of the Fiesole climb (the third) will offer any points whatsoever. I'm not trying to obliterate the GC on the opening weekend, but make sure that riders are alert, and also that the GC boys can't hide. Nobody will win the Giro on this opening weekend, but they're going to have to be careful not to lose it.
Like many of the other traceurs here, I am keen to ensure we don't get a tame start to the race, and have followed up my uphill prologue with an intermediate stage which links two of the original 1909 Giro cities. The stage is somewhat akin to the Imola stage of the 2015 Giro which Ilnur Zakarin won in format.
Crossing the Apennines via a couple of second category climbs (first the Valico del Paretaio at 10km @ 6%, and then the similar Passo della Sambuca, the riders arrive in Firenze, a historic city full of the traditions of Italy (birthplace of the renaissance etc.), and also for the Giro as one of the original hosts (the first stage winner here was indeed Luigi Ganna, the first ever Giro winner). Florence has also served as the local major city for some of Italy's biggest name cyclists (though Casagrande is arguably the most famous from the city itself, depending on where you draw the boundaries). A famous urban myth about the development of the Italian language koiné was that it was based upon old Church Florentine so that everybody could read Dante; all four of the artists who became known to a younger generation via the Ninja Turtles lived and worked here. This is a city steeped in Italian history and therefore a perfect spot for a weekend stage.
It also hosted a rather entertaining World Championships race in 2013, which was of course won at the last by Rui Costa thanks to Valverde falling asleep at the wheel at the red kite. The course was hilly but not too mountainous, but certainly enough to be selective; the short final climb makes a good platform for attacks from a small group, just 5km from the line, but also even if the riders race like complete idiots and a bunch comes in, the final straight is a kilometre long and wide open so the risk of somebody's race ending in a mess of broken collarbones and bikeframes is minimized.
Following this we will finish the stage with four loops of this circuit, though in true Giro tradition, the stingy points available in the GPM mean that only one pass of the Fiesole climb (the third) will offer any points whatsoever. I'm not trying to obliterate the GC on the opening weekend, but make sure that riders are alert, and also that the GC boys can't hide. Nobody will win the Giro on this opening weekend, but they're going to have to be careful not to lose it.
- Jun 24, 2013
- 3,548
- 1,079
- 16,680
Giro d'Italia - Stage 2: Firenze - Lido di Camaiore
Il Giro will stay in Tuscany for the second stage which will take the riders from Firenze to Lido di Camaiore. It's a hilly route with four categorised climbs. Two of them inside the last 25 kms followed by a flat final 10 km. Everything is possible on this type of route. A sprint from the pack, a sprint from a smaller group or a lonely breakaway are all in the cards. Anyone who feels good should try to get away with not only a stage win but also the maglia rosa available after the short prologue kept gaps very small.
4 climbs:
Avaglio (2nd Cat.): 10.9km - 6.9%
Monte a Pescia (3rd Cat.): 4.1km - 9.6%
Colli di Pedona (4th Cat.): 5.3km - 6.1%
Montebello (4th Cat.): 3.7km - 6.1%
After passages through Prato and Quarrata, the riders will tackle a gradual incline towards Vinci where the race will pass metres away from the house where Leonardo da Vinci was born. Next passage is Montecatini Terme, the famous spa resort. After tackling a couple of tough Toscan hills the riders will pass Lucca. The peloton will stay outisde the famous city walls though and head further west towards the Tyrrenic Sea where those that are tired from a relatively long day on the bike can enjoy some rest under a parasol on the beach of Lido di Camaiore.
Il Giro will stay in Tuscany for the second stage which will take the riders from Firenze to Lido di Camaiore. It's a hilly route with four categorised climbs. Two of them inside the last 25 kms followed by a flat final 10 km. Everything is possible on this type of route. A sprint from the pack, a sprint from a smaller group or a lonely breakaway are all in the cards. Anyone who feels good should try to get away with not only a stage win but also the maglia rosa available after the short prologue kept gaps very small.
4 climbs:
Avaglio (2nd Cat.): 10.9km - 6.9%
Monte a Pescia (3rd Cat.): 4.1km - 9.6%
Colli di Pedona (4th Cat.): 5.3km - 6.1%
Montebello (4th Cat.): 3.7km - 6.1%
After passages through Prato and Quarrata, the riders will tackle a gradual incline towards Vinci where the race will pass metres away from the house where Leonardo da Vinci was born. Next passage is Montecatini Terme, the famous spa resort. After tackling a couple of tough Toscan hills the riders will pass Lucca. The peloton will stay outisde the famous city walls though and head further west towards the Tyrrenic Sea where those that are tired from a relatively long day on the bike can enjoy some rest under a parasol on the beach of Lido di Camaiore.
- Jul 24, 2014
- 150
- 0
- 0
Just trying to plan out all the rest of the stages for the first week that I will need to send off tomorrow, and I was just wondering: Is the limit of 75km on transfers the distance between the two host towns as the crow flies or in terms of actual road distance? If the latter, am I allowed a one-off transfer of 81km between two stage towns?
- Mar 24, 2011
- 10,524
- 1,923
- 25,680
Hi everybody. Before I disclose the scores for stage 2, I have an important announcement to make.
The jury decided unanimously to make a modification of the scoring system. The technical score will evaluate only the newest stage (as opposed to the original idea of evaluating the whole route every time). The context of the entire route will be still taken into account when voting, so if a stage doesn't fit the rest of the route it will still score poorly, despite being well designed. This changed has been made for practical reasons, since we were worried that judging the whole routes every time would become dull at some point, when we will all have a clear idea about which the best route already is.
To compensate for this slight shift of direction, we will have an additional voting after each week (that is, after stage 7, 14 and 21), that will evaluate the whole route at that point. This rating will be worth triple.
Now, to the votes:
Judge 1:
Technical rating:
Libertine 5
barmaher and Billie 4
Stromeon 3
Brullnux 2
Finn84 and Gigs_98 1
Cultural rating:
barmaher 5
Gigs_98 and Brullnux 4
Finn84 and Libertine 3
Stromeon and Billie 2
Judge 2:
Brullnux T:2/5 C 1/5 (Would have preferred a slightly tougher sprint stage)
Barmaher T: 4/5 C: 3/5 ( nice medium mountain stage)
Gigs_98 T: 3/5 C:3/5 ( good route, beautiful finish location)
Billie T: 4/5 C:2/5 (interesting stage design)
Finn84 T: 2/5 C: 2/5 ( same as Brullnux, prefer a tougher sprint stage)
Libertine: T: 5/5 C:4/5 (Love the WC course in Firenze and its a lovely location)
Stromeon T:3/5 C:4/5 ( could be action and a nice location remembering Monte Cassino)
Judge 3:
Barmaher T:5, C:3 (great medium/high mountain stage)
Billie T:4, C:2 (that's one cool classic finish)
Brullnux T:3, C:2
Finn84 T:2, C:1
Gigs_98 T:2, C:3
Libertine T:4, C:4 (nice stage and nice location)
Stromeon T:3, C:4 (culturally spot-on)
So here's the general classification after stage 2:
Libertine 45
Barmaher 43
Stromeon 41
Gigs 36
Billie 34
Brullnux 30
Finn 29
looking forward to stage 3
The jury decided unanimously to make a modification of the scoring system. The technical score will evaluate only the newest stage (as opposed to the original idea of evaluating the whole route every time). The context of the entire route will be still taken into account when voting, so if a stage doesn't fit the rest of the route it will still score poorly, despite being well designed. This changed has been made for practical reasons, since we were worried that judging the whole routes every time would become dull at some point, when we will all have a clear idea about which the best route already is.
To compensate for this slight shift of direction, we will have an additional voting after each week (that is, after stage 7, 14 and 21), that will evaluate the whole route at that point. This rating will be worth triple.
Now, to the votes:
Judge 1:
Technical rating:
Libertine 5
barmaher and Billie 4
Stromeon 3
Brullnux 2
Finn84 and Gigs_98 1
Cultural rating:
barmaher 5
Gigs_98 and Brullnux 4
Finn84 and Libertine 3
Stromeon and Billie 2
Judge 2:
Brullnux T:2/5 C 1/5 (Would have preferred a slightly tougher sprint stage)
Barmaher T: 4/5 C: 3/5 ( nice medium mountain stage)
Gigs_98 T: 3/5 C:3/5 ( good route, beautiful finish location)
Billie T: 4/5 C:2/5 (interesting stage design)
Finn84 T: 2/5 C: 2/5 ( same as Brullnux, prefer a tougher sprint stage)
Libertine: T: 5/5 C:4/5 (Love the WC course in Firenze and its a lovely location)
Stromeon T:3/5 C:4/5 ( could be action and a nice location remembering Monte Cassino)
Judge 3:
Barmaher T:5, C:3 (great medium/high mountain stage)
Billie T:4, C:2 (that's one cool classic finish)
Brullnux T:3, C:2
Finn84 T:2, C:1
Gigs_98 T:2, C:3
Libertine T:4, C:4 (nice stage and nice location)
Stromeon T:3, C:4 (culturally spot-on)
So here's the general classification after stage 2:
Libertine 45
Barmaher 43
Stromeon 41
Gigs 36
Billie 34
Brullnux 30
Finn 29
looking forward to stage 3
- Mar 24, 2011
- 10,524
- 1,923
- 25,680
Let's kick stage 3 off with Brullnux's:
Brullnux said:LA CENTESIMA STAGE 3: CATANIA - TAORMINA 220.3km
In 2011 we had double Etna. My question to you is: Why stop at two when it is a mountain with countless sides to use? So I have doubled 2 and made four. It may seem unreasonable, but the Stelvio 2014 stage was 5200m in despicably cold temperatures, while this is 5400m in good temperatures, at a much lower altitude.
The first ascent is from Zafferana, but from the South.. Long, but very steady at 6%, sometimes reaching 7%.
The second ascent will be done as the 2nd time and as the 4th time. This time we ascend the Mareneve way, shorter abd less steep than the Zafferenea, this shouldn't provide any attacks - just tire the riders out. Between number 2 and number 3 we have an 8km climb at 6% that is uncategorised, Passo Vena. The riders take this pass while going back to the town of Zafferena.
The third is a different road, Via Catania, that joins up to the Zafferana climb at the top. It is shorter, and hence also steeper. It contains 6km at over 8%, is more irregular and the hardest pass of the day. Some attacks may come from it, but more likely a team will go all out on this climb to drop the domestiques of other teams to prepare attacks on the last side.
The fourth is the Mareneve again, and all the attacks should come here. It suits the diesels like RoboBasso at his prime, not explosive climbers like quintana or Rujano, as this side is not steep enough for them. The descent is technical and a good descender like Nibali or Bardet could increase an advantage significantly on this descent. However, there is a section which suits powerhouses mpre after the descent, as the gradient for the last 10 km is -0.5%. Nibali will be very motivated to use this stage - it suits him and is in Sicily, to gain an early advantage.
- Feb 20, 2010
- 32,508
- 14,281
- 28,180
Stage 3: Ponte a Ema - Montalcino, 180km
While many of us may be going for the approach of big mountains early, I am keeping those in my pocket whilst still trying to ensure things aren't too easy early. This is a stage which will bring about a feeling of the past, mainly due to 34km of strade bianche as we weave through the Tuscan countryside.
The start of the race is historic enough, being in a small frazione just outside Firenze (indeed the start of the stage loops back into the city), with a symbolic start at the Museo del Ciclismo Gino Bartali, after the legendary cyclist and legendary figure from the town. Bartali, of course, is one of the true greats for his on-bike exploits, and one of the greatest for his exploits off it, so he deserves as much as anybody the honour of being, well, honoured by the 100th Giro. Back in those days, of course, the dirt roads of Italy played a huge role in the race, while now they are something of a special attraction. Nevertheless, as part of the tradition of the race we surely need a throwback stage like this.
In addition to the stage start honouring Bartali, there is an early intermediate sprint in the small town of Camaioni, birthplace of one of the non-GC-winning Giro greats, Franco Bitossi, who won over 20 stages, three GPMs and two points jerseys at the race over a variety of terrains. However, up until the climb of Celsa (at 7,5km @ 5,2% not the most threatening) this is a fairly straightforward stage. After a single strade bianche sector of 2,2km, though, the riders pass through Siena just inside 60km to go, after which it's all systems go. There is a 13,5km section of strade bianche - the longest single sector in the Montepaschi Strade Bianche one-day race - which is shortly followed by another 5,5km sector into the intermediate sprint in Bibbiano. Eroica then heads up the tarmac road into Montalcino, whereas here we go a different way. The Poggio Civitella is a long, long way from being especially threatening - it averages a paltry 3,6% over 12km - except that the vast majority of it is strade bianche, with a long stretch of flat in the middle and a max gradient of 16%. This gives a last 20km that look like this:
Libertine, it's all well and good this stuff, you might say, but isn't it cheating a little to reuse existing stuff? This is the second stage in a row! You might be right, but it's about honouring the Giro, and so while there is obviously scope for innovation, a centenary edition of the Giro should always pay tribute to what made the Giro great. And while the grit and suffering of yesteryear is a large part of that, I think we can all agree that the 2010 Montalcino stage was excellent entertainment, except for those of us who don't remember it, in which case here it is in all its glory for your enjoyment. And by the time 2017's Giro rolls around, that will be 7 years ago and the last time that the Poggio Civitella was seen. That's long enough for a comeback.
While many of us may be going for the approach of big mountains early, I am keeping those in my pocket whilst still trying to ensure things aren't too easy early. This is a stage which will bring about a feeling of the past, mainly due to 34km of strade bianche as we weave through the Tuscan countryside.
The start of the race is historic enough, being in a small frazione just outside Firenze (indeed the start of the stage loops back into the city), with a symbolic start at the Museo del Ciclismo Gino Bartali, after the legendary cyclist and legendary figure from the town. Bartali, of course, is one of the true greats for his on-bike exploits, and one of the greatest for his exploits off it, so he deserves as much as anybody the honour of being, well, honoured by the 100th Giro. Back in those days, of course, the dirt roads of Italy played a huge role in the race, while now they are something of a special attraction. Nevertheless, as part of the tradition of the race we surely need a throwback stage like this.
In addition to the stage start honouring Bartali, there is an early intermediate sprint in the small town of Camaioni, birthplace of one of the non-GC-winning Giro greats, Franco Bitossi, who won over 20 stages, three GPMs and two points jerseys at the race over a variety of terrains. However, up until the climb of Celsa (at 7,5km @ 5,2% not the most threatening) this is a fairly straightforward stage. After a single strade bianche sector of 2,2km, though, the riders pass through Siena just inside 60km to go, after which it's all systems go. There is a 13,5km section of strade bianche - the longest single sector in the Montepaschi Strade Bianche one-day race - which is shortly followed by another 5,5km sector into the intermediate sprint in Bibbiano. Eroica then heads up the tarmac road into Montalcino, whereas here we go a different way. The Poggio Civitella is a long, long way from being especially threatening - it averages a paltry 3,6% over 12km - except that the vast majority of it is strade bianche, with a long stretch of flat in the middle and a max gradient of 16%. This gives a last 20km that look like this:
Libertine, it's all well and good this stuff, you might say, but isn't it cheating a little to reuse existing stuff? This is the second stage in a row! You might be right, but it's about honouring the Giro, and so while there is obviously scope for innovation, a centenary edition of the Giro should always pay tribute to what made the Giro great. And while the grit and suffering of yesteryear is a large part of that, I think we can all agree that the 2010 Montalcino stage was excellent entertainment, except for those of us who don't remember it, in which case here it is in all its glory for your enjoyment. And by the time 2017's Giro rolls around, that will be 7 years ago and the last time that the Poggio Civitella was seen. That's long enough for a comeback.
- Sep 1, 2010
- 1,526
- 372
- 11,180
Stage 2, Napoli - Potenza, 200 km
The riders ended close to Napoli yesterday so it's not surprising to see them starting there today. Second stage won't be easy, but still it's far from the hardest stages. The stage will take riders to Potenza via four categorized climbs. (I didn't find the names of the hills themselves so they are marked with places close to them)
The honorary start for the stage will be held at Piazza del Plebiscito in Napoli.
First climb is between Nola and Avellino. In total it's 18.3 kilometres over 3.3 %, but it's also a one that gets steeper towards the top. For last 6.8 kilometres average is 5.5%.
After first of two intermediate sprints in Atripalda, the second climb starts. This is 9.1 kilometres and 5.3% through the areas of Parco Regionale Monti Picentini. Through the probably easiest part of the stage with over kilometres without major difficulties, third major climb (11.7 km/4.8%) is in the program.
Past Muro Lucano and second intermediate sprint, the first point where riders visit higher that 1000 metres is reached. The final hill is 14.5 kilometres with 4.5% average. Then a short downhill section before final, uncategorized climb. With less than three kilometres to go, there is section of 1.4 kilometres which climbs more than 6%. Although there is flat section afterwards, this will put some of the riders out of competition for the stage win. All in all, this looks set for puncheur.
Here's the final kilometres in closer map:
The riders ended close to Napoli yesterday so it's not surprising to see them starting there today. Second stage won't be easy, but still it's far from the hardest stages. The stage will take riders to Potenza via four categorized climbs. (I didn't find the names of the hills themselves so they are marked with places close to them)
The honorary start for the stage will be held at Piazza del Plebiscito in Napoli.
First climb is between Nola and Avellino. In total it's 18.3 kilometres over 3.3 %, but it's also a one that gets steeper towards the top. For last 6.8 kilometres average is 5.5%.
After first of two intermediate sprints in Atripalda, the second climb starts. This is 9.1 kilometres and 5.3% through the areas of Parco Regionale Monti Picentini. Through the probably easiest part of the stage with over kilometres without major difficulties, third major climb (11.7 km/4.8%) is in the program.
Past Muro Lucano and second intermediate sprint, the first point where riders visit higher that 1000 metres is reached. The final hill is 14.5 kilometres with 4.5% average. Then a short downhill section before final, uncategorized climb. With less than three kilometres to go, there is section of 1.4 kilometres which climbs more than 6%. Although there is flat section afterwards, this will put some of the riders out of competition for the stage win. All in all, this looks set for puncheur.
Here's the final kilometres in closer map:
I should probably mention that my Giro starts on a Friday. There is a rest day after the Etna stage to make it easier to get to Catanzaro. This also means the Etna stage is a Sunday, not Monday. The fact there is a rest day after is the main reason the Etna stage is even there, so that a really hard stage really early is followed by a much more relaxed day.
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