Stage 16: Ponte Di Legno-Val Martello/Martelltal (139 km)

[Vino attacks everyone]

Nr 9 is within 1'05 of nr 3

It is still wide open for every gc spot except 1st

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Podium is up for grab. Many riders with a chance.

There are 7 riders within a shot of place nr 3.

 

[Scott SoCal]

Epic stage. Pull the pin, drop the grenade.

Quintana is a certified badass. Chapeau to Ryder too.

 

[jsem94]

Many contenders for podium behind Nairo now.

 

[ToreBear]

That was a nice stage!

 

[PirazziAttacksVino]

Kelderman and Hesjedal were impressive. Quintana would have taken minimum 1 minute from Uran on the final climb if not for the neutralization/nonneutralization thing.

 

[thrawn]

Anyone care to post a top 10 on GC?

 

[Afrank]

 

[Mellow Velo]

Certain to be stage that will be talked about in years to come.
Quintana led for the entire final 20kms.
Not bad for someone with an ear infection and on antibiotics.

Epic grovel from Hesjedal and poor Pierre popped spectacularly.
(although a bigger winner on the day)
Kudos Kelderman for not wheel watching.
Aru looked dead on several occasions, but still managed to best the rest.

 

[Parrulo]

Welp that kind of killed the GC didn't it?

Let's see if the rest of the guys have any balls and try to get first place. But who am i kidding? They will all just fight for the podium with Quintana watching safely like in 2011 with Contador

 

[jsem94]

55 seconds between 3rd and 9th... Incredible.

 

[thrawn]

Thanks! Helpful for us folk stuck at work.

 

[murali]

basically means, a fight between majka pozzo and aru for the 3rd spot in the MTT

 

[Amsterhammer]

Is this the biggest Giro stage thread yet?

Pretty sure it must be. Can't ever recall pushing 1800 replies.

Anyway....an absolutely epic stage in every possible sense of the word. The much over-used and abused term, 'awesome', comes to mind.

Congrats to the winner and to everyone who finished this torture, but a special big up from me for 'my boy' Wilco Keldermerckx, who is going to fulfill my prediction from years ago that he will win a grand tour one day.

 

[Ferminal]

Surprise surprise riders being absolutely shattered at the end of a stage after spending prolonged periods over 2000m, take note Amaury.

 

[doperhopper]

Will we ever see something like this at the Tour?

 

[trevim]

At this point I would take a podium with Quintana (the best), Rolland and Hesjay (the biggest fighters)

 

[CanSprint]

Hesjedal without the TTT would be sitting way up there!

 

[shades1]

not a bad ride from somebody on there death bed if you read this thread earlier this morning .

ill my a$$ !!

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Quintana absolutely amazing, what a beast.....

Hesjedal and Kelderman also looking good.

 

[burning]

Hesjedal without the TTT would be sitting way up there!

He'd be 2nd

 

[Arnout]

Will we ever see something like this at the Tour?

That stage win of Andy Schleck on the Tourmalet was like that, sort of. Not with the snow of course due to the date.

 

[Walkman]

Will we ever see something like this at the Tour?

We have. 2011 was the last time.

 

[trevim]

Will we ever see something like this at the Tour?

2011 had some spectacular alpine stages

 

[jsem94]

Will we ever see something like this at the Tour?

Not with similar weather conditions at least.