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

[hfer07]

To hell with the controversy, great win by Quintana on a dramatic stage.

Oh man pull Uran off the podium ffs and install Rolland and Hesjedal on the final two steps. Or so I wish.

Now looking forward to the MTT. No games or wheelsucking.

I totally agree with you. Perhaps Uran being my compatriot, I shouldn't wish him to step off the podium, but today he raced cowardly.

Rolland & specially Hesjedal deserve honours after that unreal ride..

 

[roundabout]

Well yeah, but he didn't put 2 minutes on them either, which was what I was replying to.

It was 2.15ish to the MR when I switched on my TV at 10 to go. I mean sure, the cooperation behind was understandably awful, but Quintana did gain time all the way up.

Reading the posts here, it would seem that he did indeed gain about 2 minutes from the start of the climb.

And probably kept gaining all the way with a little help from Hesjedal.

 

[Ruby United]

Swift is going to get the points jersey because all of the other sprinters will fail to make the time cut.

Are you calling swift a sprinter?

 

[BigMac]

Fail Lampre strikes again. Cunego nowhere to be seen and their best placed rider was again Niemiec... in 27th position, 21 minutes down.


True shame Horner is not here.

 

[mattghg]

Annoying I had to go out and missed the last part of the stage. What happened to Cataldo?

 

[Eyeballs Out]

AG2R lead the team comp by almost 37 minutes

 

[therhodeo]

Where would Ryder be without that TTT?

 

[Ferminal]

It was 2.15ish to the MR when I switched on my TV at 10 to go. I mean sure, the cooperation behind was understandably awful, but Quintana did gain time all the way up.

Reading the posts here, it would seem that he did indeed gain about 2 minutes from the start of the climb.

And probably kept gaining all the way with a little help from Hesjedal.

More or less, I'd say Kelderman attacking was the first time the tide turned.

 

[Ruby United]

Annoying I had to go out and missed the last part of the stage. What happened to Cataldo?

Caught by nairito and dropped early on in the last climb

 

[roundabout]

I look forward to him winning the ITT and Zoncolan

In the best Sean Kelly voice "It was a different era of cycling".

Good that he did not climb off. Probably doesn't have the retirement contract at Tinkoff signed yet.

 

[mattghg]

Caught by nairito and dropped early on in the last climb

Thanks
....

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Where would Ryder be without that TTT?

about the same, given that he gotten a lot of free space with his minutes he was behind. The only stage that he didn't, he finished with the Evans/Pozzo/Kelderman group.
So.

 

[Eyeballs Out]

It was 2.15ish to the MR when I switched on my TV at 10 to go. I mean sure, the cooperation behind was understandably awful, but Quintana did gain time all the way up.

Reading the posts here, it would seem that he did indeed gain about 2 minutes from the start of the climb.

And probably kept gaining all the way with a little help from Hesjedal.

Not to belittle what he did but it was Quintana vs Rogers for most of the climb. One of those situations where the other GC contenders would still be contenders if they'd worked together instead of relying on one team's domestique

 

[De Snelle Duif]

Fail Lampre strikes again. Cunego nowhere to be seen and their best placed rider was again Niemiec... in 27th position, 21 minutes down.


True shame Horner is not here.

Anacona was 16th

 

[trevim]

André Cardoso second best Garmin yet again. What a shame if he gets stuck as a domestique for the rest of the season.

He knew what he signed up for when he signed for a WT team. Still, he may get some chances at Burgos or something like that.

 

[icefire]

Well yeah, but he didn't put 2 minutes on them either, which was what I was replying to.

The gap at the beginning of the climb was around 1:40-1:50, so the time Quintana has put on the chasing group is above 1:30.

 

[Gloin22]

He knew what he signed up for when he signed for a WT team. Still, he may get some chances at Burgos or something like that.

Exactly lol

He got a massive increase in wage to be a domestique, to make his future after cycling stable.

Some here just don't get that.

 

[SafeBet]

Plenty of DS now complaining at Processo.
Amadio saying the first communication from Race Radio said there would be motos with a red flag in front of the riders (but which riders? there were several groups).
Guercilena saying they had a communication of neutralization before hitting the downhill and then started hearing Quintana had a gap and they were like WTF : confused:

 

[Pentacycle]

Despite today's excitement, I'm a bit annoyed.

Yesterday 5 or 6 riders were racing for victory, now only 1, this means the rest of what should've been a tense week and a showdown between them is going to become a fight for 3rd (and 2nd)

It's true that the fight for pink seems settled, but Quintana's formidable performance has defined this Giro for me. To me he's the only one deserving victory, he who has the guts, smarts and above all talent and legs to pull this off.

 

[PeterB]

Fail Lampre strikes again. Cunego nowhere to be seen and their best placed rider was again Niemiec... in 27th position, 21 minutes down.


True shame Horner is not here.

not entirely, acccording to PCS...

16 Anacona Gomez Winner Lampre-Merida 9:58

 

[Lupi33]

Number 9 Hesjedal is just 55 seconds away from the podium now.

Gonna be quite a battle for even third place with all of the riders making a chance!

he's looking very good. riding into the form he had the year he won it

 

[roundabout]

Morabito

It had to end somewhere, but not alongside Wyss.

 

[BigMac]

Exactly lol

He got a massive increase in wage to be a domestique, to make his future after cycling stable.

Some here just don't get that.

Excuse me, am I included? I just stated it will be a shame due to his talent, value, whatever. What the actual does it have to do with that?

 

[BigMac]

not entirely, acccording to PCS...

16 Anacona Gomez Winner Lampre-Merida 9:58

Ok, thanks. Doesn't really change the point though. Their two GC guns failed and they failed as a team.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

We've been over this. Twitter, even the race's official account, is meaningless.

Says who? There is nothing in the rule book that says that radio is uniquely authoritative. Communication that is verifiably from the race organisers should be responded to appropriately by all, and the race organisers should be willing to abide by it, even if it was not their intention to release it.

If they had announced a retraction immediately, and repeatedly, after their error, that could have been accepted, but this is entirely unjustifiable, and the race organisers have lost all moral authority.