Stage 18: Belluno - Rifugio Panarotta (Valsugana) 171 km

[Red Rick]

Stage 18: Belluno - Rifugio Panarotta (Valsugana) 171 km

NOTE: The altimetry of Panarotta is not on the official website atm. Once it will be up, I'll put it here.

Technical overview:
The final three GC days start with the easier of them. A shortish stage with three major climbs, quite far from each other: the famous San Pellegrino, the irregularly steep Passo del Redebus and the final ascent to Rifugio Panarotta, which is simply a continuation of the well known climb to Vetriolo Terme, just 4.6 km more. It is a very regular climb, with a total of 16.3 km at 7.8%.

What to expect:
Attacks at 3-4 km to go, maybe even shorter because of what's still to come. Likely to have a strong breakaway on the San Pellegrino.

You're right guy's i'm lazy, but I need to do something to satisfy my study-avoinding disorder

Credit all goes to Eshnar


I predict a breakaway to take it, if not that then Quintana will win to shut everyone up and prove he would've won anyway. Uran to maybe lose his podium spot. Aru to show his awesomeness again.

 

[BigMac]

Cadel Evans takes back the maglia rosa.
André Cardoso to go on the break again.

 

[SafeBet]

I still can't find details of the climb on the official website.

 

[jens_attacks]

Aru aru aru!

 

[classicomano]

Its time.

 

[Red Rick]

Don't know if it's right, but this seems to be the final climb

http://climbbybike.com/climb.asp?Col=Rifugio-Panarotta&qryMountainID=3384

I think the potential gaps have been quite underrated so far, 16km at 8 is a big HC in any race (expect in the Giro ofcourse)

 

[SafeBet]

Don't know if he's recovered, but it'd be nice to see Rosa win this stage, after all he's been through during this giro with his knee infection.

 

[Matt92]

I still can't find details of the climb on the official website.

 

[SafeBet]

Thanks buddy, very steady climb.
I fancy Wilco to do very well here.

 

[hfer07]

Quintana, Rolland & Hesjedal will stop at the foot of the Panarotta and carry on after waiting the 2 minutes that BMC, Tinkoff Saxo & all the whiners here at CN are complaining about, so everyone is happy & the world could continue spinning....



based on that- I wish Quintana literally "destroys the peloton" right from the very foot of the Panarotta & puts 5 minutes into the 2nd place, so he can rub it into the face of the Organizers, the haters, the BMC & Tinkoff whiners

 

[Matt92]

This seems like the kind of climb that would cause carnage if there was a Sky/Tinkoff train to set the pace from the bottom. I don't think we'll see anything like that tomorrow, especially considering the following stages, so I expect attacks to come only in the final 5 kms.

As far as stage victory is concerned, I think the breakaway might take it, even if a lot of strong climbers still haven't won any stage (Rolland, Pozzo, Hesjedal, Kelderman, Majka). But I think they'll focus on the podium, and none of them is probably confident enough to make his teammates push for the entire stage.

 

[Arredondo]

Really hard climb. I think a break will decides who wins. I'll go for Cataldo or the young Henao, or Deignan.

At leat someone from Sky

 

[webbie146]

Its time.

Who's the dolphin?

 

[The Hitch]

Who's the dolphin?

The rider who's nickname is Delfino probably

 

[BigMac]

Who's the dolphin?

Nibali

...oh wait.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Never easy to tell with Rai Sport 2, but experience tells me that
they will have most of the stage live, again, looking at their schedules.

Pellizotti for the win? LOL

 

[The Hitch]

The final climb is harder than alpe d huez. So bare in mind if this was the profile tor a tour stage it would have been hyped to kingdom come as some must watch stage for the ages.

 

[MatParker117]

Really hard climb. I think a break will decides who wins. I'll go for Cataldo or the young Henao, or Deignan.

At leat someone from Sky

I think if Cataldo does that he make take the Mountains jersey as well.

 

[jens_attacks]

i think there will be quite a furious pace on san pellegrino. arredondo to get the points there
hopefully we'll have images from rai already there

 

[richo36]

Quintana, Rolland & Hesjedal will stop at the foot of the Panarotta and carry on after waiting the 2 minutes that BMC, Tinkoff Saxo & all the whiners here at CN are complaining about, so everyone is happy & the world could continue spinning....



based on that- I wish Quintana literally "destroys de peloton" right from the very foot of the Panarotta & puts 5 minutes into the 2nd place, so he can rub it into the face of the Organizers, the haters, the BMC & Tinkoff whiners

I would love for this to happen, with Rolland and Ryder to round out the top 3

 

[Mellow Velo]

The final climb is harder than alpe d huez. So bare in mind if this was the profile tor a tour stage it would have been hyped to kingdom come as some must watch stage for the ages.

As it's the Giro, it's only ranked number 3 stage.
Weather forecast isn't great, with thundery showers in the pm.
Get ready to neutralise those wet descents.
Risk taking forbidden.

 

[trevim]

The final climb is harder than alpe d huez. So bare in mind if this was the profile tor a tour stage it would have been hyped to kingdom come as some must watch stage for the ages.

Yeah but this the Giro where a 5km climb at 9% is not even a categorized KOM. It's awesome

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Would have preferred a descent to the finish style route, lol.

Anyway a break will take it, but Quintana will take some time on other GC contenders.

 

[Walkman]

The final climb is harder than alpe d huez. So bare in mind if this was the profile tor a tour stage it would have been hyped to kingdom come as some must watch stage for the ages.

Well, to be fair, the top riders in the Tour are often a notch above the Giro contenders hence the race is packed with more explosives to start with. However, we are often let down while the Giro more often delivers.

But hey, remember last time Alpe d'Duez was races!

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

This is the stage Aru takes 2 miin on the rest.