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

[movingtarget]

Quintana should consolidate his lead. Uran will lose more time and Evans could lose many places as the GC between third and ninth is close. Good chance for Majka to cement a podium position. Uran's next TT could be interesting and should be enough to keep him on the podium. Too much climbing for the break to succeed I think.

 

[alspacka]

Dream on Froome puts a minute plus into Quintana yesterday. If Froome was atthis Giro he would win by 8 minutes if he went all out every stage attacking with about 4-5 kms to go it would not happen though.

It nice that you admit you're wrong in the very same sentence as making your hypothesis.

Quintana will be out for blood tomorrow, even with the TT coming up, +1 minute on everyone (except the break).

 

[coimbrawu]

Cannondale has, in fact, had a wretched tour, haven't they? Unless Viviani can somehow win on the last day, I don't see a lot they can do to salvage this race.

They are also unlucky. Gatto got a mechanical problem in the descents of Muro di Ca' Del Poggio. He is 4th or 5th to pass that muro and would had a good chance to win. Anyway they got nothing in the past 3 giri.

 

[Big Doopie]

Quintana will be out for blood tomorrow, even with the TT coming up, +1 minute on everyone (except the break).

I actually think we might see the same three. Both Hesj and Ro Ro need to attack not only to move up but because they are likely to lose time on more explosive riders in the MTT. They need to go sooner rather than later, not wait for the last climb necessarily. Both Ro Ro and Hesj improve with stages that go over several mountains. The only mountain stage that saw Hesj in difficulty was precisely the one with just the one final climb.

The other thing is it seems more like a GT from the 80s where th best really come to the fore in the final week. I remember the last mountain stage of the 1989 TDF when literally the top five riders went away.

 

[Fagniniwins]

Androni-Giocattoli and Neri-Sottoli have done sod-all while Bardiani have been erm, cleaning up. Cannondale need to pull their fingers out, too.

If a break goes on San Pellegrino, I'm struggling to see where they will put time into the group of big favorites ahead of the finishing climb up to Panarotta. The descent off of the Redebus would have made an interesting launching pad for an attack, but there are 10+ km of flat in the valley before the final kick.

Hopefully a group can stay away. I'd like to see Giant's Preidler pull off something.

 

[luckyboy]

Cloudy with chances of rain today. How many dry days have there been in this Giro? 3 or 4 maybe?

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

Nairo... to silence any doubters there may be left.

 

[Red Rick]

You mean like when he finished with the elite group on la farrapona, (Despite domestiquing) again on Angliru the day after (despite domestiquing and being held back) and then won on Pena cabarga 2 days later.

Or maybe you mean like the alpes in the 2012 tour when he won 1stage, led home tiny groups of heads of state in the next 2 then had the energy to podium the tt (despite aerodynamic handicapped).

Or you mean like the dauphine last year when be dropped everyone 2 mountain stages in a row?

Oh, all that doesn't count, because after being beaten stage after stage by froome for 2 and a half weeks of the 2013 tour Quintana put together 2 results- 2 results, over 3 days when froome was already counting his prize money cos he had a 7 min gap, and that proves Quintana can ride multiple stages and froome can't and therefore Quintana is the best climber?

Don't forget the 2008 Tour, where he was at his best in the last mountain stage

 

[Ferminal]

This really is a brute of an MTF. Would be the highlight if it were in July but at the back end of the Giro it's just midweek filler

 

[Ferminal]

Great start too with the big 45km roll. Break either goes really early for a change or not until the steeper bit. Again, if teams are really ****ed at EUC and MOV, make them pay on the road.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Great start too with the big 45km roll. Break either goes really early for a change or not until the steeper bit. Again, if teams are really ****ed at EUC and MOV, make them pay on the road.

Damn, wouldn't that be great.
Lets see some balls and panache ffs.

 

[luckyboy]

Duarte or Rabottini because their teams haven't won anything yet. Arredondo win to seal his blue jersey.

Or Bardiani again

 

[search]

Again, if teams are really ****ed at EUC and MOV, make them pay on the road.

yeh, they will pay for that, I am pretty sure Europcar will be punished by being forced to do the "work" on the flat again early on

 

[TourOfSardinia]

I guess there' no weather problems this time - since no-one is talking about mist and snow.

Are we sure though?

 

[Ferminal]

Will create huge gaps, bigger than Zincolan.

lol, said that about PdB in 2011 didn't you?

 

[Arredondo]

I hope that you are not serious or on drugs

The chance Froome won this Giro, or at least followed Quintana in the mountains, is big of course. I mean, i still have the idea Quintana isn't 100% (i know it sure actually).

 

[del1962]

He would've frozen on the descent, crashed, and in 3500 years his mummified body would've been found and he'd be the new Ötzi, Scientists would then conclude that in the 21st century there was a gigantic food crisis, and people had crazy machines with 2 wheels to ride up and down roads for absolutely no ****ing reason

He would've have won the tt though

You obviusly never wayched the last two editions of Romandie did you

 

[Bavarianrider]

lol, said that about PdB in 2011 didn't you?

Well that was a siad day indeed.

But today Quintana will blow up the race for sure.

 

[Butterhead]

Great start too with the big 45km roll. Break either goes really early for a change or not until the steeper bit. Again, if teams are really ****ed at EUC and MOV, make them pay on the road.

Was my thinking too, something will happen, and hopefully today, but exactly what or by who is not yet to say.

I know one DS/team manager who said that Moviestar will not have an easy rest of the Giro. I guess there are a couple of bills to pay.
Let´s hope payment starts already today.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

movistar won't have any ptobblems as they only hqave to control today an saturday and they have an invredible team and quintana is the strongest rider. they said the same about bmc but nobody tried to at5tack evans either. quintana is much stronge3r so teams can wany all they want, the stgrongest will win

 

[jens_attacks]

plus europcar will work with them always. also garmin. also team colombia.

 

[Eclipse]

@ORICA_GreenEDGE
The three amigos become los dos compadres as @ivansantino falls victim to illness. He will not start #Giro stage 18.

Another one bites the dust. Having soldiered on this far I'll bank on the other two making it to the end though.

 

[classicomano]

@ORICA_GreenEDGE
The three amigos become los dos compadres as @ivansantino falls victim to illness. He will not start #Giro stage 18.

Another one bites the dust. Having soldiered on this far I'll bank on the other two making it to the end though.

You cannot break Svein Tuft, he will battle to the end.

 

[Anderis]

plus europcar will work with them always. also garmin. also team colombia.

Garmin has not enough riders to work left in the race.

 

[Anderis]

plus europcar will work with them always. also garmin. also team colombia.

Garmin has not enough riders left in the race to work.