Stage 19: Friday, May 25: Treviso-Alpe di Pampeago. 198km

[Froome19]

Jesus I hope he isn't taking advice from you. JRod is in the Pink jersey with a huge climbing stage to go. If he isn't racing for the win he's an idiot.

And how do you suggest he goes about that?

 

[happytramp]

I think the strong point of Basso and Scarponi is endurance. If they let the stage go by without making it hard, it's no wonder other riders can keep up with them or even beat them. Their only chance to win this Giro was to turn it into an endurance match. They didn't, which is why riders like Purito and Hesjedal, who go better on the hills, were better than them.

There are many ways to try. If you wait for the last 3 km of course it's going to be a straight showdown and the strongest in those 3 km will win. But they had a choice. They didn't need to wait. Would the relative strengths remain the same if it was a contest over 30 km as over 3 km? I seriously doubt it.

At any rate, they needed to put serious time into Hesjedal. Attacking with only 3 km to go, they would only take serious time if Hesjedal collapsed. That's a gamble. For Basso, it's ridiculous to have his team race on the front for 3 weeks and then gamble it all on something he had no control over - Hesjedal collpasing by himself.

All of this makes sense.

 

[Ripper]

F*cking awesome for Ryder!

Tomorrow is a huge stage, so hoping he is again solid. I think he will again be going for a stage win ... he is treating this race like the finish line is tomorrow, not Sunday.

Fingers crossed.

 

[meat puppet]

Yes, absolutely.

Hesjedal is normally strong in the last week of a GT, but he's never been in anything remotely approaching this position before and it's a long, long climb tomorrow. He is currently in pole position, but it's extremely premature to start awarding him the jersey now.

That's the best part of it actually. One more day with the smiling underdog trying to the bone from the big stars, and probably succeeding.

 

[cineteq]

Did you ever have the thought that I was talking about the overall??
He is the favourite for the win now.

I was teasing you of course
but you forgot tomorrow is not the ITT stage LOL!!!

 

[hrotha]

I don't see how Scarponi gave it a serious go. He tried not to take any risks, and he can't win the Giro like that (but then again, he never takes risks). To me it's pretty clear those were just sort of mandatory accelerations, to be at ease with himself and be able to say he tried.

 

[saunaking]

You seem to forget tomorrow is the hardest stage of Giro + the highest finish ever. Altitude will be a factor.

Colombian Domination?

 

[Justin Pain]

I calculate the time limit to be 56:43 or thereabouts.

16% off stage winners time?

 

[hatcher]

papa's getting a brand new airport.

As disappointing as the stage was for the most part, seeing how utterly shattered every single one of them was it's hard for me to criticise.

Much as I dislike Kreuziger, it was very impressive to see him bounce back from his horror day.

Ryder is a stud.

 

[dlwssonic]

I was teasing you of course
but you forgot tomorrow is not the ITT stage LOL!!!

oh ok
Yeah but at this point he seems unbeatable on the mountains. He is the strongest here, no doubt.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

And how do you suggest he goes about that?

Send support riders up the road and attack on the final climb. Roll the dice. He isn't the favourite to win, but it is possible for him to win. Actually riding for a podium spot, while in the lead would be ridiculous.

Who really cares if he comes fourth rather than third?

 

[Ildabaoth]

Why in the world didn't Basso and Scarponi take at least 3 minutes on somebody else? Why?

 

[Ruby United]

He faster in the tt, Basso or Scarponi?

 

[Froome19]

I don't see how Scarponi gave it a serious go. He tried not to take any risks, and he can't win the Giro like that (but then again, he never takes risks). To me it's pretty clear those were just sort of mandatory accelerations, to be at ease with himself and be able to say he tried.

He was incapable of anything else.
Or did he just delibaretly get dropped....

 

[Caruut]

I'd give you £10 if Basso didn't put any time onto the favourites because he didn't want to destroy himself.

Trust me, he could'nt keep up.

There's always a bit further you can dig, and as you dig further, the cost increases. At some point, every second you gain today loses you more tomorrow.

 

[mr. tibbs]

I think the strong point of Basso and Scarponi is endurance. If they let the stage go by without making it hard, it's no wonder other riders can keep up with them or even beat them. Their only chance to win this Giro was to turn it into an endurance match. They didn't, which is why riders like Purito and Hesjedal, who go better on the hills, were better than them.

There are many ways to try. If you wait for the last 3 km of course it's going to be a straight showdown and the strongest in those 3 km will win. But they had a choice. They didn't need to wait. Would the relative strengths remain the same if it was a contest over 30 km as over 3 km? I seriously doubt it.

At any rate, they needed to put serious time into Hesjedal. Attacking with only 3 km to go, they would only take serious time if Hesjedal collapsed. That's a gamble. For Basso, it's ridiculous to have his team race on the front for 3 weeks and then gamble it all on something he had no control over - Hesjedal collpasing by himself.

Yep. Well put, Hrotha.

Everyone was shattered at the end, but I contend that Basso and Scarponi could have ridden a quicker pace on the climbs for the final 10, 20, or 30 km and been at the same level at the end. Hesjedal, on the other hand...

 

[roundabout]

I don't see how Scarponi gave it a serious go. He tried not to take any risks, and he can't win the Giro like that (but then again, he never takes risks). To me it's pretty clear those were just sort of mandatory accelerations, to be at ease with himself and be able to say he tried.

Don't know about that. It's 12% and with Scarponi's riding style accelerations would look unimpressive.

 

[Fetisoff]

Why in the world didn't Basso and Scarponi take at least 3 minutes on somebody else? Why?

Probably because penalty for second infraction is lifetime ban

 

[DirtyWorks]

Yep. Well put, Hrotha.

Everyone was shattered at the end, but I contend that Basso and Scarponi could have ridden a quicker pace on the climbs for the final 10, 20, or 30 km and been at the same level at the end. Hesjedal, on the other hand...

Read this http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showpost.php?p=881274&postcount=913

They've got a monster stage tomorrow too that will produce enormous gaps.

 

[Caruut]

I don't see how Scarponi gave it a serious go. He tried not to take any risks, and he can't win the Giro like that (but then again, he never takes risks). To me it's pretty clear those were just sort of mandatory accelerations, to be at ease with himself and be able to say he tried.

He dropped Basso, Urán, Purito and Pozzo with those "mandatory accelerations though". Ryder responded well, but the others got caught out.

 

[seaby71]

Does anyone know what the cut off time for the stage would be.
Cav might not make it!

 

[SafeBet]

I don't see how Scarponi gave it a serious go. He tried not to take any risks, and he can't win the Giro like that (but then again, he never takes risks). To me it's pretty clear those were just sort of mandatory accelerations, to be at ease with himself and be able to say he tried.

When did Scarponi proved he could be a different rider though?
He has never attacked from far in his career. Maybe it's fair to assume he knows he can't do it.
As for Basso: this is the way he won Giro 2010. And Evans lost 1 and half minute in 4 kms. This is the way he's always rode. He's simply not the strongest right now. I think it's pretty clear.



Giro is far from over anyway.
Anybody could crack tomorrow.

 

[Magnus]

I think the strong point of Basso and Scarponi is endurance. If they let the stage go by without making it hard, it's no wonder other riders can keep up with them or even beat them. Their only chance to win this Giro was to turn it into an endurance match. They didn't, which is why riders like Purito and Hesjedal, who go better on the hills, were better than them.

There are many ways to try. If you wait for the last 3 km of course it's going to be a straight showdown and the strongest in those 3 km will win. But they had a choice. They didn't need to wait. Would the relative strengths remain the same if it was a contest over 30 km as over 3 km? I seriously doubt it.

At any rate, they needed to put serious time into Hesjedal. Attacking with only 3 km to go, they would only take serious time if Hesjedal collapsed. That's a gamble. For Basso, it's ridiculous to have his team race on the front for 3 weeks and then gamble it all on something he had no control over - Hesjedal collpasing by himself.

It's always a gamble. Or do you think that Basso would be ensured victory if you was Leaky-DS? With his lack of acceleration and less than stellar descending skills it seems the only way for Basso to seal the win is to have his team drill it at the front all day to make the other favourites suffer and then try to do the difference on the really steep mtf's. This is what he tried to do in the last 4 km today where the average gradient exceeds 10% but it didn't work. Maybe it would have if his team had been stronger maybe not.

Given the Liquigas tactics Scarponi's best bet is probably to counter Basso. Or he could sent Cunego up the road as he already tried.

 

[dlwssonic]

Phinney must make it!!!

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Yep. Well put, Hrotha.

Everyone was shattered at the end, but I contend that Basso and Scarponi could have ridden a quicker pace on the climbs for the final 10, 20, or 30 km and been at the same level at the end. Hesjedal, on the other hand...

In theory, you'd have to assume that Hesjedal should be weaker in a real endurance ride. But on the other hand, it was him putting his support riders on the front at the bottom of the final climb because it was too slow. I suspect that this might have demoralised Basso and Scarponi a bit and discouraged them from ramping it up early on the climb.