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

[patrick767]

Like so many others, I expected more action today from the contenders. What a huge stage and the gaps ended up being small.

Chapeau Kreuziger! After yesterday's disaster he had nothing to lose and he turned in a great ride. And of course, chapeau Ryder! He's far exceeded expectations and looks set to win the Giro. How many people would have predicted that one?

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

This was pathetic. Lol Basso. Purito, haha. Urán following wheels for three weeks now. Pozzovivo with no ambition. Gadret, invisible. Scarponi and Basso thought they could take back serious time in the last 3 km? Seriously? "They're all dead". Exactly. All of them. Which includes both those who tried something (Kreuziger, Cataldo, Hesjedal) and those who didn't (everyone else - yes, even Scarponi. Should have gone much earlier, and more importantly, should have set up a fast pace in the previous climbs).

Hesjedal, the only one we could reasonably say didn't need to take time, was the only one who gave it a serious go. Hesjedal, the one who's never been in this situation before. Says all about how disgraceful everyone else is. He's the only one racing to win, and by god, I hope he wins.

Agree 100%. Especially with the bolded. He´s the only one with guts...

 

[goggalor]

Nothing happened and everyone is dead

welcome to clean cycling

What about all the boring dirty races?

 

[XlandaluzeX]

Hesjedal, the only one we could reasonably say didn't need to take time, was the only one who gave it a serious go. Hesjedal, the one who's never been in this situation before. Says all about how disgraceful everyone else is. He's the only one racing to win, and by god, I hope he wins.

+ 1 the only one who deserves it

 

[Escarabajo]

Rodriguez
Hesjedal 17
Scarponi 1.39
Basso 1.45
Uran 3.21
Pozzovivo 3.30

Katusha has to "pull" a Liquigas tomorrow. Purito has no option but to attack.

 

[webvan]

Wow that was hard, looked like Zoncolan two years ago or Baldy. Hopefully Liqui won't be pulling all day tomorrow...or should they? Scarponi and Basso will have to drill it from the 20k mark if they want to achieve anything. RH could still crack, Evans 2002 style.

 

[jsem94]

Great racing today, well - because I was rooting for a Kreuziger stage win the way he raced.

Also, fantastic ride by Ryder. He totally deserves this Giro now.

 

[airstream]

Congrats to Roman and Ryder. Epic stage by nowadays standarts.

Calm down, saying "lol pathetic lol" about the great champion who unfortunately couldn't perform brightly right now IS really disgraceful

 

[Fetisoff]

Katusha has to "pull" a Liquigas tomorrow. Purito has no option but to attack.

Doesn't look like they have the team to do it though. They've definitely looked stronger as a team in the last two Vueltas

 

[cineteq]

I think JRod and Hesjedal are now the only two who can win, now. Scarponi and Basso are too far back with only one mountain stage left, I think.

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

 

[Fowsto Cope-E]

How good is Uran in ITT? But if he loses more time tomorrow, 5th might be a stretch

Uran is certainly a good time trialist and should be able to keep a top 5.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Tschopp will manage to get a top 10 I hope.

16th today bodes well for him.

 

[Dutchsmurf]

Hesjedal, the only one we could reasonably say didn't need to take time, was the only one who gave it a serious go. Hesjedal, the one who's never been in this situation before. Says all about how disgraceful everyone else is. He's the only one racing to win, and by god, I hope he wins.

This has nothing to do with how they race, but all with what they are capable of. Hesjedal is the only one who gave it a go, because he was the only one strong enough to do so. You can call all the others disgraceful, but I doubt they could have gone any faster than they did. Actually, in my opinion you calling them disgraceful shows a great lack of respect towards athletes riding at the best of their capabilities.

 

[patrick767]

Hesjedal, the only one we could reasonably say didn't need to take time, was the only one who gave it a serious go. Hesjedal, the one who's never been in this situation before. Says all about how disgraceful everyone else is. He's the only one racing to win, and by god, I hope he wins.

I expected Basso's team to push it harder and launch him on the last climb. They didn't come through. Hesjedal, a long shot when the Giro started, absolutely deserves it. Good for him!

 

[Rocksteady]

Very lacklustre Pink Jersey for JRod.

knows he isn't the strongest in the climbs.

 

[More Strides than Rides]

This was pathetic. Lol Basso. Purito, haha. Urán following wheels for three weeks now. Pozzovivo with no ambition. Gadret, invisible. Scarponi and Basso thought they could take back serious time in the last 3 km? Seriously? "They're all dead". Exactly. All of them. Which includes both those who tried something (Kreuziger, Cataldo, Hesjedal) and those who didn't (everyone else - yes, even Scarponi. Should have gone much earlier, and more importantly, should have set up a fast pace in the previous climbs).

Hesjedal, the only one we could reasonably say didn't need to take time, was the only one who gave it a serious go. Hesjedal, the one who's never been in this situation before. Says all about how disgraceful everyone else is. He's the only one racing to win, and by god, I hope he wins.

This isn't NASCAR or F1, where competitors can just go. Fatigue matters. It matters a lot. Being "on the limit" isn't an expression, it is an accurate description of the inability to go any faster.

It is unrealistic to expect riders to fly off the front in massive digs when they are suffering like the were today. Just look at the fact that only a little bit of pace change was enough to shake the top 6.

 

[dlwssonic]

16th today bodes well for him.

if you minus out the breakaway riders it looks better
And he will do better on the harder longer climbs.
Although his TT is crap/

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Vino praising Roman on the RAI Processo all Tappa

 

[manafana]

very impressive rides from ryder and kreuz,

 

[staubsauger]

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

no way it will become harder than sestriere 2005!

 

[Magnus]

Hesjedal, the only one we could reasonably say didn't need to take time, was the only one who gave it a serious go.

What do you mean? Is it only giving it a serious go if you succeed? Do you think that Scarponi or Basso had the ability to put 3 minutes into everybody but chose not to?

Basso tried to do it the only way he can but failed. Scarponi countered and accelerated three times to drop Hesjedal but couldn't.

 

[Froome19]

Katusha has to "pull" a Liquigas tomorrow. Purito has no option but to attack.

Why pull a Liquigas what would that help in dropping a rider who is looking stronger?

Rather they need to send some guys up the route in order to allow Rodriguez to attack either on the lower slopes of the Stelvio or on the Mortirolo if he is feeling really really ambitious as it does suit him.

Imo though Purito wouldnt want to attack but rather to consolidate his podium position, if he can before the TT. As we saw today how much stronger Hesjedal seems to be and there is a very limited chance that Purito will be able to hold off the Liquigas boys + Hesjedal.

 

[roundabout]

I am not going to make any predictions for tomorrow, but it's really between the first 2 now. Hopefully something happens on the Mortirolo though.

And I agree that Scarponi should have used Niemec, Cunego and Ulissi.

 

[dlwssonic]

I like Scarponi actually, very aggressive, just not strong enough. Basso just does not have it and waited too long for the last few stages.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

RH could still crack, Evans 2002 style.

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.

I still think that there are four possible winners there. If Hesjedal doesn't crack tomorrow, he should win. But if he does crack, Basso and Scarponi are still close enough to JRod that none of the three can be ruled out, even though Basso looks the weakest right now.

Great rides today by Kreuziger and Hesjedal. I'm impressed by the big balls on Roman, rescuing his race. And I'm obviously impressed by Hesjedal, who is riding like a GT winner at the moment.