Stage 6: Bressanone/Brixen - Mayrhofen

[Anonymous]

Today I think its a good chance the break away gets to the finish.We as a team def gonna try put some one in it!Maybe even me who knows!

24 minutes ago from TwitterBerry

 

[Anonymous]

depends really how much columbia and lpr want this one... but my mind says this may be the day the big teams take a rest of some of the lower guys have a go.... the climbs arent really up to that much..

ive been trying to work this one out, and looking at the way garmin really saved there energy on tuesday figure they are going to try something... so gone through the last two days to see a few riders that have been hanging around with the garmin boys two days in a row and going to take the brave step of attempting to pick a breakaway...

Gorazd Stangelj - Liquigas
Matthieu Sprick - BBox Bouygues Telecom
Tom Stamsnijder - Rabobank
Alberto Fernandez - Fuji-Servetto
Francesco Bellotti - Barloworld
Björn Schröder - Team Milram
Ben Swift - Team Katusha
Alexander Serov - Team Katusha
Daniel Lloyd - Cervehlo Test Team
with either Danielson or Millar and of course robbie hunter

then again, logic dictates, long pelaton training day, large group break away towards the end, and pettachi has a go for it..

 

[Leopejo]

The stage started hard, with plenty of attacks, but twenty minutes ago it was still gruppo compatto - sorry, I mean bunch packed. 27 km raced in about 34 minutes makes for a fast start.

 

[benpounder]

If the proper break establishes, then it is an easy day. If not, I look to see Liquigas or Astana trying to force a selection on the final climb - with hopes of making time gaps more discernable.

 

[Anonymous]

The stage started hard, with plenty of attacks, but twenty minutes ago it was still gruppo compatto - sorry, I mean bunch packed. 27 km raced in about 34 minutes makes for a fast start.

i cant find a live link.. rai tre showing football..

 

[Leopejo]

i cant find a live link.. rai tre showing football..

The live feed - or at least a live program - will start at 1.35 pm local time.

The official text feed (in Italian, but mostly short sentences, rider names and time gaps, so easily understandable) is here. The final 06 is for today's stage, change it accordingly in the following stages.

 

[benpounder]

English text updates just started here:

http://velonews.com/live/2009/giro-d-italia/stage-6/

 

[Leopejo]

Wow, 47,6 km/h average after two hours (that makes over 50 km/h in the second hour), and it's not that the course has been downhill all the time. They actually are some 200 m higher than the start line and already climbed almost 700 meters. There must be some tailwind.

The peloton wasn't going slow either, but now they seem to have lost 2 minutes in a few kilometers. 6'38" behind now (which means a 45 km/h average).

 

[stefank]

Anyone who can see pictures - did the new Astana kit eventuate?

 

[kjetilraknerud]

Since Scarponi is only around 6:30 behind Di Luca, I doubt that the break will make it. My guess is that someone like Cunego will try to attack hard on the last climb, gets caught, and then Di Luca wins the sprint.

 

[ingsve]

Something that sometimes happens is that a break like this gets some time and then when they get close to getting too much time the peloton gains time to keep them from gaining too much time without really catching them.

That's one possibility at least.

 

[Merckx]

I hope so Won't be around to change my picks before the 20K to go, so I'm hoping the break survives today. Ideally they stay intact but finish 1-2 minutes ahead of the mainfield.

 

[Leopejo]

44,7 km/h average after three hours. Not bad considering that they are halfway up the first climb.

 

[Leopejo]

And 44,1 km/h after four hours, with the peloton starting to close on the fugitives.

 

[flyor64]

And 44,1 km/h after four hours, with the peloton starting to close on the fugitives.

My "live" text updates are obviously delayed...they're showing a 9:38 gap right now. I assume everyone is down the Felbertauern descent...

 

[Leopejo]

My "live" text updates are obviously delayed...they're showing a 9:38 gap right now. I assume everyone is down the Felbertauern descent...

Already on the flat. Ten minutes ago the attackers passed the 75 km mark.

Oh update: 5'12" and one km to the Neukirchen (?) intermediate sprint.

 

[Jasper]

The gap is already under 5 mins, and Aqua & Sapone is pulling in front of the bunch. Maybe Garzelli is up to something today? Forcing a breakaway and trying to stay in front in the descent?

 

[Bala Verde]

Something that sometimes happens is that a break like this gets some time and then when they get close to getting too much time the peloton gains time to keep them from gaining too much time without really catching them.

That's one possibility at least.

that's what almost always happens when there are not (other) teams invested in the victory of the day. As long as the group works together, the peloton will keep on controlling the race. (unless no one takes resp, as in the TdF Pereiro Sio case)

Anyhow, the group has split up (Kyri, Scarp vs the three others, Gatto, Klost, Bonnafand) and their lead seems to be dwindling down from 6:30 to 5?

 

[ingsve]

The question now is if any teams will work together to bring the escape back completely for a sprint. I don't see what teams would be interested in that. The teams that it would benefit would be LPR and Columbia but I doubt that they would be interested in doing the work. The alternative would be another team with a sprinter but that would be doing work only to benefit Petacchi and Cavendish.

An alternative could be that some riders will attack to bridge the gap to the leaders if the gap gets a bit closer.

 

[kjetilraknerud]

Acqua e Sapone will try to drop all the sprinters on the hill, then Garzelli will try to win a sprint at the finish. However, Boasson Hagen will beat him.

Top 3:
Hagen
Garzelli
Di Luca

 

[Leopejo]

The gap is already under 5 mins, and Aqua & Sapone is pulling in front of the bunch. Maybe Garzelli is up to something today? Forcing a breakaway and trying to stay in front in the descent?

It seems that Garzelli tried very hard to get into a break at the start of today's stage, but he wasn't allowed to.

 

[ingsve]

An alternative could be that some riders will attack to bridge the gap to the leaders if the gap gets a bit closer.

And there goes Garzelli...

 

[Jasper]

Ha, I'm such a Nostradamus

 

[Leopejo]

His DS said Garzelli is a very proud cyclist, that's why he tried today both at the start and now. The DS doesn't feel very happy with this action though.

 

[Bala Verde]

Seems like Garzelli wants to catch up with Scarponi and Kiry (who is not going to be able to follow Scarponi soon, I wonder if he'll want to try and stay together or just go for it by himself... it's a long stage..)

40 Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo @ 6.41

So they can give him some leeway, and let the breakaway succeed. Nonetheless, I wonder how much LIQ, LPR etc will want to allow Garzelli. He lost yesterday, but I doubt they will want to put him back in the saddle again. He is an old, sly warrior...