The Crostis Descent

[benpounder]

That is a mountain top finish, this is in the late/middle of the stage, anyone held up by a mechanical here is done for this years Giro.

Not saying it wouldn't be a logistical nightmare, but Zomegnan can place all sorts of neutral support over the course (as could the rich teams).

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Yep, team cars went up the Angliru.

http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=6289

 

[benpounder]

Actually, I thought they were team cars. Maybe I'm wrong.

That was a while ago, but I do remember a stuck car on one of those 24% switchbacks. My recollection is based on my remembered reaction at the time - preening petty officials F__kin up a race they are supposed to be merely overseeing. That said, you could be right.

After watching the motorscooter videos, I will admit, I am having second thoughts about racing Crostis. There are a multitude of things that can go wrong, aside from the safety aspects. Zomegnan has a helluva task mobilizing all the necessary support, and severely limiting access. Frankly, if I were running things, I would ban all mobile photographers, and only have one or two video bikes. I would limit all team support to motorcycles (2 per team), and I would have all my primary officials on motorcycles as well. In other words, absolutely no cars in the peloton (other than medical).

 

[UpTheRoad]

That was a while ago, but I do remember a stuck car on one of those 24% switchbacks. My recollection is based on my remembered reaction at the time - preening petty officials F__kin up a race they are supposed to be merely overseeing. That said, you could be right.

After watching the motorscooter videos, I will admit, I am having second thoughts about racing Crostis. There are a multitude of things that can go wrong, aside from the safety aspects. Zomegnan has a helluva task mobilizing all the necessary support, and severely limiting access. Frankly, if I were running things, I would ban all mobile photographers, and only have one or two video bikes. I would limit all team support to motorcycles (2 per team), and I would have all my primary officials on motorcycles as well. In other words, absolutely no cars in the peloton (other than medical).

Here may be one stage where there is little doubt that race radios would be beneficial.

Limiting the motorized vehicles on Crostis would be good, but there should be a ton of neutral support crews spaced regularly along the route. Problem is that they'll be needed both up and down, so I cannot imagine the logistical nightmare that would entail.

I can see a desperate rider taking the bike of a fan who rode up the previous day.

Does Lance Armstrong have a private helicopter he can donate to RadioShack? They can fly up, hover over the rider with a mechanical and drop a wheel or two.

 

[benpounder]

Yep, team cars went up the Angliru.

It appears you are correct. This was the day I was thinking of, 2002 when Heras won on that really nasty rainy day:

but down the road:

Clearly, that is a team car in the background.

 

[Hugh Januss]

Not saying it wouldn't be a logistical nightmare, but Zomegnan can place all sorts of neutral support over the course (as could the rich teams).

And more importantly how will they get cameras up there at all the important spots so that we can enjoy the spectacle.

 

[Ferminal]

This has been in the planning for years... you would hope that RCS have already worked out all the logistics of it.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

It appears you are correct. This was the day I was thinking of, 2002 when Heras won on that really nasty rainy day:

but down the road:

Clearly, that is a team car in the background.

I remember people freaking out because one of the cars got stuck. That was a ridiculous day. Beautiful cycling though.

Seeing these images of Sevilla and Heras is somewhat sad...

Can you imagine if it's a day like that on the descent of the Crostis? That would be truly insane.

 

[LugHugger]

And more importantly how will they get cameras up there at all the important spots so that we can enjoy the spectacle.

A good point! Fixed cameras to supplement the camera motos?

 

[Winterfold]

Where I live in the UK fast sketchy 20% descents on roads 2-3m wide with gravillons, huge potholes, livestock in the road and traffic coming the other way is an everyday part of cycling on my road bike. It's not cyclocross or DH MTB.

Descending at speed is a massive skill where heavier or more skillful or just more ballsy riders can get time back on the featherweight climbers. And yes it is risky and dangerous, but it is probably a lot safer than my everyday commute through London (10 riders killed already this year).

The Crostis should stay. If some riders dont like it they can go slow and will lose time. I dont have a problem with this, this Giro is massively biased to climbers and there needs to be some balance.

(*On Wednesday I was coming down one lane at 70kmh and there was a group of mentalist hikers in the road, hurrah for the modulation on Campag brakes. After a few more washes my cycling shorts may come clean)

 

[ultimobici]

How do you know that it wasn't due in part to the course? I keep reading that it was due to a "momentary lack of attention", but that's as much an assumption as anything. And I doubt that a rider on a tricky, technical descent so close to the finish is not paying attention. IMO a pro rider who veers to one side while trying to look behind him, as he's done a million times before, is a sign of rider who's exhausted.

Or a rider who looks over his shoulder either at the wrong time or for too long.

 

[Escarabajo]

From another thread:

Descent of the Monte Crostis video
http://www.cyclingfever.com/video.html?detp=view&video_idd=Mzg4OA==

More recent video. we can see the nets.

 

[theswordsman]

Last night all the Giro riders had supper at a restaurant with Zomegnan. He then got together with Contador, Nibali, Millar and others and showed a video of the safety precautions on the Monte Crostis descent.

Tuttobiciweb just posted exclusive photos of the precautions. It says "video" in the title, but they might still be adding that.

http://www.tuttobiciweb.it/index.php?page=news&cod=38903&tp=n

 

[Parrulo]

the safety measures seem to be good tbh

 

[profff]

the safety measures seem to be good tbh

zomegnan had a dinner with contador, nibali, garzelli, cioni, millar and the president of the jury van dedesderen.
vegni, the race director showed the video with the safety measures put in place on the crostis descent and they were accepted by the riders
so crostis is confirmed, as iit is reported by tuttobiciweb and local newspapers from friuli.

yesterday it snowed on the crostis, but the weather forecast is ok for the next days so it looks like that all the snow with go away from the panoramica delle vette, as it is called the 8km road falsopiano on the top of the crostis.

the giro organizers have prepared an alternative road just in case it is impossible to go on the crostis. the plan b includes monte pura ( very hard), sella razzo ( very long climb with the 3 last km with section at 15%) and tualis ( already done last year) before the zoncolan.
the dsl is more and plan b stage it is harder than crostis- zoncolan.

maybe that is why the riders accepted the crostis.

 

[nowhereman]

Pardon me if I'm a faggy man. But here's my assessment of this descenthuggging Nhutz!!!!

 

[Zerak-Tul]

****, I'd seriously request the beefiest mountain bike possible to be waiting at the top for me to switch to before descending that..

 

[The Hitch]

****, I'd seriously request the beefiest mountain bike possible to be waiting at the top for me to switch to before descending that..

Problem is you need a road bike for what comes after

zomegnan had a dinner with contador, nibali, garzelli, cioni, millar and the president of the jury van dedesderen.
vegni, the race director showed the video with the safety measures put in place on the crostis descent and they were accepted by the riders
so crostis is confirmed, as iit is reported by tuttobiciweb and local newspapers from friuli.

yesterday it snowed on the crostis, but the weather forecast is ok for the next days so it looks like that all the snow with go away from the panoramica delle vette, as it is called the 8km road falsopiano on the top of the crostis.

the giro organizers have prepared an alternative road just in case it is impossible to go on the crostis. the plan b includes monte pura ( very hard), sella razzo ( very long climb with the 3 last km with section at 15%) and tualis ( already done last year) before the zoncolan.
the dsl is more and plan b stage it is harder than crostis- zoncolan.

maybe that is why the riders accepted the crostis.

Hah. This guy (Zomegnan).

Oh so you dont want to join the navy because there is a war on.

All right then, you can join the army instead.

Dont say at the Giro we dont give you a choice

 

[Escarabajo]

Problem is you need a road bike for what comes after



Hah. This guy (Zomegnan).

Oh so you dont want to join the navy because there is a war on.

All right then, you can join the army instead.

Dont say at the Giro we dont give you a choice

The riders say they like the Crostis now after they saw plan B. LOL.

I am not scare no more.

 

[Il Guapo]

I remember people freaking out because one of the cars got stuck. That was a ridiculous day. Beautiful cycling though.

Seeing these images of Sevilla and Heras is somewhat sad...

Can you imagine if it's a day like that on the descent of the Crostis? That would be truly insane.

Here's a description of climbing, then descending Monte Crostis in a torrential rain/hail storm. Note this is the steeper descent via Tualis to Comeglians, not the Giro route via Panoramica delle Vette, then down to Ravascletto:
http://cycloclimbing.com/tour2004/alp8.html

 

[Il Guapo]

zomegnan had a dinner with contador, nibali, garzelli, cioni, millar and the president of the jury van dedesderen.
vegni, the race director showed the video with the safety measures put in place on the crostis descent and they were accepted by the riders
so crostis is confirmed, as iit is reported by tuttobiciweb and local newspapers from friuli.

yesterday it snowed on the crostis, but the weather forecast is ok for the next days so it looks like that all the snow with go away from the panoramica delle vette, as it is called the 8km road falsopiano on the top of the crostis.

the giro organizers have prepared an alternative road just in case it is impossible to go on the crostis. the plan b includes monte pura ( very hard), sella razzo ( very long climb with the 3 last km with section at 15%) and tualis ( already done last year) before the zoncolan.
the dsl is more and plan b stage it is harder than crostis- zoncolan.

maybe that is why the riders accepted the crostis.

I've only ridden it slowly, not racing, but Passo del Pura is not real hard. From the Ampezzo side, it gains about 870 meters in 12km, median gradient 7.4%, max 13%. From the Lago di Sauris side, it climbs 447 meters in <7km, median grade 8%, max 10%.

Sella di Razzo is a bit longer but not too bad- from Lago di Sauris it gains 820 meters in about 18km, 4.5% median grade, max 11%. If they would instead eliminate Passo della Mauria and replace it with the climb from the Piave to Sella di Razzo, it gains 1050 meters in 19.7 km, median grade 6.2%, max 15% (which it touches briefly in the final tornanti).

The little climb from Comeglians to Tualis, then via Solaris to Ravascletto, was included in the 2007 Giro Zoncolan stage won by Stefano Garzelli.

 

[Astana1]

It snowed during the Giro? Say it ain't so.

I'll definitely watch this stage with great interest. But really, out of all the great climbs and descents that Italy has to offer, why this one?

I watched the video of the descent with all of the safety barriers. That thing could marginally be called a road. I say leave the crappy roads to the northern classics.

 

[Escarabajo]

I've only ridden it slowly, not racing, but Passo del Pura is not real hard. From the Ampezzo side, it gains about 870 meters in 12km, median gradient 7.4%, max 13%. From the Lago di Sauris side, it climbs 447 meters in <7km, median grade 8%, max 10%.

Sella di Razzo is a bit longer but not too bad- from Lago di Sauris it gains 820 meters in about 18km, 4.5% median grade, max 11%. If they would instead eliminate Passo della Mauria and replace it with the climb from the Piave to Sella di Razzo, it gains 1050 meters in 19.7 km, median grade 6.2%, max 15% (which it touches briefly in the final tornanti).

The little climb from Comeglians to Tualis, then via Solaris to Ravascletto, was included in the 2007 Giro Zoncolan stage won by Stefano Garzelli.

Thanks for the info.

Still, 3 relatively hard climbs in exchange of 1 very hard climb might be tougher.

 

[Fus087]

I watched the video of the descent with all of the safety barriers. That thing could marginally be called a road. I say leave the crappy roads to the northern classics.

One has to keep in mind that most videos out there show not the actual descent, but the flat "Strada Panoramica delle Vette" linking the climb to the descent.
That's often forgotten in the heated discussions.

 

[profff]

I've only ridden it slowly, not racing, but Passo del Pura is not real hard. From the Ampezzo side, it gains about 870 meters in 12km, median gradient 7.4%, max 13%. From the Lago di Sauris side, it climbs 447 meters in <7km, median grade 8%, max 10%.

Sella di Razzo is a bit longer but not too bad- from Lago di Sauris it gains 820 meters in about 18km, 4.5% median grade, max 11%. If they would instead eliminate Passo della Mauria and replace it with the climb from the Piave to Sella di Razzo, it gains 1050 meters in 19.7 km, median grade 6.2%, max 15% (which it touches briefly in the final tornanti).

The little climb from Comeglians to Tualis, then via Solaris to Ravascletto, was included in the 2007 Giro Zoncolan stage won by Stefano Garzelli.

i have ridden passo pura from both sides, and the ampezzo side is harder. sella razzo is in my experience a difficult climb if you start from the piave because it is very difficult to find a good tempo because the slopes are very inconstant.
imho, plan b is harder because there more km of climbing. the crostis is hard, but it is less than 10km.

with plan b , they are going to spend more time on the saddle. that makes a big difference.

anyway, apart from some crazy south american attacker, in both hypothesis they will wait until the zoncolan to do anything. things have always gone like that with the zoncolan: riders are too afraid to blow up in the last terrible climb.