Tirreno - Adriatico Stage 6, P.S.Elpidio -> P.S.Elpidio, 209 kms (11/03/2013)

[Eshnar]

I know ill get flamed for this but it was only a great last 15km. up until then it was the usual peloton chasing break. Its because we are used to seeing stages with excitement only last 3 k that people say it was epic.

Stage of the year that is. 15 kms of action are a lot more than anything we-re gonna see this year, except for a possible crazy Nibs on Giau

 

[cocteau_ireland]

Out for a coffee before work n come back to this beautiful development!! After y'days low now can hope to believe again. Love being fickle n love certain bike riders for having real balls.

 

[BillytheKid]

jeez its hard to praise riders nowadays lol

Sorry, the problem with reading into it. Posting

 

[Descender]

True.
But what many people seem to miss here is that Nibbles actually attacked on the final part of the wall. He was second behind Intxausti on top and then extended his lead on the descent.


It's not always about balls. He was the strongest. Period.

Would he have gotten 50 seconds on Froome if this had finished uphill? I don't think so.

Nibali is awesome. Cycling needs more riders like him. Hats off to him.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Really because he lost the sprint

No because, Horner and those other 2 got a gap on him the last hill

 

[Dazed and Confused]

9.2kms?

Pretty sure it's done and dusted.

top 10 from last year:

1 CANCELLARA, Fabian (RADIOSHACK-NISSAN) 10:36
2 BENNATI, Daniele (RADIOSHACK-NISSAN) + 0:12
3 MEYER Cameron (GREENEDGE) + 0:16
4 TUFT, Svein (GREENEDGE)
5 BOARO Manuele (SAXO BANK)
6 ROULSTON, Hayden (RADIOSHACK-NISSAN) + 0:17
7 STANNARD, Ian (SKY PROCYCLING) + 0:18
8 VELITS, Peter (OMEGA PHARMA-QUICKSTEP) + 0:20
9 NIBALI, Vincenzo (LIQUIGAS-CANNONDALE)
10 PINOTTI, Marco (BMC RACING) + 0:21

 

[burning]

The gc is done.

Nibali while not the tt great some make him out to be is quite good at times, especially over this length. wasnt far from Canc in the tdf prologue last year i recall.

No way in the blue hell is he losing 30 seconds. Even if he has a mechanical.

From 2012 TDF Prologue:

11. FROOME Chris SKY 16" 0
12. VELITS Peter OPQ 17" 0
13. EVANS Cadel BMC 17" 0
14. NIBALI Vincenzo LIQ 18" 0

It is very unlikely that he will lose GC

 

[pastronef]

epic stage. yesterday I criticized Nibali for his comments and whining about the Srm (and for all the Sky haters backing him)

today I have to take my hat off, and to Purito and Sagan too.
and to HORNER!

ps. Acquarone said on twitter that today there were too many abandons. so he thinks he misjudged the race course, he apologized for the mistake.
the problem was not the course, it was the weather.
many tweeps congratulated him for the choice of this stage and for the great racing.

I hope he understands and keeps having this kind of stages

 

[wwabbit]

Froome seems pretty useless when he doesn't have the Skyborgs. Kind of like Ric Ocasek without the Cars.

Yeah he sure was pretty useless back in Oman when isolated!

 

[JimPanzen]

No because, Horner and those other 2 got a gap on him the last hill

Yep, he seemed to struggle on the last climb and was pretty cooked after that.

 

[Winterfold]

Have current race designers learned that classics style stages in stage races are cool yet?

You don't need many, just one in a week or a couple in a grand tour.

 

[willbick]

can i be stupid and ask what the nibali froome time gap is please?

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Nibali showed Sky some marginal gains today.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

can i be stupid and ask what the nibali froome time gap is please?

Around 30 seconds, I believe.

 

[Telmisartan new]

Does anyone know what Nibali was saying to Froome and the Colombians earlier in the stage? He looked pretty wound up,powermeter debate fresh in his mind,i wonder if he was asking Froome if he had the bottle to race without it.

 

[BillytheKid]

From 2012 TDF Prologue:

11. FROOME Chris SKY 16" 0
12. VELITS Peter OPQ 17" 0
13. EVANS Cadel BMC 17" 0
14. NIBALI Vincenzo LIQ 18" 0

It is very unlikely that he will lose GC

+1 The fat lady has not sung yet as we say here.

 

[wwabbit]

can i be stupid and ask what the nibali froome time gap is please?

48"

Froome was 20" ahead, Nibali took another 6" bonus, so it's a 34" lead for Nibali

 

[Dazed and Confused]

What a top 10 (GC) in a 1 week stage race:

1 Nibali (AST) 27:57:26
2 Froome (SKY) +0:34
3 Rodriguez (KAT) +0:37
4 Contador (TST) +0:48
5 Kwiatkowski (OPQ) +0:58
6 Horner (RLT) +1:05
7 Santambrogio (VIN) +1:20
8 Niemiec (LAM) +2:54
9 Amador (MOV) +2:58
10 Poels (VCD) +3:08

 

[SafeBet]

Would he have gotten 50 seconds on Froome if this had finished uphill? I don't think so.

Absolutely not.
I'm totally with you about the importance of descents.

 

[Winterfold]

I am also thinking we will see a dirty cheating much better TTing Nibali tomorrow who has been ruining racing by using a wind tunnel and power meter and making full use of the Specialized Tri and TT geek squad

 

[willbick]

still think with the longer TTs in the GTs and more straightforward controllable big mountain stages that SKY will win the GTs

 

[Beech Mtn]

GC:

1 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team 27:57:26
2 Christopher Froome (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:00:34
3 Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Katusha 0:00:37
4 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Team Saxo-Tinkoff 0:00:48
5 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 0:00:58
6 Christopher Horner (USA) RadioShack Leopard 0:01:05
7 Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) Vini Fantini-Selle Italia 0:01:20
8 Pryzemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) Lampre-Merida 0:02:54
9 Andrey Amador Bakkazakova (CRc) Movistar Team 0:02:58
10 Wout Poels (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM 0:03:08

 

[TeoSheva]

Etapa 6:
1. Peter Sagan (Cannondale) 5:46:17
2. Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) a 2
3. Joaquim Rodríguez (Katusha) m.t.
4. Mauro Santambrogio (Vini Fantini) a 44
5. Samuel Sánchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) m.t.
6. Chris Horner (RadioShack-Leopard) m.t.
7. Alberto Contador (Team Saxo-Tinkoff) m.t.
8. Jurgen Roelandts (Lotto-Belisol) a 50
9. Thor Hushovd (BMC) m.t.
10. Simon Geschke (Argos-Shimano) m.t.

General:
1. Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) 27:57:26
2. Chris Froome (Sky) a 34
3. Joaquin Rodríguez (Katusha) a 37
4. Alberto Contador (Team Saxo-Tinkoff) a 48
5. Michal Kwiatkowski (Omeha Pharma-Quick Step) a 58
6. Chris Horner (RadioShack-Leopard) a 1:05
7. Mauro Santambrogio (Vini Fantini) a 1:20
8. Przemyslaw Niemiec (Lampre-Merida) a 2:54
9. Andrey Amador (Movistar Team) a 2:58
10. Wouter Poels (Vacansoleil-DCM) a 3:08

suprise by Roelandts too!! he's ready for the classics!
and chapeau to Kwiatkowsky,Santambrogio and Horner to be up there!
I think Michal can still reach the podium tomorrow... 10 sec to Contador and 20 to Rodriguez are not impossible...

 

[willbick]

48"

Froome was 20" ahead, Nibali took another 6" bonus, so it's a 34" lead for Nibali

thanks. surely insurmountable barring problems

 

[BillytheKid]

I am also thinking we will see a dirty cheating much better TTing Nibali tomorrow who has been ruining racing by using a wind tunnel and power meter and making full use of the Specialized Tri and TT geek squad

That is fair game. No history of it not being so, eh?