Tirreno - Adriatico Stage 7: San Benedetto del Tronto: 9,2 kms ITT

[SafeBet]

whats kwiatkowski like as a TTer? i see he is favourite on the betting exchanges to finish 3rd, ahead of contador and purito. seems surprising!

He's very good. But I'm not sure he's got the recovery skills to be 100% after such extreme efforts (yet).

 

[willbick]

i guess he may be trying a little harder than the other 2...

 

[theyoungest]

Totally pointless TT for a race with that hard stages.
Very well possible that there won't be a single change in the GC in the Top 20.

That's not very well possible at all. For instance, we'll probably have a different podium after the TT.

This is how it's supposed to be, the GC slightly affected by the TT, but not completely decided by it (as in the races where your man Tony can win).

a bit heartless not to make a little exception for phinney

i know rules are rules but it's not like they are enforced when a big group decides to be lazy and just chill their way to the line, so they could certainly make an exception when a rider makes such an huge effort

But if you're second tomorrow, and you're beaten by a guy who finished out of the time limit the day before, I can imagine you feel pretty screwed.

 

[jaylew]

But if you're second tomorrow, and you're beaten by a guy who finished out of the time limit the day before, I can imagine you feel pretty screwed.

True, but it's still a shame. You gotta figure the only reason he finished out of the time limit was that everyone in his vicinity bailed and he had to ride alone for who knows how long

 

[gruppeto993]

Can we really say that the TT specialists like Martin or Fabian will win it tomorrow after this stage?

I don't know, and if it rains, it's really unpredictable.

Cancellara was in the break today so Im not sure whether he ll feel fresh. But if it rains, all the better for him! Rain and too much of a technical race aren't to Martin's advantage. Nevertheless I expect them to be 1-2 on the podium. Not sure which one will win. Boom should go well too.

 

[The Hitch]

whats kwiatkowski like as a TTer? i see he is favourite on the betting exchanges to finish 3rd, ahead of contador and purito. seems surprising!

Hes a tt specialist, likes this kind of distance and rides for team tt.

 

[theyoungest]

True, but it's still a shame. You gotta figure the only reason he finished out of the time limit was that everyone in his vicinity bailed and he had to ride alone for who knows how long

I know, but I give a reason why the commissaires aren't necessarily a.ssholes for not letting him start.

 

[Parrulo]

that very same reason could be applied to the gruppeto bus when guys like rojas, i know not the best example of a possible winner , actually manage to end inside the time limit. yet they are still allowed to race.

 

[El Pistolero]

Gilbert should just take an actual bus on every mountain stage in which ever Grand Tour he's riding, they won't kick him out anyway because he's wearing the rainbow jersey. They didn't throw out Cav when he got in late after all.

 

[theyoungest]

that very same reason could be applied to the gruppeto bus when guys like rojas, i know not the best example of a possible winner , actually manage to end inside the time limit. yet they are still allowed to race.

Yeah, but then you have 50 guys or so outside the time limit, in the middle of a GT... that's a different consideration.

 

[BillytheKid]

Cancellara was in the break today so Im not sure whether he ll feel fresh. But if it rains, all the better for him! Rain and too much of a technical race aren't to Martin's advantage. Nevertheless I expect them to be 1-2 on the podium. Not sure which one will win. Boom should go well too.

It could be a good or bad thing for him. The body is more prepared for the effort sometime with such efforts, although with those climbs today it is an unknown

Phinney did not make the cut? Wow. Too bad, but he may be down with something anyway. I have not seen the full stats yet.

 

[luckyboy]

Just hold on Nibs

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

the vital question will be the weather

 

[The Hitch]

Yeah, but then you have 50 guys or so outside the time limit, in the middle of a GT... that's a different consideration.

The rules should either be enforced, or they shouldnt.

Though i do fear Prudhommes response to this would be - fine lets have no epic mountain stages so the sprinters always make the time limit.

 

[Parrulo]

The rules should either be enforced, or they shouldnt.

Though i do fear Prudhommes response to this would be - fine lets have no epic mountain stages so the sprinters always make the time limit.

this. . . .

 

[Pentacycle]

The rules should either be enforced, or they shouldnt.

Though i do fear Prudhommes response to this would be - fine lets have no epic mountain stages so the sprinters always make the time limit.

Didn't they already enforce the time limit in the Tour last year? No exceptions iirc.

 

[Eshnar]

The rules should either be enforced, or they shouldnt.

Though i do fear Prudhommes response to this would be - fine lets have no epic mountain stages so the sprinters always make the time limit.

isn't that his reasoning already?

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Froome will win the TT, but Nibali will take the overall.

 

[Miburo]

Didn't they already enforce the time limit in the Tour last year? No exceptions iirc.

2 years ago in the tour of 2011 they did it.

 

[Pentacycle]

2 years ago in the tour of 2011 they did it.

Nope, in 2011 they didn't... Source

 

[Miburo]

Nope, in 2011 they didn't... Source

that's what i meant, i misread enforced

 

[search]

that's what i meant, i misread enforced

they did enforce it - but just poor Bjorn Leukemans had to quit the race that day

 

[manafana]

this will be straight forward but do watch dowsett .

 

[cineteq]

Froome will win the TT, but Nibali will take the overall.

I doubt it. He was cooked today, and his motivation is low. Hopefully Purito will keep his 3rd place.

 

[jaylew]

I don't think Froome will have a particularly good TT. I think he will probably lose time to AC. Not sure how Cancellara will go after being in the break today, especially when he said he's not really motivated for the TT. I predict a surprise winner.