Giro d' Italia 2014

[tombeej]

Check mine and offer an assessment please

 

Eish, I'm sure you are more clued up than me, but I'll give it a go.

 

I think your pick of Tiralongo might be a very good one. Depends how Scarponi performs in the mountains (esp. after his crash) whether Tiralongo will be given freer reign in the hilly stuff. He loves the Giro climbs and always does well. After all, it was Contador who specifically asked for him to join him at Astana in 2010 from Lampre - he seems to be highly rated by other riders.

 

Like you, I've got Majka in my team. I'm expecting him to be minimum Top 5. Top rider!

 

Roche - with 5th overall in the Vuelta last year, a good pick too. I reckon he's fully developed as a GC rider now, and at his peak at 29 years old.

 

Basso - should give you points for GC and overall mountain points.

 

Hesjedal - eish. Would have been a good GC points pick. But might get you some stage points if the other GC guys reckon he's not a threat anymore and let him go for some individual glory here and there, so definitely not a dud.

 

Gorka Izagirre - saved from the Euskaltel-Euskadi collapse by Movistar. 26 years old and been a domestique for Sammy for the past few years, but now has a chance to make his mark in a big team with lots of support. I'll be interested to see what he does this year.

 

 

How was that?

[mon-goose]

and how about this team

 

 

 

Rigoberto Uran

OPQ

18

 

Daniel Martin

GRS

14

 

Samuel Sanchez

BMC

10

 

Igor Anton

MOV

10

 

Marcel Kittel

GIA

16

 

Fabian Wegmann

GRS

6

 

Michael Rogers

TST

6

 

Bernhard Eisel

SKY

6

 

Ryder Hesjedal

GRS

14

100

['Dale]

STAGE 5

 

The wind could be a factor today, especially early in the race, as the stage passes near the Ionian coast.

['Dale]

The stage finishes in the Basilicata region, in the heel of Italy.

Domenico Pozzovivo (Ag2r-La Mondiale) is the local rider of the stage. He lives in Montalbano Jonico that hosts the first intermediate sprint after 70km.

['Dale]

Tuesday's stage to Bari was the last chance for the sprinters until Friday's seventh stage to Foligno in central Italy.

Thursday's stage is also for the climbers, with a finish at Montecassino, near Naples.

Thanks to its geographic location, Cassino has always played an important role. It was nearly totally destroyed by the Allies in the spring of 1944 and the 70th anniversary

of the destruction of the “City of Martyrs” will be celebrated this year.

['Dale]

BREAKAWAY!!!!

 

The 11 riders in the break are: Elia Viviani (Cannondale), Ben Swift (Team Sky), Tyler Farrar and Fabian Wegmann (Garmin-Sharp), Miguel Angel Rubiano (Colombia), Tony Hurel and Bjorn Thurau (Europcar), Marco Frapporti (Androni Giocattoli), Yonathan Monsalve (Neri Sottoli), Kenny Dehaes and Tosh Van der Sande (Lotto-Belisol).

 

Some big names in bold. Viviani GO!!!!

['Dale]

The 11 have opened a gap of 1:50 after 25km of racing.

['Dale]

In theory the Orica-GreenEdge team should set the tempo in the first half of the stage because Michael Matthews is the race leader. However the young Australian sprinter has admitted he will loose the jersey on the climb to Viggiano and so Orica may leave the chasing to other teams.

This may help the break stay away today.

['Dale]

Both Viviani and Swift are chasing points for the red points jersey. It will be interesting to see if they sit up after the sprint after 70km.

['Dale]

After 40km the lead of the break is up to 3:30.

['Dale]

The wins is blowing against the direction of the race, making hard for the riders. It is also windy at the finish in Viggiano in the hills of Basilicata. Today's stage will not be easy for anyone in the race.

['Dale]

The break is working hard to establish a good lead on the peloton. The gap is now up to 4:00.

['Dale]

The break is nearing the first intermediate sprint. We can expect a battle between Viviani and Swift but the road climbs up to Montalbano Jonico so it won't be easy for any of the 11 riders.

[tombeej]

Luca Scinto, manager of YellowFluo had made this prediction of the stage.

 

The maglia rosa contenders will hope that the break goes early, that it's got decent riders in it, and that there are enough of them for it to stay away. It's good for them if it does – albeit not by too much – because they don't want to race unless there absolutely forced to. At this point they're concerned with spending as little energy as they can, and about looking after their gregari as much as possible.

 

So far, it's playing out as he said it might.

['Dale]

After 65km along the Ionian coast, the breakaway has turned inland. The sprint is just 5km away.

['Dale]

138 kms to go