Mntboy Posted May 16, 2015 Posted May 16, 2015 Cav' is one classy racer and one authentic dude Sagan just won a time trial stage in California Another awesome bike racerBoth are brilliant. I hope this means we are in for a treat come Le Tour. Hoping Sagan can hold on to Yellow and win the TOC that'd be good reward for his hard work the past year or so. As for the Giro, when do you reckon Beefy Berto (thanks Gen, awesome nickname for him) is gonna pull out? Surely he can't be thinking to continue into Rome with a hurt shoulder and still have enough rest to have a crack at one last TdF crown?
'Dale Posted May 16, 2015 Posted May 16, 2015 Today's stage to Campitello Matese pulls in two categorized climbs, the second category Forca d'Acerto, and the final ascent, classified first category. The Forca d'Acero is almost 30km in length and although it shouldn't pose any serious questions of the GC riders it will see the peloton thin out, and we could see the likes of Rigoberto Uran isolated if his team display the form they've carried through in the race so far. The final climb has a stiffer gradient of around seven per cent but is 16km in length.
'Dale Posted May 16, 2015 Posted May 16, 2015 And we're rolling. Alberto Contador near the head of the peloton as we leave the start line, ahead of him and the rest of the peloton 186km of racing, and that summit finish to Campitello Matese.
'Dale Posted May 16, 2015 Posted May 16, 2015 Jackets and leg warmers are the order of the day for the riders today too. Tinkoff Saxo on the front as we head through the neutralized zone. Their sole job will be to stay with Contador all day and lead him to the foot of the climb. From there Rogers and Kreuziger will need to stick with him for as long as possible. Easier said than done, and Astana will show no mercy if the Spaniard shows any weakness. This is a massive test of Contador's mettle.
'Dale Posted May 16, 2015 Posted May 16, 2015 From the start the peloton have fairly rolling terrain to deal with before a long descent and the valley before the first climb of the day.
'Dale Posted May 16, 2015 Posted May 16, 2015 The rain continues to fall on the peloton, which Contador won't be too pleased with. He would have preferred another flat transitional stage in order to facilitate his recovery.
'Dale Posted May 16, 2015 Posted May 16, 2015 Tinkoff have left a few riders jump clear in the early stages of the race. Tom Danielson kicks clear and he's joined by a number of riders, including Belkov. This could be the move of the day.
'Dale Posted May 16, 2015 Posted May 16, 2015 9km into the race and the break are doing their best to pull clear. The new few minutes are going to be crucial for their chances as more and more riders try and make the junction. The GC teams, though, seem willing to let this move stick.
'Dale Posted May 16, 2015 Posted May 16, 2015 The frenetic start here to stage 8 of the Giro d'Italia and the men on the move are - in no particular order - Gianfranco Zilioli (Androni), Branislau Samoilau (CCC), Roger Kluge (IAM), Louis Vervaeke (Lotto Soudal), Ruben Fernandez (Movistar), Eduard Grosu (Nippo Fantini), and Elia Favilli (SouthEast). Danielson helped kick things off but he's not made the final cut it seems. However there are still more riders trying to go clear from the peloton.
'Dale Posted May 16, 2015 Posted May 16, 2015 Danielson has made the cut, having bridged over and we have nine men in the move. They have 26 seconds after 15km of racing. Gianfranco Zilioli (Androni), Branislau Samoilau (CCC), Roger Kluge (IAM), Louis Vervaeke (Lotto Soudal), Ruben Fernandez (Movistar), Eduard Grosu (Nippo Fantini), Elia Favilli (SouthEast), Thomas Danielsoln (Cannondale Garmin) and Maxim Belkov (Katusha).
'Dale Posted May 16, 2015 Posted May 16, 2015 And the race continues to split with the fast pace reducing the main field to between 40-50 riders. The early break has been caught and there's a real fight for supremacy at the front of the race. How long can this brutal pace last? Certainly no easy ride for the maglia rosa today.
'Dale Posted May 16, 2015 Posted May 16, 2015 The front group, that contains the main race favourites has 1:05 on the rest of the peloton. We've not even reached the first major climb of the day and already the race is split.
'Dale Posted May 16, 2015 Posted May 16, 2015 And Contador isn't there. It was hard to pick him out with his rain cape on but he's lost contact with the leaders and he's one minute down on the first group.
'Dale Posted May 16, 2015 Posted May 16, 2015 We're going to wait for complete confirmation over race radio but that would be massive news if the maglia rosa was already cut adrift on the stage. He came into the stage hoping for a gentle start before the climbing began but his opponents have hit him early, and hard.
'Dale Posted May 16, 2015 Posted May 16, 2015 Contador has made the front group but it's come at a price and he's already lost a couple of teammates. Down to five possibly six teammates in the front group.
'Dale Posted May 16, 2015 Posted May 16, 2015 Contador now has his entire team back together and on the front of the peloton. A few more jackets are coming off and the pace lifts slightly.
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