Giro d' Italia 2015

[Jay_B]

Lovely I finish work at 13:00 today and will be heading straight for the couch...

[ScottCM]

Top Three after Stage 18:

 

1 (1) http://www.scorito.com/images/img-first.pnghttp://www.scorito.com/images/img-rating.pngScott C-M             3124

2 (2) http://www.scorito.com/images/img-second.pnghttp://www.scorito.com/images/img-rating.pngtombeej 2015        2889

3 (3) http://www.scorito.com/images/img-third.pnghttp://www.scorito.com/images/img-rating.pngwinstonian1984     2880

 

Champion for the round is Hopefield with an impressive 172points, well done bud.

[Bianchisti]

Didn't see any of yesterday's stage and can see what Berto did. All the other contenders would've followed him and suddenly Astana was staring down the barrel watching their podium places fade away if they didn't chase. Nice payback.

 

But I can't help thinking it would've made more of a statement if he made the peloton wait for them. Easy to say 24 hours later sat on the couch with no adrenalin pumping I'm sure. But that would've been a statement of note. The stuff of legends.

 

Anyway. On with today's cracker.

[ScottCM]

Hesjedal bike tested for motor: “It’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard of” http://cdn.velonews.competitor.com/files/2015/05/Hesjedalmotor-1-659x440.jpgRyder Hesjedal's bike was tested for motorization after Thursday's stage. Photo: Caley Fretz | VeloNews.com

Ryder Hesjedal (Cannondale-Garmin) stood outside small corral behind Thursday’s pink-covered podium presentation, arms akimbo, legs bowed out by the tall cleats on his shoes, looking a bit lost. He’d just ridden his way into ninth overall in the Giro d’Italia, sticking with Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) over the top of stage 18’s major climb. Now the UCI was taking his bike off into a tent.

“They were checking my bike for a motor,” he said, walking out of the closed-off paddock after his Cannondale was returned.

The whole process took about four minutes, as rider and soigneurs looked on. The UCI didn’t find what it was looking for, in Hesjedal’s bike or in any others.

Hesjedal’s was one of five bikes snatched at the finish line by men in dark blue UCI polo shirts as part of an ongoing effort to root out what has, thus far, proven to be a unicorn of a rule violation — a bike that powers itself. Though the technology does exist, few pros seem to think it feasible.

The UCI also checked the bikes of stage winner Philippe Gilbert (BMC), Ag2r’s Rinaldo Nocentini, FDJ’s Kenny Elissonde, and Contador. A UCI official refused to comment on the checks when queried, but an official race communique described them as “unnanounced bike checks to clarify the absence of hidden motors.”

“We proceeded to verify the bicycle by removing the saddle, or the pedal axle to view the inside of the bottom bracket,” the communique states.

Rumors of impropriety tend to spread like wildfire within the confines of the professional peloton, even if they have, historically, rarely made it past those confines. But of half-dozen riders polled on Thursday, not a single had ever heard a single concrete story of motorized assistance. In fact, most didn’t believe it to be possible at all. Most simply laughed — a far cry from the tight lips that usually greet questions about cheating.

“I haven’t heard any rumors about it,” said Nathan Brown, one of Hesjedal’s teammates, and a young rider who entered the sport well after peak omerta. “I don’t see any way there could be motors in the bikes.”

Hesjedal, speaking with VeloNews and then a quickly gathering group of reporters, was succinct in his judgement of the new tests.

“It’s the stupidest thing. It’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard of,” he said, shaking his head. “It’s not possible. It’s just not possible.”

Possible or not, the UCI wants to keep this particular method of cheating from getting a head start.

 

[SwissVan]

Snipped...

 

But I can't help thinking it would've made more of a statement if he made the peloton wait for them. Easy to say 24 hours later sat on the couch with no adrenalin pumping I'm sure. But that would've been a statement of note. The stuff of legends.

 

Anyway. On with today's cracker.

 

My thoughts as well, IF he had waited he still would / could have ridden away from them anyway as the stage progressed. All he did was lower himself to their level.

[ScottCM]

Chad Haga's latest Journal entry after being in the initial breakaway yesterday

 

http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/05/rider-journal/chad-haga-giro-journal-never-say-never_372052

 

"Roberto Ferrari from Lampre-Merida was sitting on, for no reason I could understand. Then the typical Italian road grew a pothole that took down a Damiano Cunego at the back, also taking down the tagalong"

[HappyMartin]

I don't agree. It's a bike race. Not a yoga convention.

[SwissVan]

I don't agree. It's a bike race. Not a yoga convention.

 

 

Even in pro bike racing there are some unwritten rules, probably because of thing called 

" karmabackandbiteyouonedaywhenyouleastneedit "

[Gen]

Even in pro bike racing there are some unwritten rules, probably because of thing called

" karmabackandbiteyouonedaywhenyouleastneedit "

I think that must have been just a bit of payback... also I read somewhere that bert was always going to attack there regardless if what was going on behind him.

[Gen]

http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/05/news/monte-ologno-contadors-payback_372058

[ScottCM]

Gen, set that PVR... It's gonna be one helluva stage!

Deep into week 3, it's gonna hurt.

 

image.jpg

 

And tomorrows Stage

 

 

 

 

GC Top 10 fights bound to happen over the next two day

 

Fight for 3rd

Amador and Aru are only distanced by 56seconds

 

Fight for 6th

Caruso & Konig fighting for 6th with 21 seconds between them

 

and 1 min 48back the

 

Fight for 8th

With only 8 seconds separating Ryder and Kruijswijk 

 

I'm sure we will see some great fighting today and tomorrow.

[ScottCM]

I foresee Monday being the worst Monday i "have had/going to have" in a long time. After all the action of the past three weeks and what lies ahead for the weekend, the withdrawal symptoms are going to be worse than any rest day could ever be!!

[urbanroyal]

I foresee Monday being the worst Monday i "have had/going to have" in a long time. After all the action of the past three weeks and what lies ahead for the weekend, the withdrawal symptoms are going to be worse than any rest day could ever be!!

Then you go on a ride ..and you replay some of the stages in you mind... you see Berto going for a break ..you get out of the saddle. .climb like crazy....and voila. ..new KOM.....????????????????????

[HBO]

Karma is a blixem.

 

I hope this was only payback and this is not becoming the norm to attack when a leader/ serious contender has a mechanical/ nature break.

 

I must agree that if AC have waited it would have made one hell of a statement. He would have gained more respect, more friends in the pro tour (who knows what might happen in the TDF) and more fans.

[HappyMartin]

Even in pro bike racing there are some unwritten rules, probably because of thing called 

" karmabackandbiteyouonedaywhenyouleastneedit "

And perhaps that is what that was. Karma.

 

Astana can be grateful they got a return so quickly because karma is believed to increase the longer it takes for the payback to occur.

 

Contador did them a favor and explained with his legs why what they did was not cool.

[SwissVan]

I think that must have been just a bit of payback... also I read somewhere that bert was always going to attack there regardless if what was going on behind him.

 

Well it was a move that even had the commentators on eurpsport confused

 

Yea sure that's a bit like road rage, we all want to make them pay, but sometimes keeping calm and doing things the clever way ends with the best result.... i.e. wait for them and then ride them off your wheel.

 

Unless he was not confident enough to try that

 

[cross out the n/a option]

Hope it backfires on him  / does not backfire on him in the next 3 days 

 

While 5 minutes seems unbeatable he still has to handle 2 monster stages and another +/- 650 km after his effort yesterday