The 100th Giro d'Italia

[dev null]

Tommy D is reminding me nicely of Big Mig. That mould of a superb time trialist who can defend his options in the mountains. Okay so he's not a beeeeeeeg as Indurain was but he can diesel up a slope and nail it massively against the clock and his rivals and never seems to get flustered or panic. Liking how this race is sizing up even after the moto incident on Blockhaus. So much racing and so much to play out and set for the epic final TT. 

 

On another note good to see TJ is continuing doing the opposite to what he says in interviews and sound bites... "I'm not here to make up the numbers". Cracks and is shepherded up the first major climb by his domestique. "I can make up alot of losses in the time trial, there is a lot still alot to play for". 43rd on the stage. 

 

As I said previously, a has been. He will do himself and the sponsors a favour by only focussing on the classics and one week races, or opening a cycling shop somewhere.

[Pure Savage]

Stages 16 and 18 will see Tom lose at least 5 to 6 minutes combined.

 

http://static2.giroditalia.it/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/T16_Bormio_alt_web.jpg

 

http://static2.giroditalia.it/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/T18_Ortisei_alt-1.jpg

The last one is down hill

 

 

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[Pure Savage]

It was a good win for Tom and he should keep the Pink Jersey quite comfortably until Mid third week when the really hard repetitive climbs begin. I think Tom may struggle there, three hard climbs in one day may be very hard for him, especially if Movistar up the pace from the get-go.

 

But we will see I guess, it would be great to see him win, I am not sure Sunweb without Kelderman are strong enough to assist him, so if he cant form alliances with other teams, he will be very vulnerable.

Would not be suprised to see sky riding with tommy D

 

 

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[nochain]

It was a good win for Tom and he should keep the Pink Jersey quite comfortably until Mid third week when the really hard repetitive climbs begin. I think Tom may struggle there, three hard climbs in one day may be very hard for him, especially if Movistar up the pace from the get-go.

 

But we will see I guess, it would be great to see him win, I am not sure Sunweb without Kelderman are strong enough to assist him, so if he cant form alliances with other teams, he will be very vulnerable.

Yes it's all about the team now for him.Big thing is all of the remaining hilltop finish climbs suits him and not Quintana.They are nothing like blockhouse..shorter and mostly below 8% gradient all of them cat 1 climbs.He also has another 30k TT..That's big!

This race will NOT be won on the finishing climbs.They will need to apply big pressure from far out and will have to do it on multiple days.

If his team can keep him with the other GC guys until the last climb of the day he should walk it.

Don't want to ginx him but he is in a very good place to win this.

But I think Quintana and Nibali will know that those climbs will not be enough and they have no option but to go long...makes for good aggressive racing.Interesting design that all of the monsters are stacked mid stage for the 3rd week.

[Gen]

Race on

 

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['Dale]

When I see the result, it’s pretty good, eh? I was fighting with myself. I actually didn’t have a good feeling but apparently it was really fast. A lot of the GC riders didn’t have a good feeling. In my last TT’s I gave up a little bit when I wasn’t feeling good, and then I was always disappointed after. Now I thought ‘I don’t give up, I go full to the line’, and it was more than enough.

 

Tommy D

['Dale]

It's a bit worse than I hoped. Dumoulin was flying, he's a specialist. He could be my biggest rival now. Nibali rode well, too. I hoped to go better but we'll find our way to get some time back.

 

Quintanaaaa

['Dale]

I think I did a great time. I don't know the exact times but I think my performance was good and all the work we've done with Merida for my bike helped. I judged my effort carefully because my computer was affected by the TV motorbike. I could only see my cadence and tried to keep it over 100 strokes a minute.

 

The Shark from Messina

[T-Bob]

As I said previously, a has been. He will do himself and the sponsors a favour by only focussing on the classics and one week races, or opening a cycling shop somewhere.

I think every publication, commentator, fan and journo' are running out of ways to say that about every performance in a GT for years. I just love the continued tubthumping and cut and paste sound bites from the team DS despite everything that happens around him and the reality.

[coppi]

How was that bunny hop from NQ.........some great MTB skills there I must say, could have cost him dearly if he was not awake

 

 

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[GrumpyOldGuy]

Tommy D is reminding me nicely of Big Mig. That mould of a superb time trialist who can defend his options in the mountains. Okay so he's not a beeeeeeeg as Indurain was but he can diesel up a slope and nail it massively against the clock and his rivals and never seems to get flustered or panic. Liking how this race is sizing up even after the moto incident on Blockhaus. So much racing and so much to play out and set for the epic final TT. 

 

On another note good to see TJ is continuing doing the opposite to what he says in interviews and sound bites... "I'm not here to make up the numbers". Cracks and is shepherded up the first major climb by his domestique. "I can make up alot of losses in the time trial, there is a lot still alot to play for". 43rd on the stage. 

Ha, Ha, Yeah, nothing like a bit of positivity!  

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Stages 16 and 18 will see Tom lose at least 5 to 6 minutes combined.

 

 

 

 

Yeah, I also think that he will struggle there, especially if he is isolated. I am pretty sure he can keep up the pace over one climb, maybe two, but its pretty much unknown how he will hold out over three big mountains in one day, especially if Movistar go hard on all three, which is very likely, I think it will be very hard for him.

 

On the other hand the weather may also play a role, I dont think Quintana will be as comfortable as Tom in the cold wind swept mountains, especially if it pelts down icy rain, or even snows, and this may play into Toms hands.   

 

All in all he really cant afford to be much more than a minute or so behind Quintana on the final day to feel comfortable, it will be a tall ask, Movistar are a really tough, hard, well schooled team, but like Pure Savage says he may find an ally in Sky, that would work for him, we can only guess but it will be interesting.!     

[dev null]

I can almost guarantee that Movistar will have 1 or 2 riders in the break every day now where there are some climbs.

[Bub Marley]

Tomorrow is an interesting stage and might suit Nibbles with a descent finish. I wouldn't be surprised to see him attack just before the summit and then take some risk on the descent to claw back some seconds.

 

 

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[SwissVan]

 

I feel for Geraint Thomas, but ...

 

Did anybody notice how no-one signals an obstruction in the road?

 

 

Are pro riders too high and mighty to do that?

 

The policeman was perhaps wrong to be stopped at that point, but he was as far off the road as possible, and was on the white line demarcating the edge of the road.

 

The riders had the whole road width bar 0,5m?

Its was possible to have 10 riders astride at that point.

Is this not simply a normal racing accident?

I wonder iif the race leaders could not have waited for GT seeing it was not exactly a normal racing incident, you know the "let's ride a bit slower till he catches up again" thing.....

 

Suppose the excuse will be they were to close to the finish (distance wise maybe, but not time wise imo)

 

Anyway it's done, karma karma will come calling one day

[Thor Buttox]

I wonder iif the race leaders could not have waited for GT seeing it was not exactly a normal racing incident, you know the "let's ride a bit slower till he catches up again" thing.....

 

Suppose the excuse will be they were to close to the finish (distance wise maybe, but not time wise imo)

 

Anyway it's done, karma karma will come calling one day

I see it as the same as a streaker interrupting a tennis match or cricket or rugby. Or a train in Paris-Roubais. An outside influence not seen as a natural event like weather, should be neutralised by the commissaires, not by the players.

 

But the problem with that is they need to police the crowds far more to reduce the risk of dickheadery.