Giro d’Italia

jollygoodvelo wrote:

Sorry if I've missed a note somewhere, but it looks like we're back up to 45 transfers for the Giro when I think the Vuelta was 42?  Is that deliberate?

Yep! It'll be 45 for at GTs this year, a nice round number. These races are complicated and a couple of extra transfers makes things a bit more interesting. Still averages out at just over 2 a stage.

stevemarks wrote:

Hi Folks Viviani appears to have scored 0 but is in fourth place i the sprints comp?

Am I missing something?

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Where are you seeing this? I'm seeing Gaviria, Ackermann, Demare, Moschetti, Yates. I actually don't see Viviani's name anywhere in that jersey comp.

Dr Winston wrote:

Disaster for Big Tom and my purist team....damned shame...Doesn’t look good for him.

Dumoulin is starting today but I'm not sure he will go all the way to Verona now.

Awful season for Sunweb, Matthews crashed screwed up his Spring, Kelderman crashed screwed up his season, Oomen crashed and abandoned in Itzulia

teckert wrote:

He lasted all of about 2km if that...

So he will now be doing the TdF relatively fresh.

Dr Winston wrote:

Roglic saying tonight he would quite like a break to win tomorrow and ditch his jersey....he may well get his wish.

The last climb is harder than it looks but after that the route is quite easy. The top sprinters will probably get dropped on the climb, so it is a bit of a lottery who might win from a reduced sprint, if the group finishes first.

Certain teams will probably give Friday's stage priority.

I think it depends on how long the break takes to get away and who gets in the break.

If it takes a long time for the break to go, more teams might give a hand with the chase if they don't have a rider up front.

Historically the break doesn't win very often in the first week of the Giro, unless it is a GC day.

chrisdstripes wrote:

I hedged - ulissi and roglic if it came back together, Conti and masnada for the break. So I'm all behind the break now!

Good picks. You could be on for a stage win.

It was interesting to see Thomas De Gendt said he wasn't trying for the break today as LottoSoudal think it could be a sprint finish.

From what I saw of the climb it is harder than it looks and I didn't think sprinters would be able to make it. I hope I am right.

chrisdstripes wrote:

Well that worked out pretty well

Well done great picks.

Dr Winston wrote:

I’m not sure but I think I may be on about 10 points....possibly less than if i’d Just left my sprinters in. Is there a Lanterne Rouge?

I'm slightly better than you as I had Madouas.

Hopefully Battaglin & Ulissi can do something tomorrow.

Leaving some sprinters in was the way to go today, they might get another chance on Saturday.

Dr Winston wrote:

Fernando Gaviria abandons....damn...

In both your teams ?

Dr Winston wrote:

TDG giving up on the climb. 

I really don’t understand this race this year....what the hell is going on?

Would have been very difficult if not impossible for TDG  to win the satge with Formolo, McCarthy, Bilbao there. So I guess he decided to save his legs for tomorrow and helping Ewan in the sprint.

Formolo is going to be challenging for top5 this year. He is making up today what he will lose on Sunday.

Bilbao, Gallopin & Cattaneo gaining too.

Dr Winston wrote:

Seldom ever seen a race like this. Jumbo being naive and Mitchelton Scott going too conservative...they may both pay for it.

Bilbao and Formolo let back in and now around the same time as the other GC boys after having distanced them in the opening TT is a big mistake. Love or loathe them I think it probably true that Team Sky (Inneos) would never have allowed that to happen...the Sky train would surely have shut the door on them...

Roglic and Yates have  thrown away any wiggle room inside two days....a crash, a puncture on the TT and any other number of things could really bite them now.

The race just got real again for some.

I'm not sure Sky are on the ball either, Sky should have been trying to get TGH or Sivakhov in the break today, not Seb Henao.

Dunbar said the aim today was to protect their GC riders, that was an opportunity lost.

Personally I think Mitchelton have become the polar opposite of the team they were last year. They seem to think they won the Vuelta by being ultra-cautious and think they can do the same here. At the Vuelta Yates didn't have much competition in the mountains and actually made up time on his rivals in the ITT. In this race he will lose time in the ITTs and in the mountains so playing cautious will not work.

I am surprised that teams like Bahrain, Trek, Jumbo, Katusha and others didn't work together to keep Fromolo & Bilbao closer. Today makes it more difficult for teams aiming for a top5 or top10 to realise the ambition when 2 rivals gain a minute unchallenged.

Condor Andy wrote:

Glad it's not just me Steve, I had a dreadful first week. I should have saved transfers, only 16 left and my team looks like Minardi's with Rojas instead of Lonardi.

Yes I have Minardi's team with Nibali instead of Lonardi. Was thinking of bringing in Peters but couldn't really establish if it was worth the extra transfer.

Dr Winston wrote:

Dear oh dear....missed the deadline again by a distance. Did Ackermann even start?

I’m making a right mess of this one. 

Yeah, he started. Not in a good way though, we'll see how he fares later on. I judged it wasn't worth a transfer so I've stuck with my team. Moschetti didn't start though, so that's one down for me.

No idea what to do for tomorrow. I might wait until Friday to make my changes.

Condor Andy wrote:

Which makes it super hard to call. This could end up being a really interesting stage. The climb near the end, whilst short, is really steep, and cobbled. I'd love to see some late attacks go over that one.

I've just had a look at 6 transfers I could make that would set me up nicely. Then I would just make a few changes to grab in some KOM chasers and GC men and call it a day. I might limit it to 3 or 4 for tomorrow though just to be on the safe side.

That was Viviani's last stage along with Ewan, so that frees up 2 places.

I'll probably make 6 or 7 transfers but then I have a lot remianing.

stevemarks wrote:

Ewan and Viviani DNS tomorrow imagine Ackermann will do the same.

I expect Ackermann to persevere.

It is his first Grand Tour so he will want to finish and the team will want him to get the experience.

MinardiM189 wrote:

So who is going to stop the break winning by 20 minutes today.

It's up to Jumbo for me, they don't have anyone in the break. They might get some help from Mitchelton Scott, but no one else really.

Dr Winston wrote:

Don’t understand this Giro at all. What on earth is going on? No problem with a big break today...almost expected...but 14 mins?

GC riders....what on earth are they doing?

This is exactly what I expected today although I didn't anticipate Polanc being in the break.

It was always going to be a came of call my bluff with the GC teams. At some stage I hope Mitchelton Scott have to chase and nobody does anything to help them.

Dr Winston wrote:

Sean Kelly’s “That will be the question” catchphrase getting a good outing today.

Preceded by a sharp intake of breath through his teeth with frequent smatterings of how he pronounces 'pel-la-toorn'

Dr Winston wrote:

Lopez and Landa working together, and thanking each other at the end, bodes well for some great racing. Nibali moaning about Roglic’s tactics adding fuel to the fire as well. Gonna be a good few days.

After yesterday I have added Lopez & Landa to my team for today. Dropping Degendt, who I felt doesn't have the legs just now and Demare who hasn't got the team support to challenge over the next few days.

Personally I dodn't see why Roglic should help chase down Lopez and landa who he doesn't see as a threat.

My team -

ROGLIC
NIBALI
LANDA
MASNADA
LOPEZ
CICCONE
CARTHY
VERVAEKE

Bloody annoying Eurosport aren't showing the start of the stage today.

Condor Andy wrote:

jollygoodvelo wrote:

Sorry if I've missed a note somewhere, but it looks like we're back up to 45 transfers for the Giro when I think the Vuelta was 42?  Is that deliberate?

Yep! It'll be 45 for at GTs this year, a nice round number. These races are complicated and a couple of extra transfers makes things a bit more interesting. Still averages out at just over 2 a stage.

Excellent... I like to keep an eye on my burn rate so didn't want an unfortunate surprise when it comes to needing a few swaps for the final stage