Been some fantastic racing. Today was excellent, looking forward to the mountain TT tomorrow.
Bob Jungels has the best name in the peloton I reckon, and handy with it.
Excellent stage today. Had to feel a bit for Atapuma getting caught so close to the finish.
Amador held on for as long as he could, great finish for him. Valvpiti didn't want it, you could tell he's saving it up for next week. Zakarin's pulling it out from his bibshorts to stay up there, and good on him for that. MrKrys is playing a blinder and I have him in for a top 3, pulled it all back pretty much on his own with Chavez doing fewer turns than Valvpiti does. Shame Nieve couldn't pull up there, he's a cracking rider but today could be the start for next weeks Alps tour de force for him.
Stunning stage, unbelievable place to ride. Today was the crowning glory of the Giro IMO.
Tomorrow will be an as is in the GC, each of them will be knackered, but I think Valvpiti will pull 30-40 secs back on Nibbs.
Didn't see it unfortunately. I'm riding the passo di giau in the summer so was hoping to get a preview!
The Giro has always been the best grand tour, and this years had some amazing racing so far in stunning landscapes!
I love Italy. It's responsible for me, as a child, falling in love with road cycling. We were lucky enough to spend some summers in the hills above Como.
Such a piti that Valverde lost time today. [url= http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/giro-ditalia-valverde-blames-altitude-problems-after-losing-three-minutes/?utm_content=bufferb98b4&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer ]'Altitiude problems'[/url] apparently.
I so want to watch, but I can't convince my family to let me subscribe to YET ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL SPORTS CHANNEL just so I, personally, can watch a single event. Consequently, I am stuck trying to watch free streams in Basque, or whatever else I can get my hands on.
Very frustrating.
Consequently, I am stuck trying to watch free streams in Basque
Things being in obscure languages doesn't stop the spawn watching them on Youtube. I swear I caught the small one watching Peppa Pig in Serbo-Croat the other day.
Saxon, you can subscribe monthly though so you'd be paying around a fiver for 1 event that is 3 weeks long?
I get it for the cycling but usually end up signing up for the 12 months package as the off-season is so short, and as it works out less per month I'm getting winter sports for pennies.
Eurosport £5 a month. Not having to listen to Phil and Paul during the Tour, priceless.
Not been watching loads of the Giro this year. Few highlights here and there, but today's stage was a good one.
Last two stages have been tremendous.
Another member of the bob jungels fan club here.
Intrigued to see how it shapes up next week, so unpredictable.
Great stage. I can't help thinking there were some strange tactics going on at Movistar
Todays stage should be interesting, 10k and 1800mtr climb with the twists and turns coming just over halfway in with a nasty ramp 3/4's of the way into the stage.
With all the faves pacing themselves except Bala, it could be one for the pure climbers without GC contentions. I'm going to plug for one of the small Italian Teams BCSF, Nippo or Willier. Each of these teams have performed really well considering the might of the Leading contenders, but this is a pure climbing stage and it'll be hard for one of the leaders to let a climbing domestique loose to blow up and be no use next week.
Should be fun to watch.
Was quite impressed with Nibali yesterday. Ok he got dropped but he did go on the attack, then managed to peg the gap with a tough solo effort. Be interesting to see how he goes today given that effort. Great days racing.
Reckon it'll be a GC rider for the win today.
I think someone like Nieve will do well today. He won on Friday so has good form, but lost time yesterday, possibly saving himself a little after being dropped from the main group (I'm guessing the dropped bit as I only saw until 40k to go).
Saxon - don't consult the family, tv subscriptions are a dictatorship in our household, seeing as I pay!
Bob Jungels has the best name in the peloton I reckon, and handy with it.
Seems like a nice lad too. Bearing in mind he's been one of the most famous faces in Luxembourg since his late teens, and he's pretty wealthy for a 20-odd year old, he seems fairly comfortable with it all and hasn't let it go to his head. Interesting conversion from 1-day rider to stage races though, wouldn't have thought he'd have done that.
Super impressed by Chaves again. Another young chap with a bright future, particularly if Greenedge can manage to build a slightly better GC team.
Handful of Russians you've never heard of from Gazprom at the front of the mountain TT. Nothing dodgy there.
Handful of Russians you've never heard of from Gazprom at the front of the mountain TT. Nothing dodgy there.
Move along, there's nothing to see here...
Seems legit
Blimey, bit of a disaster for Nibali. Kruijswijk's Giro to lose now with over two minutes to play with.
And don't forget Ilnur Zakarin; the coming man after doping as a junior/neopro but everyone is amazed at his sudden development whilst at Katusha... 🙄
everyone is amazed at his sudden development.
Are they? Doping rumours aside, he's been improving steadily for a few years now.
[url= https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gazprom%E2%80%93RusVelo#Doping ]Gazprom have quite a bit of previous.[/url]
Blimey, bit of a disaster for Nibali. Kruijswijk's Giro to lose now with over two minutes to play with.
One bad day in the mountains and he can lose that. Can't say I'm sad to see Nibali and Valverde down on the GC. I'd be happy with either of the first two winning.
Handful of Russians you've never heard of from Gazprom at the front of the mountain TT. Nothing dodgy there.
Hmm. 😐
Completely unrelated, honest: I keep misreading the branding on all those Mediolanum banners littering the parcours as Meldonium...
Are they? Doping rumours aside, he's been improving steadily for a few years now.
Sort of, a break out 2015 but before then not much of note against serious competition.
Steven 😯
I just hope TLJ can support him to the end, they're a good team but have had a hard time keeping up with him in this Giro..
Epic ride Steven.
😀
Sets things up for another great weeks racing.
Jesus, Vino is looking more and more like a Bond villain every day.
"We are all here to support Vincenzo... who is leaving us next year probably... and has had an unexplained mechanical... muhahahahaha"
I doubt a mechanical like that could be "planned". Bit of a shame really, I prefer to see performance decide the outcome. Kruijswijk is looking really good though.
Nice to see Valverde put time into Amador - I have a sneaky suspicion he was held back yesterday though he says not.
Oh and yes, Gazprom!! Who are those guys?
Gazprom = ex Rusvelo the feeder team for Katusha.
I keep misreading the branding on all those Mediolanum banners littering the parcours as Meldonium...
+1. Quite unfortunate.
Bit of a shame really, I prefer to see performance decide the outcome
all part of the racing, can happen to anyone, and Karma for attacking Froome last year just as he had a mechanical.
Only caught bits of it but interesting to see some of the "marginal gains" - Nibz number was printed onto his skinsuit, and Kruijswijk was the only rider I saw with aero/TT bars.
Will we finally get a Dutchman delivering on his early career promise and actually win a Grand Tour?
8th overall 5 years ago, 2nd in the young riders in this race. He, Gesink and Mollema (lovely bloke!) really were expected to have trouble the Grand Tour jerseys before now.
crashtestmonkey - there were a few with clip on bars, but not many.
Today's stage looks like a corker. Bit of a chaotic start.
Sean Kelly letting us know that Ulrika Green Hedge are working hard in the chase group 🙂
Not watching other than highlights posted on Facebook.
Wish ITV 4 would show it.
I don't watch much (hardly any) TV, so only have Freeview.
Oooof Nibali's popped. Great stage this.
Good stage today, loads going on. Time gap reporting all over the place though!
Big crash for Zakarin on the descent, hope he's ok, broken collarbone apparently.
That's a spoiler friendly way of putting it 🙂 Fortunately my afternoon conference was cancelled, so I'm glued to the race.Good stage today, loads going on
I seem to be working from home today... I quite like this new job flexibility. Yeah, cracking stage so far, still another big day tomorrow.
Painful to watch.
I ended up having to give up. There were no streams consistent enough to stay on top of, and not being able to view-on-demand means that there is nothing to see by the time I get home. 🙁
Just found a stream and am settling in. Interesting is the word.
One small mistake in three weeks of racing.
No idea how reliable those time gaps are though.
Before I say too much, are spoilers aloud on this thread?
Don't know.
Clock's ticking.
Everyone looks cooked, seems like a brutal stage.
The GC, blimey, should be a good one tomorrow!
Brutal [img]should be a good one tomorrow!
[/img]
Tomorrow will be VERY tasty indeed. There are certain people I thought were out of the running that suddenly look interesting again.
Edit. That stage profile make me feel sick just looking at it.
A few riders in tears at the end of that stage. Emotional turmoil!
I don't think I am the same species as those guys. I just don't understand how they can ride so far, so fast, and over such terrain, never mind do it day after day.
Oh what a surprise! Nibali (The Snake of Messina) makes a miraculous recovery to take the toughest stage in the race so far after failing miserably on every other stage so far.
Not since Floyd Landis have we seen such an amazing turnaround in fortunes...
What are you suggesting... he's found his battery charger?
Anyone else watching the eurosports highlights this morning? First advert break was a spoiler for the rest of the hours programme
Not since Floyd Landis have we seen such an amazing turnaround in fortunes...
I thought Nibali's performance was pretty reasonable. He's not had a really bad day. He's struggled a bit to follow the attacks but he's often rode well to limit his losses, with some impressive solo efforts. He's been there abouts in the time trials too. Certainly not some Lazarus like performance.
Would have been a different race yesterday if it wasn't for Steven K's error.
I see the eurosport player is still bug heavy, 12 months on from using it last time. Still I got a promo for £1 so can't complain too much.
But I definitely prefer Imlach over Flecha. I know where I'll be watching the tour, even if it is in standard definition.
Yesterdays stage was really good though.
30k to decide the Giro. Tension building nicely!
Here we go!
Ooof thought that might happen, he's been looking more and more tired during this last week. Man up the road too.
Can't watch 🙁
makes a miraculous recovery to take the toughest stage in the race so far after failing miserably on every other stage so far
hmmmm, much as I dislike speculation on a one-off, couldn't help but wonder yesterday. I bet those tests he had done required needles in his arm and everything 😐
<runs from thread until gets chance to watch the recorded race>
Chuffing
Ek
😯
No fan of Nibali or Astana but I think he's been pretty consistent and they've played it very well, not making mistakes, having a strong team and good tactics, and really taking advatage of pretty much any opportunity. Chaves's level has been dropping all the way through the last week.
Erm...
Double chuffin ek
😯
😯
Amazing comeback. Unfortunately as it has Vino attached to it I can't help but be a little suspicious
Blimey.
I think what you have more than anything is Nibali showing his experience of riding 3 week tours, his experience of seeing how easily things can change and his experience of winning. And probably more importantly mental toughness. Poor form a week ago can soon change, especially if he remains at the same level while everyone else tires.
Of course this win was really fortunate luck based on Kruiswijk's mistake yesterday. Had Kruiswijk not crashed I'm sure Nibali would have still taken time, but not 3 mins. Even today with his injuries Kruiswijk didn't look too bad, very brave ride considering he could barely walk last night.
https://mobile.twitter.com/NOSsport/status/736308655549775872
Maybe there's something in acupuncture after all?
Amazing that a rider of Nibali's calibre has now won four grand tours. Shows what you can do with consistency, luck, and the right race selection.
I think what you have is everyone else misfiring. Stevie K crashed and then blew up on the climb having had to do a load of work on the flat while Chaves and Nibali got a tow. Valverde can't seem do cope with altitude. Chaves got really tired in the last week too. And Zakarin couldn't stay on his TT bike then fell into a ditch. Despite all the bad press Nibali managed to stay in touch with everyone other than Stevie K.
I think what you have is a rider with Astana, managed by Vino, towed yesterday and on earlier stages by a domestique who worked with not one but two dodgy doctors, making yet another remarkable recovery towards the end of a 3 week GT after seeing doctors for "tests".
Never liked him and never believed in his performances.
Vino looks like the sunburnt blond kid in the park with ice cream chops!
Just caught up, Astana played it really well but can't help thinking Nibali is the luckiest rider...
Neither of the Steves won (Chaves or Kruijswijk) so I am saddened.
I've just watched on demand. Nice of Eurosport to give you two audio streams for the price of one. And the laggy one with lots of inteference, just for a bonus.
Seems like the on demand provision is even worse than last year. The Ned Boulting highlights on youtube are excellent quality, pin sharp image, I'm guessing 1080p but shame at just 3 minutes long no where near long enough to get any context whatsoever. Where can you watch Boulting? I see canada have him for free.
Cracking race though.