With the HUGE hike in prices for GCN / TNT / Discovery / CashGenerators or whatever it's called now, I've not seen much cycling so far this year so it had escaped my attention that the Giro d'Italia kicks off TOMORROW, Friday 8th May 2026, in Bulgaria
I've created the usual Velogames minileague which will remain active for ALL the Grand Tours, if you log in with the same details - usually if you do that you only have to join for the first race and for subsequent races any team you enter into the main comp is automatically entered into the mini league.
https://www.velogames.com/italy/2026/
VELOGAMES ITALY 2026 BEGINS ON FRIDAY!
Velogames Italy 2026 is open for entries! Select your team of nine riders ahead of the first Velogames Fantasy Grand Tour of the season, before the entry deadline of 12:45 CEST on Friday 8th May 2026. That is 11:45 BST in the UK, and 06:45 EST on US East Coast. Good luck to all directors!
League Owner: NBT
League Name: STW Grand Tours League 2026
League Code: 613979427
I've no real idea of who's racing and who's in good form, though pricing alone in Velogames suggests that Jonas Vingegaard is expected to waltz away with the win. I'll try to find some articles with more previews / details later today
Highlights on DMAX at 7pm on Friday for those without subscriptions.
Cheers for running the league NBT.
Also barely watched racing this season, just the highlights on YouTube and an occasional foray onto tiz for the monuments. Not the same as having proper highlights.
For this giro I think JV is going walk the GC but the battle for the podium will be good and I think the competition for individual stages will be good if Visma get Jonas a few mins ahead early on and then finish the giro in eco mode to recover for the TdF as some pundits are suggesting.
if Visma get Jonas a few mins ahead early on and then finish the giro in eco mode to recover for the TdF
that was DEFINITELY my thinking when I built a team of people who might do well without including JV. Not "BLOODY HELL I CAN'T AFFORD HIM". Not that. no, not at all.
Guide to the stages and to the key times to watch for the best action
https://veloracycling.com/features/giro-d-italia-2026-stages-to-watch
Maybe we need 2 leagues one with JV and one without 😉
no real idea what is going on, but it is early in the season. Bonus if on normal TV, thanks for the info channel 39 is DMAX I think
I'm in.
Domestique have a fairly detailed stage by stage guide here
https://www.domestiquecycling.com/en/features/giro-ditalia-2026-route-stage-by-stage-guide/
Here's hoping that if Jonas/Visma do suffocate the GC race, at least their likely quite defensive approach will mean we get some good breakaway stage battles. I seem to remember during PogDomination2024 ther were some cracking stages at teh start of the race.
Bump, you have till lunchtime to create a team (you can join the league later). Don't forget to check for last minute replacement riders in case of non starters
https://www.velogames.com/italy/2026/leaguescores.php?league=613979427
Grand Tour season started last weekend with the Womens' Vuelta.
Picked a team, ready to catch it drop down the league:)
Grand Tour season started last weekend with the Womens' Vuelta.
And how dire it has been! The men's race is cracking with some absolute beast climbs, but the women's seems to be just a string of boring sprints 🙁
This has got to be the most boring opening giro stage ever. Is Bulgaria proud of this dual carriageway or something.
And how dire it has been! The men's race is cracking with some absolute beast climbs, but the women's seems to be just a string of boring sprints
Let's see what today and tomorrow bring.
This has got to be the most boring opening giro stage ever. Is Bulgaria proud of this dual carriageway or something.
And in news that surprised absolutely no-one, a massive crash. It's always the same, the organisers put in some fast flat stages early on, everyone is nervous, there's no terrain to string it out and an enormous pile up is the result.
That was a messy last 10km, wide roads to smaller roads and several trains fighting for the front.
This has got to be the most boring opening giro stage ever. Is Bulgaria proud of this dual carriageway or something.
And in news that surprised absolutely no-one, a massive crash. It's always the same, the organisers put in some fast flat stages early on, everyone is nervous, there's no terrain to string it out and an enormous pile up is the result.
So if there are no obstacles or features to cause difficulty how come the best cyclist in the world keep crashing?
So if there are no obstacles or features to cause difficulty...
I think a narrowing can be considered an obstacle or feature.
This has got to be the most boring opening giro stage ever.
The Women's Vuelta was good.
I think a narrowing can be considered an obstacle or feature.
Not really. They all know where the road narrows before they set off. It’s not as if it comes as a surprise or is unexpected. They are taking risks and those risks they choose to take cause the crash
Some climb by AVB !! “Spin to win” !!
Paula Blasi is on some form too. L'Angliru today.
Not really. They all know where the road narrows before they set off. It’s not as if it comes as a surprise or is unexpected. They are taking risks and those risks they choose to take cause the crash
Well you've answered your own question then which was "how come the best cyclist in the world keep crashing"?
Apparently you can view for free in Australia. Has as anyone got this to work in a VPN?
I have a "friend" who has been doing this for well over a year.
Apparently you can view for free in Australia. Has as anyone got this to work in a VPN?
I read an instagram post that says it’s streaming on HBO max. Is that just in Oz or here too. I suppose I could check myself …..
it’s streaming on HBO max
That's here in the uk, it is £31 a month for HBO (formerly known as Discovery / TNT/ GCN etc)
It's on SBS in Australia
That's here in the uk, it is £31 a month for HBO (formerly known as Discovery / TNT/ GCN etc)
Sky just changed our package to include HBO Max for free. It's not a "posh" package (no extra sports channels etc) so maybe you (generic "you" 🙂 ) have it as well.
I think a narrowing can be considered an obstacle or feature.
Not really. They all know where the road narrows before they set off. It’s not as if it comes as a surprise or is unexpected. They are taking risks and those risks they choose to take cause the crash
In a bunch of 150+ riders the notion of individual risk decision is a lot less applicable. Putting ~200 of the fittest people in the world together on a stretch of tarmac together and rewarding them for riding along it quickly is very much a systemic risk source.
It’s also really tempting as a cyclist to try and transpose our own experiences on to what we’re seeing on tv and think ‘those guys must suck at bike handling’. The reality is that if one of us normies found ourselves in the pro peloton we would simply perish.
Anyway, FWIW, I haven’t seen much dissection of the crash but I did note that the barriers had feet that stick out into the road - most race organisers don’t use these any more because they are really dangerous in fast finishes. I’d put money on that being the source of yesterdays crash.
It's not the best experience watching the highlights, as it's not HD. It's hard to make out the riders, especially when all the blues merge into one.
Yes, someone clipped the foot or a barrier.
Visma were looking smug riding at the back to avoid crashes. TBF the crash is pretty much where they normally hang out at the end.
One the riders interviewed at the end said his average power for the day was 180 or something. There's hope for me yet.
Course looks a bit more interesting today.
Velo games is off to a great start - I have 2 whole points 😂
One the riders interviewed at the end said his average power for the day was 180 or something. There's hope for me yet.
Yes that's encouraging. I can keep up for 20 minutes. Now just need to work on the next 5 hours.
Sky just changed our package to include HBO Max for free. It's not a "posh" package (no extra sports channels etc) so maybe you (generic "you"
) have it as well.
I got that wrong - you still need TNT to access it. Sorry 🙁
Absolute horror of a crash today. I really regret seeing the slow mo replay.
Two days, two massive crashes, awful....wouldn't want there jobs.
Bit of wasted energy by Vingago but Bernal played a blinder
Putting ~200 of the fittest people in the world together on a stretch of tarmac together and rewarding them for riding along it quickly is very much a systemic risk source.
Less than a quarter of them are actually contesting the finish. The sprinters have their lead out guys and once inside the protection zone the rest aren’t really racing
Yay! I'm top
But I fear not for long as I was counting on Yates high up in gc
Watching the highlights on DMax but I turned on about 15 minutes in so I've not seen the crash (although I heard about it).
Sean Kelly's commentary is terrible, as usual.
Sean's commentary is way better than whoever they have on SBS jeez
Sean's commentary is way better than whoever they have on SBS jeez
Neither of them are close to Ned. That’s the problem.
Neds doing the world feed with Jacopo Guarnieri. You might be able to find a territory that uses the world feed and VPN there for your Boulting fix.
In other news, the Vuelta was incredible today. There's something about the raw effort on display going up the Angliru that's mesmerising to watch. And it looks so much more green and lush there in the springtime.
UAE confirm Adam Yates not starting today.
