Agree with post re Di2 gears. Why would you take the risk the with electric gears when non-electric are so good and reliable?

Because the purpose of the tours are to a) promote the area being ridden through; b) to give exposure to the teams & their sponsors; c) (crucial to this issue) to provide a shop-front for manufacturers to sell us lovely shiny new bikes and equipment, in a proven environment.
Replace the latest Dura-Ace groupo from the tour with a retrograde cable operated system? It’d be like going back to 23mm tyres and rim brakes. It’s not progressive, therefore it’s not justified by the price tag (and profit).
Personally, non-electric operated ftw.

Agree with post re Di2 gears. Why would you take the risk the with electric gears when non-electric are so good and reliable?

Because Di2 are mostly extremely reliable too.

Mechanical gears will also break if knocked or crashed, cables can break or get kinked, levers can be smashed… 🤷🏻‍♂️

Because Di2 are mostly extremely reliable too.

Mechanical gears will also break if knocked or crashed, cables can break or get kinked, levers can be smashed… 🤷🏻‍♂️

When have you ever managed to kink or break a gear cable during a ride? The only time I’ve ever managed it has been while performing cack-handed maintenance.

The derailleur can get bent. The lever can break. The pivots can start sticking. These are all things that can happen with Di2.

In addition, it can randomly stop working for no apparent reason.

Sorry, sorry, I shouldn’t have kick started this old argument again, can never be ‘settled’ without having actual numbers of mechanicals to compare, as opposed to anecdotal/confirmation bias 😎

Ineos pushing on a bit at the front, a few riders starting to struggle on that climb. At least the weather has improved, that descent looks nice.

Roglic in trouble again – looks like he’s had a small crash at some point and now a bike change forcing him to chase back on.

Napoli looks mental

Thomas caught out

Thomas caught out

Just back into the peloton but I reckon the team will cop a load of fines for that drafting.
This is tense, going to be a close finish. The breakaway should just barely get it by the skin of their teeth…

Edit: OK I was wrong!
That was really close.

Caught with 200 to go! They started faffing

Pederson in my team get in

Absolute idiots – they deserved to lose !!!

Defeat snatched from the jaws of victory 😂

Absolute idiots – they deserved to lose !!!

The Italian guy was a complete anchor. Much slower descender, you could see Clarke having to back off to wait for him and he didn’t appear committed to the run in.

https://twitter.com/LVCKV/status/1656675352993992705?t=f_gXo_Nw1M0AZR-cisS4og&s=19

I see Cav is continuing his run of bad luck. ☹️

I guess it’s a question of values – they preferred to have a 0.1% chance of winning against a 90% chance of a 2nd place. Maybe why I’m a boring guy on a forum and not a pro athlete!!

He’s getting all his bad luck out of the way before the Tour! Just one clean run to the line…

He’s getting all his bad luck out of the way before the Tour! Just one clean run to the line…

His team have said he needs two stage wins to guarantee a Tour de France start

Bloody hell, Eurosport highlight show didn’t seem to think the Amalfi coast merited a single snippet of footage 🙄

Defeat snatched from the jaws of victory

They seem fairly pragmatic about it.

But also an amazing sport 🤗@SimoClarke 🤝 @ADM_RossodiBuja

—
🇮🇹 #Giro pic.twitter.com/WV3zTr7f9M

— Israel – Premier Tech (@IsraelPremTech) May 11, 2023

Simon Clarke rode MvdP’s wheel all the way to 2nd at Amstel in 2019, it works both ways

and can someone get Jonathan Milan a stronger bike, as he looks like he’s going to pull the thing apart, and maybe a bigger gear above whatever monstrous thing he seemed to be doing 190rpm on

but on we go, up above 2000m tomorrow

but on we go, up above 2000m tomorrow

Yes, Gran Sasso.  A place with some notoriety…  Skorzeny and his men landed with gliders on the top of it to rescue Mussolini in 1943.

another miserable day @ the tour of wales 🙂

ffs this is a miserable procession.

One for the purists today……….

boring…….

One for the purists today……….

boring…….

Oh good, I’m no longer bothered about missing it!

I’m working on the Lincoln GP this weekend so no Giro for me then either.

Racing was a bit of a snooze-fest but I’ve been to Abruzzo on holiday a few times and it was interesting to see the helicopter shots of familiar places! I think it’s a bit overlooked as destination. Also the setting for the George Clooney film “The American”.

Enough for the tourist office …

a televised 6.10 min training ride does not make a sport.

I was all excited as I had Bais in my velogames team, only to realise that I’ve got his brother. Balls.

Great day for Remco though. He doesn’t need to attack if his tting keeps to the same level.

Always have to remind myself on stages like today that even the dullest grand tour will have some action at some point.

Gran Sasso looked a lot like Glen shee today.

Ganna out with Covid.

That blows, was really looking forward to seeing Ganna pulling up trees on Stage 9.

Ganna out with Covid

How many is that out with COVID now? Seems like there’s a dose going through the peloton (slight exaggeration).

a few, think the issue is that they’ve been quite poorly, as according to the EF cannodale chap you can still ride with a positive test.

Did I hear right, 49km/h average so far?

Did I hear right, 49km/h average so far?

That’s not unusual if it’s a long old battle to get a breakaway established.
Now that it’s gone, they’ll sit up, the gap will go out dramatically in very short order.

does Remco want to ride the TT in his own kit ? or do we get his trademark 45min/1hr threshold effort attack ?

remco struggling

**** odious, do a bloody turn.

Goooooooood racing. Oh yeah.