It’s Grand Tour Season! Giro d’Italia thread

For those above asking about Ineos using the classified hub system, there’s a pretty detailed breakdown over on Escape Collective:

https://escapecollective.com/optimising-ineos-grenadiers-classified-but-genius-gains/

As for the race, anyone else just assuming that Pog will find a way to find more time on everyone today?

better aerodynamics from using 1x and mechanical gains from larger chainring, straighter chainline.

Dylan Johnson touched on this sort of stuff in a video with the Silca guy, talking about SRAM’s strategy in particular of SMALLER chainrings and smaller (9 or 10t) sprockets. They thought the mechanical losses from wrapping the chain around smaller chainrings and sprockets weren’t worth it, and also talked about chainline. I could believe that a mammoth chainring, reasonably large sprocket and straighter chainline might make up for other losses (I’ve always felt that for a similar ratio, being in a bigger chainring always felt better, perhaps this is why).

What disturbs me the most is the relative freshness that the top riders finish the races / stages. MVDP in Paris Roubaix looked as fresh as a daisy.

Sort of why I’m still a WvA fanboi, when he wins he looks like he’s burying himself (snot dangling, grimacing etc) whereas when Pog and MvdP go there’s no real drama, it’s just like they’ve taken the decision to finally start trying and just ride away from everyone. Even if it is just pure, raw power and talent I find it hard to empathise with or engage with. Makes the rest of the field look amateur as well.

Ineos using the classified hub system

SRAM had a 3×9 Dual Drive years ago. I’m surprised that the losses in internal hub gearing are less than the aero losses of a (manual) FD, given they are all running a chain guide. Nice that they built it into a disk wheel though.

‘As for the race, anyone else just assuming that Pog will find a way to find more time on everyone today?’

Today is the one day he is guaranteed not to gain anytime.

It’s a rest day……

Yep, rest day then tomorrow is a short day (only 142km) starting in Pompeii and ending with a summit finish although it’s not one of the ridiculously steep things, general consensus seems to be it’s a big ring smashfest type of climb.

The final week is going to be the good part with Stelvio, Mortirolo, Livigno and into the Dolomites. This week has some more sprint stages plus some of the roads from Tirreno-Adriatico.

Word has it that the Stelvio may be cancelled due to avalanche risk.

Pog is a funny one, I think if there was a suspicion that he was doping, that other riders would speak out, or at least speak of him in unfavourable terms, but watching the TV and listening to Cycling Podcast interviews and others, his fellow riders seem to hold him in high regard and seem to like the guy?

With regards to him competing for so many stages to win, ultimately with him, i get the feeling he is a racer, he doesn’t have the clinical edge that we saw with Sky/Ineos, he seems to genuinely enjoy himself, and in the past this has has been to his detriment, how many times has he had some stage wins, and some great attempts at stage wins, only then to blow up in the 3rd week and fall apart, but he seemed to be having fun doing it. In the same way, you don’t see Jonas or Primoz (when healthy) racing so many of the classics, Pog seems to want to win everything

Stelvio is right at the start in the stage that goes over it, so it’s more there for attrition than to be raced flat out as it would be at the end of a stage. Its removal would probably be less impactful to the race as a result.

Pogacar is such a phenomenon. I’ll forever hate seeing UAE win, but he comes across as personable as he is fast on a bike. I enjoyed watching the ride video he did with Matt Stephens on YouTube. (I would post a link, but I appear to be unable to paste it here…)

probably could manage to put time in everyone else on a rest day though

I enjoyed watching the ride video he did with Matt Stephens on YouTube. (I would post a link, but I appear to be unable to paste it here…)

Sadly @EthanVernon22's @giroditalia ends today as he has to abandon the race through sickness. Get well soon, Ethan!

“?’? ?????? ???????????? ??? ?? ???????? ????? 10. ? ????? ?? ????? ??????? ??? ???? ????… pic.twitter.com/gWL5Fa2B6G

— Israel – Premier Tech (@IsraelPremTech) May 14, 2024

That’s a shame. ☹️

Also out – Olav Kooij, The Stelvio 🙁

?? #GirodItalia

This Giro d’Italia sweeps us through a range of emotions ??. Olav Kooij has developed a fever during the rest day. He is unable to continue. Get well soon, Grand Tour stagewinner ?? pic.twitter.com/jOsnU9rJgW

— Team Visma | Lease a Bike (@vismaleaseabike) May 14, 2024

❄️ The recent snowfalls on the Stelvio Pass, followed by the rise of the temperatures, are increasing the risk of avalanches.

❌ The Giro d'Italia organization, in order to safeguard the safety of the Carovana Rosa, has therefore decided to change the route of the 16th stage of… pic.twitter.com/9CmUgH66zM

— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) May 14, 2024

I might use one of the stages as a drinking game. Every time Sean Kelly starts a sentence with “Yes, well…”
I reckon I’d be hammered within about 2hrs.

Good stage, nice to see some of the “other riders” featuring for once. That’s a very select group left on the mountain now.

Giddy Aunt I’m down to 5 riders in velogames.

Well done to V. Paret Pantre, but you and your brother need a pie or two.

Also it’s been great having Ineos pro rider Luke Rowe as part of the commentary team. He’s a natural. His insights have been spot on and also he knows many of the pelaton riders well. Let’s hope he becomes a permanent fixture when he retires.

I think Luke is going to be a DS and then a team manager.

need a pie or two.

Belleville Rendez-vous vibes….

Another one bites the dust – there’s definitely something going round the peloton

?? #GirodItalia

The Giro will have to continue without the biggest smile of the peloton ?. We regret to announce that Cian Uijtdebroeks is forced to abandon the race. Cian did not feel well the past days and after yesterday’s stage, he fell ill. We wish you a speedy recovery ?? pic.twitter.com/L80yasqb2j

— Team Visma | Lease a Bike (@vismaleaseabike) May 15, 2024

Ooh, messy sprint and a crash mid-bunch. Thought it might have been an Ineos rider went down but it was an Arkea rider. Ineos did a cracking job keeping G up the front on the run in to get to the 3km safe zone before the sprint teams took it on.

Average speed for the first 30 mins of today’s stage is 57kph /35mph. 🤯

Should be a good one today – if they’ve got any legs left after the opening 50km!

need a pie or two.
Belleville Rendez-vous vibes….

Just to go back to little Paret-Peintre, I put my 13 year old daughter on the scales last night, just to compare. She’s tall for her age, but skinny, and weighs 2 kg more than our stage winner. Freaks, every single one of them!

How lovely that the Polti KOMETA team are offering bottles and gels to Alaphilippe from their car. Go Julian.

I’m not watching live btw.

I wonder what the French is for ‘ram it up your hoop, Patrick’

Brilliant ride by Alaphilippe. So good to see a break avoid being hoovered up by the pelotone (Sean Kelly) in the last 5 metres.

Mmmm I wonder if Lefevere will let Lou Lou ride La Vuelta Espana.

Might not watch all of today’s stage live then.

Maybe just turn on after 60-90 minutes and use timeine markers to skip tothe attacks, then watch the last 20km or so?

Lovely recap of yesterday’s breakaway effort here from Marco Maestri

https://x.com/TeamPoltiKometa/status/1791214897138659466

And a quick link to the league

https://www.velogames.com/italy/2024/leaguescores.php?league=347313627

Word is there might be crosswinds.

Might not watch all of today’s stage live then.

The Breakaway saying that this is the flattest road stage ever in a Grand Tour and that includes some of the stages they’ve had in the Netherlands!

Race just starting, an ultimately doomed breakaway containing riders from the 2 Pro-Conti teams has been allowed to disappear up the road immediately then the sprinters teams shut the whole thing down in the peloton. Rumours of crosswinds further down the road but everyone is just relaxed at the moment. Going to be a pretty dull day until the final 20-30km.

Definitely a day to watch the break go (took 20 seconds…) and then get out on the bike before coming back to watch the final 20km

I wonder what the French is for ‘ram it up your hoop, Patrick’

Lol, yep. **** that guy.

Please can one of the commentators come up with an adjective other than “pan” to describe the flatness…. 🙄

Saw Robbie McEwen previewing the parcours  – “The are some spikes in the elevations. Don’t get excited, they’re bridges”

Saw Robbie McEwen previewing the parcours  – “The are some spikes in the elevations. Don’t get excited, they’re bridges”

Once did a 150 mile sportive called “Flat out in the Fens”, 96% of the route was below sea level, and i ended on 68m of climbing in 150 miles, they were all bridges, so dull i looked forward to corners for something to do….

Ey up something has happened!
Ineos drilling it out of a corner and creating splits. Milan, Merlier, Pozzivivo, Gaviria amongst others dropped

Ineos have just blown the race to bits – around a 90 degree corner and they smashed it out of that cutting a big swathe into the peloton, a lot of people caught unawares. Pogacar safely up in the front group – that could have been interesting if he’d been towards the back!

This is suddenly quite fascinating. Lidl-Trek really caught unawares and chasing hard, it nearly came back together then suddenly the gap went back out again, the rear group then split into two.

It will come back together but there’s a lot of shredded nerves all of a sudden.

Perhaps went off a little earlier than expected, but a mostly boring stage with a breakaway dangling of the front door and then a frantic finish

Itt no 2 today. 31km, mostly flat. Another highlights day for me

Itt no 2 today. 31km, mostly flat.

excellent – got stuff to do

Same here – riding today then I’ll watch tomorrow’s Queen Stage.

Currently stuck to the sofa with a sick 2 year old. Reckon today’s the day he gets to learn about aero positions and pacing strategies.