Just watched highlights of stage 2.
Fabulous job by Katusha getting organised quickly and getting their man back on the bunch.

flat, wide & straight means a bunch sprint, surely ?

Ewan -> Greipel -> a.n. other

Edit, misread the graphic:Doubt it’ll be worth a watch before the 5k banner. If it was tomorrow’s wind though, … Weather does look intersting 😯

today looks worse I was adding before seeing your edit 🙂

Might have to get out for a ride earlier – that might be well worth watching

I do love an echelon

I do love an echelon Il gruppo panico 😉

Oof, crosswinds eh?

big crash, fairly early on and quite near the front. One or two GC hopefuls involved ??

… and a slew of Belgians & Dutchmen to lead it all in with a minute over the rest 😀 (per bikebuoy)

scaredypants – Member
… and a slew of Belgians & Dutchmen to lead it all in with a minute over the rest (per bikebuoy)

Ah, a man who over the years has got to know me.

I’m not predictable, nope not at all.

However, crosswinds are a Dutchmans forte, but doing all that work for little gain at the end ? I think they’ll leave it until the Dutch invade the lowlands in stages 5,6 & 7 on the mainland before burning the legs of the weary.

Tomorrow is a rest day, if the wind still kicks up it’ll be a bumpy ferry trip across the Etruscan Sea. Think of all the effort the riders have already completed, and all the gels and haribos they’ve scoffed..and all that will make for a few upset stomachs..

day before a rest day – I think they’re going to smash it if they get the opportunity !

I reckon TdM or Kruiswijck would be delighted with even 20 seconds

Hoping the bunch gets shredded by crosswinds 🙂

Is a bit early in the race but the Dutch and Belgians won’t be able to help themselves if there’s a whiff of crosswind.

Days like these the others need to put Movistar and Quintana under pressure. Won’t be many opportunities.

doesn’t look like it at the moment, I recon the race director think theres no point splitting the peloton as it will all come back together when they turn back into the wind for the last 20k

So far the pace is pretty brutal, being driven along by that tailwind. Wonder what it’ll be like when they turn right along the southern edge of the coast? Possibly a bit more sheltered, possibly one hell of an offshore wind.

for the ccc rider in the break

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSrOJ1ig6tI[/video]

Are there any live online streams?

steephill.tv will likely have a stream or 2. Can be a bit ropey though, I gave up last time and just ponied up for Eurosport Player for the year (£29)

you get the feeling the teams are saving themselves for Etna 🙁 lotto have the peloton ripping along at the moment !

This is getting messy…
No-one has the power or presence to carry this one, the head/crosswind is making it incredibly sketchy.

Can hear the yells in the peloton, everyone wants to be at the front. I’d be amazed if this comes out without a pile-up…

a big gust a the wrong time could cause chaos 🙂

Look at the power numbers, they’re all over the place as they surge and push, ease off, slip into a gap, power on again.

Messy as hell this one, that’s a brutal wind!

this is mental, a sprint from 20 km out !

That’s done it!
#echelon

Quick-Step are experts at this sort of thing.
Greipel out of pink for sure.

G might be OK, he’s up on most of the rest of the GC contenders but not in the lead group.

QUickstep – LOL

this is tense for gc contenders, getting spat out the back is brutal

mental

go g-man, tuck in behind the gorrilla and go again when theres more shelter

Hmm, that second group has come back together…
Front group is disorganised but QS have the numbers so I doubt they’ll be too bothered.

Where is Quintana??
Nibali and Thomas are in group 2.

Looks like it’s back to headwind now or at least a bit sheltered from the crosswind.

do love a team full gas attack

this is brutal !

brilliant wind riding from quick step

I know it’s way, way harder than it looks but it’s like nobody noticed the whole of quickstep at the front there.

It had the feel of watching a breakaway with Steve Cummings in it – wait for it, wait for it. Boom

that was impressive stuff to spit andre out the back (on the flat)!

that was impressive stuff to spit andre out the back (on the flat)!

Looked like he was pretty much back on, then was almost like a mechanical

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pk2PqJWFXqs[/video]

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo4zCS9qmUk[/video]

Early Hiatus After the QuickStep Masterclass!

More on the power and the surges as the selection was made:

Incredible Strava stats give an insight into the echelons at the end of Giro d’Italia stage three

some custom paint jobs in the race

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JWiWcUSGHM[/video]

Looks like there may be a NW wind tomorrow. Hopefully that doesn’t result in a stalemate up Etna.