[Other Sport] Cycling geeks

[Stat Brother]

This is a poor Giro

The weather has nullified the mountain stages and Nibali is going to win virtually by default.

We haven't been treated to a kamikaze sprinter from a 2nd Tier Italian team or a random climber tearing it up in the mountains.

In fact, i'd go as far as to say the current crop of GT 'contenders' is as weak / thin as I think I can remember.

Now i've lobbed that grenade into the thread - i'll take a step back!

I kind of see what you are saying.
Being Mr Terrestrial TV, I'm pretty new to the Giro and have enjoyed the viewing.

I never get the post Tour comments of 'well that was pretty dull', mainly because I'm so involved in the event and all it entails, the actual racing can almost become secondary.

I missed the finish of today's stage as I went out for a spin with jnr, but that did give me the chance to mull over this post.

The conclusion I came to was, a la Armstrong and Indurain, it's not the event it should be when it appears the winner has soft pedaled for all 3 weeks, bar perhaps 1 day. That could well be the case here.

 

[Stat Brother]

An admirable attitude to accepting that. I may have put a laptop through a window!!

I wasn't going to win, following the herd, and I'm not going to come last, :fingerscrossed: either.

My reign in this Giro has been very West Brom!

 

[Pantani]

5,10,11,12 and 21

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

5, 6, 10, 12, 14

Not sure how that'll fare really.

 

[Stat Brother]

None of my goons even had the decency to come last.
The whole lot rolled in between 64th and 145th.

Top work fellas, I doubt they'll even need a shower tonight

 

[1066familyman]

Certainly not the tactic for me. I'm a bit annoyed as I used up a transfer bringing in Pellizotti as I thought he might get in the break today. Now I haven't got my usual 3 in 3 out transfers for isolated sprint days.

Still got 2 in the break today (Pirazzi and Weening) so i'm hoping the latter will be able to chip off the front on the final climb.

Trying to weigh up the transfers for the TT now - if I bring in 3 sprinters for tomorrow I'll be stuck with one for the TT.

Blimey, I'm being fantasy wheel sucked First it was Chalapud, then Majka, now Pellizotti.

Oh well, I gave young Fabio Felline and old stager Visconti a good old go today. Nearly came off but not quite.

Btw, - 5, 8, 10, 12, 14, 20. Visconti 22nd

 

[1066familyman]

Truly bizarre this, Radioshack and Katusha defending 11th and 12th respectively. What is the point?

Kelly and the other guy keeping speculating whether Cav can make it over. They must be mentals, if they think he will be there at the end. Oh, and piss off Kelderman, he has now broken clear of the rest of the break with Sella and Pate chasing.

EDIT: Maybe Katusha are pulling it back for Paolini? I would like that a lot.

It was toss up between Felline & Paolini for me today fantasy wise. Fancied Paolini to lap up all that descending today but kept faith with Felline instead. Thought I'd cover any potential disappointment with a £1 e/w on Paolini @ 40/1. No joy on either unfortunately

 

[1066familyman]

None of my goons even had the decency to come last.
The whole lot rolled in between 64th and 145th.

Top work fellas, I doubt they'll even need a shower tonight

You'll be needing that waste of a real life team place M. Gavazzi for that. Last man home AGAIN today

 

[1066familyman]

This is a poor Giro

The weather has nullified the mountain stages and Nibali is going to win virtually by default.

We haven't been treated to a kamikaze sprinter from a 2nd Tier Italian team or a random climber tearing it up in the mountains.

In fact, i'd go as far as to say the current crop of GT 'contenders' is as weak / thin as I think I can remember.

Now i've lobbed that grenade into the thread - i'll take a step back!

Can't agree with the poor Giro proposition personally, although I agree with some of what you say.

Weather has made it a bit of a war of attrition but it also produced a classic solo monumental mountain stage winner in Visconti yesterday. It also sorted out the men from the boys on the wet descents and provided opportunities to attack from GC.

I also agree about it being a weak crop of GT contenders and in many ways I think it's meant this Giro being more exciting with the likes of Ryder going silly so early on (stage 3) because he knew he had to do something crazy as he wouldn't live with Nibs in the mountains.

Sprint wise there's simply been no competition for Cav, but I've been impressed to see young Battaglin come of age on the more selective stages, and it's a real shame he crashed out.

KOM has seen Parazzi in virtually every break going and for a while there I was hoping Chalapud could really make a competition of it. There's an outside hope Visconti might try it on Friday & Saturday but it's certainly not been the epic battle we had in last years tour between Tommy V & Kessiakoff (which was the highlight for me in a dull edition).

Young riders comp has been superb I think, with Majka looking to be in great shape and Bentancur even better! Added to that, both aren't afraid to attack, and Bentancur especially is well exciting to watch.

Finally I think the parcours have been well thought out and offered a lot of variety with something for everyone. As a result GC has been tempted into fireworks on stages that more often than not would just go to the breakaway. I was lucky enough to catch the last 20 odd kms live today just as they approached that final cat 3 and that was a brilliant finale to me with everyone on GC bar Santambrogio going at it hammer and tong! What more could you want?

Disclaimer: I confess however that I'm fairly new to Giro watching having been tied to terrrestial TV viewing of only TdF for years. I'm sure you'll be able to recall more exciting editions than this.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Strava is undoubtedly an addictive beast, but unlike a lot of things, it's generally a very positive addiction.





and while I'm sharing video's, I don't have a wheel truing stand and my back wheel on my new (old) bike had some loose rattling spokes and was a bit out of shape. Anyway, this little tip for truing your wheel worked pretty effectively for me!

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

You'll be needing that waste of a real life team place M. Gavazzi for that. Last man home AGAIN today

Been booted out for getting a tow!

 

[1066familyman]

Been booted out for getting a tow!

Good, no loss there. To come last on semi sprint stages (not talking about today as that really was a nasty last climb) with a bump in them is a disgrace. Even Kittel isn't that bad!

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

Good, no loss there. To come last on semi sprint stages (not talking about today as that really was a nasty last climb) with a bump in them is a disgrace. Even Kittel isn't that bad!

Theo Bos -esque

 

[Pantani]

Theo Bos -esque

This, Bos and Gavazzi should be made to race each other over the route for Fridays stage. The loser has to retire from pro cycling, the winner will probably want to as well, hopefully.

 

[Pantani]

Good, no loss there. To come last on semi sprint stages (not talking about today as that really was a nasty last climb) with a bump in them is a disgrace. Even Kittel isn't that bad!

At least Kittel actually wins races. What has Gavazzi ever done?

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

At least Kittel actually wins races. What has Gavazzi ever done?

Interestingly kittel was U23 world tt champion (as hushovd was) so should have the engine to get over the bumps.

 

[1066familyman]

At least Kittel actually wins races. What has Gavazzi ever done?

'Tis a fair point. I seem to remember him having some decent form going into this, albeit in minor races, and being able to get over lumps. Perhaps he's been sick too I wasn't getting him confused with Francesco either.

 

[1066familyman]

Interestingly kittel was U23 world tt champion (as hushovd was) so should have the engine to get over the bumps.

Was that edition a prologue in disguise

 

[Pantani]

'Tis a fair point. I seem to remember him having some decent form going into this, albeit in minor races, and being able to get over lumps. Perhaps he's been sick too I wasn't getting him confused with Francesco either.

He won the Giro di Toscana, which surely cannot be totally flat, especially looking at past winners and having some geographical knowledge. Maybe he has been sick but why carry on if you are getting dropped on the flat stages?

 

[Pantani]

Interestingly kittel was U23 world tt champion (as hushovd was) so should have the engine to get over the bumps.

European not Worlds. He came 3rd and 4th in the Worlds.

Edit: but the point still stands.