The Giro!!! - VeloNation - Cycling Forums, Bicycle Forums, Community Forums

Posts:4209

05/02/2017 09:57 AM
race starts Friday....course is pretty damn tough this year. Quintana has to be the overwhelming favorite, but is he willing to dig deep and potentially sacrifice the Tour? , My guess is yes, since I think he knows he can't beat Froome (and certainly not on this year's course). So going hard to win the Giro gives him a big victory and a bit of a built-in excuse come July. Unfortunately, what was looking like the THE stage race of the year has dropped to a 2 man race....Quintana and Nibali. Stage 4 could be a real game changer if someone takes a big lead....in fact, I would think that would be a good idea for someone like Quintana. Rip off a huge ride that day, grab a lead and then follow wheels for the remainder fhe remainder of the race...

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:4499

05/02/2017 11:16 AM
Wait the race hasn't even started and its already down to 2?!? BTW - what's going on with Froome? He seemed patently sluggish at Romandie. Its early I know but still.

Posts:4209

05/02/2017 11:36 AM
I'm willing to entertain other contenders...but with Aru and others out with injuries, what was once a stacked field really only has two major contenders, IMO....guys like Jungels, Kruijswijk and Dumoulin are in a (distant) second group.

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:4499

05/02/2017 04:12 PM
Could be...but before they crown one of these two I expect major fireworks...the Giro always seems to deliver...rarely boring.

Posts:1767

05/02/2017 08:17 PM
The Giro is always explosive! ...and what's with the King of Descents contest this year? Surely nothing bad will come of that {insert eye roll here}

Posts:3180

05/02/2017 08:52 PM
Dale, the Giro wants to expand their fan base. They've been looking at the NHL and seeing that the fight and beer thirsty hooligans aren't flocking to Italy in May. This is the ticket. And more seriously; I love the best of pro hockey. Got to see Bobby Orr play for my home-town team. But I never had any use for the fights. Nor do many hockey loving parents I know. They don't bring their kids to NHL games because of the crowds. If the NHL cracked down on fighting, the hooligans would go somewhere else and families would go to watch one of the greatest games there is. Ben

DonnaMobile

Posts:71

05/02/2017 11:32 PM
I suspect that the descending competition is a hoax. There's no mention of it on the official Giro site, or on the Gazzetta site, nor has there been any official press release about it (I have press accreditation so I get them all). You can download the official race bible here: http://www.giroditalia.it/eng/news/il-garibaldi-e-on-line/ If you have a VPN subscription you can watch the live stream on the Rai (Italian network) site (it is geoblocked). Sure, there are riders I would like to see do well (like local guys, Joe Dombrowski, TJ, and Nibali of course) but I adore all the riders and just want to take in and savor the entire dazzling spectacle: scenery, personalities, narrative, backstories, etc. The penultimate stage is a few miles from my home, and the penultimate climb is one I know well (from Valstagna to Foza, on the Asiago Plateau). It's an austere WW1 road that is in the Giro for the first time. It's unknown outside the area so it will be fun to see what happens and what the world thinks of it. That's where I will be.

huckleberry

Posts:824

05/03/2017 07:46 AM
As usual, I'm jealous of Donna...

Posts:1767

05/03/2017 07:53 AM
The Kamikaze Jersey has been canceled. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/giro-ditalia-cancels-best-downhill-rider-prize/ And what Huck said...

Posts:4209

05/03/2017 08:33 AM
Posted By christopher behrens on 05/03/2017 07:46 AM As usual, I'm jealous of Donna... Word.

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Posts:625

05/03/2017 11:13 AM
79. Never was a hockey fan, but I lived in Pittsburgh for five years. My wife's cousins were fans, and I went to several Penguin games. I realized that it's a LOT more interesting when you see the whole ice. But the fighting was so stupid. It's not even like, tempers flare, and they don't tamp it down. To me (granted not a trained eye), it looked more like silly theater. When you see the whole ice, you could see, "oh OK, this guy is going to go beat this other guy". My sister is a pretty level headed gal. She went to university in Canada, and was married to a Canadian for awhile. She tows the "it's part of the game" line. Nick

Posts:3180

05/03/2017 11:59 AM
Nick, suppose NHL hockey was played in a way that one could not male a living being a "goon". ie paid to take out the premier players of the opposition, where fights would be very detrimental to your income. (Yes, fights will still happen. Hockey is a very physical and dangerous sport. The margins between perfectly legal very hard hits and very dangerous ones small. It is the most dangerous sport of the majors inherently. (Hard ice, 60 MPH closing speeds quite possible, sticks, pucks and skates. A very solid steel pipe cage to slide into.) But when hockey is played well and clean by the best, it is an incredible sport to watch. Fast, beautiful. The best hockey skaters are something else to watch. Seeing the best defensemen skate backwards so easily. (I mentioned Bobby Orr above. It was 20 years before I ever saw anyone skate as well - in any sport. Kurt Browning, the Canadian figure skater was up there.) Fun side note: Hockey equipment is a blast to skate in! You can fall any which way and not get hurt. The stuff is totally goofy to see and put on, but man, does it work! And all that padding interferes with skating absolutely zero. (You well dressed pro is wearing - stockings, garters and shorts. All of them.) Ben

Posts:4499

05/03/2017 01:34 PM
The story of hockey is that of Sidney Crosby. Until they weed that crap out its unworthy of attention. And yes...what Huck said. Hab is actually out in Venice now but he's peaking too early and gone by time Giro arrives. Plus it sounds like he's not going to be doing any riding...double sacrilege. Nibali is playing it cool and downplaying his own chances http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/nibali-cagey-on-his-chances-at-the-giro-ditalia/

Red Tornado

Posts:159

05/04/2017 10:00 AM
Personally, I would be OK with one of the 2nd tier guys pulling out a surprise win. Gotta keep a stage race interesting and the Giro usually delivers. I agree with OC about Nibs trying to stay under the radar as much as he can and will let his riding do the talking. We'll see if that tactic works. Big time hockey fan, also. Up through the 90's or maybe early 2000's was a rougher, "goonier" sport than it needed to be. They have cleaned it up somewhat in recent times. It's not easy to hold your temper in the heat of the game when a guy is taking (what you believe) cheap shots at you. Like Nick A's sister, I just accept it as part of the game, and as I stated earlier it's a cleaner game now than it was. How much cleaner? That's debatable, but it is cleaner. Remember the old saying, "I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out."

Posts:625

05/04/2017 04:21 PM
Giro: Well, two doping pops before it even starts! Hockey: I once tried to skate on hockey skates, instead of your standard rental figure skates. OMG, that was HARD! Nick

Posts:3180

05/04/2017 08:11 PM
Nick, once you get used to hockey skates, figure skates are dangerous! Those teeth up front? Kinda like having an auto-lock front brake on your bike. Hockey skates go have the feature of rocker, the curvature of the blade. It runs the whole length whereas figure skated get progressively flatter at the back. All about turning really tight turns and stopping fast. (My dad used hockey skates to skate-sail on large ponds. He had the rocker taken out when they were sharpened to be more stable at very high speeds. He got clocked on police radar at 60 once. You would have found his skates a lot less exciting than standard hockey skates.) Ben

Posts:3180

05/05/2017 03:56 PM
Oops! (Spoiler) The best laid plans of mice and men. Someone unhitched the lead out train. Everybody got dropped. The best day of his life for one rider and a lot of other sprinters and teams hanging their heads. Good thing - day one was virtually crash free on a windy day.

Posts:625

05/06/2017 09:06 AM
Spoilage 2.0 below: I just love, love, love, whenever the solo flyer works. I wish something other than Le Tour got a little more TV time in stati uniti. N

Posts:4209

05/08/2017 08:38 AM
Crap....a rest day already?!?!?! Yeah, I know they ahd to transfer off Sardinia, but I am realy looking forward to Mt. Etna....

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Posts:1767

05/08/2017 09:23 AM
Tuesday it's going to blow apart but I don't see why the transfer day has to be a rest day. Couldn't they swim to the mainland and count that time for the GC?

Posts:525

05/08/2017 09:43 AM
That was a great finish yesterday. Dale, thought of how much you would have enjoyed riding in THAT wind :-) Kind of a let down, not seeing Brambi this year. I am looking forward to his first Tour de France, in July.

Posts:4209

05/08/2017 10:05 AM
I only saw the highlights (was suffering through a 15 mile run while the stage was going on), but DAYUM that was some serious wind!!

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Posts:1767

05/08/2017 10:13 AM
Looked like a spring classic with the echelons forming! QS had the numbers in that break, didn't they?

Posts:3180

05/08/2017 11:38 AM
I love Quick Step. They race. Everybody knew the race was about to blow apart. They blew it apart. Everyone else reacted. (And even on the reaction side, QS did far better than all the rest of the peloton. Jungel's move was completely unscripted. 2 other QS riders were right there. Everybody else that got on did it as a reaction. 4 QS riders and 3 from the rest of the peloton. So: 9 riders/team, a peloton of 190 (not including QS). Peloton gets 1 in 63 into the break. Of the 6 QS taken by surprise, 4 of them made it. Jungel just moved up a bunch in my book. Ben

Posts:1767

05/08/2017 12:47 PM
I think QS benefits from being a classics team that knows what to do on hard windy days.

Posts:3180

05/08/2017 01:13 PM
Oh yeah! Even though there are few of the classics guys on this squad, it is in Peeter's blood and it rubs off. Doesn't hurt that a one of the classics guys set some a great example not long ago. (Gilbert.) Ben

Posts:525

05/09/2017 08:41 AM
Hope we get to see some fireworks on the climb today.

Posts:625

05/09/2017 09:58 AM
I hope none of the buses fall off a ferry.

Posts:4209

05/09/2017 10:20 AM
That was a bit of a snoozer....

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:525

05/09/2017 10:27 AM
Can't see page 2 of this thread.

Posts:3180

05/09/2017 01:54 PM
Not a bad day. A break member wins. QS hangs on to pink. The contenders hold their fire. (Smart given they were climbing into a headwind and have 3 weeks to go.) What was the story re: the missed turn and the crashes? From the CN narrative, it sounds like it wasn't obvious to all the riders they were turning off the main road which was left wide open. It isn't rocket science to know that many are going to be trying hard (probably too hard) to get to the front at at the base of such an important climb. So it should be pretty obvious that the road in such area should be very well marked/blocked off. Am I missing something? Ben

Posts:525

05/10/2017 08:21 AM
Have to admit, that Colnago kit is quite boring.

Posts:3180

05/10/2017 11:06 AM
Go Quick-Step! They may not be GC contenders, but they sure know how to make a race! They went with a split agenda today and managed to make each half work rather well. (Mild understatement.) This on top of having a team you don't hear a lot of bad stuff about. Other teams really don't like what they do (especially that echelon stuff!) but they seem to have good working relationships with just about everybody. Yes, I hear the speculation they must be using drugs to have the overall team strength and results they get. Maybe. But they are also the poster team for a country with a long history and passion of being hard men. I think they get the pick of the best of Belgium. I think also that it rubs off on those who come from elsewhere (or they quietly leave?). Classic racing even when it isn't a classic. Ben

Posts:1767

05/10/2017 11:28 AM
'zakily... classics style racing in the Giro. Good stage today other than a bit of embarrassment from posting up 6k out

Posts:4209

05/10/2017 11:42 AM
Posted By Dale Dale on 05/10/2017 11:28 AM 'zakily... classics style racing in the Giro. Good stage today other than a bit of embarrassment from posting up 6k out Yeah, I'm watching that guy form Bahrain-Merida going balls-out to hold off the peloton tinking "yeah dude....hold that power for another 6K. Wait.....no. no way....holy schitt...I bet he thinks this is the end of the race!!" Idiot. Damn bell is clanging away, too...

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Red Tornado

Posts:159

05/11/2017 09:37 AM
IMO the bell negates the "dead radio battery" excuse. Chalk it up to youthful exuberence.

Posts:525

05/12/2017 10:39 AM
Damn! THAT was a sprint finish.

Posts:4209

05/12/2017 10:44 AM
Posted By Spudly Crumpett III on 05/12/2017 10:39 AM Damn! THAT was a sprint finish. Right? I thought Ewan went WAY too early (and he was definitely fading fast), but he had just enough to win and take his first grand tour stage win.

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:4209

05/15/2017 10:34 AM
Quintana showed us something yesterday, but Dumoulin answered the bell and stayed within striking distance. I expect him to take the pink jersey tomorrow, but it is still likely just a rental. Movistar will happily let Sunweb defend the jersey until the next big mountain stage....and then I think it will be game over.

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:568

05/15/2017 11:36 AM
Yup CK, he was keeping quiet, playing down his fitness, etc.........took it too everybody, still not sure about his Giro-Tour attempt, Contador a a couple years back showed it's hard when you rivals are fresh, but that was a tough Giro for him, as you stated earlier, how deep is he willing to go?

Posts:4209

05/15/2017 01:52 PM
I think Contador's problem when he tried The Double was that he could not contain himself in the Giro. he basically had the race sown up, but still attacked and went way harder than he needed to. Quintana build a solid foundation yesterday....not enough to shut down the race, but enough to establish himself as numero uno and force others to attack. If he uses the course and his skills wisely, he may be able to take a serious swing at the Double. That said, the Tour course is horrible for him, so he better not miss his change in Italy.

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:4209

05/16/2017 10:07 AM
Dumoulin throwing down a huge marker today.....currently 2' min up on Nibali. TT stage is throwing everything up in the air, I think.

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:568

05/17/2017 09:22 AM
Funny story this morning on cyclingnews, "Could Quintana and Nibali become allies of circumstance?" They may need to, Dumoulin threw down the gauntlet yesterday, 2:23 on Quntana, and more on the other rivals, this is going to get interesting Impressed with Geraint Thomas's ride, placed second while hurting, not bad

Posts:3180

05/21/2017 01:16 PM
(Spoiler) I don't know if Quintana can pull this Giro off, but, boy do I like this little guy! Crashes (and Tom Dumoulin plays gentleman and slows the peloton to allow him back on) then goes on to 2nd place in the sprint! A tough guy. And not a whiner. When he doesn't pull it off, he doesn't blame others. The same guy who never complained about being pushed around as a little guy by the "enforcers" of the peloton (to use an ice hockey term). Just kept his mouth shut and one day rode one of them into a ditch. (I didn't see it. I don't know that it was a ditch, but the guy crashed and Quintana came away with a new respect.) I am impressed by what I am seeing and hearing this Giro. Good racing. Good rider behavior. Several riders both riding very well and visibly and showing respect for the sport. Quintana, Jungels and Dumoulin all come across as class acts. (Jungels is very young but looks like he could grow into a rider to watch. Tours? Classics?) I think some of this is rubbing off on other riders. Nibaly is carrying himself with more class than I thought I would ever see. And - what a day for Columbia! No, no stage win. But Gaveria adds more bricks to his points tower (A Columbian sprinter? Who'd a thunk?) And just as unlikely, a 45 kg 2nd place sprint? Is that even possible? Ben

Posts:525

05/22/2017 09:20 AM
Gonzo, they best be plotting an attack that will bite into Dumoulin's lead.

Posts:1767

05/22/2017 09:54 AM
I wonder if Quintana taking 2nd after Dumoulin slowed the group is going to come back to haunt him. No gifts ...or something like that. The few seconds he gained might not have been worth it... then again if he takes the pink by a couple seconds I'll gladly eat my words.

Posts:3180

05/22/2017 11:07 AM
I've been thinking about that. Suppose Dumoulin hadn't slowed the peloton and Qinatana lost minutes and any shot of winning. For Domoulin, that could be bad karma. For Quintana to do what he did, if he wins the Giro by seconds, he owes a huge debt to Domoulin. He will be watched closely for a long time. Bike racing - the most interesting sport because it goes so far beyond the Xs and Os. Ben

Posts:1767

05/22/2017 01:25 PM
Posted By 79 pmooney on 05/22/2017 11:07 AM Bike racing - the most interesting sport because it goes so far beyond the Xs and Os. Ben ^This. My wife and I were telling her kids about Milan-Sanremo and someone marveled that the cyclists could all out for 6+ hours straight. Nope, the idea is to hold as much back in reserve to be able to go full gas for a few hundred meters or that rare occasion when someone goes from way out. Chess match on two wheels

Posts:525

05/23/2017 08:36 AM
I would like to see the match played between the riders themselves, without any help from those damn radios.

Posts:525

05/23/2017 09:55 AM
And we're bunny hopping puddles on a decent. . .

Posts:568

05/23/2017 11:14 AM
bummer for Domulain today, lost time due to a comfort break, he's gonna regret waiting for Quintana after that crash

longslowdistance

Posts:2881

05/23/2017 04:39 PM
Perhaps better called a discomfort break.

Posts:3180

05/23/2017 08:16 PM
Today is the day after the rest day and we have seen many times riders not having it on those days. I wonder if Domoulin's system could not handle the radical changes from riding every day (I'm pretty sure at a level his body has never seen before) to rest to probably the single hardest day his body has ever seen. There may have been a change of diet for him that his GI couldn't handle. Not hard for me to believe his immune system could also be challenged. I suspect this may be a major advantage to his prime competitors (Nibali and Quintana), who have bodies that have seen this many times before. I have been saying for years, grand tours are the hardest regularly scheduled athletic events. Ben

Posts:568

05/24/2017 09:55 AM
you gotta love Laurens Ten Dam's response: "You saw what happened on TV, right? He had to S***"

Posts:525

05/25/2017 08:40 AM
And here we go! Quintana makes it look so damn easy.

Posts:568

05/25/2017 10:33 AM
Nibali and Qunitana are running out of Time, and Road, love this quote today, no more mister nice guy! Tom Dumoulin: "They are only focussing on me, and trying to make me lose instead of trying to win. In the last moment they lost a lot of time to the other competitors. I really hope that riding like this they will lose their podium spot in Milan, that would be really nice, and I would be really happy. It would be a dream scenario if the other competitors didn't get any closer, but now Thibaut Pinot almost took a minute on me just because Nibali and Quintana made a pact, clearly. It's their right, but it would be nice if they lose their podium spot for that behaviour." Love the drift back, eyeing his rivals and then throwing an attack, it did not stick, but it was more psychological than anything, "Still Here Boys........"

Posts:1767

05/25/2017 10:41 AM
Clearly Tom got into their heads today, and he is right, they are forgetting to race. Not the way I like to see a race and why I like seeing Alberto, he's always gunning for a win or to take time. It's never a race of sitting in. Sorta ticked at Quintana today

Posts:4209

05/25/2017 10:52 AM
As I predicted at the beginning of this thread, this race was gonna be all about Dumoulin...... If he had not had his stomach emergency the other day, this race would be all but locked up now. He is riding strong and is now clearly in the heads of Quintana and , to a lesser degree, Nibali. This is also classic Quintana....when faced with a strong adversary, he doubts himself and rides wheels.

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:257

05/25/2017 01:08 PM
Agreed - I don't like to increasingly controlled style of racing where the racers are waiting to be told what to do while the look at power #s. Before Gilbert's storming ride in Flanders, when was the last time you recall someone launching a sortie from that kind of distance from the line?

Posts:257

05/25/2017 01:21 PM
With his resilience in the steeps and superiority in time trialling this race is Dumoulins to lose at this point. The only fly in ointment could be Nibbles who is one crafty and strong racer.

Posts:257

05/25/2017 01:23 PM
"I have been saying for years, grand tours are the hardest regularly scheduled athletic events." Yep!!

Posts:3180

05/26/2017 10:25 AM
Spoiler Nibali and Quintana are disappointing me. Here was the perfect chance to nail the coffin and they passed on it. Nibali's got to be even with Domoulin time-wise or ahead to survive Sunday's TT. Quintana needs 2 minutes. They had Doumoulin alone off the back. They spent the climb looking at podium steps, not winning the Giro. I could be wrong but I think they got beat by the guy who did a massive amount of work at the front of their group who then went off and caught the Russian. (Pelli something) Huh? You're telling me Nibali and Quintana who never showed their faces that climb didn't have the legs to finish 30 seconds ahead of them to win the 2nd biggest peach there is? As much as I like Quintana, this race should go to Domoulin. Nobody else deserves it. (Maybe Pinot who has kept his mouth shut and just raced.) Ben

Posts:4209

05/26/2017 10:45 AM
I simply don't like the way Quintana races....if everything is not perfect for him, he simply chooses to ride wheels. He still needs time on Nibali and chose to just shadow him. Replace Nibali with Froome and you have the Tour last year. Had Dumoulin been in that group, it would have been his wheel that Quintana rode on.... Pinot aand Dumoulin are the only guys racing to win.....loving the way Pinot has gone out the last 2 days, looking for time. I believe he is a decent TT'er, too..... Tough day on tap tomorrow...2 Cat. 1 climbs. But there is about 15K of flat to rolling form the last summit to the finish. If Dumoulin can keep his wits about him and apce himself well, he can still be in good shape for Sunday. I reckon he can lose about another 30, maybe 45" max and still be confident for the TT.

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:4499

05/26/2017 11:11 AM
Top 6 is within 1.5 min with two stages to go. As exciting as Grand Tours get. we'll see about Dumoulin winning this; we were in same spot last year with Kruijswijk so anything's possible still. Grappa is a beast; rode it in 2012. Hab should have rode it when he was in Venice couple weeks back.

Posts:568

05/26/2017 11:51 AM
+1 Cosmic. totally agree with you on Quintana, not impressed by him at all, don't care for his style of racing. Froome is gonna hammer him if he shows up like this for the tour. Yup Ben, shades of 2015 when the Astana boys, Landa and Aru, had Alberto on the ropes after he separated his shoulder, and they would not, or maybe could not attack him. And AC got stronger by the day.....

Posts:257

05/26/2017 12:41 PM
I would have loved to but I was too busy motoring throughout the lagoon and sampling all the seafood!!!

Posts:1767

05/26/2017 02:29 PM
^ Gonna hate on you for the next few weeks, then we'll break lobster together and all will be forgiven

Posts:3180

05/26/2017 02:32 PM
I read Quintana's post-race interview. Promises to do it on the final climb tomorrow. If he does, and I tink he can, and pulls this off, then wow! If he does more of the same, gains another 30 seconds on Domouin and peanuts on his other rivals, he may not even podium. Maybe Quintana and Movistar are playing their cards perfectly for the best possible shot at the double, delaying his first peak to as far back as possible. If so, now he better show that peak and burn quite a few matches. The guy can ride! And when he puts it out there on the climb, he is a joy to watch. I want to see it! (But he will have to ride like his pants are on fire for 15k after the top!) Ben

Posts:4209

05/27/2017 07:28 PM
Damn....that was some old school bike racing today. Moves started on the penultimate climb and on the final climb all the GC guys were going mano-a-mano. Quintana....pfffft. Eveytime he made a move, he would start flapping his elbow like a chicken wing, looking for someone to come around. Dumoulin seems to be in prime position, but he also did a lot of work today. Pinot....wouldn't be upset in the slightest if he managed to win the overall. How awesome would it be for FDJ after ~20 years of sponsorship to finally win a GT?

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:4499

05/28/2017 10:22 AM
This should be in the bag. 37 years since last Dutch GT winner? And first win by a Limburger more importantly.

Posts:1767

05/28/2017 10:36 AM
Hello 1989! Kids, THAT was an amazing Giro. Congratulations to a worth winner.

Posts:4499

05/28/2017 10:58 AM
Not as close as 1989; the TV coverage mucked up the time differences. 31 sec, not 3 as they made it seem.

Posts:3180

05/28/2017 11:49 AM
So, OC, the big question. How many had Tom Domoulin for the win? Non here, but how 'bout the bigger picture. Guesses on world-wide bets on Donoulin? (Outside of family n and friends) 2? 7? Seriously, what a ride. The guy didn't quit. Ben

Posts:568

05/28/2017 12:58 PM
nope Ben, for a climb heavy Giro, Tom was not even in the mix, or close to the "favorites", but, we all knew it was only a matter of time before he did win a Grand Tour, loved it, and he id it with some bravado, kept his cool for the most part, and showed some class doing it. Wonder how things might have been before the crash that too out Sky's chances? Not a Sky fan by any means, but it sure would have been interesting.

Posts:4499

05/28/2017 01:38 PM
Dumoulin was given 14/1 odds in same category is Thomas, Landa, Pinot. Quintana (11/10), Nibali (13/2) and Kruijswijk (10/1) were the only ones ranked higher. But what do odds-makers know anyway :-) http://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/giro-ditalia-odds-bookmakers-tipping-victory-328402 Yeah Sky suffered bad luck but so did Dumoulin losing his main helper Kelderman in that same crash. And that crappy stage was kinda random (overdosed on gels perhaps); without that incident Tom would have won hands down. And now Quintana claims he was ill on stage 19. Shit happens.

Posts:257

05/28/2017 05:22 PM
"Shit happens." Literally!!!

Posts:4499

05/28/2017 06:32 PM
Ladies and Gentlemen, here's your 2017 Giro winner (awesome video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYGNDBSm3kc

Posts:568

05/28/2017 07:45 PM
Without the turd incident, Dumoulain would have embarrassed them, big time, and now all we get get from Nairo is excuses, "I was sick on stage 19" oh boo hoo........go home to Columbia to work on your "program" and show up in France for another ass whooping. And come up with more excuses why you got thumped. Quintana has not really lit it up since the 2015 TDF, but that was too little, too late

Posts:4209

05/28/2017 10:35 PM
What Gonzo said....I'm sick of Quintana,his excuses and his weak-ass riding.

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Red Tornado

Posts:159

05/29/2017 08:57 AM
Ya. I've been quietly pulling for NQ for a while now because when a pure climber cuts loose in the mountains it's a cool thing to watch. However have to agree with y'all that he's looking weak (relatively speaking) these days. Maybe he peaked a couple years ago/other riders becoming stronger/etc. Def not the explosiveness of a few years ago. He's basically a one-trick pony, and if you can't do your "thing" better then everyone else, well.......

Posts:4499

05/29/2017 10:55 AM
I wouldn't be too hard on Quintana. I think what your seeing is simply the weight of leadership and expectation; and having to approach GTs not with liberty to shine on what you can do best but having the balance your efforts. Many have crumbled under this. This is also why I like 1-day races better than stage racing. No need to balance anything, you have to put it all on line that day.

Posts:257

05/29/2017 11:11 AM
Could not agree more about stage racing versus Classics. The classics are my fave because everyone has to put it all on the line that day. No saving up for the next day or excuses about a jour sans. You either have it or you you don't.

longslowdistance

Posts:2881

05/29/2017 06:19 PM
How many pure climbers have won a grand tour? Unless the course is perfect for them, not that often. Now some pure speculation: has working on TT form weakened Quintana's climbing?