Giro d'Italia 2017 - general thread

velo.2010

^^^
Brailsford obviously a genius for spotting something we didn't see back then!

Daroxtar

velo.2010 wrote: »

^^^
Brailsford obviously a genius for spotting something we didn't see back then!

Yep, stick an 11-32 on the bike and Chris is a champ.

pelevin

When he saw Froome blow up on that hill Dave Brailsford said to Shane Sutton - and Shane will swear to that as will the bus driver who also was there - "If we could sign that Froome guy and get him the right gears, he could be the best ever."

TheBlaaMan

Still snow on the Stelvio, but its only a light covering - they have clearly cut the banks back to leave the road free subsequent to a final sweep (and pending no further falls....)



We can expect some epic scenery on the stage as the slopes immediately below the pass are still fully covered in snow. The lower roads are all clear, it seems. Lets hope it's a clear day and helicopters can get in the air unlike 2014........I feel a days leave coming on.

pelevin

That first photo looks kinda like one of those stop motion animation mock-ups rather than the real thing!

TheBlaaMan

pelevin wrote: »

That first photo looks kinda like one of those stop motion animation mock-ups rather than the real thing!

More to the point, I realise now that the pics are links to the constantly updated published stills from the webcams - I've now changed that so they are now static images from 8th May

dastardly00

What date is the Stelvio stage on?

neris

Sam Bennett reveals illness and rapid weight loss at Giro d’Italia

http://www.stickybottle.com/latest-news/sam-bennett-reveals-illness-rapid-weight-loss-giro-ditalia/

buffalo

neris wrote: »

Sam Bennett reveals illness and rapid weight loss at Giro d’Italia

http://www.stickybottle.com/latest-news/sam-bennett-reveals-illness-rapid-weight-loss-giro-ditalia/

Here's the original: http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/cycling/sam-bennett-dizzy-and-unable-to-concentrate-i-thought-that-i-was-going-to-die-35690221.html

buffalo

buffalo wrote: »

Here's the original: http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/cycling/sam-bennett-dizzy-and-unable-to-concentrate-i-thought-that-i-was-going-to-die-35690221.html

And coverage from the rest day: http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/cycling/sam-bennett-its-a-dodgy-area-guys-were-trying-to-steal-our-bikes-35694258.html

mr spuckler

TheBlaaMan wrote: »

We can expect some epic scenery on the stage as the slopes immediately below the pass are still fully covered in snow. The lower roads are all clear, it seems. Lets hope it's a clear day and helicopters can get in the air unlike 2014........I feel a days leave coming on.

once it's a clear day the scenery will be epic regardless of snow - i drove it a couple of years ago as a recce ahead of cycling it the following day. stopped the car a few times and could see hardly anything through the clouds etc. following day on the bike i pretty much couldn't have asked for better

greenspurs

mr spuckler wrote: »

once it's a clear day the scenery will be epic regardless of snow - i drove it a couple of years ago as a recce ahead of cycling it the following day. stopped the car a few times and could see hardly anything through the clouds etc. following day on the bike i pretty much couldn't have asked for better

Pretty epic views alright !!

TheBlaaMan

mr spuckler wrote: »

once it's a clear day the scenery will be epic regardless of snow - i drove it a couple of years ago as a recce ahead of cycling it the following day. stopped the car a few times and could see hardly anything through the clouds etc. following day on the bike i pretty much couldn't have asked for better

Yeah, thats the thing about high mountain passes, it can change in a very short period from one extreme to another. Looking nice there today. There looked like a collapse of the snow banks on to the road but they have equipment up there re-opening it at present. http://www.stelvio.net/english/webcam/ Still -9C mind you..... :0

Kaisr Sose

Above 2000m it's a weather lottery for most of the year. I was going up the Timmlesjoch (2500m) in Austria in 2015 and had to turn back 350m (vertical) from the top as it started to sleet (early Sep) at 2150m and I could not risk the top and descent back down in icy conditions. That was a cold descent but in S?lden it was a balmy 14deg and back in Oetz where I started it was 18! It was like darting out in Summer, going into Spring and then early Winter going up, and reverse coming down. Stelvio is almost 2750m and it can still be Winter above 2500m! Timmlesjoch is not even open for the summer yet so perhaps the Stelvio is being cleared / opened specially for the Giro?

Can't wait anyway. Seeing all that snow makes we want to ski again, especially ski touring!!

mr spuckler

Kaisr Sose wrote: »

Above 2000m it's a weather lottery for most of the year. I was going up the Timmlesjoch (2500m) in Austria in 2015 and had to turn back 350m (vertical) from the top as it started to sleet (early Sep) at 2150m and I could not risk the top and descent back down in icy conditions. That was a cold descent but in S?lden it was a balmy 14deg and back in Oetz where I started it was 18! It was like darting out in Summer, going into Spring and then early Winter going up, and reverse coming down. Stelvio is almost 2750m and it can still be Winter above 2500m! Timmlesjoch is not even open for the summer yet so perhaps the Stelvio is being cleared / opened specially for the Giro?

Can't wait anyway. Seeing all that snow makes we want to ski again, especially ski touring!!

yeah when i did Stelvio i think it was about 5 degrees up top (in mid August) and 25 odd when i got back down to Bormio half an hour later! i must have looked a sight arriving with a gilet, leg warmers, full finger gloves, skull cap and neck gator into the village!

tbf on a descent like that there wasn't a chance of me stopping to de-layer half way down. one of the biggest buzzes i've ever had

really hoping they include stelvio again next year as i'll be in Bormio for a family event in May. i might even try to climb it in the cold :eek:

robyntmorton

Cyclists in the Giro peloton are lamenting the rise of selfie sticks...

http://lebuzz.eurosport.co.uk/viral/crazy-selfie-stick-wielding-cycling-fans-causing-havoc-giro-ditalia-28253/#uk-tw-po

neris

Has Jonathan Edwards any cycling history? He's good on the eurosport post race analysis.

Lusk_Doyle

neris wrote: »

Has Jonathan Edwards any cycling history? He's good on the eurosport post race analysis.

Think he used to cycle to school.

Lumen

He's like an even more boring version of Philip Schofield.

Weepsie

He took up cycling after retiring in 2003 and does a fair bit of leisure cycles and charity events. Apparently likes to cycle around the Lake District and Mallorca with friends and has done the Rapha Manchester to London challenge once.

Sometimes good to have someone from the outside looking in, and he was an elite athlete and he admits himself it's a change from having 3 seconds to 3+ hours.

Never minded him as he never seemed to be as big a sychophant as the other BBC folk

neris

https://twitter.com/cycling_podcast/status/864100972859150336

ThisRegard

neris wrote: »

Has Jonathan Edwards any cycling history? He's good on the eurosport post race analysis.

Lumen wrote: »

He's like an even more boring version of Philip Schofield.

I wondered the same myself, he appears to have the knowledge alright. But Lumen sums up his delivery. I'll give him time to ease and relax into it and he may become more natural.


Edit: No, it's not Jonathon Edwards I'm thinking of, it's the other guy that does that analysis of the last few k of the stage, not Juan-Antonio, the English guy?

D9Male

Ashley House

retalivity

D9Male wrote: »

Ashley House

The name just triggers images of neon trousers now

pelevin

Shouldn't really be putting a stage result of another race into this thread Enfilade in case there's some soul or two out there looking to watch it later.

pelevin

pelevin wrote: »

Shouldn't really be putting a stage result of another race into this thread Enfilade in case there's some soul or two out there looking to watch it later.

Sorry you're quite right. Deleted

retalivity

Thomas abandons, already stating he is looking forward to supporting froome in the tour. Wouldnt expect landa to hang around much longer either, hopefully freeing up deignan for another breakwaway attempt.

Weepsie

retalivity wrote: »

Thomas abandons, already stating he is looking forward to supporting froome in the tour. Wouldnt expect landa to hang around much longer either, hopefully freeing up deignan for another breakwaway attempt.

My Velogames team is cursed

TheBlaaMan

retalivity wrote: »

Thomas abandons, already stating he is looking forward to supporting froome in the tour. Wouldnt expect landa to hang around much longer either, hopefully freeing up deignan for another breakwaway attempt.

Meh, quelle surprise.......I'm sure the Giro organisers are suitably impressed.

greenspurs

TheBlaaMan wrote: »

Meh, quelle surprise.......I'm sure the Giro organisers are suitably impressed.

And a lot of the Sprinters will go home after todays stage .... :rolleyes: