Giro d'Italia Stage 21 – June 1st, Gemona del Friuli - Trieste **Unmasked Spoilers**

dastardly00

Stage 21 – Sunday June 1st, Gemona del Friuli - Trieste 172km (*)

It's hard to believe that it was over three weeks ago that the teams rolled down off the ramps in Belfast for the opening stage. The general classification battle is over, Nairo Quintana will wear the maglia rosa into Trieste. The young Colombian has also won the white jersey competition for best U-25 rider. The impressive AG2R La Mondiale have won the team classification (OPQS were 2nd, Tinkoff-Saxo were 3rd). And Julian Arredondo is befittingly the winner of the KOM jersey.

Nacer Bouhanni is the current leader of the sprint classification, having a healthy lead of 26 points from Nizzolo in the competition. The first 20 riders across the line will receive points. There is also an intermediate sprint on the finish line with 4-laps to go.

The Giro often finishes with a time-trial, but as with last year's race, the organisers have decided to finish with a normal flat stage. The first part of this stage will be like the typical final stage for a grand tour with a very relaxed atmosphere in the peloton. Then when the riders enter the finish town and begin 8-laps of the 7.25km street circuit, the tempo will increase exponentially. When the Giro finished in Brescia last year the street circuit was flat and suited the sprinters perfectly. However there is a sting in the tail this year, or rather eight stings There is a very short 600m metre climb only 3km before the finish line. It has an average gradient of 4.7%, with a maximum of 7%. The following descent takes place on a very steep, narrow road, but the final two kilometres are flat on a wider road.

Nacer Bouhanni has been the most impressive sprinter in this race, excluding Marcel Kittel's contribution in the Irish stages. Bouhanni has won three stages when the race has arrived on Italian soil. Hence he is deservedly the big favourite for the stage today. Bouhanni would typically get dropped whenever the road goes uphill, but his climbing ability has improved during this Giro. The climb at the end of the stage shouldn't really be a problem for him, unless the likes of Trek, Giant-Shimano, Sky, and Cannondale set a ferocious pace on the street circuit. The other sprinters in the race are all desperate for a stage win. Giacomo Nizzolo has finished in 2nd place on three occasions, along with a 3rd and 5th place. Elia Viviani has been very disappointing considering his great form in the Tour of Turkey prior to this race. So far his best results are a 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th place. Roberto Ferrari has been very consistent with his sprinting, finishing 4th twice, 5th twice and 7th. However he is still lacking a place on the podium, let alone a stage win. Ben Swift was 'robbed' of a stage win into Dublin by Kittel, but he will be feeling optimistic today because of the short climb in the street circuit. Luka Mezgec, who took over as Giant-Shimano's sprinter when Kittel abandoned, has only managed a 3rd place so far. But he cannot be discounted giving the lead-out train that he has.

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Weather - Gemona: Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers. High 18C. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 kph. Chance of rain 40%. Trieste: Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers. High 22C. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 kph. Chance of rain 50%.

Stage Betting: Nacer Bouhanni 4/6; Giacomo Nizzolo 11/2; Elia Viviani 8/1; Luka Mezgec 9/1; Ben Swift 11/1; Roberto Ferrari 18/1; Tyler Farrar 33/1.

Live TV coverage on Eurosport1 from 1.30pm. Highlights on Sky Sports 3 at 8.30pm and Eurosport2 at 10.30pm. Note: Eurosport TV schedule is always liable to change without notice.

Live text ticker here.

Paddigol

Great job with the previews Dastardly... Really added to the Giro for me and the threads were a great place to keep up to date when away from the telly. Looking forward to Le Tour!

dastardly00

Thanks very much lads

Today's stage is currently under way. One hour gone, only 32km raced

neris

Tennis sucks

blobbie

dastardly00 wrote: »

Thanks very much lads

Today's stage is currently under way. One hour gone, only 32km raced

And only 167km in nearly 5h yesterday. Bunch of slackers

pelevin

Yeah, thanks for all the excellent previews, great work.

After dragging their poor bodies over all these brutal climbs, it would be one final insult to deny the sprinters the carrot of a sprint stage at the end of the race. Well done to all the (clean) riders, good, bad, on-form or off, lucky or unlucky.

MPFG

Kelly " When the dom perignon is on the table you have to drink it"


Spoken like a true man from Carrick on Suir

(was going out today but thought I better see it through to the end)

dastardly00

The Italian crowd in Trieste are being treated to an aerobatic demonstration from the Frecce Tricolori.



Off-topic, but can anyone remember when they were at the Baldonnel air show back in 2000. They were class!

dastardly00

The prize that Nairo Quintana will receive this evening

Darkglasses

Bit torn between watching this stage or the Trials world cup live on Youtube..

dastardly00

We've seen in the last few days that Quintana has really embraced the colour pink, and now he has a pink Canyon Ultimate CF SLX for the final stage today. Pink bar-tape, Campagnolo hoods, water bottle caps, sidewalls on the Continental tubulars, Fizik saddle. The rest of the Movistar team are sporting pink bar-tape and pink socks. More photos here.

Swamp3

Jeez dastardly, if I'd known they give out prizes like that for the Giro I would have taken up cycling years ago!
Not a bad looking tropphy either.
I'll be looking forward to your previews of the Tour next...no pressure.

pelevin

Great, bit mental circuit. Something for everyone. Hopefully no carnage on that descent.

dastardly00

Oleg is some man.

He takes time out to ride nearly all of the stages of the Giro. He celebrates Mick Rogers' win by buying a load of Dom Perignon champagne. And he's now in Venice today with the family.

Tough life!

dastardly00

The peloton have just crossed the finish line to start the final lap, led by Philip Deignan.

Darkglasses

Mezgec! Bouhanni was just a little too far back.

Darkglasses

Wow Swifty didn't really have a sprint at all there

dastardly00

Popular victory for the Slovenian Mezgec given that Trieste is so close to the border.

bazermc

I would love to see Quintana in the tour this year and destroy froome and the boring sky train. I suppose possible but unlikely.

death1234567

bazermc wrote: »

I would love to see Quintana in the tour this year and destroy froome and the boring sky train. I suppose possible but unlikely.

99.9% certain that Quintana won't be riding the tour. He might win La Vuelta though.

retalivity

death1234567 wrote: »

99.9% certain that Quintana won't be riding the tour. He might win La Vuelta though.

Yeah...guess we'll have to make do with froome v nibbles v bertie. If quintana did go it would be an even more mouth watering prospect