Tour of Lombardy 2015

pelevin

The last Monument of the year, the Tour of Lombardy. All the best for Dan Martin in his last big race with his old team.
A prize for anyone who knows why it's known as the Classica delle Foglie Morte (the Classic of the Falling (dead) leaves).

Eamonnator

Because it's Autumn and the leaves are falling.

pelevin

Eamonnator wrote: »

Because it's Autumn and the leaves are falling.

You're off your game.

letape

18 km to go now - elite group of riders off the front

Nibali
Valverde
Chavez
Pinot
Rosa (Astana)
D Moreno
Brambilla
Nieve

dastardly00

Nibali has launched a good few attacks but hasnt managed to drop anyone from the leading group. Rosa is keeping the tempo high in between Nibali's attacks.

Moreno has shut down the majority of the attacks, Pinot also.

Valverde isn't attacking, and he isn't willing to put in the effort to catch whoever attacks. So basically he is looking good if it comes down to a sprint.

dastardly00

12km to go and Nibbles has a small lead. He's giving everyone a descending masterclass.

dastardly00

7km left and Nibbles has a 40 second lead from Pinot, Moreno, Valverde and a few others.

Djoucer

Handing it to Nibali at the moment.

Got 40 seconds far too easy.

dastardly00

Moreno and Pinot have finally managed to break away from Valverde. They are catching Nibali too.

at1withmyself

Come on Nibali!!!!

at1withmyself

Any sign of Dan?

dastardly00

14" lead for Nibali ahead of Moreno.
5.4km to go and no more climbing left.

dastardly00

at1withmyself wrote: »

Any sign of Dan?

I think he got dropped with about 40km to go (I wasn't watching it at the time).

Pudsy33

at1withmyself wrote: »

Any sign of Dan?

Nowhere to be seen. This is over anyway

dastardly00

Nibali 1st, Moreno 2nd, Pinot 3rd.

pelevin

Only saw the last 17kms of that, just from before Nibali started his defining attack. Fantastic aggressive descending. Presumably with so few riders left in the hunt it must have been a pleasingly aggressive race.

dastardly00

Dan finished 52nd, 9'36" behind the winner.

Brian?

The only emotion I felt when Nibali crossed the line was disappointment. Seasons over.

Great spring as usual. Very good Giro, mediocre tour and roller coaster Vuelta. Great world championships and an ok Lombardia.

Now come the long cold months of Kelly free airtime, snooker from China and Touring cars on Eurosport.

nak

Brian? wrote: »

The only emotion I felt when Nibali crossed the line was disappointment. Seasons over.

Great spring as usual. Very good Giro, mediocre tour and roller coaster Vuelta. Great world championships and an ok Lombardia.

Now come the long cold months of Kelly free airtime, snooker from China and Touring cars on Eurosport.

Cyclocross is only just starting, 1st WC race was shown on Eurosport.

Tour of Lombardy was great, Nibali's descending was amazing.

equivariant

Is descending the new climbing (post Sagan/Nibali)?

I propose a new rule for the TdF - all stages should finish at the same altitude as the start of the stage.

MPFGLB

Brian? wrote: »

The only emotion I felt when Nibali crossed the line was disappointment. Seasons over.

Great spring as usual. Very good Giro, mediocre tour and roller coaster Vuelta. Great world championships and an ok Lombardia.

Now come the long cold months of Kelly free airtime, snooker from China and Touring cars on Eurosport.

I thought the Tour was great as well as the Giro . OK Froome was in yellow early on with an as it turned out insurmountable lead but the stages were good.
The cross winds stage, the cobbles stage , the 2 Muir stages, TTT, the post rest day SKY stage, & the last 2 stages in the Alps...all very good imo.

But favourite GT is still the Vuelta. Combination of weather, scenery, surprise performances and MTF do it for me

Giro route for 2016 unveiled today. alot of TT (3 stages) and a good few sprinter stages with a remarkable level of mid mountain stages.
Nice

Should throw up a mixture of competitors battling it out. Maybe Dymoulin & Thomas ?? Who knows

Can't wait for the cobble classics next April