Giro d'Italia, May 12, Stage 6: Ponte/Roccaraso *SPOILERS*

Melodeon

Date: Thursday 12th May
Type: Medium Mountains
Distance: 157Km
Start/Finish: Ponte/Roccaraso


Stage Map:



Stage Profile:



First Climb - Bocca della Selva - Category 2
Start: Km 36.1 - Peak: Km 54.1 - Length: 18 Km
Vertical Distance: 1006m
Average Gradient: 5.6%
Maximum Gradient: 10%



Final Climb - Roccaraso - Category 2
Start: Km 140.2 - Peak: Km 157 - Length: 16.9 Km
Vertical Distance: 775m
Average Gradient: 4.8%
Maximum Gradient: 12%



Last 3km:



The General Classification after Stage 5:



Preview (© www.cyclingnews.com):

The first mountain stage and summit finish of the race. There are two early climbs: the 8km Torrecuso, then a haul to the summit of the Bocca di Selva, about a third of the way through. The last climb is a double whammy – first an 8km climb to Roccaraso, then a 3km false flat down to the foot of the Aremogna climb, 8km long, with a very hard start and finish, and flatter sections in between. The GC candidates must show here.

LIVE TV:
Eurosport 1 - 12.00pm

HIGHLIGHTS:
Eurosport 2 - 5.55pm; 8.30pm

MPFGLB

Riders who could go well are Zakarin or Chaves and of course Doumulin but depends if they are allowed to attack...maybe Chaves as less of a threat for overall. He has hardly raced all year and trained specifically for this Giro . This is one of his best choices for a stage win...Astana and Movistar won't be too bothered by him as can fade a little as Giro progresses into high mountains
Zakarin and Doumlin will be more closely marked imo

Well I fancy Nico Roche for this stage ...if let off the leash...but I doubt he will be...SKY only have one plan ...the win with Landa, so it will be stick to Landa I think...hope I am wrong and he can attack...bonus seconds in top 3
Better get a stage than riding for top 10 which he will have to throw at some stage later on as SKY not as strong as at Tour and he may have to close gaps on flat and in mountains
Another rider who has to do something tomorrow is Uran

mezzanine08

MPFGLB wrote: »

Well I fancy Nico Roche for this stage ...if let off the leash...but I doubt he will be...SKY only have one plan ...the win with Landa

Yep, which is unfortunate. Landa hasn't showed much of anything yet.

dastardly00

Seemingly Landa has been suffering with allergies/pollen and that's why he doesn't seem to be in top form.

Zzippy

dastardly00 wrote: »

Seemingly Landa has been suffering with allergies/pollen and that's why he doesn't seem to be in top form.

All the more reason to let Roche have a go

dastardly00

Or Nico could keep his powder keg dry in case Landa doesn't reach top form, thereby decreasing the risk of losing time to GC rivals.

The risk being that Nico attacks on the final climb, ends up getting caught by Movistar or Astana train, burns himself out and loses time.

I'm just thinking from Sky's perspective. Even after just five stages, they really only have Landa and Roche for GC. Sebastian Henao isn't that far behind but will likely lose more time in the ITTs. And Nieve is way too far back already.

pelevin

Off on a tangent regarding the dangers of attacking . . . Reminds me of a line from Dave Gilmour of Pink Floyd caught on camera recording guitar for Dark Side of the Moon where the producer tells him his guitar is giving off feedback. Gimour responds, "Feedback?! Don't worry about that. Where would rock n roll be without feedback! Christ!"
Where would cycling be without attacking!? Let Roche go for it if he has the legs!

Taxuser1

it's a gentle climb over 18kms with only 3 sections where it gradually rises so a large (40 or 50) sprint to the 1 km to go mark where it rises gently

The final 500 metres are a little peach. It comes off the main road onto a 13-14% section around a right hand wide bend - if any of the lightweights are thinking of going, it's on this 100 metre stretch before the gradient comes back down to a more manageable 5-6% in final 300 metres

Can't help but think this is Valverde's stage with ulissi giving him most to do. Expecting Zakarin Dumoulin and Chavez to be there but just maybe Roche gives it an early dig from a good position and tries to hang on. The climb isn't exactly suited to him as it's virtually flat in the run in to the flamme rouge

affected mostly

Hope Roche does have a go today, think its his only chance unless they lose loads of time between this and next week and he's out of contention altogether for the GC.
Suppose it depends on the team orders and how Landa's legs are.

Andy Magic

Finally the Giro is going to get interesting :pac:

MPFGLB

The climb isn't exactly suited to him as it's virtually flat in the run in to the flamme rouge

You are right Taxuser

I just saw it now...thought it was steeper...pity as Steeper suits Roche

Doumoulin s right it is very very good for him cos of the flat sections

Chaves say he won't attack as saving energy for GC

Pudsy33

Andy Magic wrote: »

Finally the Giro is going to get interesting :pac:

You must have missed stage 4

MPFGLB

Was just going to say what Sean is saying ..Astana are going to go very hard to test Landa and Movistar also

Mayeb Fuglsang will attack & Visconti

Bugsy2000

Was going to throw a few quid on Betancur but couldn't get it laid on time. The Boylesports site is a pig to use on the phone!

Pudsy33

Bugsy2000 wrote: »

Was going to throw a few quid on Betancur but couldn't get it laid on time. The Boylesports site is a pig to use on the phone!

It really is. Not sure about Betancur today, but once the high mountains come around I'll be following suit

MPFGLB

I thought all planes & chopper had equipment that allowed them to fly in all weather otherwise is what is the point ?

Very poor from Giro as weather has been much worse than this...

Seem over the top ...gosh how do choppers fly in rain forests/ Andes, etc

Maybe they have a very old chopper or a very strict pilot, either way very disappointing

Pudsy33

The only saving grace is that there is still a way to go yet so we might get visuals for the last part of the stage

pajor

Just turned on Eurosport. How long has the picture been out?

MPFGLB

We have pictures!!! Yeah !!


I think this big change in weather might effect a few not ot mention the wet roads

affected mostly

just starting to get pictures again, going to be a long day.

ThisRegard

Is it wet? I went in at lunch to see what was happening but was left watching the highlights and a bunch of lads drinking wine at the finish.

affected mostly

very wet on decent, lone rider 50 seconds ahead, gaps all over the place but getting dry and should come back together shortly

affected mostly

very wet on decent, two riders 50 seconds ahead, gaps all over the place but getting dry and should come back together shortly

godtabh

they leep taking about gaps. Did something happen?

No sign of landa.

Dodge

http://www.giroditalia.it/eng/live/

Landa in trouble according to text updates

15:03
A. BISOLTI (133), M. LANDA (181) come off the bunch.

affected mostly

All settled down now, peloton has let 2 riders go nearly 2 minutes now. 75 Km to go

MPFGLB

So who had money on Wellens

affected mostly

MPFGLB wrote: »

So who had money on Wellens

Not me

godtabh

Break to win it?

MPFGLB

Look like break wil make it unless the peloton really hammer it

Orica working but they could run out of men before the catch

Pudsy33

It's gonna be a Wellens procession

godtabh

Bad crash there

MPFGLB

Bloody hell ....someone do soemthing

godtabh

Astana attack

Has Wellens gone to early?

MPFGLB

Astana looking very strong

MPFGLB

Really helps Astana to have 2 guys up on GC

Pudsy33

Sky should have sent Roche or Henao after Fuglsang

Pudsy33

Landa is ****ed. He's getting gapped on easy gradients.

godtabh

short attack by Nibs. Drops the GC lads. tom Dumoulin countering.

godtabh

I assume Rouche is still in the main group?

godtabh

Roche coming in about 2 and a bit mins down?

dastardly00

godtabh wrote: »

Roche coming in about 2 and a bit mins down?

Just after Landa and Nibali group I think.

Pudsy33

Where is the sky train? How was Dumoulin able to drop Nibali? I really thought Nibali would win the Giro handy but now I dunno. It wasn't the hardest stage and he looked screwed after his attack

MPFGLB

I don;t understand that race ...why did Niabli & Valverde let Dumoulin go


Nico just seconds behind landa

godtabh

Nibs looked spent by the time he crossed the line.

Pudsy33

MPFGLB wrote: »

I don;t understand that race ...why did Niabli & Valverde let Dumoulin go


Nico just seconds behind landa

Nibali couldn't follow. He was in trouble. Don't understand the Sky or Movistar tactics at all

MPFGLB

SKY aren't strong enough for a train

Mikkel Nieve just called last minute
Nico just called a few weeks before start....not best prep

Remember Landa also sick all spring


Dumoulin & Chaves have been targeting this race since last winter

godtabh

MPFGLB wrote: »

SKY aren't strong enough for a train

Mikkel Nieve just called last minute
Nico just called a few weeks before start....not best prep

Remember Landa also sick all spring


Dumoulin & Chaves have been targeting this race since last winter

roche only had a short call up but he looks strong.

godtabh

Roche came in 22nd at 2 mins. Down to 19th on GC about 7 secs behind Landa

velo.2010

You could throw a blanket over them - no idea who will win. In theory it makes for an exciting race but if no one guy feels that strong, we could see guys only attacking in the very late stages of a hard stage.

Only thing I really learned today was that Kittel is a fan of Better Call Saul.

MPFGLB

Must remember that this is a GT with the racing only beginning

Some riders at the fore today will be down in the last week and some others will come to the fore

But Doumulin is a massive threat to anyone wanting to win becasue of the 2 TTs