Stage 4 - Cefalù – Etna (Rif. Sapienza) 181 km

MPFGLB

Doing this tonight as working tomorrow

So this is the big one ...the first MTF of #giro100

Although they go up the otherside on Tuesday here is the 2011 final on Mount Etna ...Looking at the riders its amasing how things have moved on and so many are no longer riding

The climb on Tuesday is much harder

So my 3 favourites are

Geraint Thomas ...he is flying and biting at the bit to get pink I think mostly to ensure team leadership ASAP
Vincenzo Nibali ..... He will want the pink for his entrance into Mesina
Domenico Pozzovivo ....He is in good form , comes from not far from Sicily, know the climb well , is not a real threat to the overall and has been top 10 in several Giros and now wants his chance to wear pink while he can ..might be his last chance

I think riders like Quintana , SK, Pinot will wait and see and not want pink so soon as expected to go well in the final week

Not sure about Landa, Mollema, Van Garderen and Yates beating Thomas at this stage ...but who knows

Dumoulin might also want some time and the jersey and is also looking strong..but I think my 3 favourites for the stage may have the advantage

neris

Looks like a stage dumoulin could do once he gets over the first hump with the leaders.

ford2600

Lovely route today.

The climb they are using up to Etna is pretty well known, although I've only descended it. The Nebrodi mountains section earlier in route is a really nice part of Sicily and a great place to ride a bike.

Once you stay out of cities, Sicily is great place to ride a bike.

Brother lives less than 10km from Nicolosi and I'd bet he doesn't even know Giro is passing by!

REBELSAFC

Cefalu is a lovely town. Spent a few nights there a few years ago. Well worth a visit

pelevin

I'll pick Adam Yates to win this more or less randomly.

pelevin

Only just seen it's not on today. Rest day after 3 stages?! I was only just getting warmed up.

neris

https://twitter.com/ukcyclingexpert/status/861497540394536961

MPFGLB

I forfot to mention Zakarin and Formolo ...yet I do not see them wining this stage

Whyner

Ah balls, just going to watch stage 3 highlights after watching the full stage yesterday. Was all set tonight

greenspurs

Should be a cracker !!

Nibali ?

Bugsy2000

greenspurs wrote: »

Should be a cracker !!

Nibali ?

I just can't see past Nibbles today. He'll be fired up for it. With the home town tomorrow & I can see him wanting to put in a big effort for Scarponi too.

25sean

Cefalu!!

MPFGLB

That climbs look tough on ES with Juan Antonio Fletcha

Suppose SKY will do a one two attack ...with Landa going early or maybe even Rosa if he is up for it

Expect Deignan and Kiry to lead the peloton into the climb and up the steepest part

Rohan Dennis abandoned, seemingly had a crash at the end of stage 3. Don't recall seeing that.

Somedude9

Yeah he lost five minutes after a Bardiana rider cut across him taking out he's front wheel.

Thomas to do a Froome.

pelevin

What happens if Mt Etna erupts when they're going up it? Should they then bring back in the Fastest Descending category as an incentive to the riders?

neris

going to start to get interesting now 31km to go

neris

are cannondale the most over rated team in the peleton? they never seem to do anything when it comes down to it

dastardly00

https://twitter.com/TrekSegafredo/status/861926247378636800

neris

bit of girly fisticuffs going on there between sky & bahrain rider

neris

neris wrote: »

bit of girly fisticuffs going on there between sky & bahrain rider

Was he spat at? Commentary questioned if he was.

neris

zakarins down and back up on a teammates bike

neris

Deleted User wrote: »

Was he spat at? Commentary questioned if he was.

didnt see a spit but heard them say that on eurosport

2 still on the floor , never good to see. That corner didn't look too well marked at all.

neris

were no barriers on the junction or guys giving directions. there was a small arrow sign on a lamp post before it

MPFGLB

Go on Tiralonga

neris

https://twitter.com/Eurosport_UK/status/861947347877502976

Oh good, didn't look to me like he spat at him. Still clearly not happy

neris

mad looking landscape

Bad time for a mechanical for Sky, just as they looked like they wanted to up the pace at the front.

neris

they had a clip earlier of Nibali saying he was only 65kg.... starting to think that maybe my gearing going up hills isnt the problem

Wow the helicopter shot there really shows the slope, which you can't appreciate from the motor bike.

irishrover99

Come on Polanc, he really deserves it.

neris

fupin ****e to loose it now. zakarins eating up the seconds though

robyntmorton

This is some finish! Can he hang on to it?

Have my wee lass shouting at the telly willing this lad on here. Come on !!!!!!

robyntmorton

He deserves to celebrate! Chapeau Sir!

neris

great ride

Jungles in pink they reckon.

robyntmorton

He sounds fit to collapse, and honestly, I wouldn't blame him if he did!

Trojan

Great effort to hang on. When it started coming down 48... 45... 38 I thought he was done for, but that slight downhill just over the crest of the last climb may have helped him. Chapeau!

MPFGLB

Well the GC guys didnt really put it on the line except Zakarin

But so glad Polanc won...he deserved it

dastardly00

Edge of the seat stuff watching Polanc hanging on out on front. Delighted he won.

I think the headwind on Etna was too strong to stop riders escaping from the peloton. Tiralongo barely got 50 metres ahead. Rolland, who you'd expect to get a nice gap, only got 30 seconds. We even saw echelons forming at one point.

Somedude9

Or is this what clean cycling looks like?

dastardly00

neris wrote: »

are cannondale the most over rated team in the peleton? they never seem to do anything when it comes down to it

I don't they are overrated... Everyone knows they are rubbish
I think I heard Rob Hatch say that they haven't won a WT race in over two years, which is shockingly bad.

They've had some pretty decent prefromances this season, although without every really looking like they were going to win (a WT race).

Impressive team display today with Rolland, Woods, Formolo, and Carthy all finishing in the 20-rider lead group. But once Rolland was caught, you wouldn't have fancied any of his team mates to challenge for the victory.

dastardly00

Sam came home in 182nd place alongside his team mate Jan Barta and also Caleb Ewan. They were 27'29" behind the winner.

Alexdrandre Geniez was a DNF. I had noticed that he's been finishing way down the order in most of the stages so far; I thought he was sandbagging so he could go on the attack on a day like today. But he must have been sick/injured.

greenspurs

Wasnt much of an explosive stage on the volcano.
I know its early stages, but thought one of the BigGuns would have tried to steal a bit of time.

Great to see Polanc get his reward though.

neris

dastardly00 wrote: »

I don't they are overrated... Everyone knows they are rubbish
I think I heard Rob Hatch say that they haven't won a WT race in over two years, which is shockingly bad.

They've had some pretty decent prefromances this season, although without every really looking like they were going to win (a WT race).

Impressive team display today with Rolland, Woods, Formolo, and Carthy all finishing in the 20-rider lead group. But once Rolland was caught, you wouldn't have fancied any of his team mates to challenge for the victory.

Apparently their last win was 2 years this Friday. Fomelloe in the 2015 guro