Giro 2017, Stage 11: Ponte a Ema – Bagno di Romagna 161 km

cunavalos

Big shake up in the GC after the TT and the question is how will the GC contenders approach this Medium Mountain stage

This will be a tough one to predict as do Movistar have to attack Dumoulin straight away with 2 sprint stages to follow on Thursday and Friday. The bookies are undecided also with the odds mixed between lower gc candidates and riders expected to form a breakaway. There are a lot of GPM points on offer, so a rider targeting a couple of days in the Mountains Jersey should be prominent (Luis Leon Sanchez)



The final descent does not appear technical enough to allow a specialist descender escape from a peloton of favourites and there is a slight incline to the finish line after descent

From an Irish perspective expect Sam to conserve as much energy as possible in advance of Stages 12 & 13 but hopefully he will put a bit of time into his competitors for the Maglia Nera (he currently is 186th out of 189 riders with 11/12 minutes in hand).
As for Philip Deignan, Thomas showed today he is still battling for a high GC place so Philip may be consigned to domestique duties again.

I am going to join MPFGLB's Team Cannondale fanclub and predict they will get a rider in the break and take the victory. My random pick for the day - Hugh Carthy (Totally irrational leftfield choice).

TheBlaaMan

It could be a great stage. Either a breakaway that the GC guys are happy with forms early, leaving the peloton to have an easy enough day on a lumpy, but not overly tough, route or Movistar go for broke and look to put Dumoulin under pressure by refusing to let a breakaway have it and everyone suffers like a dog.

I see Adam Hansen reckons it could be the latter and will end up being one of the roughest days of the entire Giro. It sounds like a 'Contador-day'. Hmm......where can I get to a telly tomorrow?

Somedude9

Ambush!!!

dastardly00

I'm thinking (i.e. hoping) that maybe Thomas goes on the attack early.

retalivity

dastardly00 wrote: »

I'm thinking (i.e. hoping) that maybe Thomas goes on the attack early.

I was thinking the same but its so un-sky...
Ill go with rolland to have a fruitless stab way too far out and come nowhere...but pinot to win a reduced sprint

greenspurs

Teklehaimanot to go away and mop up the KOM's , with the usual teams of Gazprom , Bardiani and CCC in attendance.

Will Italy get their (much needed) win ? Pozzato or Quinziatto or Nizzolo or even Nibali to have a go near the top of the last climb, and descend like a stone.
But I'll have a punt on Luka Mezgec of Trek

neris

Why do race organisers insist on inviting that CCC team to races? All they do is get in the breakaway and then caught. At least Gazprom and bargaining get the odd stage win

greenspurs

Ahh they are a good laugh ......

MPFGLB

For the record I am not a Cannondale fan per se....just want them to win something


Cannondale are a good bet for today ...we are half way through and they need to get a move on


However I would like to see SKY and Orica blowing the race apart...going in the break or something

Pudsy33

neris wrote: »

Why do race organisers insist on inviting that CCC team to races? All they do is get in the breakaway and then caught. At least Gazprom and bargaining get the odd stage win

The oranges kit seems like the only logical reason

dastardly00

greenspurs wrote: »

Will Italy get their (much needed) win ? Pozzato or Quinziatto or Nizzolo or even Nibali to have a go near the top of the last climb, and descend like a stone.

Well the much needed home nation win won't come from Nizzolo as he's abandoned

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/nizzolo-abandons-giro-ditalia/

greenspurs

dastardly00 wrote: »

Well the much needed home nation win won't come from Nizzolo as he's abandoned

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/nizzolo-abandons-giro-ditalia/

Ahh he wont win so ......

MPFGLB

Seems Nathan Haas has abandoned


Also race is on and riders all over the place

greenspurs

MPFGLB wrote: »

Seems Nathan Haas has abandoned


Also race is on and riders all over the place

Winds ? or the early climbs ? :eek:

MPFGLB

Not wind ....its the climbs and the pace

MPFGLB

Seems thre are 2 groups with about 20 in each

Only one Sunweb rider with the leader

MPFGLB

Maybe 30 in each group but only about 10 seconds apart

MPFGLB

2 guys in front , then rest of break , then peloton behind ....

not settled yet

MPFGLB

De Plus, Anton, Costa and Montaguti getting a gap on the rest of the break

but others chasing ...may get back on the downhill

MPFGLB

3 Cannondale in the break
Rolland, Carthy and Villela.

3 Movistar including Amador

2 Astana inc Kangart

greenspurs

Sh!t or Bust for CannonFail so .....!!!!
About time......

Somedude9

Cataldo @ 6:56 & Monfort @ 8:56 up the road too

MPFGLB

Landa and Deignan in break group for SKY

MPFGLB

so break
De Plus, Monfort, Anton, Fraile, Hermans, Visconti, Amador, Rojas, Herrada, Montaguti, Kangert, Dupont, Cataldo, Rolland, Villella, Carthy, Rovny, Marczynski, Plaza, Petilli, Rui Costa, Elissonde, Ten Dam, Landa Deignan

then Landa and Fraile attacked out of it

Somedude9

Amador @ 4:39 & Kangert @ 5:36 are the danger men.

retalivity

Deignan!

Plus ellisonde and landa...3 sky up the road

MPFGLB

NO ellisonde ...its Deigan according to Hatch

Somedude9

retalivity wrote: »

Deignan!

Plus ellisonde and landa...3 sky up the road

Stage hunters or would Thomas launch from way out!

MPFGLB

Simon Geschke and Georg Preidler are with Dumoulin.

Laurens ten Dam in break

retalivity

MPFGLB wrote: »

NO ellisonde ...its Deigan according to Hatch

Cyclingnews have all 3 sky riders in the break

MPFGLB

retalivity wrote: »

Cyclingnews have all 3 sky riders in the break

oH great ...Landa will be brough back as break to big and maybe Deignan can have a go

dastardly00

Landa & Fraile

Chase group including Amador @1'39"

Peloton @3'42"

retalivity

MPFGLB wrote: »

oH great ...Landa will be brough back as break to big and maybe Deignan can have a go

They have now posted a full list, no ellisonde. Only deignan chasing

MPFGLB

dastardly00 wrote: »

Landa & Fraile

Chase group including Amador @1'39"

Peloton @3'42"

Cannondale need to get bloody organised

neris

Off topic but anyone see the state of the cannondale rider after crashing 2 days ago on the tour of california. Like watching a drunk stumbling around at 2am after been booted out of the local night club

Somedude9

Yeah, didn't make for good viewing

dastardly00

neris wrote: »

Off topic but anyone see the state of the cannondale rider after crashing 2 days ago on the tour of california. Like watching a drunk stumbling around at 2am after been booted out of the local night club

I was amazed that other riders didn't crash in to him when he was stumbling around. The other riders flew by him really close, probably not realising that he could have easily stepped right in front of them.

dragratchet

looking at this new feature of riders power, heartrate etc being fed to the tv audience in real time. seems like a feature likely to be exploited by various teams via their ds's. if say Pinot is climbing toe to toe with Quintana and its shown that Pinot is on his limit at a bpm of 193 whilst quintana is cruising at 155. surely it can be fed back to the latter to chuck in a final attack and crack him.

https://twitter.com/Tomashuuns/status/864284776588492800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cyclingnews.com%2Fnews%2Fskujins-crashes-out-of-tour-of-california%2F

It was gas as on the way up he high 5'd a few fans and waved back at others.

neris

Deleted User wrote: »

https://twitter.com/Tomashuuns/status/864284776588492800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cyclingnews.com%2Fnews%2Fskujins-crashes-out-of-tour-of-california%2F

It was gas as on the way up he high 5'd a few fans and waved back at others.

Jonathan waughters had a copy of a text conversation with someone senior in the team about getting him looked after in hospital there but was cheaper to fly him back to Europe business class and go straight to hospital over here

Break all but caught now, and TJ looking like he was spat out the back there.

retalivity

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Break all but caught now, and TJ looking like he was spat out the back there.

Hes a disaster. Every year the same story.

neris

Deleted User wrote: »

Break all but caught now, and TJ looking like he was spat out the back there.

No surprise really. Landa about to be caught by the chasers

dastardly00

Dumoulin & Sunweb are blessed that FJD and Trek are helping

Oh Deignan is there with the leading group , missed that being in and out here.

Wow some effort today from Fraile.

MPFGLB

Great rdier Fraile as seen at Tour de Yorkshire

MPFGLB

Deignan made to wait ??? WTF

retalivity

Rolland is nailed on for 2nd here

De Bhál

MPFGLB wrote: »

Deignan made to wait ??? WTF

sickened when i heard that

(not as much as he was i'm sure)

mirrormatrix

MPFGLB wrote: »

Deignan made to wait ??? WTF

Just saw that. Stupid move by sky. Sacrificing a possible stage win for what, a GC top 10? Madness