Giro d'Italia 2018 stage 15: Tolmezzo – Sappada 176 km

neris

On Sunday, the Giro d'Italia finishes in Sappada for the first time since 1987, and it's hard not to think of Stephen Roche, Roberto Visentini, and all that. Memories of that internecine strife seemed even more apposite a week ago, when Esteban Chaves was still vying with Simon Yates for leadership of Mitchelton-Scott, but the basic lesson of that day 31 years ago still applies: this is ambush country.

Lumpy stage again today with a cat 3 & Cat 2 climbs. Maybe a shake up today with Froome possibly hitting form and the TT still to come next week.

Technical Overview:
The Giro hits the Dolomites with a very nice stage at low altitude (it could probably be classified as medium mountain...). Starting from Tolmezzo, the peloton will begin climbing straight away, first with an ascending false flat and then with the proper first climb of the day, Passo della Mauria (GPM3, 8.8 km at 4.4%), whose official numbers only include the last, steady section, which is preceded by some slightly harder but irregular ramps. After a long descent with a very twisty first part, the route goes along a long false flat in the Cadore Valley, all the way to the end of it, the famous town of Cortina d'Ampezzo, where the second climb of the day starts. Passo Tre Croci (GPM2, 7.9 km at 7.3%), very steady and consistent, is a classic of the Giro, mostly known for being the lead-up to the Tre Cime di Lavaredo. The riders however are not headed there. In fact, after the top the will turn back east, and enter the other end of the Cadore Valley, this time descending until Auronzo, where the final sequence of climbs start. The first one is Passo di Sant'Antonio (GPM2, 8.3 km at 7.5%), a steep, short climb with a central section of 6 km at 9.5%. Its tricky descent will lead the pack directly to another climb, Costalissolo (GPM2, 3.8 km at 8.8%), with the initial 2.5 km at 10.6% before an easier final drag. After another interesting descent, the riders will only need to reach Sappada, after an 8.5 km drag which somehow is not categorized, but has a central ramp of 2.5 km at 6.5%, before a flattish final 2.5 km.

retalivity

Relentless first 40k, multiple attacks but no-one getting let away. Aru is one who has tried to go up the road

dastardly00

It's fascinating watching the breakaway trying to form.
Aru was never going to be let of the leash.

All My Stars Aligned

FFS, Kelly & co banging on about Froome is making me sick. No mention whatsoever of the charge hanging over him. As good as Kelly was in his day his attitude to doping over shadows anything he did on the bike.

neris

Kelly stating the bleedin obvious "no one can control the weather"

All My Stars Aligned

Weepsie wrote: »

I imagine they may well have their hands tied by Eurosports legal bods

Maybe then just don't talk about him.

flatty

All My Stars Aligned wrote: »

FFS, Kelly & co banging on about Froome is making me sick. No mention whatsoever of the charge hanging over him. As good as Kelly was in his day his attitude to doping over shadows anything he did on the bike.

Oddly, whilst I think Brailsford is a stain on the sport, as is wiggins, who we know lied through his teeth about injections, and thus, likely, everything else, I cannot imagine that froome was doped yesterday, which in some ways makes his perdormances in general slightly more possible. I may be clutching at straws as he seems a pleasant and likeable soul.

All My Stars Aligned

flatty wrote: »

Oddly, whilst I think Brailsford is a stain on the sport, as is wiggins, who we know lied through his teeth about injections, and thus, likely, everything else, I cannot imagine that froome was doped yesterday, which in some ways makes his perdormances in general slightly more possible. I may be clutching at straws as he seems a pleasant and likeable soul.

I have always quite liked him but he is racing under a cloud and ES commentators refuse to mention this. With all the talk of trying to clean up the image of pro cycling this attitude speaks volumes. BTY, I am in no way saying CF was anything but clean yesterday.

Sprinter Sacre

Lazarus Froome to one leg cycle backwards up Sant'Antonio putting a minute into everyone before over the handlebars washing machine descending putting another minute into everyone. Kirby punches Hatch off the commentary seat just to utter his usual "ohhh this is just glorious".

MPFGLB

Re Froome : I think he should not be riding the Giro but the rules allow him and there is not much more the commentators can say that hasnt been said a million times

Froome & Braislford pushed the envelope of what was acceptable with medication and Tues but the UCI allowed this

I still dont understand what happens if Froome is banned ...esp in the final week because before the Giro we were told the decision would come during the Giro ?

As for Kirby's constant glorificaction of SKY and Froome ...this is at best idiotic

Boscoirl

Nico didn’t start today

CrowdedHouse

I really miss the commentary free feed, I suppose the TDF is going to be like this too. Oh well - volume down to 1 cos 0 brings a speaker with a x through it on the screen

MPFGLB

Boscoirl wrote: »

Nico didn’t start today

Not a good GT for him from the start

Picture on Instagram the other day of his back being taped up by an oestopath ...

But must be the first GT in about 18 GTs.he did not finish ..he hates to abandon so must be quite ill

Not surprised as he was way down on every stage and not even going in the break

Sprinter Sacre

My favourite commentary ever was the Spanish lads that used to be around 10 years ago or so, they're probably still going now. Delgado was one of them, he was like the Sean Kelly of it but the main guy was brilliant, can't place his name now. My Spanish would be patchy but through his passion and voice alone you'd have goosebumps. He used have some great phrases too. They were biased as well but nothing like the drawl that's on ES now and they spread it around the Spanish lads, when Valverde, Purito and Contador were at their best and it really added to the spectacle. When one of them used attack the main guy would lose his sh*t altogether and he'd be bellowing out the vamos vamos bueno bueno bueno and a slew of other beautiful sounding Spanish. Spine tingling stuff.

Kirby is horrific, Hatch over emphasises his words and pronunciations but he can call a race very well, he's unbiased and doesn't try and predict things or try and stir up more drama just for the sake of hearing your own voice. He's equally passionate about the lesser races too whereas Kirby would be as a dead as a door knob unless one of his favourite is in the breakaway or a British lad is on the screen. Hatch also gives Sean a free reign to say what he wants instead of Kirby always subtly influencing his words. Phil and Paul had their faults and biases too but they were night and day above what's going on now.

dastardly00

That's a shame for Nico. As MPFGLB said, he doesn't abandon GTs nornally.
It was a bad mistake on BMCs part to take him. It wasn't part of his racing plan for 2018 and he was well undercooked coming into the Giro.

MPFGLB

Sprinter Sacre wrote: »

My favourite commentary ever was the Spanish lads that used to be around 10 years ago or so, they're probably still going now. Delgado was one of them, he was like the Sean Kelly of it but the main guy was brilliant, can't place his name now. My Spanish would be patchy but through his passion and voice alone you'd have goosebumps. He used have some great phrases too. They were biased as well but nothing like the drawl that's on ES now and they spread it around the Spanish lads, when Valverde, Purito and Contador were at their best and it really added to the spectacle. When one of them used attack the main guy would lose his sh*t altogether and he'd be bellowing out the vamos vamos bueno bueno bueno and a slew of other beautiful sounding Spanish. Spine tingling stuff.

Kirby is horrific, Hatch over emphasises his words and pronunciations but he can call a race very well, he's unbiased and doesn't try and predict things or try and stir up more drama just for the sake of hearing your own voice. He's equally passionate about the lesser races too whereas Kirby would be as a dead as a door knob unless one of his favourite is in the breakaway or a British lad is on the screen. Hatch also gives Sean a free reign to say what he wants instead of Kirby always subtly influencing his words. Phil and Paul had their faults and biases too but they were night and day above what's going on now.

++++1

Loved the Spanish crew ...and Juan Carlos out on the moto

And so correct re Kirby and Hatch

dastardly00

Today would have been a good opportunity to pick up some points for the Points jersey via the intermediate sprints, if Sam was interested in it.

MPFGLB

dastardly00 wrote: »

That's a shame for Nico. As MPFGLB said, he doesn't abandon GTs nornally.
It was a bad mistake on BMCs part to take him. It wasn't part of his racing plan for 2018 and he was well undercooked coming into the Giro.

I think they wanted him to do a GT so he would be better for th Tour de France as he is always better in his 2nd GT...that is my guess

He is needed to be top for Porte who will have Caruso and TJ but as we know TJ is not a domestique


Nicolas Roche is atrocious until after his first GT and by end of July ...not sure why but its a definite pattern

dastardly00

Fair play to Michael Woods and EF-Drapac-something-something for giving it a go today. I don't think it will work out for him, but he's certainly not afraid to attack

MPFGLB

dastardly00 wrote: »

Fair play to Michael Woods and EF-Drapac something somethin for giving it a go today. I don't think it will work out for him, but he's certainly not afraid to attack

I think he should have maybe waited a while to attack...too far out imo

dastardly00

Fabio Aru having an absolute nightmare

Dr. Bre

Yates is a phenomenon

velo.2010

Dumoulin getting done over here. Looks like its just a case of small climbers against a top time trialist. Yates, though, looks like he'll lose less than a minute in the TT.

Don't know what to make of Froome.

selwyn froggitt

Great stuff from Yates

Boscoirl

massive blow up from Froome, got dropped from his group also

dastardly00

That was a cracking stage

MPFGLB

That stage looked so hard

Kaisr Sose

Dominant performance from Yates. Small test attack and then killer blow.

dastardly00

Yates now 2'11" ahead of Dumoulin...
That might be enough to even keep him in pink after the ITT!! Yates definitely big favorite now to win overall

retalivity

Boscoirl wrote: »

massive blow up from Froome, got dropped from his group also

He got dropped by rohan dennis and denz from the breakaway! Yo-yoing qll over the shop between yday and today.

Would nearly expect him to win the tt on tues now!

BowSideChamp

velo.2010 wrote: »

Dumoulin getting done over here. Looks like its just a case of small climbers against a top time trialist. Yates, though, looks like he'll lose less than a minute in the TT.

Don't know what to make of Froome.

Yeah, you could explain Froomes non performance to his pre race crash. But he won yesterday.

dastardly00

Poor Pozzovivo looks like he is getting pneumonia during that interview

retalivity

Also, froome was gapped on the descent, right before the last categorised climb, which was weird. When they started the climb there was a group of 8/9 ahead of froome and no other sky people to be seen. He was doing the work on the front himself initially for a while, getting nowhere, before poels appeared.

godtabh

Roche DNF

godtabh

godtabh wrote: »

Roche DNF

Didn't start today as far as I know.

DDC1990

Deleted User wrote:

Didn't start today as far as I know.

Eurosport said he didn't start but BMC say he made it to the feed zone and abandoned.

DDC1990

Deleted User wrote:

Didn't start today as far as I know.

Eurosport said he didn't start but BMC say he made it to the feed zone and abandoned.

Boscoirl

Has Aru made it yet?

godtabh

DDC1990 wrote: »

Eurosport said he didn't start but BMC say he made it to the feed zone and abandoned.

Roche’s tweet said DNF

Dr. Bre

Aru should of stayed with Astana

CrowdedHouse

Dr. Bre wrote: »

Aru should of stayed with Astana

He might want to do the Tour now and possibly interfere with Dan's plans.

wirelessdude01

Remember that Nicos brother is very sick again. Wonder if this is part of the reason?

Brian?

dastardly00 wrote: »

Yates now 2'11" ahead of Dumoulin...
That might be enough to even keep him in pink after the ITT!! Yates definitely big favorite now to win overall

Barring a crash, it's over IMO.

Brian?

retalivity wrote: »

Also, froome was gapped on the descent, right before the last categorised climb, which was weird. When they started the climb there was a group of 8/9 ahead of froome and no other sky people to be seen. He was doing the work on the front himself initially for a while, getting nowhere, before poels appeared.

I didn't think it was weird at all. The last rainy day Froome couldn't go uphill in the wet. Froome can descend well in the right circumstances, if he's at the front or alone in the dry. Throw a bit of rain in and he's like Bambi on ice.

godtabh

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Remember that Nicos brother is very sick again. Wonder if this is part of the reason?

May explain some of the tweets in response to his. I didnt realise that.

WMP

SNIP

Lumen

I don't remember a grand tour in the last few years where a GC leader would just launch off the front long before the finish to gain big chunks of time.

Maybe that's because they haven't needed to because they've been stronger TTers.

This is the sort of performance some expected from Quintana before he turned out to be a bit crap and boring.

gmacww

Snip

Peterx

I don't even know what astrex is but this a great race to watch.

He's a skinny climber, the Giro is full of skinny climber climbs, why wouldn't he he be gaining time? Especially when as a skinny climber he will lose shedloads of time tomorrow in the TT?

Now if he doesn't lose shedloads of time tomorrow in the TT I will of course google astrex...

In the meantime it is playing out as a super exciting race. Tom Dumoulin is some man to get back to that group and take bonus seconds. They are all pure racers. I love it.

uphillonly

What was going on behind Yates to allow him to surge away:

Dumoulin blasts squabbling rivals as Yates rides away
Read more at http://www.velonews.com/2018/05/giro-ditalia/froome-dumoulin-bow-yates_466895#W11Kv2SmrJ0VPq4h.99

The Mitchelton-Scott captain attacked late to drop a struggling Chris Froome (Sky) and then poured on the gas to further distance his most direct GC rivals. Tom Dumoulin (Sunweb) was livid at the finish line after other riders in the chase group refused to contribute to his satisfaction.

“I don’t give a damn at this point. I’m totally f**cked now,” Dumoulin stewed. “I had to dig so deep to stay with those other riders after Yates’ attack. And in the end it didn’t even matter, cause everybody there was just taking the piss. If I immediately started riding by myself, I would have lost a lot less time on Yates. Because of them taking the piss I lose a lot more.”

Dumoulin himself looked to have made a decent effort to get back on when he was distanced very late on.