Race Thread: Giro d'Italia 2025 : procycling

[-] [email protected] 3 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago)

Stage 9 : Gubbio – Sienne, 181 km (Sunday 18, dep. 13:00-13:06, ETA 17:00-17:30)

The stage with a few white paths.

Stage with medium difficulties, 25 points to the winner.

The 3 km rule doesn’t apply.

Delays : 11% if ≤ 35 km/h; 12% if ≤ 39 km/h; 13% otherwise.

Standings after stage 8:

General classification:

Ulissi (🇮🇹 Astana)
Fortunato (🇮🇹 Astana) at 12 seconds
Roglitch (🇸🇮 Bora) at 17 s
Ayuso (🇪🇸 UAE) at 20 s
Del Toro (🇲🇽 UAE) at 26 s
Tiberi (🇮🇹 Bahrain) at 44 s
& followings: Poole (🇬🇧 Picnic), Storer (🇦🇺 Tudor), McNulty (🇺🇸 UAE), S. Yates (🇬🇧 Visma), Carapaz (🇪🇨 EF)

First Frenchman is Gaudu (🇫🇷 FDJ) 23^rd^ at 2 minutes...

Mountain classification:

Fortunato (🇮🇹 Astana) 98 pts
Ayuso (🇪🇸 UAE) 50
Double (🇬🇧 Jayco) 36
Tarozzi (🇮🇹 Bardiani) 32

Bardet (🇫🇷 Picnic), who scored 18 points by making second at the top of the stage 1^st^ category climb, declared that today he was pretending to battle for mountain points. Sigh...

Points classification:

Pedersen (🇩🇰 Lidl-Trek) 153 pts
Tonelli (🇮🇹 Polti) 59
Kooij (🇳🇱 Visma) 55

Intermediary sprints:

Tonellii (🇮🇹 Polti) 59 pts
Pedersen (🇩🇰 Lidl-Trek) 31
Tarozzi (🇮🇹 Bardiani) 26

Breakaways:

Tonellii (🇮🇹 Polti) 368 km
Tarozzi (🇮🇹 Bardiani) 278
Van der Hoorn (🇳🇱 Intermarché) 188

Redbull KM:

Tarozzi (🇮🇹 Bardiani) 30 pts
Tonellii (🇮🇹 Polti) 19

Teams:

UAE
Astana at 2'56''
Lidl, Movistar & Visma at around 8 mn

[-] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

After 5 km, Q36.5, Astana and Barhain are already blocking the peloton's front, after 4+2 riders broke away.

The 2 sprinters in the breakaway, Groves (🇦🇺 Alpecin) and Fretin (🇧🇪 Cofidis), do not even attempt to take the intermediate sprints points. Sigh...

[-] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

It became a good race when the gravel section started and Pedersen started to pull. And kept on pulling for miles, while the bunch was breaking into pieces behind.

It was funny moment when he started weakening, and Ineos and UAE riders were trying to get to the front to take their turn pulling to re-increase the speed. He didn't want to leave them his place, and insisted until he blew up...

Then falls and punctured formed the pattern of the various groups. Is it too random? Well, it is also the riders' and the teams' choice to pick fast but weak tyres, because they are afraid to lose 20 seconds should someone else attack on the paved section, and commonly lose 1 to 2 minutes on each puncture, as on this type of race, team (or even neutral) cars cannot be behind each of the 5, 10, 15 groups.

There were somewhat weird tactics from several teams, including Lidl-Trek (special award to Vacek in that respect 🤨).

Van Aert (🇧🇪 Visma) and Del Toro (🇲🇽 UAE) are the main beneficiaries of the stage, respectively stage winner and new pink jersey wearer. Van Aert and Bernal (🇨🇴 Ineos) are two riders who resurrected today, even though the latter was a bit short in the end.

Many splits + the final climb in Siena city, means that most riders crossed the line solo or in really tiny groups.

Gaudu (🇫🇷 FDJ) is out of GC for good this time: among other things, he was afraid of the descents on gravel sections. Poole (🇬🇧 Picnic) lost a lot of time too. Hard times for Roglitch (🇸🇮 Bora) and Storer (🇦🇺 Tudor) who fell.

On the other side, Carapaz (🇪🇨 EF) and Ciccone (🇮🇹 Lidl-Trek) are back in the GC game. 4 UAE are in the top-10 of GC...

First Italian in GC is now Tiberi (🇮🇹 Bahrein), 3^rd^;
first Spaniard is Ayuso (🇪🇸 UAE), 2^nd^ behind his teammate;
first Frenchman is now Prodhomme (🇫🇷 Decathlon), 24^th^ at nearly 6 minutes...
first Belgian is... oh dear, the first Belgian is 44 minutes behind...

[-] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Stage 6 : Potenza – Naples, 227 km (Thursday 15, dep. 11:30-11:50, arr. 17:00-17:30)

Long stage for sprinters.

Stage with light difficulties, 50 points to the winner.

The 3 km rule applies for falls/incidents in the finish.

Only splits larger or equal to 3 seconds are counted.

Delays: 9% if ≤ 37 km/h; 10% if ≤ 41 km/h; 11% otherwise).

The stage with a few white paths.

[-] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

Good fight in the beginning of the stage, thanks to the start within a climb and then to Ineos who wanted to add extra team riders to the one in the breakaway which had separated after 5 km. Breakaway, chase and peloton regrouped at the same time, after 30 km perhaps. Right away, 2 guys left again, for what would turn out to be the main breakaway of the day, as, strangely, no one attacked again despite the strong fights that took place previously.

However, there was another phase, where Fortunato🇮🇹 left alone the sleepy peloton, close alone a gap of several minutes (I think) to catch up the breakaway, grabbed the maximum points on top of the 2^nd^ category climb, and then didn't continue with breakaway but return in the peloton 4 or 5 minutes behind! Peloton in which he was later caught in the mass holiday-on-ice style crash which caused race neutralisation and the cancellation of the arrival points and time gaps.

Pedersen didn't take part in a sprint that he wasn't likely to win, since there were no points to grab.

Kooij🇳🇱 got stuck behind a Q36.5 rider and couldn't sprint. The Q36.5 rider was relegated, despite the impression I got when I watched the replay, where it looked to me more like Kooij making the wrong choice of trying to pass between the Q36.5 rider and the fence where there was actually no room to pass, while everyone else, including other riders that were in the same original position, chose the open side to go around the slower Q36.5.

Fretin🇧🇪 came second to Groves🇦🇺. If I understood correctly, UCI points were still attributed, so that's good for Cofidis.

[-] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

Most beautiful race. My favourite GT!

This is Derek Gee's year!!

[-] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

The past couple of years have been disappointing, but I am happy Pogacar is not there this year so we might get some excitement :)

Also looking forward to seeing Mads Pedersen and the EF Danes and what they can do!

[-] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

I'm hoping this might be Yates' time to shine. We'll see...

[-] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

I think yates supposed to be working for ayuso

[-] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

I am happy Pogacar is not there this year so we might get some excitement :)

Well, if it is going to be one of these tours where Roglitch sets the pace, there won't be much excitement for the GC, just a looong wait overall, and each mountain stage resulting in a small sprint in the last few 100 metres. (I don't dislike the guy, but as long as he is in control of the situation, he will calculate everything to minimise his effort.)

As far as I am concerned, I do not mind much, as long as the stages are disputed: I liked the 2023 edition much, with Healy and Gee on fire, mixed with the usual Italians and some (odd at times) fighting for secondary classifications. But that's not everyone's cup of tea.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

I think Ayuso can put up a fight, much as I dislike UAE dominance. But will he have the stamina to hang on in the third week?

[-] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

Ayuso indeed seems to often have bad days after a while, and to be unable to conceal them.

On the other hand, the Bora team has been pretty crappy lately. On the other hand of the other hand, it wasn't the part of the team which rides with Roglitch: most of these didn't ride anything since Catalonia in March!

[-] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

There's also the fact that Ayusos team doesn't really like him, and probably won't work too hard for him...

[-] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Yeah, I concur that we often get this feeling, and we heard rumours. I don't know how grounded they are.

Do you know if Vine, who has been involved in the major crash of the last descent, is injured? That might simplify a bit the hierarchy within UAE 😃

edit: well, it appears that Vine came behind by 4 minutes... so, injured or not, he is pretty much out of the GC game already.

[-] [email protected] 2 points 4 weeks ago

Stage 8 : Giulianova – Castelraimondo, 197 km (Saturday 17, dep. 12:15-12:25, arr. 17:00-17:30)

A stage for the breakaway, normally. Or a Pedersen-stage? Or a Pedersen-in-a-breakway-stage?

Stage with medium difficulties, 25 points to the winner.

The 3 km rule applies for falls/incidents in the finish.

Delays : 11% if ≤ 35 km/h; 12% if ≤ 39 km/h; 13% otherwise.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 4 weeks ago

Supposing the following base scenario: Pedersen, not suffering much from his fall 2 days earlier, is in a breakaway. Well, who would be crazy enough to ride with him until the end? Nobody I guess, unless they know that they will drop him in the main climb, mid-stage.

Fantasy scenario: Pedersen gets in the breakaway but he's mainly interested by intermediate sprints, to secure his Cyclamen jersey. That could be good for everyone in the breakaway: he will pull the breakaway until the bottom of the main climb (where the 2^nd^ intermediate sprint stands) providing it with a comfortable gap, then he will drop and recover as he rides slowly uphill, while others don't need to put in any extra effort to drop him in the climb. Everyone benefits, everyone is happy in the breakaway.

[-] [email protected] 3 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago)

That was it. Almost.

Pedersen and 2 other guys rode 45 km like maniacs, until the first intermediate sprint, with a gap oscillating between 10 and 25 seconds, depending on the never-ending counter-attacks.

Still no definitive breakaway. Nobody managed to leave in the first climb either.

I was outside so I didn't see it, but the breakaway of the day left in the next flat/hilly transition, including Bardet and Fortunato.

As soon as the main climb started, all French teams (Cofidis, FDJ) riders were all dropped, except Prodhomme for Decathlon 😅

While Rochas from FDJ totally imploded, most Cofidis riders never dropped farther than 25 seconds, and with help of Vendrame could catch up with the first part of the breakaway near the summit.

At the summit (1^st^ cat., 40 pts to the winner!), Bardet launched the sprint relatively early, but was beaten by Fortunato who was the only rider who tried to follow Bardet. Tarozzi (Bardiani) avoided those efforts by simply passing ahead of the group to grab the points for the 3^rd^ place.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 4 weeks ago

Real nice stage with fights from A to almost Z. That's the kind of stages I was talking about before the tour started, where, despite (almost) zero GC fight, there is some action along almost the whole stage.

It wasn't one of those breakaways which remain grouped most of the stage. No, there were plenty of attacks and splits.

Impressive Plapp (🇦🇺 Jayco). Hardworking Ulissi (🇮🇹 Astana) and Kelderman (🇳🇱 Visma).

Bardet🇫🇷's level is embarrassing. In order to win something, he would need to be in a breakaway on a mountain stage, a breakaway with zero climber... (and that no GC rider wishes to win the stage).

Gaudu🇫🇷 didn't look too bad. Of course the main climb was climbed slowly, but in the last little bump before the finish, which separated the peloton, he remained in the first group of 30 riders.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

Stage 3 : Vlorë, 160 km (Sunday 11, dep. 13:15-13:25, ETA 17:00-17:25)

Stage with medium difficulties, 25 points to the winner.

The '3 km' rule applies for falls/incidents within 5 km from the finish.

Delays : 11% if ≤ 35 km/h; 12% if ≤ 39 km/h; 13% otherwise.

Standings after stage 2:

Roglitch (🇸🇮 Bora)
Pedersen (🇩🇰 Lidl-Trek) @ 1 second
Vacek (🇨🇿 Lidl-Trek) @ 5 s
McNulty (🇺🇸 UAE) @ 12 s
Ayuso (🇪🇸 UAE) @ 16 s
Del Toro (🇲🇽 UAE) @ 17 s

It looks as if we had had a Team Time Trial, but we haven't...

[-] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

There was a bit of fight for the breakaway today. Nothing huge, but a bit.

A group of 4 (Tarling for Ineos, 1 FDJ, 1 Picnic, 1 Q36.5) detached after, say, 10 km, followed by a group of 2 (1 Polti, 1 Decathlon). Bardiani and Cofidis were not allowed by the peloton to join them. Only when the peloton stopped, the gap grew, and when it had grown enough, the first group could slow down a bit and the second group finally joined them (they probably never ave managed otherwise) to make a group of 6.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

I see that Marcellusi was relegated. I think he was the rider who, during the sprint preparation, was 'shouldered out' of his good position in the wheels of Pedersen by Strong... If that's the action which is penalised (it can very well be something else), that's a bit unfair, because he indeed retaliated to attempt (in vain) to regain or at least share the position, but the first bad move is Strong forcefully pushing the Bardiani rider out of the position he had been occupying for a fair while.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

Stage 4 : Alberobello – Lecce, 189 km (Tuesday 13, dep. 12:55-13:05, ETA 17:00-17:25)

Pure sprinters stage.

Stage without difficulties, 50 points to the winner.

The ‘3 km’ rule applies for falls/incidents within 5 km from the finish.

Only splits larger or equal to 3 seconds are counted.

Delays: 7% if ≤ 40 km/h; 8% if ≤ 45 km/h; 10% otherwise.

[-] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

Probably not a Pedersen stage, he's lost a little speed to gain climbing legs. I'm thinking Kooij or maybe Bennet, although I still think Pedersen will sprint for points.

[-] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

So, the positions were more or less set at the last curve.

Only Groves (🇦🇺 Alpecin) managed to truly accelerate in the end; with a longer straight line he may have won (only finished 5^th^). My Fretin (🇧🇪 Cofidis) wasn't in a great position (not a terrible one either), but when he tried to overtake the riders in front of him, he clearly lacked power and failed; World Tour may be a bit tough for him (or he had no teammate to help him in the last kilometres and wasted a lot of energy navigating alone).

We had thought of Kooij🇳🇱 (2^nd^) but not of the other two Dutchmen Van Uden🇳🇱 (1^st^, Picnic) and Ziijlaard🇳🇱 (3^rd^, Tudor).

[-] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

Same opinion for me.

But hey, as nothing was attempted during the first 2 mass start stages which were designed so (the organiser hadn't planned for such bunches to arrive: the rule was not 3-seconds minimal split), perhaps some loonies will attempt some big thing tomorrow just to keep on annoying me. 🤣

Anyway, I'd pick Kooij first as you did, then I'd venture Fretin. Then in any order Groves, Pedersen, Strong, Bennett.

I know Bennett did a good place on Tirreno–Adriatico (once), yet I still don't trust him to really perform elsewhere than on small French races.

Do we suppose Van Aert will sprint?

Hmm, I didn't list Aular who finished 3^rd^ twice, so may keep sprinting, for points at least. But is the cyclamen jersey an achievable goal for a rider who never finished a Grand Tour (it is only the second GT he starts)?

About points, perhaps the bunch will try to play the points of the first intermediate sprint this time, before letting go a sacrificial breakaway of Italian Proteams? It happens before km 40, after a mostly descending false flat profile reaching sea side and sea level for the intermediate sprint, apparently. Anyway, if they want to, it looks very doable.

There are 12 + 12 + 50 points to take tomorrow (Pedersen has 54 so far).

[-] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

I forgot Magnier among my (ample) list of sprinters.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

Blimey... My ample list wasn't ample enough! 😆

[-] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

BTW, tomorrow it may be more interesting to follow the Dunkerque classique: https://www.4joursdedunkerque.com/ledition/ (edit: now that I look at the profile again, the climbs are rather small, and more worryingly the last one is 30 km away from the line, so unless there is some very bad weather or strong wind, it will also end as a bunch sprint 😢).

That's the one-day race.

On the day after, start the 4 days of Dunkerque. For 5 days... (Wednesday to Sunday, therefore in parallel with the Tour of Hungary, in addition to the Giro).

Both are class .Pro races.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

BTW, tomorrow it may be more interesting to follow the Dunkerque classique: https://www.4joursdedunkerque.com/ledition/ (edit: now that I look at the profile again, the climbs are rather small, and more worryingly the last one is 30 km away from the line, so unless there is some very bad weather or strong wind, it will also end as a bunch sprint 😢).

That’s the one-day race.

So, nobody wanted to race here either, except Unibet. 3 guys went on top of the last climb, but the Picnic rider never relayed, and the Ineos and the Visma riders were radioed back too after a while. In the end, Visma's first man is 25^th^, and Ineos' first man is 37^th^ (and Picnic's one is 7^th^, he might gain one place as he was compressed by Girmay in the last metres, but...). Well done, directors...

Nice crash on a bus lane located in the middle of the road and elevated by just one inch or so compared to regular lanes: invisible after a turn, especially for any rider which wasn't directly in front...

[-] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

Breakaway composed of a single rider, a Spanish Polti. Even the Italians refused to join him, even when Fortunato tried to ask someone to go with him.

Moniquet (🇧🇪 Cofidis) and Fortunato (🇮🇹 Astana) fought for the 2 and 1 points of the 4^th^ category climb . Moniquet started from the bottom of the small climb, which Fortunato hadn't planned; the Italian couldn't close the gap.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

For the first intermediate sprint in the bunch after the solo breakaway, there were 4 contenders: Pedersen, Kooij, Groves and Strong. Tonelli didn't take part; neither did Aular or Van Aert.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

Stage 5 : Ceglie Messapica – Matera, 151 km (Wednesday 14, dep. 13:35-13:50, ETA 17:00-17:20)

Stage with light difficulties, 50 points to the winner.

The 3 km rule doesn't apply.

Delays: 9% if ≤ 37 km/h; 10% if ≤ 37 km/h; 11% otherwise.

Warning: the slopes are more difficult than they look on this profile, and the climbs are under-categorised. The 4^th^ category climb is 2.5 km @ more than 9% grade; the following one is half the grade but twice as long; and juste after, in the last 10 km, there are 2 or 3 short climbs which can be punchy. Even the bonus sprint at km 100 is 1.5 km @ 6%.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

Healy starting in Montescaglioso, 30 km from the finish line?

Good distance and profile for him and similar guys, and nothing to do on the day after, where a bunch sprint is highly expected.

[-] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

I think this is another Pedersen-stage, depending on how it's ridden of course. We'll see!

[-] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

Nobody attempted anything at any point in the race, despite the several well positioned difficulties. Not a single attack. Just a medium team acceleration somewhere like 250 m from the summit of the 4^th^ cat. climb by UAE; Pedersen immediately lost 60 places in the bunch. Each time there is a climb for climbers and someone pushes a tiny bit, he starts dropping (and that's normal, that's not his thing). But UAE only did it 250 m from the top (and the others didn't do it at all), of course he could stay in the bunch and be taken back to the front after recovering.

That's now 3 stages where the organiser did propose a terrain suitable for attacks and no one does anything. They all just wait to lose to Pedersen in the end. All sort of teams, big and small and medium; all sorts of riders, first-rate punchers, second-rate climbers ; they don't try to do anything.

Where do they expect to win? Out of 21 stages, we have gone through 5 already. In the 16 remaining one, there is:

1 time-trial stage (#10)
1 parade/sprint stage (the last one)
3 other pure sprint stages (#6, #12, probably #18)
2 Pedersen-stages (#13 perhaps, and especially #14)
4 stages with finishes on summits (#7, #16, #19 (sort of), #20)

That leaves 5 stages, and all are not suitable for all types of riders, so for a given type of rider, the choice is more reduced (admittedly, a few of the mountain stages may get back in the list for some of those riders). So let's say that depending on the type of rider, they have between 3 and 7 stages left. They wasted 3 already, so up to 50% of their chances.

We knew that it was likely that there would not be any fight for GC until late in the Tour, given the way this Giro is designed, and the type of GC riders engaged (personified in Roglitch). But we could imagine it would be replaced by a fight for stages, furthermore made easy because GC riders would not mess with it.

In the breakaway, the Arkéa rider took all the points and money from the 3 sprints, and then abandoned the other 2 who expected his collaboration in exchange... 😐

[-] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

Yes, unless you're a Pedersen fan it's been a pretty boring giro so far. I am a Pedersen fan, of course, but I still recognized that. I guess Vacek is too strong for anyone to attack and get away?

[-] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

Yes, unless you’re a Pedersen fan it’s been a pretty boring giro so far. I am a Pedersen fan, of course, but I still recognized that.

I haven't always had favourite riders, but in the last few years I have two, and they are Pedersen for lads and Kopecky for gals. I don't mind him winning, I do mind that others do not put up any fight, do not try to derail even just a little bit the course of Trek strategy, do not use what the organiser provided.

Ah, there is one thing at which I take offense, which makes me wish he loses time. He really looks like a little pig with this pink tracksuit and his chubby cheeks. 🤣 If he doesn't want to lose time, please tell him to keep the jersey, but put on a different bib! 🐷 🐖 🐷 🐖 🐷 🐖 🐷 🐖

I guess Vacek is too strong for anyone to attack and get away?

No one even tried, so we cannot tell. But it is always better to go away in a small group (because there would have been splits if they tried), even carrying Vacek (or Ciccone) as a dead weight, than do nothing and arrive with Pedersen on perfect last miles for him (icing on the cake, after having dropped basically all other sprinters).

[-] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

I agree that the others should put up a fight, but I guess they're cooked? If not then they would surely try?

I like Pedersen, not only because he is Danish like me, but because he is such a fun character with his determination and hard man attitude, without being a macho man.

And he is very down to earth, a few years ago I was at a small critérium in Hammel and he was there. Bossed everyone (criteria in Denmark are actual competitions), then afterwards we saw him on the parking lot loading his bike into the back of his dad's Skoda Octavia. I love that cycling is not more complicated than that, you know?

[-] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

I agree that the others should put up a fight, but I guess they’re cooked?

In my mind, it is impossible that they are cooked. If we take today:

yesterday was a completely flat stage, with no fight; the day before was rest (oh, BTW, in this edition the max series of racing days is 6, not 10 days, as, because of the start abroad, there is an extra resting day);
peloton stopped riding at km 1, not a single counter-attack in the beginning of the race;
there were only 3 'small' riders in the breakaway, which no one (including themselves) trusted to reach the finish, so no active pursuit;
wind was in riders back, if I heard correctly;
the stage is short, only 150 km;
the stage average speed is 43.6 km/h; to give a comparison point, Amstel Gold Race was ran at a slightly higher average speed, despite being 100 km longer and having twice the elevation gain!
the peloton is complete (or almost) when it reaches the first real climb, no one has made any effort since the start, and you probably still have 80 or more riders after it; so only sprinters and small or weakened riders have been dropped in the steep climb;
when there is a small acceleration, then it stops and everyone can regroup because they weren't really dropped; in the end, there are still 60 riders in the same time; as they cannot have the same level of power/form it means that many of them could have done more;
it wasn't at all like on the first day, when Lidl-Trek applied a strong and increasing pace all along the last climb (and kept on pushing on the downhill and then the flat) that put everyone behind in a single line, and thus ended up causing splits; it was rather compact most of the time today, except a little while when UAE pulled.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

It absolutely can be as you say, especially if no strong puncher goes full steam ahead in the 'main' climb.

So far, a breakaway of 3 men who started at km 0. No reaction from any other rider in the peloton.

It was quite funny because they were 3 when they left, but the last one (a Movistar) slew down after only a couple hundreds yards, intending to get back into the bunch; yet he changed his mind (or the DS did), and then was struggling alone like a moron to catch up with the 2 Italians ahead (1 Polit, 1 Arkéa), until these 2 riders waited for him as the peloton was very slow.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

Another Movistar tactical masterclass :D

[-] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

One commenter's theory was that he had the mission to jump in breakaways, but only take part in the 'real ones', those with enough riders to stand a chance of victory. So he half-dropped when he saw that there were only 2 small riders with him and no one seemed to join. I would add that he remained a bit ahead of the peloton, as if he wanted to incite other riders to get out of it and join him and then join the 2 other riders. Then we might guess that as it became clear that there would be no other volunteer and no chase, it was probably decided that he should join back the small breakaway, since this small breakaway would be the 'right one' and there wouldn't have been anything better to do today.

[-] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Healy starting in Montescaglioso,

The Giro has been going on for 6 days now, and only this evening I realise that Healy is not on the race! 🤣 🤣 🤣

[-] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

Stage 7 : Castel di Sangro – Tagliacozzo, 168 km (Friday 16, dep. 12:50-12:55, ETA 17:00-17:30)

First arrival on a summit. The stage starts directly with a climb, like Stage 6 just did but harder: every non-GC climber on the Giro will want to join the breakaway...

Stage with high difficulties, 15 points to the winner.

The 3 km rule doesn’t apply.

Delays : 16% if ≤ 30 km/h; 17% if ≤ 34 km/h; 18% otherwise.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 4 weeks ago

The stage starts directly with a climb, like Stage 6 just did but harder: every non-GC climber on the Giro will want to join the breakaway…

No one managed to break away in the first climb!

It only happened on the plateau and the small hills it harboured, after UAE riders gave up being part of the breakaway, as Bora was chasing while they were in it.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 4 weeks ago

Gaudu managed to fall and take Bardet down with him. 🇫🇷 🍷 🇫🇷 🍷 🇫🇷

I don't know what happened to Roglitch in the last mile: he seemed stuck when the final attack/acceleration occurred, but still finished very well (4^th^) and looked jolly after dismounting from his bike.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 4 weeks ago

I don’t know what happened to Roglitch in the last mile: he seemed stuck when the final attack/acceleration occurred, but still finished very well (4th) and looked jolly after dismounting from his bike.

By the way, I am not sure, but just after the finish, while Ayuso was sitting for a few seconds, I think I heard him asking "¿Soy en rosa?" and the staff answer him "Si, si.", which was obviously wrong already at that moment.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago)

Gaudu managed to fall and take Bardet down with him. 🇫🇷 🍷 🇫🇷 🍷 🇫🇷

Reminder.

This year, Gaudu fell successively:

on the Tour of Oman (nothing serious) 11 or 12 Feb;
while training 🐈 (which forced him to cancel the small French mountain races he should have ridden (Var, Alpes-Maritimes 21-23 Feb) and then forbid him to replace them with the following similar small French races (Drôme, Ardèche 1-2 Mar));
twice on Strade Bianche (abandon) 8 Mar;
3 days later, on the 1^st^ stage of Tirreno–Adriatico (abandon and hand surgery); 11 Mar : all those falls happened within 1 month!
he finally restarted 7 or 8 weeks later on the Tour of Romandie mostly as a tourist, only race without a fall;
now he's fallen again on his next race, the Tour of Italy (hand injury for the umpteenth time, stitches (?), consequences unknown so far) 16 May.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

Regulations

UCI points are attributed to the first 15 riders in each stage.

Time bonuses are granted to the first 3 riders in each mass stage (10, 6 and 4 seconds).

There is also 1 'Red Bull km' sprint per mass stage granting 6, 4, and 2 seconds to the first 3 riding across it, and points to the first 5 riders (15, 8, 5, 3 and 1 points), points which only account for this specific classification. The winner of the Red Bull km sprint will wear a blue number on the next day.

Besides, there are 2 regular intermediate sprints per mass stage, granting points to the first 5 riders (12, 8, 5, 3, 1). Those account for points classification and for intermediate sprints classification.

Points classification

'Cyclamen' jersey.

Classification is made on the total of points won at the stage finishes and at intermediate sprints (regular only, not Red Bull km sprint)

Stages without difficulties or with light difficulties grant points to the first 15 riders: 50, 35, 25, 18, 14, 12, 10, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1.

Stages with medium difficulties grant points to the first 10 riders: 25, 18, 12, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1.

Stages with high difficulties also grant points to the first 10 riders: 15, 12, 9, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1.

Ties are discriminated according to the number of stage victories, then the number of intermediate sprints victories, and finally the GC ranking.

Intermediate sprints classification

Same principle but only takes into account the regular intermediate sprints points (2 sprints per stage, points for the first 5 riders: 12, 8, 5, 3, 1).

No jersey, no special number either as far as I could tell.

Mountain classification

Blue jersey.

The 'cima Coppi', which is this year the Finestre Pass (20^th^ stage) grants to the first 9 riders: 50, 30, 20, 14, 10, 6, 4, 2 and 1 points.

1^st^ category climbs as stage finish grant to the first 8 riders: 50, 24, 16, 9, 6, 4, 2 and 1 points.

1^st^ category climbs in the middle of a stage grant to the first 8 riders: 40, 18, 12, 9, 6, 4, 2 and 1 points.

2^nd^ category climbs grant to the first 6 riders: 18, 8, 6, 4, 2 and 1 points.

3^rd^ category climbs grant to the first 4 riders: 9, 4, 2 and 1 points.

4^th^ category climbs grant to the first 4 riders: 3, 2 and 1 points.

Ties are discriminated by the potential lead across the 'cima Coppi', then by the number of leads across the 1^st^ category climbs, then across 2^nd^ cat. climbs, then across 3^rd^ cat. climbs, then 4^th^ cat. climbs, and finally by the GC.

Breakaway classification

For reach rider, there is a count of how many kilometres he has been in a breakaway, that is alone or in a group of no more than 10 riders (the kilometres are only credited when this situation lasts at least 5 km).

No jersey, no special number either as far as I could tell.

Fighting spirit classification

Each day, one rider is arbitrarily selected. He shall wear a red number on the next day.

At the end of the tout, a prize is awarded to the riders most often selected. NB: nothing seems to be planned about ties.

Team classification

It is the sum of the times of the 3 best riders of a team in each stage.

The first criterium to discriminate ties if the sum of the daily rankings of those 3 daily best riders. Then there are other complicated criteria, but as ties are very unlikely in this classification, I won't bother :-)