2019 Giro D'Italia

[eth-dog]

Starts in 2 days! GC seems to be a race in 6 according to the bookies, with Primoz Roglic the favourite after a top 4 in Le Tour last year, Tom Dumoulin, Simon Yates and Vincenzo Nibali the past winners of a Grand Tour also high up. Miguel Angel Lopez and Mikel Landa round out the expected top 6.

Who wins? I think Nibali does, he has a good team around him, but a counterpoint would be that Yates has Chavez and Nieve as support which is very strong.

 

[Vader]

Starts in 2 days! GC seems to be a race in 6 according to the bookies, with Primoz Roglic the favourite after a top 4 in Le Tour last year, Tom Dumoulin, Simon Yates and Vincenzo Nibali the past winners of a Grand Tour also high up. Miguel Angel Lopez and Mikel Landa round out the expected top 6.

Who wins? I think Nibali does, he has a good team around him, but a counterpoint would be that Yates has Chavez and Nieve as support which is very strong.

Has Chavez got over the illness which ruined his racing over the last 2 years? I haven't been following too closely this year, other than the spring classics. He's a strong support rider when in form, he's completely useless when he's not in form.

 

[eth-dog]

Has Chavez got over the illness which ruined his racing over the last 2 years? I haven't been following too closely this year, other than the spring classics. He's a strong support rider when in form, he's completely useless when he's not in form.

Honestly have no idea. I certainly hope so, he's one of my favourite riders going around. Hope he does well to use it for a stepping stone for the Vuelta

 

[Vader]

Honestly have no idea. I certainly hope so, he's one of my favourite riders going around. Hope he does well to use it for a stepping stone for the Vuelta

His form really dropped away due to mononucleosis. He's great to watch when fit and in form. I'm just not sure that either of those is true for him just yet.

 

[eth-dog]

His form really dropped away due to mononucleosis. He's great to watch when fit and in form. I'm just not sure that either of those is true for him just yet.

I'm not sure whether we'll see him at his best, more that I'm hoping by the third week he's hitting solid form which he can use as a launch pad for the Vuelta. I don't think we need to see him for the Tour.

 

[yaco55]

Chaves is a funny rider - He suddenly hits form out of nowhere and can hold it after a GT - Parcours is perfectly suited to Dumoulin.

 

[funk44]

No coverage on SBS this year?

 

[eth-dog]

No coverage on SBS this year?

Eurosport

 

[funk44]

Eurosport

I can't get foxtel in my building at eurosport isn't on kayo for some very (very) annoying reason. Might have to fire up a vpn and buy eurosport player

 

[funk44]

For those in the same position as me who want to watch
1. Snag a Nord VPN sub on redditbay for $2
2. Fire up the VPN using the UK server
3. Sign up for eurosport for 7 quid (about $13)
4. When entering CC details you MUST turn off the VPN
5. After confirmed turn back on the VPN and enjoy buttery smooth HD Giro

Managed to get it to cast to Chromecast without issue as well

 

[Orange Agent]

No coverage on SBS this year?

Hasn't been for a few years. Race organisers did a lucrative deal with the local broadcaster and SBS can't afford to pay them.

 

[Orange Agent]

Didn't watch last night but from the results TD wasn't foxing when he said his form is off, Yates' TT ability has improved out of sight but the winner, gee whiz, to get a 1kph gap on such a short TT is pretty phenomenal.

 

[funk44]

I rode the prologue TT challenge on Zwift this morning and can confidently say that the climb was the most miserable 2km of my life. Absolutely brutal

 

[eth-dog]

Didn't watch last night but from the results TD wasn't foxing when he said his form is off, Yates' TT ability has improved out of sight but the winner, gee whiz, to get a 1kph gap on such a short TT is pretty phenomenal.

Yates should be able to make up ground in the mountains against Roglic for me, Nibali and Dumoulin needed to get a gap on Yates early IMO, because he is touted as probably the weakest TT of the top 6. Interesting that they have a TT on the last stage this year, if Roglic is leading I doubt they can catch him on it.

 

[funk44]

Montalbano looks like a bit of a brute. Hard to see it coming to a sprint at the end

 

[yaco55]

Of course it came down to a sprint with that climb being 40 kms from the finish - And Ackermann wins from Viviani and Ewan.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

If you have RAI Italia TV, they have live coverage of the Giro. Watched some of it on my old man's satellite feed last night.

 

[eth-dog]

They're not letting the break go for whatever reason. Understand why UAETE aren't letting many go but as long as it's nobody who's close in the Maglia Rosa surely they don't bother? Try to chase them down?

 

[Orange Agent]

The guy who just backwheeled the bidon off the road.

Why would you risk it?

 

[eth-dog]

The guy who just backwheeled the bidon off the road.

Why would you risk it?

Sorry, dozed off, missed it. Seems very foolish.

Hope that Hamilton can have a strong finish for MTS.

 

[eth-dog]

Well done to Bilbao, attacked at the right time and everyone else looked at each other.

Other than waiting then Hamilton rode a really good race today. Sent multiple attacks, but didn't have the legs at the end. One for the future that kid.

 

[Ishikawa]

Great reward for effort for Ewan, hopefully the breakthrough brings a few more wins for him.

 

[eth-dog]

Great reward for effort for Ewan, hopefully the breakthrough brings a few more wins for him.

Somewhat surprised he's riding this instead of Le Tour.

 

[eth-dog]

That mechanic should be sacked, Campenaerts was on track for a 51:30 I reckon and I honestly think Durbridge can chase him down.

 

[eth-dog]

That mechanic should be sacked, Campenaerts was on track for a 51:30 I reckon and I honestly think Durbridge can chase him down.

Okay, unlikely to, assumed he'd have been given a lisence to chase the win on this one