2021 Giro D'Italia

[eth-dog]

It's starting Saturday week. Teams haven't been announced yet but the main contenders will be Egan Bernal, Remco Evenepoel, Simon Yates, Emanuel Buchman, Alex Vlasov, Mikel Landa, with Jai Hindley being really the only Australian who can win it.

Yates has started the season well with 1st overall in a reasonably strong Tour of the Alps, and top 10 finishes in the Volta a Catalunya and Tirreno-Adriatico. Bernal beat Yates in the former by finishing top 5 but hasn't won anything so that's hard to gauge. Evenepoel hasn't even raced this year so far, yet he's still equal second favourite. Same With Buchman, so it's a good chance for BikeExchange to get a badly needed win.

Hopefully it's a Yates/Hindley top 2 but I wouldn't hold my breath.

 

[yaco55]

The Strade Bianche stage may 'set the cat out with the pigeons.' - One or two could lose the race on this stage.

 

[Vader]

Good news!!!

SBS has obtained the rights to broadcast the 2021-2025 Giros on FTA TV.
https://tvtonight.com.au/2021/04/sbs-secures-giro-ditalia-until-2025.html

Bad news... May will now join July as a month of sleepless nights.

 

[Over The Post]

Hopefully will be streamed, else I'll have to put the satellite dish back up and hope the bugger doesn't blow down again.

 

[eth-dog]

Anyone think that anybody can beat Sagan for the Maglia Ciclamino?

 

[Vader]

Anyone think that anybody can beat Sagan for the Maglia Ciclamino?

Depends on what form he's in. He didn't get close to winning the Green in the Tour last year, partly due to form, partly due to the race organisers refusing the put the intermediate sprints on the far side of big hills.

 

[eth-dog]

Depends on what form he's in. He didn't get close to winning the Green in the Tour last year, partly due to form, partly due to the race organisers refusing the put the intermediate sprints on the far side of big hills.

He also lost the Ciclamino last year. Most of the sprints seem to be before climbs this year. I wonder if he elects to go for the Giro-Tour or Giro-Vuelta double.

 

[yaco55]

Sagan is a strong favorite for the sprinters jersey - One or two will not finish the Giro, while others will struggle to pick up points in the medium mountain stages - Sagan is in decent form.

 

[Orange Agent]

The anticipation of the Remco show is building. Hopefully he recovers from crashes better than Froomey.

He won't win but Landa has been in good climbing form.

If Bardet is here to race rather than warm up for France I'm excepting him to finish ahead of Hindley. DSM have a pretty strong team here.

ISN have given Martin some good workhorses but he is a podium chance at best.

Yates to win from Carthy and Bernal.

 

[drd23]

Today's a nothing stage (just a 9km prologue), Sunday is a sprinters stages and Monday has been categorised as "hilly".

Tuesday should be the first semi-interesting stage with what is basically a summit finish (there's 2.5km of riding on the plateau at the end)

 

[drd23]

This is a reasonable preview for those looking to read up about some of the stages and who the teams/riders are that should be in contention

Giro d´Italia 2021 – Overall Preview

By David Hunter Are you ready for the first grand tour of the year? RCS have done a great job, the route of the 2021 Giro d’Italia looks amazing. With something for everyone, this race promises to …

www.ciclismointernacional.com

 

[Over The Post]

SBS On Demand from 2150 tonight.

 

[Orange Agent]

This course is rubbish.
Train/tram tracks on a TT bike? Yeah great idea.

 

[Vader]

What did we do to deserve David McKenzie doing the commentary? Please make it stop - my ears are bleeding!

 

[Over The Post]

Nine minutes? Not much of a time trial.

 

[Over The Post]

Mind you, great run by Foss.

 

[Orange Agent]

Ganna will ave 58 here. Probably not long enough for Remco.

 

[Over The Post]

A bit late, but I'll try to track them down and post in advance...

 

[drd23]

A bit late, but I'll try to track them down and post in advance...

Steephill.tv has them as always, but iirc you can't copy the stage profiles from their site

 

[drd23]

What did we do to deserve David McKenzie doing the commentary? Please make it stop - my ears are bleeding!

Pretty sure he's the first person I've ever heard pronounce the 3rd E in Remco's surname

 

[Over The Post]

The stage is flat, with just a few undulations in the central section. The route runs along the roads of the hinterland of Turin, reaches the Asti area and takes in a few short ascents (KOM points are awarded at Montechiaro d’Asti). In the second section, the stage follows flat, wide and straight roads until the finish.
Final kilometres
The final kilometres are completely flat, with a few roundabouts and one last right-hander approx. 1,500 m before the finish. In the closing kilometre, the road is wide, undulating a little as the route crosses an underpass, and narrowing briefly with 700 m to go, owing to a roundabout. The finish line sits on tarmac.

 

[drd23]

I'd imagine Caleb Ewan, Groenewegen and Viviani are probably the favourites for tonight

 

[Orange Agent]

Gonna be a fast last 20k's because this is pedestrian pace so far.

 

[Over The Post]

Absolutely not a fan of that stage profile graphic. Someone showing off Excel skills at making a 3D graph rather than one that is read at a glance. If i can't find a better source I'll shoop them.

 

[drd23]

Absolutely not a fan of that stage profile graphic. Someone showing off Excel skills at making a 3D graph rather than one that is read at a glance. If i can't find a better source I'll shoop them.

Pretty sure that is the official stage profile graphic.

Either that, or about 5 different cycling related websites I've visited in the last week all copy off the same source