May 17, 2013 at 01:43 PM
on a similar note, i was in awe of cavendish when i watching the end of yesterday's giro stage. his ability to maintain third-wheel before, during and after the pull back of the break was pretty amazing.
Giro d'Italia
May 17, 2013 at 06:48 PM
I think that Cavendish and our own Malcolmson came from the same school of helmet fitting. I can feel my own giant melon getting crushed, just looking at those guys.
May 17, 2013 at 10:25 PM
It is amazing how low he stays. Cav isn't bad either.
May 19, 2013 at 01:51 PM
tune in for today's stage, should be a good one! telegraphe+galibier finish. (not far from the alpe d'huez)
May 19, 2013 at 02:55 PM
Nice. Fans are making snowmen towards the top of the Galibier!
May 20, 2013 at 03:37 PM
TOO much snow!
May 20, 2013 at 05:56 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8LOLswfTkQ
This went from a Grand Tour Who's Who to a one man show pretty fast...
May 21, 2013 at 12:45 AM
Giro is the toughest grandTour, hands down, IMO! thoughts?
May 21, 2013 at 11:41 AM
The Giro is tough this year because of the weather. That aside they do have some difficult climbs, but for outright mountain nonsense I think the Vuelta wins out, as they usually have an incredible number of mountain top finishes.
However Vuelta stages are often shorter - it is rare to have a stage over 200K, and close to 150 is common.
BUT I think most riders will say the TdF is still the hardest race. The terrain may not be quite as difficult, but the quality of the field and the fact that every one of those riders wants to perform makes the race harder.
The Giro and Vuelta are more international than before, but are still playgrounds of Italian or Spanish riders (respectively). The Tour has the very best from around the world.
Also breakaways in the Giro and Vuelta get established within the first few Km and then the peloton ride tempo for a few hours, whereas in the tour there can be constant attacks for the first 2 hours or more as a break tries to form, which means the pace is ridiculous from the start of every stage.
The stakes are just that little bit higher in the Tour which makes it a more nervous race since no one wants to lose a second unnecessarily. In the last few tours there have been multiple major crashes taking out lots of riders in the first week as everyone fights for the same inch of road. That doesn't happen in the Giro and Vuelta.
So for all of those reasons I think the Tour is more tiring for the riders.
Now as a spectacle, I would rather watch the Giro. Or better still eat my way around Italy, following it !
However Vuelta stages are often shorter - it is rare to have a stage over 200K, and close to 150 is common.
BUT I think most riders will say the TdF is still the hardest race. The terrain may not be quite as difficult, but the quality of the field and the fact that every one of those riders wants to perform makes the race harder.
The Giro and Vuelta are more international than before, but are still playgrounds of Italian or Spanish riders (respectively). The Tour has the very best from around the world.
Also breakaways in the Giro and Vuelta get established within the first few Km and then the peloton ride tempo for a few hours, whereas in the tour there can be constant attacks for the first 2 hours or more as a break tries to form, which means the pace is ridiculous from the start of every stage.
The stakes are just that little bit higher in the Tour which makes it a more nervous race since no one wants to lose a second unnecessarily. In the last few tours there have been multiple major crashes taking out lots of riders in the first week as everyone fights for the same inch of road. That doesn't happen in the Giro and Vuelta.
So for all of those reasons I think the Tour is more tiring for the riders.
Now as a spectacle, I would rather watch the Giro. Or better still eat my way around Italy, following it !
May 23, 2013 at 01:53 PM
@ian,
good points, esp. re: quality of fields@TdF &mt top finishes @Vuelta...still think that as grueling race series Giro is a monster! w/its varied stage routes, elevation, technical climb&descent, TT format, weather etc...DO, enjoy France- wine/cheese/crepes &Spain- Paella...Italy- has ALL re: gastronomic delights plus...fun racing to next meal. ;-)
good points, esp. re: quality of fields@TdF &mt top finishes @Vuelta...still think that as grueling race series Giro is a monster! w/its varied stage routes, elevation, technical climb&descent, TT format, weather etc...DO, enjoy France- wine/cheese/crepes &Spain- Paella...Italy- has ALL re: gastronomic delights plus...fun racing to next meal. ;-)
May 23, 2013 at 03:23 PM
This. Grand. Tour. Is. So. Boring.
I love Nibali, but having him in pink is shit. He doesn't attack. Then you have Cuddles who doesn't ever attack either because he's not that type of rider (read: can't). Take out the previous Giro winner and the Tour winner for various reasons and it is total boredom. Yawn, yawn, yawn.
Bring back Contadoper and Lance Drugstrong. At least when they are around and cheating they are fun to watch.
On the plus side, excluding the time it took to write this, I am more productive at work in the mornings as I can't even be bothered to stream the stages. Not even many sprint stages to watch which are always exciting at the end when Fat Cav crushes it.
....that is all
May 23, 2013 at 03:35 PM
Wow. Nibbles nearly catches Cuddles. Hmmmmmm....
"I think when you find yourself sounding like a Paul Sherwen description of a Lance-attack, you should be worried:
"It's an UNBELIEVABLE performance by the man from Postal."
"I think when you find yourself sounding like a Paul Sherwen description of a Lance-attack, you should be worried:
"It's an UNBELIEVABLE performance by the man from Postal."
by Charles Pelkey 11:28 AM"
May 23, 2013 at 03:37 PM
I do really like the Cav coverage in this year's Giro. They always get a camera on him as he tries to get over the last climb before a possible sprint finish. He SLAYS himself, mouth open, weaving around the road, while some teammate minder taps it out next to him. And he never makes it back to the peleton. Gold.
May 23, 2013 at 04:06 PM
Spot on-Cav is great entertainment in every scenario:
When he wins- absolute top level sprinter
When he loses- flips his shit
When he doesn't even contest because he couldn't make it over the last climb- great example of dying on a bike. As you noted Jeff W, I particularly like the team mate spinning next to him in the minder role.
May 23, 2013 at 05:09 PM
@Adam
I think the last time Contador rode the Giro is was totally, boring. He had slayed the field after the Mt Etna stage in the first week and then just kept adding more time.
In this race you have a few riders challenging for the podium, even if the #1 spot is getting pretty locked down. Scarponi is getting better as the race progresses, for example.
Finally I found your comments espousing the return of doping into the peloton pathetic, infantile and appalling.
I think the last time Contador rode the Giro is was totally, boring. He had slayed the field after the Mt Etna stage in the first week and then just kept adding more time.
In this race you have a few riders challenging for the podium, even if the #1 spot is getting pretty locked down. Scarponi is getting better as the race progresses, for example.
Finally I found your comments espousing the return of doping into the peloton pathetic, infantile and appalling.
May 23, 2013 at 05:22 PM
Wait, doping has left the peloton?
*ducks hurled projectiles*
May 23, 2013 at 05:33 PM
I'm hoping for some fireworks Friday and Saturday. Don't know if Evans can attack uphill, but it would be great watching him try to take time on the descents. And if the weather is only atrocious enough to make the riders miserable, the 4+ min that Nibali has won't be enough to guarantee him the win.
The long breakaways have gotten boring, but yesterday's seemed to have some great possibilities, as the guys didn't kill themselves early. They rode to a lead, didn't kill themselves knowing they'd never get more than five minutes, and that left them with something to attack the final climb.
May 23, 2013 at 06:19 PM
I'm looking forward to the next two days too, although I'm skeptical that Evans can close the time gap.
May 23, 2013 at 08:01 PM
Totally agree. BooooooriiiingAdam said:This. Grand. Tour. Is. So. Boring.I love Nibali, but having him in pink is shit. He doesn't attack. Then you have Cuddles who doesn't ever attack either because he's not that type of rider (read: can't). Take out the previous Giro winner and the Tour winner for various reasons and it is total boredom. Yawn, yawn, yawn.Bring back Contadoper and Lance Drugstrong. At least when they are around and cheating they are fun to watch.On the plus side, excluding the time it took to write this, I am more productive at work in the mornings as I can't even be bothered to stream the stages. Not even many sprint stages to watch which are always exciting at the end when Fat Cav crushes it.....that is all
May 23, 2013 at 08:13 PM
Bad day, Ian?
I am 99% sure my headmaster may have said something along those lines to me at some point when chiding me for one misdemeanor or another, excluding the doping specific context of course.Finally I found your comments espousing the return of doping into the peloton pathetic, infantile and appalling.
"...return of doping..."??? It never left.
May 24, 2013 at 02:36 AM
I would wager both Visco and Nib's have Swiss, Brazilian and Italian biological passports.
May 24, 2013 at 07:45 AM
@Adam
Not a bad day. I'm always this grumpy. One of the benefits of getting older is that my age is now appropriate for my curmudgeonly attitude.
I do, however apologise, for directing my comments specifically at you. It was unnecessary and somewhat extreme.
While I know that doping has not been eradicated form the sport, nor will it ever be, I do believe that blood doping is not as rampant as it was through the 90's and 2000's. Nor do I believe that a return to that regime would yield more exciting racing.
Arguably the best of Armstrong's "tours" was the one where he prepared the least (2003). That was full of high drama. Many of his others were dull beyond belief. The one where Ullrich crashed into the rear window of his pace car before the prologue, and was then subsequently caught by Lance in said event was the nadir of them all.
Regardless of doping there have always been exciting races and dull races. I never found Indurain exciting (except for the year he did the unexpected and attacked in the ardennes). Likewise I imagine Anquiteil was just as boring, since he had the same M.O. I thought Hinault, Fignon, Chiapucci were awesome to watch. Although they failed in their attacks more often than they were successful.
So, to try and summarise my ramble:
In the days when blood doping was prevalent, attacking was more likely, because recovery was a breeze. But because everyone was charged up, others could respond, and the result was everyone ended up staying together and just going faster, with the best prepared (or most naturally talented, depending on your POV) winning out. Think Lance, or Basso in the 2006 Giro.
Without doping the riders risk going too deep with an attack one day and not being able to recover (Hinault in 86, Lemond & Fignon in 89, Santambrogio this Giro). The choice for the rider (and their DS) is do they risk the attack one day and hope they can recover OK or do they ride conservatively to ensure they don't crack later.
In this particular event most people seem to have chosen the latter, and I dare say the weather has influenced their decision making as much as anything. Even Nibali is not as swashbuckling as previously, but with better results.
Not a bad day. I'm always this grumpy. One of the benefits of getting older is that my age is now appropriate for my curmudgeonly attitude.
I do, however apologise, for directing my comments specifically at you. It was unnecessary and somewhat extreme.
While I know that doping has not been eradicated form the sport, nor will it ever be, I do believe that blood doping is not as rampant as it was through the 90's and 2000's. Nor do I believe that a return to that regime would yield more exciting racing.
Arguably the best of Armstrong's "tours" was the one where he prepared the least (2003). That was full of high drama. Many of his others were dull beyond belief. The one where Ullrich crashed into the rear window of his pace car before the prologue, and was then subsequently caught by Lance in said event was the nadir of them all.
Regardless of doping there have always been exciting races and dull races. I never found Indurain exciting (except for the year he did the unexpected and attacked in the ardennes). Likewise I imagine Anquiteil was just as boring, since he had the same M.O. I thought Hinault, Fignon, Chiapucci were awesome to watch. Although they failed in their attacks more often than they were successful.
So, to try and summarise my ramble:
In the days when blood doping was prevalent, attacking was more likely, because recovery was a breeze. But because everyone was charged up, others could respond, and the result was everyone ended up staying together and just going faster, with the best prepared (or most naturally talented, depending on your POV) winning out. Think Lance, or Basso in the 2006 Giro.
Without doping the riders risk going too deep with an attack one day and not being able to recover (Hinault in 86, Lemond & Fignon in 89, Santambrogio this Giro). The choice for the rider (and their DS) is do they risk the attack one day and hope they can recover OK or do they ride conservatively to ensure they don't crack later.
In this particular event most people seem to have chosen the latter, and I dare say the weather has influenced their decision making as much as anything. Even Nibali is not as swashbuckling as previously, but with better results.
May 24, 2013 at 10:27 AM
May 24, 2013 at 01:47 PM
It wasn't so much that he "prepared" the least. It's that the others got better at the doping protocols.ian ellis said:Arguably the best of Armstrong's "tours" was the one where he prepared the least (2003). That was full of high drama.
May 24, 2013 at 02:20 PM
You have got to be kidding me. Dude is sick in the head.mperlberg said:
May 24, 2013 at 02:31 PM
Cycling fans:
May 24, 2013 at 07:57 PM
You love me. Just look into my eyes. My firmly squared jaw line and slightly dimpled chin led you to become entranced and draft me for your fantasy team. The warmly penetrating bedroom eyes made you confident in your swooning, romantic decision of Italian fantasy. Did you even take note of my perfectly oiled hair coif?
Alas, I never cared about you. You plaything. I am married to the bike.
Alas, I never cared about you. You plaything. I am married to the bike.
May 24, 2013 at 08:00 PM
I've created my own Giro tracker, three screens in one, with live video, Live Update Guy text play by play and Sky's Infostrada. Boredom didn't get me to make it, at least I don't think it did. Makes watching easier, as I can pretend that I'm directing the show.
May 24, 2013 at 08:15 PM
Pelkey saying he might not do it anymore. Any idea how much funding he needs? It really enhances the steephill feeds which can be of questionable commentary or even more questionable Slovakian.
May 24, 2013 at 08:20 PM
Screen shots?!mugwump said:I've created my own Giro tracker, three screens in one, with live video, Live Update Guy text play by play and Sky's Infostrada. Boredom didn't get me to make it, at least I don't think it did. Makes watching easier, as I can pretend that I'm directing the show.