Giro d’Italia 2020

[Nuncio]

A bit of a bump in the road and the bidons go flying. There looked to be quite a few skittling around.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Bloody lightweight bidon cages...

[Karla]

Remember a few years ago when it wasn't a proper cobbled classic until Geraint Thomas fell off?  Yeah, that.

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

A bit of a bump in the road and the bidons go flying. There looked to be quite a few skittling around.

Just like the first 15km of Paris-Brest-Paris then.

[sg37409]

Froome could end up being Ineos's best performer this year. 

[andyoxon]

I wonder if any stage wins are likely for Geraint.  Nibbles seems on good form.

[JonBuoy]

I wonder if any stage wins are likely for Geraint.

Nope:  https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/geraint-thomas-out-of-giro-ditalia/

[rogerzilla]

For comedy value, the "Ride like Geraint Thomas with" product ads below the article should have included a Sunweb water bottle.

[andyoxon]

I wonder if any stage wins are likely for Geraint.

Nope:  https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/geraint-thomas-out-of-giro-ditalia/

Boo...   

[Snakehips]

Dim Geraint Thomas   .....   as the guy on the telly keeps saying.

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

If that had been a horse race, it would have been declared a dead heat. 

[rogerzilla]

Gosh, Philippa York!  And it's just dawned on me why she changed her surname - it would have been a half-rhyme.

[rogerzilla]

Is it just me, or is Sicily a dump?  I assume the Cosa Nostra have nice houses.

[Hot Flatus]

Is it just me, or is Sicily a dump?  I assume the Cosa Nostra have nice houses.

It's a beautiful place with baroque villages on every hilltop and incredible remnants of Greek and Roman civilisations.

But it also has areas marred by Mafia corruption, for example abandoned half-built houses, hotels, offices etc where the money has just disappeared.

[Socks]

In terms of public investment and quality of infrastructure, looks like a big North / South divide.  Same as England, just the other way round.  (And with the Mafia involved in London's financial services and conjoined political system).

[rogerzilla]

The Italian mainland certainly has a big N/S divide.  The rural south hasn't changed much in a century.

[Hot Flatus]

It's a much, much bigger divide than the UK.

I dont think people in the South of England regards Yorkshire, Tyneside, Lancashire and Cumbria as a different country.

Of course 150-170 years ago, the north and south of Italy were different countries.

[rafletcher]

Is it just me, or is Sicily a dump?  I assume the Cosa Nostra have nice houses.

Bits of it are, certainly. But it looks worse than it is, because concrete is widely used in construction throughout Italy, and not much trouble is taken to make it look attractive (to our eyes).

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

Thinking a week or so ahead - whilst watching them ride through broad-leaved forests today - is autumn going to be a major factor in road conditions.  My local roads get wet, muddy and leaf-strewn towards the end of October and, although Italy is further south - there will be leaf-fall in the mountains already.  It could make conditions treacherous - and perhaps difficult to race (cf the first stage of the Tour de France this year).

[DuncanM]

There's almost certainly going to be snow in the mountains. Let's hope Kruiswiyk makes it through it unscathed (I forget which Giro it was he crashed into a snow bank while in pink).

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

There's almost certainly going to be snow in the mountains. Let's hope Kruiswiyk makes it through it unscathed (I forget which Giro it was he crashed into a snow bank while in pink).

2016

Bernie Eisel was saying after today's stage that there was snow on the Stelvio and that teams might have to compete for the overall sooner rather than rely on making up time on the hard mountain stages at the end.

Livestreaming it on Eurosport Player    in the background while I work.  Although the end of today's stage took precedence over work.

[Mr Larrington]

If the English colemantator on Quest's highlights show doesn’t stop referring to today’s stage winner as “Ga    Na” I may have to get annoyed.

[rafletcher]

If the English colemantator on Quest's highlights show doesn’t stop referring to today’s stage winner as “Ga    Na” I may have to get annoyed.

He certainly has an interesting way of pronouncing the riders names.

[Mr Larrington]

If the English colemantator on Quest's highlights show doesn’t stop referring to today’s stage winner as “Ga    Na” I may have to get annoyed.

He certainly has an interesting way of pronouncing the riders names.

And what's wrong with “Eh-Gee-Two-Ar” and “Eff-Dee-Jay”?  Less of this poncey “Air-Jay-Ders-Air” Stuffs, laddie.  Leave that for Encyclopædia Rendellica.

[Mrs Pingu]

If the English colemantator on Quest's highlights show doesn’t stop referring to today’s stage winner as “Ga    Na” I may have to get annoyed.

He thinks he can speak the lingo with a proper accent innit? I just take the piss out of him.