giro d'italia 2012

[clarion]

Impressive bit of street surfing.  I hadn't noticed before that the guy in green goes into a somersault of sorts, seeming to bend his neck rather uncomfortably.  Anyone know who he was?

[Nuncio]

No bonus seconds today nor tomorrow

Do you know this for a fact? I heard there were bonus sprints on both stages but haven't seen any official information to corroborate it.

Intermediate sprints for points, yes.  But no time bonuses for mountain top finishes.

[Karla]

Impressive bit of street surfing.  I hadn't noticed before that the guy in green goes into a somersault of sorts, seeming to bend his neck rather uncomfortably.  Anyone know who he was?

It was the same escape of four all day, wasn't it?  That would make his breakaway companions Axel Merckx (T-Mobile), Laurent Lefèvere (Bouygues Telecom) and Michael Boogerd (Rabobank).  The somersaulter looks like he's wearing Rabobank kit (to my colourblind eyes at least) so that would make him Boogerd, for whom 2007 was his last year of racing.

[citoyen]

Come on Casar!

+1

He's doing really well and looking strong. Great stuff.

d.

[jogler]

What a good advert for cycle racing:& it was racing.Exciting to watch.Very entertaining.

[citoyen]

Hesjedal was magnificent.

d.

[andrew_s]

No bonus seconds today nor tommorrow

Do you know this for a fact? I heard there were bonus sprints on both stages but haven't seen any official information to corroborate it.

Article 17 in the regulations

... exception made for the
following stages, i.e.:
14th stage – Cherasco – Cervinia
15th stage – Busto Arsizio – Lecco/Piani dei Resinelli
17h stage – Falzes/Pfalzen/Cortina d’Ampezzo
19th stage – Treviso – Alpe di Pampeago/Val di Fiemme
20th stage – Caldes/Val di Sole – Passo dello Stelvio
for which there will be no time allowances and, according to Article 2.6.020, there will consequently be no allowance attribution for the corresponding intermediate sprints

[Ivo]

Impressive bit of street surfing.  I hadn't noticed before that the guy in green goes into a somersault of sorts, seeming to bend his neck rather uncomfortably.  Anyone know who he was?

It was the same escape of four all day, wasn't it?  That would make his breakaway companions Axel Merckx (T-Mobile), Laurent Lefèvere (Bouygues Telecom) and Michael Boogerd (Rabobank).  The somersaulter looks like he's wearing Rabobank kit (to my colourblind eyes at least) so that would make him Boogerd, for whom 2007 was his last year of racing.

The commentator says that it is Frederik Willems. He's wearing a Liquigas kit.

[Karla]

Ah okay - I didn't have sound on my computer this afternoon.

So from the looks of it, Rodriguez needs 14 points to take the jersey from Cav.  In order for Cav to win the points contest, that means that Rodriguez can't come better than 5th tomorrow.  I'm not too hopeful 

[citoyen]

Article 17 in the regulations

... exception made for the
following stages, i.e.:
14th stage – Cherasco – Cervinia
15th stage – Busto Arsizio – Lecco/Piani dei Resinelli
17h stage – Falzes/Pfalzen/Cortina d’Ampezzo
19th stage – Treviso – Alpe di Pampeago/Val di Fiemme
20th stage – Caldes/Val di Sole – Passo dello Stelvio
for which there will be no time allowances and, according to Article 2.6.020, there will consequently be no allowance attribution for the corresponding intermediate sprints

I'm getting confused... are we talking about end of stage bonuses or intermediate sprints here?

Is there an intermediate sprint (with points) on today's stage?

d.

[Salvatore]

Article 17 in the regulations

... exception made for the
following stages, i.e.:
14th stage – Cherasco – Cervinia
15th stage – Busto Arsizio – Lecco/Piani dei Resinelli
17h stage – Falzes/Pfalzen/Cortina d’Ampezzo
19th stage – Treviso – Alpe di Pampeago/Val di Fiemme
20th stage – Caldes/Val di Sole – Passo dello Stelvio
for which there will be no time allowances and, according to Article 2.6.020, there will consequently be no allowance attribution for the corresponding intermediate sprints

I'm getting confused... are we talking about end of stage bonuses or intermediate sprints here?

Is there an intermediate sprint (with points) on today's stage?

d.

Yes. Today there's an intermediate sprint today with points but no time bonuses. There are normally 6, 4 and 2 seconds up for grabs on sprints, but not on the stages quoted by andrew_s.

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

Ah okay - I didn't have sound on my computer this afternoon.

So from the looks of it, Rodriguez needs 14 points to take the jersey from Cav.  In order for Cav to win the points contest, that means that Rodriguez can't come better than 5th tomorrow.  I'm not too hopeful 

There are also points for the time trial - i'm not sure what Cav's longer time trialling ability is as I don't think he's ever had to go for one, but he has done well in prologues before.

Only other possibility is for Cav to get in a breakaway but there's a big mountain and a couple of spikes before the intermediate sprint which is well into today's stage 

[Karla]

Cav in a breakaway?  Now that would be a sight to see! 

I'm sure the Team Sky makeup artists are currently disguising Wiggo to look like Cav as he flies out to replace him in the TT 

[David Martin]

Cav is a not too bad TT rider. It is just that he usually doesn't have to do more than get round inside the time cut and save his legs for the sprint. There is no sprint so you might see a better than usual TT. He may just need a couple of points. I'm pretty sure he can turn in a better TT than Rodriguez

[Salvatore]

Points available down to 15th place. If totals are tied (i.e. if Cav finishes 15th tomorrow & Rodriguez 16th or worse), it goes to the one with most stage victories (then if that's a tie, the most intermiedate sprint wins, then the highest in the gen. classification)

[citoyen]

Gutted for Cav. If anyone was wondering why he was so annoyed at finishing second the other day, there's the answer right there. I was screaming at the telly at the end, willing Scarponi to hold Rodriguez off...

I also think Henao made a mistake by waiting for Uran - he should have carried on marking Rodriguez so he had a chance of pipping him on the line.

Anyway, truly magnificent ride by De Gendt today. I think he's given himself a real chance of winning this race - if he's got anything left after today. Hesjedal looked pretty wasted at the end too though...

Hey, maybe Cav has a chance to pick up some points tomorrow after all!

d.

[citoyen]

You really don't like him, do you.  Is it 'cos of his, er, history?(Avoiding the D word)

The more I think about it, the less I think it's that. I mean, I was just pondering on the idea that this year's Giro would have been much improved as a spectacle if Contador had been racing...

On the other hand, it's good to see the riders arriving at a mountaintop finish actually looking like they've had to make an effort to get there.

d.

[Ivo]

Most of the time won by Gendt was by team effort. His teammate Carrara was ahead when he took off. Carrara did lead him on the downhill of the Mortirolo and, much more important, in the valley. So Carrara wasted himself to give de Gendt a 3min+ lead. The rest he did himself (and exceptionally well). On Belgian TV he stated that he is too wasted to give a good performance tomorrow. He'll be pleased with catching Scarponi. Anything else would be exceptional. (De Gendt has a good record on end-of stagerace timetrials though.)

[welshwheels]

well done to cav today on getting inside the cut  some pics http://www.steephill.tv/2012/giro-d-italia/photos/stage-19/ of stage 19

[Gus]

There were also action in the back of the pack :

The Passo del Tonale was also the end of the race for four riders. Robert Hunter (Garmin-Barracuda), Andrea Guardini (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia), Dominique Rollin (FDJ-Big Mat) and Ivan Velasco (Euskaltel-Euskadi) were all disqualified by the race jury for hanging on to team cars, and removed from the race.

[Rhys W]

That flashed up on Eurosport, but didn't say why...

They show the winner and the next 10-15 across the line, but there's some real battles way down in the autobus and it's a shame they can't show the heroic efforts going on there.

[Aidan]

According to Robbie Hunter on twitter he wasn't disqualified he abandoned at the feed after being dropped because of his injuries from a fall.


Great days racing though!

[Rig of Jarkness]

Just caught up with today's recorded coverage - what an epic !

[Rhys W]

Not only an epic stage, but an epic shake-up. I don't think the organisers ever dreamed the final 30km TT would be so crucial - not only for the overall but the points jersey as well.

[David Martin]

What price second place, or a couple of crashes..?