Author Topic: Giro d'Italia (Read 6308 times)

tiermat · « **on:** 24 April, 2014, 11:06:24 am »

Which this year starts in....

Belfast.

Ok, so nearly as unusual as the TdF starting in Leeds.

Looking forward to it, it always seems like the racing season has started properly when the Giro starts.

Team Sky have announced their line up, looks likes a good balance between young and old (relatively speaking), experience and vim/vigour.

http://www.teamsky.com/article/0,27290,30637_9280702,00.html

sojournermike · « **Reply #1 on:** 24 April, 2014, 11:42:49 am »

"a great opportunity for the team to go out and really express themselves on the bike"
Sir Dave Brailsford

Great line, hopefully they achieve self actualisation by riding fast!

trekker12 · « **Reply #2 on:** 24 April, 2014, 12:39:38 pm »

Quote from: tiermat on 24 April, 2014, 11:06:24 am

Which this year starts in....

Belfast.

Ok, so nearly as unusual as the TdF starting in Leeds.

Looking forward to it, it always seems like the racing season has started properly when the Giro starts.

http://www.teamsky.com/article/0,27290,30637_9280702,00.html

Not particularly unusual starting outside the home country. It started in Denmark in 2012. Seems both tours start outside the home country every two years. Brings wider audience etc.

Also the racing season properly starts on Tour of Flanders or Paris-Roubaix (depending on preference) so its been going for three weeks now.

Nuncio · « **Reply #3 on:** 24 April, 2014, 12:53:08 pm »

Quote from: sojournermike on 24 April, 2014, 11:42:49 am

"a great opportunity for the team to go out and really express themselves on the bike"
Sir Dave Brailsford

Great line, hopefully they achieve self actualisation by riding fast!

Best of a bad job, with Porte having had to drop out. No GC contenders there really, though I wonder if Cataldo will get a protected role. Other than that there will be more opportunity to go for stage wins for riders who would otherwise be expected to follow the Sky Grand Tour GC support script. And itt would be nice to see Sky represented in the daily breaks for a change.

Sergeant Pluck · « **Reply #4 on:** 24 April, 2014, 01:14:29 pm »

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-27142901

It's a big thing back home. There's a lot of good cycling country en route and I hope it goes really well.

mr magnolia · « **Reply #5 on:** 25 April, 2014, 09:13:10 pm »

I'm going across for the Friday and Saturday - looking forward to it. Last time I saw a stage of the Giro live the big mug of [wossname] loomed up a mountain, the only rider recognisable from a long way before other individuals could be discerned.
FFS, Friday night dementia. Big Italian big ears zebra suit. Off to remember.
edit: [ Cipollini, of course. Always get befuddled with Chiapucci in terms of name remembering.]
It was a long time ago..
Also Pantani - makes it feel like history years ago.

bobb · « **Reply #6 on:** 02 May, 2014, 10:50:45 pm »

Might as well do a fantasy league....

http://www.velogames.com

League: YACF
Code: 02220848

Nuncio · « **Reply #7 on:** 07 May, 2014, 12:00:57 pm »

I'm in. (The fantasy league, not the Giro)

Dibdib · « **Reply #8 on:** 09 May, 2014, 07:37:02 pm »

(click to show/hide)

Karla · « **Reply #9 on:** 09 May, 2014, 08:37:18 pm »

He was on my team. There go my fantasy Giro hopes

Thor · « **Reply #10 on:** 10 May, 2014, 12:07:48 am »

Some shots from Stage 1 in Belfast.

mr magnolia · « **Reply #11 on:** 10 May, 2014, 03:43:53 pm »

Hey Thor
We were just up the road from you, cunningly placed just outside the point grill and bar. Ballyhackamore?
Good gig. Did you go down to the start today? There were plenty there...
I'm currently well placed to miss today's finish by sitting in the departurelounge at the airport. Good couple of days though!
Donald

Thor · « **Reply #12 on:** 10 May, 2014, 04:18:17 pm »

Yes, I must have been about 200 yards down the road from you. Good atmosphere despite the rain. Nice to be able to see them go by in both directions.

Veloman · « **Reply #13 on:** 10 May, 2014, 04:49:30 pm »

I just can't believe we leave things like 'cats-eyes' and studs in the road for them!

Sooooo different to what I witnessed in Nice last year on TDF where new surface without such hazard provided a 'track like' experience.

Let's see what happens in Yorkshire.

Thor · « **Reply #14 on:** 11 May, 2014, 01:11:52 pm »

The Pink Jersey leads the Peloton out of Armagh this morning.

tiermat · « **Reply #15 on:** 11 May, 2014, 02:16:45 pm »

The camera bikes need to either fit a filter or sort the colour balance out, its like watching a bike race across a Pink Floyd album cover!

mattc · « **Reply #16 on:** 11 May, 2014, 06:54:56 pm »

These photos look like an NIrish re-enactment - in full costume - of a mythical sporting event, rumoured to take place many hundreds of miles away.

Nuncio · « **Reply #17 on:** 13 May, 2014, 01:40:56 pm »

Oh dear. Kittel out with a fever. It gives the other sprinters a chance, I suppose.

Salvatore · « **Reply #18 on:** 13 May, 2014, 01:52:40 pm »

Quote from: Nuncio on 13 May, 2014, 01:40:56 pm

Oh dear. Kittel out with a fever. It gives the other sprinters a chance, I suppose.

And it means he'll be fresh for the Tour de France (although I believe he intended to pull out of the Giro early anyway).

tiermat · « **Reply #19 on:** 13 May, 2014, 03:38:24 pm »

Today's race is boring. Group neutralized due to wet road, so they are all soft pedalling for 10 laps of 6k each, around Bari

David Martin · « **Reply #20 on:** 15 May, 2014, 04:22:28 pm »

Ouch! That was an horrific set of crashes. Diesel on the road?

tiermat · « **Reply #21 on:** 15 May, 2014, 04:27:29 pm »

Quote from: David Martin on 15 May, 2014, 04:22:28 pm

Ouch! That was an horrific set of crashes. Diesel on the road?

That would be my guess as the first guy went down on a straight bit of road, with noone near him to nudgehim or touch wheels.

Salvatore · « **Reply #22 on:** 16 May, 2014, 02:03:07 pm »

Quote from: David Martin on 15 May, 2014, 04:22:28 pm

Ouch! That was an horrific set of crashes. Diesel on the road?

It's ended the career of Angel Vicioso. Complex femur fracture at 37 so he's called it a day
http://www.lequipe.fr/Cyclisme-sur-route/Actualites/Fin-de-carriere-pour-vicioso/465603

But I'm glad to read that Gianpaulo Caruso is relatively uninjured. The live pictures of him lying motionless on the road surrounded by medics were scarily reminiscent of Wouter Weylandt.

IanDG · « **Reply #23 on:** 17 May, 2014, 10:31:50 pm »

I was in Belfast for the first stage

and at Ballygally on the Antrim coast for the 2nd stage

Ruth · « **Reply #24 on:** 17 May, 2014, 10:36:18 pm »

It's nice to know the Cannondale boys all dress to the left. Bless.

Nice photos Windy! It looks like an amazing spectacle.

Author Topic: Giro d'Italia (Read 6308 times)

Ruth