2015 Giro d'Italia

find_bruce · Postby **find_bruce** » Sat May 09, 2015 9:50 am

The Giro is here. Contador is clearly the favourite for pink, but as we saw in last years TdF, the best laid plans can come adrift. Has Porte developed the confidence & killer instinct to take a grand tour or will he yet again have that one bad day in the mountains that ruins his chances ?

singlespeedscott · Postby **singlespeedscott** » Sat May 09, 2015 4:00 pm

I want Porte to win but I suspect he's not quite ready to win a three week tour. Most likely old Contador will win. Hopefully Contador will let Rogers go for a stage win.

macca33 · Postby **macca33** » Sat May 09, 2015 5:43 pm

I had to cast a vote towards Richie - to be honest, if it isn't this one given all the preparation he has done, then I fear he may never win a GT. He's great on 7-day stage races (obviously), but 3-week tours may be beyond him - I sincerely hope not, how good would it be for the bugger to grab the pink!

cheers

RonK · Postby **RonK** » Sat May 09, 2015 6:13 pm

Too bad Porte is in Team Sky.

biker jk · Postby **biker jk** » Sat May 09, 2015 6:18 pm

Tonight's TTT is along a bicycle path on the coast. Quite narrow, a few tight turns and a 1.5km tunnel. Could be interesting.

RonK · Postby **RonK** » Sat May 09, 2015 6:22 pm

The Santini Giro stage jerseys are stunning.

warthog1 · Postby **warthog1** » Sun May 10, 2015 12:43 am

OGE looking good in the ttt

Fastest intermediate split. 13 seconds in the lead at the finish!
Just got to wait out the remaining teams.

find_bruce · Postby **find_bruce** » Sun May 10, 2015 7:48 am

Good ride from OGE in the TTT - no surprises there & they will be hoping for Matthews to be in pink tomorrow.

Lots of support for Porte overall, but am I with those that doubt he will win a grand tour. Pity he lost 20 sec on Contador. If Hesjedal still backs himself, after losing 53sec he would be the only one. Pozzovivo is another who hopes and dreams have been ruined.

8 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:00:07
10 Alberto Contador (Spa) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:00:07
13 Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:00:13
27 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Etixx - Quick-Step 0:00:19
41 Damiano Caruso (Ita) BMC Racing Team 0:00:25
56 Leopold Konig (Cze) Team Sky 0:00:27
57 Richie Porte (Aus) Team Sky 0:00:27
69 Ilnur Zakarin (Rus) Team Katusha 0:00:27
75 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:00:29
111 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale 0:00:48
133 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team 0:00:53

biker jk · Postby **biker jk** » Sun May 10, 2015 5:03 pm

OGE on bike camera footage of TTT.

http://www.greenedgecycling.com/backstage-pass/

Derny Driver · Postby **Derny Driver** » Sun May 10, 2015 6:21 pm

Orica-Greenedge with TT specialists Durbridge Lancaster Hepburn etc look like they have just decided the plan for this years TDF is to take the yellow on Day 1 and see if they can keep it for a week by keeping everything together with their TT horsepower. I cant see their token Columbian climber challenging the big boys for GC and they don't really have a sprinter apart from Matthews who is unlikely to beat Greipel in a stage finish. After they lose the Yellow I would expect Simon Clarke to go for camera time in breakaways in the second week.
Smart tactics to maximise publicity given the fact that they probably wont win another stage or challenge top 10 on GC.

find_bruce · Postby **find_bruce** » Sun May 10, 2015 6:52 pm

biker jk wrote:OGE on bike camera footage of TTT.

http://www.greenedgecycling.com/backstage-pass/

I was worried that was going to consist of 19 minutes of Peter Weening's rear end

RonK · Postby **RonK** » Sun May 10, 2015 7:03 pm

Derny Driver wrote:Orica-Greenedge with TT specialists Durbridge Lancaster Hepburn etc look like they have just decided the plan for this years TDF is to take the yellow on Day 1 and see if they can keep it for a week by keeping everything together with their TT horsepower. I cant see their token Columbian climber challenging the big boys for GC and they don't really have a sprinter apart from Matthews who is unlikely to beat Greipel in a stage finish. After they lose the Yellow I would expect Simon Clarke to go for camera time in breakaways in the second week.
Smart tactics to maximise publicity given the fact that they probably wont win another stage or challenge top 10 on GC.

Yeah - winning the TDF maillot jaune and keeping it for a week would be such an inconsequential achievement.

fat and old · Postby **fat and old** » Sun May 10, 2015 7:10 pm

RonK wrote:
Derny Driver wrote:Orica-Greenedge with TT specialists Durbridge Lancaster Hepburn etc look like they have just decided the plan for this years TDF is to take the yellow on Day 1 and see if they can keep it for a week by keeping everything together with their TT horsepower. I cant see their token Columbian climber challenging the big boys for GC and they don't really have a sprinter apart from Matthews who is unlikely to beat Greipel in a stage finish. After they lose the Yellow I would expect Simon Clarke to go for camera time in breakaways in the second week.
Smart tactics to maximise publicity given the fact that they probably wont win another stage or challenge top 10 on GC.
Yeah - winning the TDF maillot jaune and keeping it for a week would be such an inconsequential achievement.

Well, in the Giro, it would be.....

singlespeedscott · Postby **singlespeedscott** » Sun May 10, 2015 7:47 pm

Considering the goal for a teams sponsor is advertisement of their product I think Orica are doing a cracking job of ensuring they have money next year.

I actually think Mathews has a great chance with the sprint finishes on the hilly stages and Gerro is a good chance for stage win too.

warthog1 · Postby **warthog1** » Sun May 10, 2015 8:42 pm

Just started holidays, as I did when Cadel won Le Tour. I hope that is an omen for Richie

. Happy days.

singlespeedscott · Postby **singlespeedscott** » Sun May 10, 2015 9:11 pm

Let's hope

Derny Driver · Postby **Derny Driver** » Sun May 10, 2015 10:22 pm

RonK wrote:
Derny Driver wrote:Orica-Greenedge with TT specialists Durbridge Lancaster Hepburn etc look like they have just decided the plan for this years TDF is to take the yellow on Day 1 and see if they can keep it for a week by keeping everything together with their TT horsepower. I cant see their token Columbian climber challenging the big boys for GC and they don't really have a sprinter apart from Matthews who is unlikely to beat Greipel in a stage finish. After they lose the Yellow I would expect Simon Clarke to go for camera time in breakaways in the second week.
Smart tactics to maximise publicity given the fact that they probably wont win another stage or challenge top 10 on GC.
Yeah - winning the TDF maillot jaune and keeping it for a week would be such an inconsequential achievement.

I never said it was inconsequential. I said it was smart tactics given that they don't have a GC contender.

toolonglegs · Postby **toolonglegs** » Mon May 11, 2015 1:27 am

No SBS type coverage in France... Only French races and worlds are free to air

warthog1 · Postby **warthog1** » Mon May 11, 2015 11:05 am

toolonglegs wrote:No SBS type coverage in France... Only French races and worlds are free to air

That is really surprising in a bad way

Is it sewn up by pay tv interests?

toolonglegs · Postby **toolonglegs** » Mon May 11, 2015 3:07 pm

Yeah just eurosport I think. I used to watch a lot more bike racing in Oz than I do here.
PS when we finally buy a house I will get a hacked satellite feed going with access to all UK channels... not illegal but a bit exy to set up.

jack11 · Postby **jack11** » Tue May 12, 2015 9:25 am

Great win for Michael Matthews and OGE last night in what was a very enjoyable stage.

However must make note of Pozzovivo's heavy crash. Sounds like he is relatively ok but was very very worried when he was lying on the road with blood all over his head.

macca33 · Postby **macca33** » Tue May 12, 2015 9:29 am

See video evidence of the 'fixie' rider who caused the crash in Stg 2 has emerged.

Great effort - again - from OGE. They continue to impress.

familyguy · Postby **familyguy** » Tue May 12, 2015 10:05 am

Guy ducks under the tape at 11s in, emerges on near side of bushes at 25s.

Jim

find_bruce · Postby **find_bruce** » Tue May 12, 2015 10:19 am

I thought it was a dog ate my homework type excuse, because surely no-one can be that stupid, but there he was

Great ride by OGE & nice of Tinkov to eliminate Matthews' main rivals. Don't get Tinkov's tactics spending energy this early in the race.

singlespeedscott · Postby **singlespeedscott** » Tue May 12, 2015 11:13 am

find_bruce wrote:I thought it was a dog ate my homework type excuse, because surely no-one can be that stupid, but there he was

Great ride by OGE & nice of Tinkov to eliminate Matthews' main rivals. Don't get Tinkov's tactics spending energy this early in the race.

Contador likes to be up at the front of the field on the run into the finish. I guess it eliminates the chance of a crash or getting stuck behind the carnage of crash as well.