Pro-cycling thread

Who hasn't.

Exactly, it might be that some of the GC contenders are on a bad day today. So if you know your leader is on a decent day and going okay, you might as well test the others, as if someone is on a bad day (due to it being so early) you could take a lot of time.

Come to (wishfully) think of it: Kruijswijk might not let Nibali have his day

We should also factor in the rest day too, some riders struggle the day after one.

From memory, Sky have taken jerseys quite early in the last few years (since Wiggins won?), but this has generally been do to opportunity rather than a plan (with the exception of last year maybe?). That is, someone is caught in a split and the opportunity to take a chunk of time makes it an imperative. This won Froome the race two years ago, if I'm not mistaken. Maybe that's why he attacked like he did last year.

#forgetfularmchairds

Wishful thinking perhaps but he was looking up for it in Tirreno when he won on stage 4 and has been very vocal about wanting to do the double. I really can't see Thomas as occupying the same space as him, even with Kiri acting as a derny for the majority of the stage, and there's big question marks over Nibali's real form. Landa's probably his real rival for GC but if they're all marking each other today it would be good to see a bit of action from someone like Rolland-or even better Carthy-for a change.

Beausolieil apparently, nothing very beau about the nick his bike's been left in. Mounting the pavement to hit him too? WAFC.

Anyone know where Wiggo is atm?

Driving a Skoda with some scratches on the paintwork...

just hope the losing riders at the top of etna today can be magma-nimous

maybe they'll release a few str-lava gpx traces of their rides today

Would have been a perfect stage for retro Molten-i jerseys

new page fail

Hope there's not too many cr-ashes...

I hope the Volcan(y)o(n) doesn't crack

I'm sure the winner will be treated with a lot of Pomp-ei and circumstance-y.

I for one will be watching with excitement and trying to control any unexpected eruptions in my pants.

excellent

What the fuck? And oh my god the comments

Were you born yesterday, NEVER READ THE COMMENTS. Unless you want to reach peak idiot saturation.

I just beggars belief that people can see a smasshed up bike on the ground and their first instinct is to blame the cyclist. There was a particularly unpleasant looking Australian being a massive tosser.

Just to be clear, it wasn't Hippy

Rohan Dennis has abandoned due to the injuries he received when he crashed on stage 3.

The curse of BMC at work again...

that was a nasty block at that midway sprint point

No it wasn't. He just closed the door on him, perfectly legitimate. It was the KoM sprint btw, which Dimension Data's Teklehaimanot is leading, hence why Van Rensburg was going for it.

Good to see Polanc up the road. His stage win a couple of years ago was superb. If the GC contenders concentrate on just marking each other, maybe we'll see a repeat.

I think the break will need more than 6 minutes at the foot of the final climb to survive.

Headwind predicted on the final climb which will make it extra hard to stay away.

mmh.. legitimate but not classy though