Giro d'Italia 2014

It was a bit of a damp squib in the end, pardon the pun. I think the conditions made for a cautious peloton, hope the rest of the sprints aren't as easy for Kittel

you call losing his train and coming up front at the other side of the peloton at the time his last lead-out man should do his final pull before peeling off easy? I think he's just so much stronger than the other sprinters.

Dunkirk produced a better race (to watch).

If it's wet, and following yesterday, could Tyler Farrar remind the cycling world that he can still sprint a bit?

He's a nailed on certainty for 4th, at least.

No

Okay, I've created a league on Velogames.

The code is 10190856

you call losing his train and coming up front at the other side of the peloton at the time his last lead-out man should do his final pull before peeling off easy? I think he's just so much stronger than the other sprinters.

I just thought the bad conditions made for a calmer than usual last few K, with the teams unwilling to really push it for risk of a crash. I'm not saying Kittel didn't deserve it, just that it lacked drama, and that the conditions made it that way. I love a bunch sprint, but that was a little bit meh.

^^ nice one.

I'm in: team Amonini.

With the mass decamp to ToC has the Giro in trying to compete with the TDF for spectacle tipped over the edge and made itself so ridonkulously hard no-one with TDF jersey ambitions will ride it?

Rumours abound that the 2016 Giro will start in Dubai, so it'll get more ridonkulous.

But, mass decamp? Are you sure? The start list is a bit meh, no?

With the obvious exception of our very own Tao of course.

you call losing his train and coming up front at the other side of the peloton at the time his last lead-out man should do his final pull before peeling off easy? I think he's just so much stronger than the other sprinters.

Quite. Everybody who can sprint in the Giro was there, it's just that Kittel is the only big hitter given that Greipel is not riding after only just coming back from injury and Cavendish is in California.

With the obvious exception of our very own Tao of course.

For that reason, I'm actually more interested in the ToC this year than the Giro. :)

That nice Mr Wiggogins isn't too bad a rider, either.

I was being slightly facetious, Oliver, but take out Wiggins, Cavendish, Boonen, Sagan, Hushovd, Degenkolb and Tao and the field looks a bit thin.

With the mass decamp to ToC has the Giro in trying to compete with the TDF for spectacle tipped over the edge and made itself so ridonkulously hard no-one with TDF jersey ambitions will ride it?

It's been this way for a few years now, is it not what the Giro does best? Huge mountain stages.

Only Nibali and cuddles tried to do both GTs last year (as team no.1s), and they're both mental desperate.

I'm probably thinking more of riders like Cav and Phinney who had gone out of their way previously to cement/associate themselves as Giro dudes and then just walked away. Might be an Acquarone protest vote?

Kittel still needs to learn a few truths about life.

Kittel said the weather would be his abiding memory of the Giro's stay here, along with the locals' tolerance of it. "There were a lot of people out, even in shorts and T-shirts, I don't know how they do it."

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/may/10/marcel-kittel-giro-ditalia-northern-ireland

It's mmccarthy country, you fool. :)

I'm probably thinking more of riders like Cav and Phinney who had gone out of their way previously to cement/associate themselves as Giro dudes and then just walked away. Might be an Acquarone protest vote?

I think the feeling in the Cav camp was that his efforts in the Giro last year cost him in the tour. Above all I reckon he wants the Merckx record, so given a disrupted build up he opted for ToC to make sure he's on top form for the Tour.

Kittel still needs to learn a few truths about life.

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/may/10/marcel-kittel-giro-ditalia-northern-ireland

It's mmccarthy country, you fool. :)

Rule 5 and rule 9, and clearly he didn't ride last year's Giro

I'm probably thinking more of riders like Cav and Phinney who had gone out of their way previously to cement/associate themselves as Giro dudes and then just walked away. Might be an Acquarone protest vote?

Cav has done his Green winning Giro which was pretty gruesome.

Most teams have sent their no.1 sprinters (and climbers). Having said that it's telling that Kittel is not riding for the points jersey and will head home in a week... so you have a point – it is too hard for sprinters.

The Phinney // Evans thing is odd. I guess Evans really wants this and time is not on his side. I wouldn't be surprised if their roles switch next year.

I think more to the point is that Cadel has been usurped by Tejay for the Tour leadership.

I didn't realise Kittel was just turning up for a few stage wins before its gets lumpy. If that is the case the points jersey is wide open, hoping Swift might be a factor in it then, because Kittel will prevent any of the pure sprinters pulling out a lead. If indeed Bouhanni and the likes make it to the end as well.

Assuming Kittel dominates the early sprints then goes home I'd go for a GC contender winning points jersey.

Kittel would probably roll backwards off Monte Zoncolan in the penultimate stage ;-)

What the fuck is going on with the Eurosport coverage? I'm not that interested in the finish line right now.

Assuming Kittel dominates the early sprints then goes home I'd go for a GC contender winning points jersey.

It may have been carefully weighted to keep pure sprinters in the game? Sprinters that are good at maths...

Red: the points competition.
Category A+B stages (2 – 3 – 4 – 7 – 10 – 13 – 17 – 21) offer points for the first 20 riders at the finish: 50, 40, 34, 28, 25, 22, 20, 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. For the TV there are points for the first 10: 20, 16, 12, 9, 7, 6, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Category C stages: (5 – 6 – 9 – 11) offer points for the first 15: 25, 22, 20, 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. For the TV there are points for the first five: 10, 6, 3, 2, 1
Category D + E stages: (1 – 8 – 12 – 14 – 15 – 16 – 18 – 19 – 20) offer points for the first 10: 15, 12, 9, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. For the TV there are points for the first three: 8, 4, 1