# Giro Stage 11: 262k



## weltyed (Feb 6, 2004)

Tyler Farrarrrarrrarrraaaaaaaaaaaa took stage 10. What a sprinters dream! 

Stage 11 is the longest of this Giro. Well, longest in a decade. The stage ends in L'Aquila, the town rocked by last year's devastating earthquake. Expect the Italians to make their country proud. Afterall, aside from the TTT, they do not have a stage victory this year.

The road is bumpy, with three categorized climbs. There is a little kick up at the end which could splinter any sprinter's attempt...if the race stays together. Tomorrow's stage is a bit flatter, so I anticipate the main sprinters to recharge this stage. Classics riders may have the edge, nut mountain goats may be looking to start stretching their legs. 
And of course there is always this year's wild surprise wild card: Cadel Evans.

I will go with Hillary Swank look-alike, Linus again.


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## tinkerbeast (Jul 24, 2009)

probably somebody australian will win it...


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## concretejungle (Jul 13, 2009)

Scarponi


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

Ignatiev.


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## olli (Jan 30, 2009)

Ohh boy! Something interesting going on in Giro  My guess is we'll see quite a few changes in top10. Wiggins and Sastre way up there


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## robdamanii (Feb 13, 2006)

Holy hell. How is 49 riders considered a "breakaway?"

Things are probably going to change tonight...

Gerdemann for the stage win?


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## olli (Jan 30, 2009)

"current" top10

1. Richie Porte (AUS / Saxo Bank)
2. David Arroyo (ESP / Caisse d'Epargne) + 1.56 
3. Robert Kiserlovski (CRO / Liquigas) + 1.59
4. Valeri Agnoli (ITA / Liquigas) + 2.52
5. Xavier Tondo (ESP / Cervelo) + 4.08
6. Alexander Efminkin (RUS / AG2R) + 5.30
7. Linus Gerdemann (GER / Milram) + 5.48
8. Carlos Sastre (ESP / Cervelo) + 7.33
9. Bradley Wiggins (GBR / Team Sky) + 8.28
10. Jan Bakelandts (GEL / OmegaPHarma-Lotto) + 8.49


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## JohnStonebarger (Jan 22, 2004)

Gotta love the Giro.


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## JohnStonebarger (Jan 22, 2004)

And then Vino punctures...

Geez, I can't wait for the race to "get exciting" in the last week!


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## jd3 (Oct 8, 2004)

Looks like somebody was sleeping. How in the world did the leaders let that big a group get that big a gap?


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## rs3o (Jan 22, 2004)

W.T.F? How does Astana let this happen? How do you let Porte and Arroyo go up the road with 50 other guys?


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## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

rs3o said:


> W.T.F? How does Astana let this happen? How do you let Porte and Arroyo go up the road with 50 other guys?


I was wondering the same thing.


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## Kaleo (Jun 15, 2008)

Man this Giro has been nothing but amazing! ... I came in late and, what the "H", impossible, to think this could happen. In watching the Pink Jersey group chase, they don't look very fired up considering what's going on. But excellent break for Sastre! This is going to make really hard for Cadel later on... plus he's lost to mates... Vino's got to be scared!


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## robdamanii (Feb 13, 2006)

Radios? So much for knowing what's happening out there.

This doesn't do all that much. The last week will destroy most of the current top 10. All this really does is bring Sastre back up into contention, and boy how does it.


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## Jwiffle (Mar 18, 2005)

So the last few days everyone had written Sastre off. Guess the other GC contenders will need to start keeping their eyes on him again.


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## tbb001 (Oct 1, 2007)

Wow, talk about gifting the Giro to members of a breakaway. Remind anyone of the Oscar Pereiro Tour fiasco?

Epic fail on the parts of Astana, Liquigas, and BMC.
You don't let that many riders (especially one containing riders Sastre/Wiggins/etc) get that far up the road.


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## stevesbike (Jun 3, 2002)

but you need riders to bring it back - 262km, 4,000m climbing, in the rain, not too easy to control...


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## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

tbb001 said:


> Wow, talk about gifting the Giro to members of a breakaway. Remind anyone of the Oscar Pereiro Tour fiasco?
> 
> Epic fail on the parts of Astana, Liquigas, and BMC.
> You don't let that many riders (especially one containing riders Sastre/Wiggins/etc) get that far up the road.


Another great day for the break...and a 12' miscalculation by the chase.


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

Petrov. Dang, had the wrong Russian.


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

Vino crossing the line looked like he was gonna cry.


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## harlond (May 30, 2005)

robdamanii said:


> Radios? So much for knowing what's happening out there.
> 
> This doesn't do all that much. The last week will destroy most of the current top 10. All this really does is bring Sastre back up into contention, and boy how does it.


I don't know, gaining back 10 minutes on Sastre, Wiggins, Tondo, AND Arroyo may not be nothing.


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## nayr497 (Nov 8, 2008)

It's Petrov's birthday next Tuesday, May 25. Not a bad early gift to himself!

Wow, I can't imagine racing in those conditions. I'll ride in rain, but I'll have fenders. Trying to haul ass with a soggy arse can't be that much fun...


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## Wookiebiker (Sep 5, 2005)

Anybody wonder if the leaders took the day off for for a reason?

Cadel and Vino are both focusing on the Tour and likely were planning on dropping out at some stage of the race. Being in the lead or top 3 wouldn't make that easy to do and likely would have forced them to race the whole race...taking their chance at doing well in the Tour and greatly minimizing it.

So instead of racing to the end, you let a big break go away and call it a "Bad Day" in the saddle...when the reality is they let it go knowing full well it will give them the opportunity to drop out at the end of the 2nd week with their "Tour Prep" in tact.

Anyway...just a theory


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## DonDenver (May 30, 2007)

Creakyknees said:


> Vino crossing the line looked like he was gonna cry.


Gotta love the Vino…but all his facial expressions “hamming” for the camera are getting old. Yes, we get it…it’s a grind. However all the huffing and puffing and tongue sticking out is overkill. Hell, I do that on a 28 mile loop


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

Now that's a GC shakeup. I think the riders who lost a lot of time are going to have to be much more aggressive. Interesting enough stage, but I'm expecting to see lots of attacks! This could be the Giro to watch!


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

with all the rain, crashes and only one rest day so far, these guys are getting really tired. 

and, 4 more stages over 200k (124 miles) including the Zoncolan before the rest day... it's going to blow apart I think.


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## weltyed (Feb 6, 2004)

evans, maybe. but vino? he knows there is a very good chance he wont be "invited" to the tour.

looking at tomorrows flat stage, though, i would have thought the race leaders would be riding today and taking tomorrow off. that is a large group to "get away," especially as cadel and vino are both down some men. asleep at the wheel.



Wookiebiker said:


> Anybody wonder if the leaders took the day off for for a reason?
> 
> Cadel and Vino are both focusing on the Tour and likely were planning on dropping out at some stage of the race. Being in the lead or top 3 wouldn't make that easy to do and likely would have forced them to race the whole race...taking their chance at doing well in the Tour and greatly minimizing it.
> 
> ...


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## jd3 (Oct 8, 2004)

I was glad they had time to show the interview with Porte. He looked like a happy boy.


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## Nimitz (Jul 8, 2004)

crazy race for sure...

Chad


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## Wookiebiker (Sep 5, 2005)

weltyed said:


> evans, maybe. but vino? he knows there is a very good chance he wont be "invited" to the tour.
> 
> looking at tomorrows flat stage, though, i would have thought the race leaders would be riding today and taking tomorrow off. that is a large group to "get away," especially as cadel and vino are both down some men. asleep at the wheel.


Vino may have been marking Cadel...and Cadel didn't care about the stage today. So he might have been caught in a situation he didn't expect to take place. So at this point even if he wanted the Giro win because he won't be going to the Tour, but marking the wrong people...he's out of the Giro also.


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## nfosterma (Jan 24, 2007)

robdamanii said:


> Radios? So much for knowing what's happening out there.


Per Velonews: "In the difficult conditions communications were difficult and it was hard for the chase group to know who was in the break." I took this to mean that radios weren't working correctly.


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## jd3 (Oct 8, 2004)

Anybody know yet if Tyler retained the points lead?


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## sokudo (Dec 22, 2007)

Can Tondo win this Giro? 
Or will Sastre keep on playing a team leader from hell, same as last Giro, and destroy his chances? There is no question that Sastre has zero chance to win a grand tour ever again.


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## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

sokudo said:


> Can Tondo win this Giro?
> Or will Sastre keep on playing a team leader from hell, same as last Giro, and destroy his chances? There is no question that Sastre has zero chance to win a grand tour ever again.


I don't know about that - if Sastre miraculously finds his climbing legs in the last week, he is positioned perfectly right now. I agree that up till now he was less than impressive.

No way Vino and Cadel "sat up" to gift Giro away and save themselves for the Tour. They both had some losses in their teams, and their teammates must be pretty tired. I suspect it was a game of "chicken" where nobody wanted to chase and dared someone else (Leaky-Gas, for example) to chase instead. And when they finally decided to chase it was too late and they had not many riders left.

Crazy stage for sure. I still think Cadel, Vino, Basso and Nibali will fight for podium in the end, but now we have Sastre (and possibly Wiggo?) in the mix again, plus some young guys...


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## gh1 (Jun 7, 2008)

Wiggo, I doubt, he really does have to save himself for the tdf. Doing well in it is Sky's stated goal and he is their GC guy.


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## Mosovich (Feb 3, 2004)

*Here's my question!*

What the hell kinda chamois cream those guys use? I mean, riding in the rain that long, my arse would be RAW.. I've been using Bab Balm lately, but would really like to know what they are using..


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## robdamanii (Feb 13, 2006)

Wookiebiker said:


> Anybody wonder if the leaders took the day off for for a reason?
> 
> Cadel and Vino are both focusing on the Tour and likely were planning on dropping out at some stage of the race. Being in the lead or top 3 wouldn't make that easy to do and likely would have forced them to race the whole race...taking their chance at doing well in the Tour and greatly minimizing it.
> 
> ...


Don't think so. Cadel and Vino have both been very vocal in their desire to win the Giro.

I think today was honestly a huge screw up on the part of the leaders.

And as the other poster said, yes, putting a couple of dangerous guys closer to the top of the standings was all that happened today. But when the last week rolls around, those who can't stick it on the steep slopes will still slide down the standings. 

I can see the podium being Sastre, Evans and Nibali still...


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## robdamanii (Feb 13, 2006)

nfosterma said:


> Per Velonews: "In the difficult conditions communications were difficult and it was hard for the chase group to know who was in the break." I took this to mean that radios weren't working correctly.


I take it to mean there were nearly 55 members of the "break". It's a little tough to relay 55 names through the radio to everyone in the "peloton" to get a chase organized. 

I refuse to believe that every radio in the peloton was was out of service.


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## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

robdamanii said:


> I take it to mean there were nearly 55 members of the "break". It's a little tough to relay 55 names through the radio to everyone in the "peloton" to get a chase organized.
> 
> I refuse to believe that every radio in the peloton was was out of service.


Something happened, because as early as km30, the "break" had a gap of 6'+.

Considering at some points the riders were getting hailed on, I wouldn't be surprised if those radios were getting more than they were rated for.


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## culdeus (May 5, 2005)

I think the earpieces were supposedly the problem.


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## wks9326 (Apr 24, 2004)

Regardless of radios. The directors in the team cars should have had a good enough idea of what was going on and could have relayed that information to their team when the domestics came to the car for water.


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## DZfan14 (Jul 6, 2009)

3, 2 and 1... Who will Cadel Evans have to blame now?


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## Kaleo (Jun 15, 2008)

It's just so hard to understand how the leaders could let so many go, for so long, and react like they did for most of the race. Obviously the weather and conditions played a huge part in the race, but how did the leader fall so far back behind the peloton. They had to have seen it coming, the pink jersey is always just a few riders back as are all the GC contenders, you just let 50 guys just rides in front of you? Was it the hail? tech support (radios, I find it hard to believe), crashes? what? please someone explain to me...


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## rocco (Apr 30, 2005)

rs3o said:


> W.T.F? How does Astana let this happen? How do you let Porte and Arroyo go up the road with 50 other guys?



Now this is what I call exciting old school (no radios) cycling!

//Things are looking up for Contador in the Tour with a team like this.


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## tbb001 (Oct 1, 2007)

rocco said:


> Things are looking up for Contador in the Tour with a team like this.


 
No doubt.


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## albert owen (Jul 7, 2008)

The Giro is usually the best stage race of the year. This one is just fantastic - it has got everything.


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## euro-trash (May 1, 2004)

wks9326 said:


> Regardless of radios. The directors in the team cars should have had a good enough idea of what was going on and could have relayed that information to their team when the domestics came to the car for water.


exactly. It was an issue of controlling the race, and Astana is down to only 5 domestiques, and BMC has only 4. Liquigas was stuck with the unenviable position of deciding when to pull since BMC and Astana weren't up to the task.


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## muscleendurance (Jan 11, 2009)

Kaleo said:


> They had to have seen it coming, the pink jersey is always just a few riders back as are all the GC contenders, you just let 50 guys just rides in front of you? Was it the hail? tech support (radios, I find it hard to believe), crashes? what? please someone explain to me...


Its easy, it was so cold and was in such miserable conditions they simply said f*ck that, Im not chasing :idea:


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## LostViking (Jul 18, 2008)

I wonder how the ToC will stack-up to this year's Giro in terms of drama?

I'm pre-ordering the DVD, this Giro looks like one for the ages!


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## tinkerbeast (Jul 24, 2009)

its been more of a lottery so far... the major gaps in the GC are due to crashes and bad weather and theres already a 10+ min lead in the top 10... just hope the giro is finally won in the last week by some good performances than the elements without


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## farm (Jul 10, 2008)

It's too bad Phil and Paul aren't covering this. It's fun to think about what they might say.


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## wks9326 (Apr 24, 2004)

Some more info on Velonews. It is now looking like the Directors did not know who was in the break until they had an 8+ minute gap. The teams with GC contenders waited around for Astana to start the chase but the Astana boys are all suffering from a stomach bug and couldn't do much of anything.


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## concretejungle (Jul 13, 2009)

At what # of riders does it stop being a break and become the peleton? You've got to figure there is at least one GC guy in it along with a couple of teammates.


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## dougydee (Feb 15, 2005)

Could we see a Richie Porte win both the Pink and White jersey's? What a way to go about your first year in the peloton.


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## jd3 (Oct 8, 2004)

dougydee said:


> Could we see a Richie Porte win both the Pink and White jersey's? What a way to go about your first year in the peloton.


He can TT, he can hang on the flat stages, the ? is can he climb?


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## Kaleo (Jun 15, 2008)

muscleendurance said:


> Its easy, it was so cold and was in such miserable conditions they simply said f*ck that, Im not chasing :idea:



Um, beyond having giant ego's, these guys are professionals they're not riding this race for fun. There was a really big F**k up and no excuses, I really believe Cadel is one of the strongest men in the field and in it to win, so this was no surrender. Now with a reduced team, it's going to be a real long haul if he to win. I think this weekend will tell the story. Then again, this Giro has been so unpredictable who knows. Great, Great race, TOC not even close to being as exciting or interesting.


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## CabDoctor (Jun 11, 2005)

Even without radios you think they would have noticed that 
a.) Half the peleton is missing
b.) There are no Sky, Cervelo, or Saxo jerseys in the peleton
c.) The team cars are right behind them so the must be "off the back"
d.) The motorcycles are giving time splits to the "lead" group

And Vino did look like he was going to cry. 

Cueing up Johan and Lance twitter responses in 5..........4...........3........2.......


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## Kaleo (Jun 15, 2008)

When Universal started their broadcast this morning, the split had already occurred. There really was not an explanation for how or exactly when the split happened. But like I said it's really hard to believe that it was a break away, just far too many riders went with it. Heck there were more riding the front group than the GC chase group, and at one point they had a 18 min lead?


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## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

Kaleo said:


> When Universal started their broadcast this morning, the split had already occurred. There really was not an explanation for how or exactly when the split happened. But like I said it's really hard to believe that it was a break away, just far too many riders went with it. Heck there were more riding the front group than the GC chase group, and at one point they had a 18 min lead?


Eurosport didn't pick up the race until after the break formed either. From VeloNews:



> That sinking feeling
> 
> There was confusion right from the gun. When the attacks came, no one really knew what was going on until it was too late.
> 
> “We heard over the radio, there were 20 riders gone. We were waiting for the numbers, then we didn’t get the numbers. Then we heard there was another big group of 40 going,” said Astana sport director Lorenzo Lapage. “We didn’t get the numbers of the big group until they had eight minutes, so that was part of the problem.


http://velonews.competitor.com/2010...s-big-break-overturns-the-gc-standings_114802


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## robdamanii (Feb 13, 2006)

Marc said:


> Eurosport didn't pick up the race until after the break formed either. From VeloNews:
> 
> 
> http://velonews.competitor.com/2010...s-big-break-overturns-the-gc-standings_114802


So there's 20 going, then there's 40 going, and they didn't bother to chase WHY? The chance of there being someone dangerous in a group of 60 riders is....what? Pretty high?

Hell, if they don't get numbers, that makes a lot of sense to kick in the chase right then and there.


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## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

robdamanii said:


> So there's 20 going, then there's 40 going, and they didn't bother to chase WHY? The chance of there being someone dangerous in a group of 60 riders is....what? Pretty high?
> 
> Hell, if they don't get numbers, that makes a lot of sense to kick in the chase right then and there.


It sounds like everyone was waiting for the other guys to start the chase. And everyone waited for 240km before realizing it was too little too late.


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## robdamanii (Feb 13, 2006)

Marc said:


> It sounds like everyone was waiting for the other guys to start the chase. And everyone waited for 240km before realizing it was too little too late.


That seems to be the case.

Strange though, that the top 4 wouldn't just say "look, we're going to be screwed if we don't do something, so let's get this chase up and running."


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## Kaleo (Jun 15, 2008)

robdamanii said:


> That seems to be the case.
> 
> Strange though, that the top 4 wouldn't just say "look, we're going to be screwed if we don't do something, so let's get this chase up and running."



Well it seems that the Astana boys were all down with a stomach bug (so they say now), and BMC had two riders abandon, they called American Brent Bookwalter to come back as he had actually made the break. Basically Vino and Cadel were left to do whatever they could on there own, Liquigas's Nibali and Basso had riders in the break so they felt it was BMC and Astana's responsibility to chase, by the time the came to the front it was too late...


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## dave2pvd (Oct 15, 2007)

Hmmm.......Tondo is the dark horse, IMO. I might just see what those odds are.


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## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

Kaleo said:


> Well it seems that the Astana boys were all down with a stomach bug (so they say now), and BMC had two riders abandon, they called American Brent Bookwalter to come back as he had actually made the break. Basically Vino and Cadel were left to do whatever they could on there own, Liquigas's Nibali and Basso had riders in the break so they felt it was BMC and Astana's responsibility to chase, by the time the came to the front it was too late...


In addition to the atrocious riding weather, and butt kicker long stages of the last week.


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## Kaleo (Jun 15, 2008)

dave2pvd said:


> Hmmm.......Tondo is the dark horse, IMO. I might just see what those odds are.


Maybe so, but I still like Evans, he's the strongest man in the field and we've seen he's a fighter. He's only a few minutes down on Sastre, and we've seen how he's been doing. The Mountains will tell... and they are coming...


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## robdamanii (Feb 13, 2006)

Kaleo said:


> Well it seems that the Astana boys were all down with a stomach bug (so they say now), and BMC had two riders abandon, they called American Brent Bookwalter to come back as he had actually made the break. Basically Vino and Cadel were left to do whatever they could on there own, Liquigas's Nibali and Basso had riders in the break so they felt it was BMC and Astana's responsibility to chase, by the time the came to the front it was too late...


Quite right that you don't chase your teammates, but really, when your leader is in trouble, do you just not bother to help him?

Or, if you are the leader, don't you protect your chances even if it means chasing down your teammates (2 out of 50 in the break?)


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## scarecrow (Oct 7, 2007)

They just screwed it up big time that is all there is to it. There is absolutely no excuse not to chase and keep the time gap within 6 - 7 minutes when the group up the road is more than 10 guys. If the radios did not work they could probably see it on TV. The mechanics in the bus watching the race can use a cell phone to call the Director in the car. Even with no communications at all, the riders that saw the group go off the front knew it was a big bunch. Even with teammates in the move the GC teams should have kept it closer, or better yet not let it go to begin with. Shows how weak overall Astana and BMC are at this race. Cervelo and Caisse have a great chance to steal this race with Tondo and Arroyo.


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## Eric_H (Feb 5, 2004)

This was a colossal screw up day by the GC players, no doubt. The biggest factor in today's GC shakeup is Sastre. He was effectively eliminated until today. Now he has almost 3 minutes on Vino, 4 min on Evans, and a little more on Nibali and Basso. And now he has motivation. Plus the last week is brutally hard and Sastre tends to be a guy who gets better as the race goes on.

I do not see the other guys ahead of Sastre as out and out threats. Porte, impressive but inexperienced and unproven on multiple high pass days. Kiserlovski and Agnoli, both good domestiques on Liquigas but not winners. Gerdemann will get dropped hard on the steeps. Alex Efimkin is the weaker Efimkin. Wiggins gained today but I do not think he will go deep to try to win the Giro. It is all about the Tour at team Sky.

Finally Tondo, a great climber but also very unproven in 3 week tours. ** I still think this guy is the next one to return a positive drug test or get busted on blood profile, mark my words. How does this guy come out of (relatively) nowhere at age 31? Check out his palmares and team history, seems like he had a pretty big jump in results this year: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xavier_Tondo


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## dougydee (Feb 15, 2005)

This stage sure has made the last week compulsory viewing. Evans, Vino, Nibali and Basso are chasing Sastre and will have to ride unbelievably well if they want to be on the top step of the podium after the last stage.
The mountains are going to be fun!!


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