# Giro Stage 2: 206k



## weltyed (Feb 6, 2004)

Well, the opening stage was pretty exciting. If you are an American. Individual times trials can be a rather dull affair, especially when the GC hopefuls are not the greatest time trialists and the course is relatively short. Americans saw this stage as a proving ground for Taylor Phinney. After Lance Armstrong retired and proclaimed Tom Danielson as his successor, we believed the young American would scorch the competition. There are many reasons, and excuses, to why Tommy D never lived up to his billing. In restrospect, it was unfair to expect someone would step in and dominate as Lance did. Contador is pretty much the only one to come close, but let's not get into that.

So it was with great reservation American fans watched as Mini Phinney blossomed on the track, was taken under Lance Armstrong's wing for some road training, then left the Livestrong camp for BMC. With track and U23 palmares, we waited to see what he could do against The Pros. Freshman year was viewed as an apprenticeship, which is a much better more resonable way to acclimate than what Tommy D was subjected to. But this sophomore year he stated that winning the first stage of The Giro, and donning the maglia rosa, would be a defining moment for him. Personally, I shuddered at this proclamation. Of course it would be a defining moment, but it sounded almost cocky to me. Some argue there is a certain amount of cockiness professional athletes must have to win. But when yound guns say things in this vein I get worried.

Well, Phinney rolled through with a spectacular ride. He is in pink. And I am happy. Relieved.
Hopeful.
I am also grateful Davis Phinney could see his son be the third American to wear pink.

Now that I have that saccharine nationalism out of the way, let's get on with it.

Stage 2 is 206 looping kilometers through Denmark. From Herning to Herning. But the map shows two different places for the start and fininsh. Maybe they are just calling out the principality? A very rich one, from what I hear. Must cost a ton to host so many stages...

This should be a sprinters stage, as long as they stick together across the causway in the North West. Holy cow that could get windy! And if a small echelon forms and works together, we may not see the sprinters mix it up. If that does happen, and BMC does not have a presence to disrupt the escape, Phinney may only have the Rosa for this one stage. 
The Giro is infamous for crashes in the early stages, and with the race so open this year many will be gunning for it. 



















I don't think there will be a break. And I think Renshaw will succumb to Cavendish who will use his old mate the way he used to.
Phinney is pink again? I do not know. What I do know is if I knew a blonde and brunette were gonna nibble on me, I might try that much harder.


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## KenS (Jan 28, 2004)

That was a great ride by Phinney. I have been assuming the big question/danger-point for Phinney staying in pink was the TTT on Stage 4.


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## Defy (Apr 22, 2012)

Nice pic


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## jd3 (Oct 8, 2004)

How could pick anybody but Cav for stage 2 ? TP stays pink.


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## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

jd3 said:


> How could pick anybody but Cav for stage 2 ? TP stays pink.


One his main former lead-out men is now a competitor rather than a lead-out man. But yea, unless the bunch does some clever riding, he's the more likely winner.


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## foto (Feb 7, 2005)

Marc said:


> One his main former lead-out men is now a competitor rather than a lead-out man. But yea, unless the bunch does some clever riding, he's the more likely winner.


yeah, just a hunch, but I bet the reason Cavendish was the leader of Highroad, and Renshaw the lead-out man, is because Cavendish is faster.


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## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

foto said:


> yeah, just a hunch, but I bet the reason Cavendish was the leader of Highroad, and Renshaw the lead-out man, is because Cavendish is faster.


There were a few sprints with High Road, where Cav got caught without his leadout...and didn't catch the sprint. We shall see.


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## Cinelli 82220 (Dec 2, 2010)

Taylor Phinney pulls a Schleck....drops his chain somehow.

Nice pink detailing on his bike!


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## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

chicken sighting on a roof....


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## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

A certain Pink jersey wearer may need shifting re-education camp. Costly oops.


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## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

Salsa_Lover said:


> Phinney had a mechanical, dropped off the back.


Quoth David and Sean: "His nicely pink adorned BMC bike does not go any faster with the chain off"


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## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

Phinney had a mechanical, dropped off the back.


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## foto (Feb 7, 2005)

Yup, another convincing outing for Renshaw. You're not supposed to take out your captain, right?


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## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

Phinney trying to return, 200 mts to the tail of the group.

Very nice pink accented BMC BTW....


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## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

Phinney rejoins the group


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## Cinelli 82220 (Dec 2, 2010)

Bos missed the last corner and took some others down with him.
Kristoff looks the worst, must have banged his head, there;s blood on his face but he's up and walking around. He's clutching his arm, maybe collarbone or wrist injury?


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## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

the Sky train is a bit off place with 1 to Go, Garmin leading.


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## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

Cavendish gets it


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## EDUC8-or (Jan 2, 2009)

Cinelli 82220 said:


> Taylor Phinney pulls a Schleck....drops his chain somehow.
> 
> Nice pink detailing on his bike!


He had some help from the ground, he crashed. Pretty exciting finish!


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## lalahsghost (Aug 27, 2007)

Cinelli 82220 said:


> Taylor Phinney pulls a Schleck....drops his chain somehow.
> 
> Nice pink detailing on his bike!


BMC is using Shimano products - Was it an inner or outer chain drop? Is he using mechanical 7900?


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## foto (Feb 7, 2005)

lalahsghost said:


> BMC is using Shimano products - Was it an inner or outer chain drop? Is he using mechanical 7900?


The commentators say Phinny touched a wheel and crashed. He didn't drop his chain. I doubt anyone used their front derailer today.


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## foto (Feb 7, 2005)

So far this year, there isn't a team strong enough to muster a pure leadout train that can totally shut out everyone else. However, Cavendish is showing that if he is allowed to play his cards, he can beat anyone in the final 200m. He needs a team to control the race and keep him at the front, but he can win sprints convincingly without being delivered to the line.


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

lalahsghost said:


> BMC is using Shimano products - Was it an inner or outer chain drop? Is he using mechanical 7900?


sure, after 200km pro racing in Denmark he suddenly realized he was in the small chain ring


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## superg (May 9, 2010)

The podium girls are hawt !!!


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## foto (Feb 7, 2005)

Looking at the replay, it looks like Bos is more to blame than Renshaw. He took the last turn a little tight, bounced off an FDJ rider and into Renshaws wheel. Crazy finish with a tun like that right a the end of a sprint stage.


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## Rokh On (Oct 30, 2011)

He did drop his chain. He said he took a tumble and then had a hard time getting the chain back on. BMC did a good job getting him back in the peloton. I did like that move by the team car. "His brakes were rubbing". Nice.


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## Bee-an-key (May 5, 2007)

Why did the peloton not wait up for the pink jersey when he crashed and had to fix the bike?


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## Cinelli 82220 (Dec 2, 2010)

^^Good point Rokh!
If the Sky car had been pushing Cav like that people would have been messing their pants...


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## wilki (Jun 9, 2004)

Awesome lead out for Cav by Geraint Thomas (in red), then a little freelancing and the rest is history. Like him or hate him the guy is ridiculously good.


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## Sharknose (Aug 9, 2010)

Watching the overhead shot, you can see Cav gets boxed in by Tyler Farrar on his left. Cav remains cool and just drifts back until he is clear of Farrar's wheel, then swings to the left and blasts past him. The guy can certainly read the situation in the chaos of a sprint, and adjust on the fly. Well done.


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## gusmahler (Apr 7, 2012)

Marc said:


> There were a few sprints with High Road, where Cav got caught without his leadout...and didn't catch the sprint. We shall see.


And there were a few where he was without his leadout . . . and still won handily. Remember that Renshaw was DQd halfway through the 2010 Tour and Cav won 2 more stages.


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## gusmahler (Apr 7, 2012)

wilki said:


> Awesome lead out for Cav by Geraint Thomas (in red), then a little freelancing and the rest is history. Like him or hate him the guy is ridiculously good.


I know Cav isn't wearing Sky colors because he's wearing the World Champion colors. But why is Thomas not wearing the Sky colors?


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## 32and3cross (Feb 28, 2005)

gusmahler said:


> I know Cav isn't wearing Sky colors because he's wearing the World Champion colors. But why is Thomas not wearing the Sky colors?


He was in the sprinters jersey.


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

Taylor Phinney!!! Taylor Phinney!!! Taylor Phinney!!!


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## weltyed (Feb 6, 2004)

bee an key: this always gets talked about. the line between sporting and winning will get some people talking, but in this case it makes sense to keep racing.really, within 50k from the finish on a flat stage anything goes. this was at 8k and the jostling had already started.

cinelli: this happens all the time and we all know it. i was surprised how little help he got. i was surprised that the mechanic didnt seem to know how to fake it. it was almost as bad as when levi got pulled at 55mph two years back. of couse he got fined for that, but that was much worse than what phinney got.


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## gusmahler (Apr 7, 2012)

weltyed said:


> bee an key: this always gets talked about. the line between sporting and winning will get some people talking, but in this case it makes sense to keep racing.really, within 50k from the finish on a flat stage anything goes. this was at 8k and the jostling had already started.


Right. On a flat stage, it's so easy (relatively speaking) to get back to the peloton that it doesn't make sense for everyone to stop. it's just a different situation than Contador/Schleck, where it was a mountain and really only those two in contention.


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## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

gusmahler said:


> Right. On a flat stage, it's so easy (relatively speaking) to get back to the peloton that it doesn't make sense for everyone to stop. it's just a different situation than Contador/Schleck, where it was a mountain and really only those two in contention.


Not really, it was the same situation, or even worse because Andy had attacked first.

The only reason it was so talked about was because Lance fanboys hated Clentador because he beat his hero's arse the year before.


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## weltyed (Feb 6, 2004)

Salsa_Lover said:


> Not really, it was the same situation, or even worse because Andy had attacked first.
> 
> The only reason it was so talked about was because Lance fanboys hated Clentador because he beat his hero's arse the year before.


/\this/\

except i think it might have been harder for phinney to get back on due to the pace. with contador/schleck i bet conti wishes he had gapped andy by 20 meters, let him catch up, and thenm bury him again. i still feel there is no way andy would have won that stage.

looks like cippo was pretty rough on bmc for not getting riders back there to help phionney fast enough. i think it may have been they either didnt know he hit the deck (and how could that be possible?) or they were transitioning from protecting phinney to lining up for thor. 

cippo also asked why the mechanic couldnt get the chain on but och could. i kinda though the same thing. i think the mechanic was headed back to get the spare bike, but it did look keystone cops-like. big ups to phinney for staying calm.


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## Chainstay (Mar 13, 2004)

foto said:


> So far this year, there isn't a team strong enough to muster a pure leadout train that can totally shut out everyone else.


Exact. Sky did there job to keep him near the front unlike in Quatar and Oman where he was being bumped and blocked a lot. Thomas got him around the corner in front of the chaos. 

Cav's ability to read the situation let him find the open lanes without a lead out. Then his legs took over. He had to ease up to get around Farrar but still had enough to drop Goss on an uphill sprint.

That Soupe guy came pretty fast from a long way back. I wonder if he will be the sprinter or the lead out man now.


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## gusmahler (Apr 7, 2012)

Salsa_Lover said:


> Not really, it was the same situation, or even worse because Andy had attacked first.
> 
> The only reason it was so talked about was because Lance fanboys hated Clentador because he beat his hero's arse the year before.


It's not even close to the same situation.

1) Flat stage vs mountain. Easier to get back in a flat stage.

2) Only 2 people at issue in the Contador/Schleck incident. The entire field was at issue here. Do you really expect the entire field to stop to let him back?

3) The GC was at issue in the TdF incident. Phinney is not going to win the GC this year. All that was at stake is keeping him in the pink jersey for another day or two.


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## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

gusmahler said:


> It's not even close to the same situation.
> 
> 1) Flat stage vs mountain. Easier to get back in a flat stage.
> 
> ...


nope

1. Andy is a pure climber, he had advantage on a mountain

2. Sammy Sanchez and Denis Menchov, 2 GC contenders went away, Clentador couldn't just stay and wait

3. You are correct on that. A race is to be won. To attack your adversaries when you are strong and them weak and beat them to the ground. Andy tried to do so, he failed. the other contenders left him behind. 

end of argument


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