Giro 2018 "contains spoilers"

[Merk40]

That "appalling dump" produces 1 in 7 medications prescribed by the NHS. That "appalling dump" is the reason you can post online.

Israel like most countries has a lot of beauty and some rough parts. Jerusalem is old and due to being protected, any modernisation takes years to approve. Tel-Aviv is undergoing a massive face lift. Many buildings suffered from the heat and sand blasting. The desert is a desert. If they'd cycled through Arizona it would have been just as boring.

It would be like judging the UK by a race through the likes of Huddersfield.

 

[smutchin]

Only half following the race today, but it looked a little while ago as if the gap was coming down quite rapidly, reduced to 1.30-ish at one point, then next time I looked it was back out to 2.12 with 72km to go. Seems the peloton are toying with the escapees, leaving them to dangle out there and suffer on a warm day...

Would be a shame if they cocked up the chase and let them win!

 

[mjr]

Would be a shame if they cocked up the chase and let them win!

Oh no it wouldn't...

Anyway, I'm busy so not following it until after tonight's highlights.

 

[smutchin]

Goncalves is having a nightmare - had to swap bikes with a team-mate after a puncture, changed to the spare bike when the team car caught up, but the handlebars weren't on straight so he's had to change bike again. Suspect that's put him out of contention for the stage win. Nuts.

Break have just been caught with 13km to go. Bora are riding hard on the front.

 

[smutchin]

Conti off the front and clear. This is perfect for UAE with Ulissi in reserve if any of the other teams want to chase. But the gap is growing and the pack are looking disorganised, and it's starting to look like yet another race this year where a late solo break wins the day...

 

[smutchin]

Crash at a pinch point splits the peloton! Not clear yet if any big names have been caught the wrong side of it. They're going to struggle to catch up if they have.

Gap to Conti is falling fast now. Doesn't look like being his day after all.

 

[smutchin]

This is an insane finish through narrow, twisty city streets.

 

[smutchin]

That was great. Brilliant ride by Wellens - stayed patient and attacked at exactly the right moment.

Great result for Yates too, finishing in the top five with a four second gap on the next bunch across the line. There were more gaps in the peloton too. This is going to shake up GC a bit.

 

[philk56]

Great finish and Yates up to third. Every time I watch the Giro go through Sicily I think I must pay it a visit but haven't made it yet. It looks beautiful.

 

[Shadow]

Every time I watch the Giro go through Sicily I think I must pay it a visit but haven't made it yet

You should! It has many attractions.
Only been once and sadly not on a bike.
Spent a short while at today's finish. This is a well-known landmark:

(not my pic; nicked off google images)

 

[roadrash]

A well timed effort from wellens and a cracking result for yates too

 

[smutchin]

This is going to shake up GC a bit.

Yep, full results are in now and it doesn't make good reading for Froome - he finished 21 seconds behind Wellens and Yates and is now 55 seconds down on GC.

Good finish by Pinot - this is exactly the kind of stage where you'd have expected him to lose stupid seconds in the past through bad positioning but he was up there with Pozzovivo, Dennis, Dumoulin and Chaves, just four seconds behind the winners. This bodes well.

Aru was in between the Dumoulin and Froome groups.

 

[smutchin]

A well timed effort from wellens and a cracking result for yates too

Yates is starting to look like a genuine GC contender.

 

[MikeG]

Great to see Yates doing so well. If Froome is trying his ride-himself-into-form theory again, then he probably shouldn't have.

 

[Bollo]

Just managed to watch to the end before I had to leg it out. Great finish to the stage and well done Yates. I don’t think it’s controversial to say that Froome ain’t winning this.