Giro d'Italia 2013, 4th-26th May - [Spoilers]

[beastie]

Great end to the stage, and the mountains, if only yesterday had home ahead. Poor Cadel looked farked there. Cav should take the points jersey now, barring crashes etc.

 

[smutchin]

Cav is going to struggle to finish inside the time limit today.

 

[smutchin]

Cav is going to struggle to finish inside the time limit today.

...but he made it! Hurrah!

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Only 20 minutes down, and not in the last group either. For a sprinter he's looked okay in the mountains in this Giro.

 

[oldroadman]

20 minutes down today proves he has improved a lot in the climbs, and what a resilient rider he has become. He really needs a good recovery and suppot from the opqs train tomorrow, a win is 25 points and Nibali has 11 point lead, and is likely to roll in with the peloton in trimuph. So, red jersey for Cav tomorrow, I hope, he will wear it on the stage anyway as second placed in the competition with Nibali in pink. Uran should be solid in 2nd for a podium finish as well. Fingers crossed.

 

[ColinJ]

I know that some people feel the cold less than others, but surely those wearing just shorts and short-sleeved jerseys at the end of today's stage would not have been at their optimum riding temperature? (I.e. they were barking mad!)

 

[jarlrmai]

Well I missed this but for all the right reasons, it was a perfect day for cycling.

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

Great day for Colombian cycling.

+1, and all the more impressive with Betancur snatching white from Majka despite Saxo's unsporting attack when they knew he was down on his luck (one puncture plus two mechanicals, apparently). An epic stage indeed.

 

[smutchin]

I wouldn't necessarily call it unsporting - it's just bike racing. But yes, Betancur really showed his class to not only catch up but leave them for dead at the finish - and huge credit to Pozzovivo, nominal team leader, for sacrificing himself to help Betancur.

Betancur probably would have outsprinted Uran and Atapuma for 2nd if he hadn't had to use up his energy in the chase. Might even have caught Nibz.

And on top of all that, he has an amazing 80s throwback haircut.

 

[montage]

And on top of all that, he has an amazing 80s throwback haircut.

Retraining as a hairdresser and moving to colombia could be a profitable career move if the pro peloton is anything to go by

 

[smutchin]

"Sideburns are sooo 2012, darling. It's all about the mullet this year."

 

[Flying_Monkey]

There's no way Cav is going to want to go home without the Maglia Rosso after making it over the mountains. He'll be going for the intermediate points today and for the win. All he needs is the win, but he'll be wanting to make certain.

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

Bl**ding tennis on Eurosport, but apparently no breakaway with 79km to go.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Bl**ding tennis on Eurosport, but apparently no breakaway with 79km to go.

Well, to be fair there is nothing likely to happen before they start the final laps. But I would rather have the Giro on in the background than the tennis...

 

[ColinJ]

While we are waiting ... apparently, Evans had gear problems for the final couple of kms yesterday which he reckons cost him his second place.