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

[smutchin]

Spot on, FM. I'm certainly not ruling him out. He looks shoot-hot.

 

[raindog]

......he might have more than they thought.

Maybe he has. I hope so - I like the bloke.

 

[Crackle]

Hesjedal raced like it was a one day classic. I guess he knows that he can't do the same as last year, which was wait for Rodriguez to lose. Certainly exciting whatever he's thinking.

 

[smutchin]

Hesjedal raced like it was a one day classic.

Not sure I agree. I see what you mean but compare that to LBL - there he really pushed on, and it turned out he was setting it up for a team-mate. Today he seemed more intent on bringing the other contenders out of their shells, forcing them to play a bit, but he wasn't really going for the win. He did grab a few very useful bonus seconds though.

The upshot is that the likes of Scarponi and Betancur are already playing catch-up.

 

[kedab]

scarponi did have to wait an awfully long time for a new bicycle...poor chap

 

[rich p]

scarponi did have to wait an awfully long time for a new bicycle...poor chap

Couldn't have happened to nicer patient of Ferrari.
Great racing today by the way. Even if Ryder is being naive it's a lot of fun.

 

[Crackle]

Not sure I agree. I see what you mean but compare that to LBL...

Yeah, you're right. It reminded me of LBL and I guess I was trying to summarise how he was racing today with nearly 3 weeks to go i.e. not like he was in a 3 week race.

 

[Strathlubnaig]

Ryder is not naive, I think he just recognizes that he needs to mix it up and spring a few surprises, he knows the strengths of the other GC contenders andthat he needs to try and play against them somehow.

 

[dragon72]

It was Charlie Wegelius (now DS at Garmin) calling the shots on Ryder apparently.

 

[Pedrosanchezo]

Epic end to that stage. That descent would be a dream to ride. Probably just a little slower...........

Fingers crossed todays stage is a sign of a sh*t hot Giro!!

 

[Noodley]

Sandy Casar out of the Giro - scaphoid fracture.

 

[rich p]

Sandy Casar out of the Giro - scaphoid fracture.

I thought he'd retired years ago

 

[Strathlubnaig]

Too bad for Casar, he had aimed to complete all 3 GTs this year too.

 

[The Couch]

Just noticed that Cobo ended about 14 min behind, while before the start of the Giro Movistar was saying that Cobo and Intxausti would be going for the GC. I guess it is confirmed again never to put your (fantasy) cycling eggs in Juanjo's hands .
Cavendish only lost 8m30...seems a good sign to me that he will be able to perhaps even nick one of the "flat" (but-in-real-life-not-so-flat) stages. Ferrari, Goss and Bouhanni all ended much more behind

 

[Flying_Monkey]

I think Cobo is now well on the radar of the testing bodies and may not enjoy quite the same privacy to prepare himself...