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

[tug benson]

I would be very surprised if Brad rides the rest of the Giro, he'll drop out and then be back for the Tour......... or maybe the Vuelta

You think he`ll ride for froome?

 

[Slaav]

I have a horrible feeling this is all going to throw a total spanner in teh works for Team Sky and TdF!

Most appear to now believe that Sir Brad's Giro is all but over. So, what is he going to do? Give up on the season? Go for the Vuelta or defend the Tour? He is after all in the 'best shape of his life'? Super Dom in the Team Froome? (WHilst being the current Champ?)

Also, I would like to think that if his Giro really is 'over', then he should stay in it, recover his health and form and help Uran win the damn thing or drive Nibbles very close at least....

Really do not know how this will all pan out! (Has anyone ever come back from this sort of deficit in GC?)

 

[jarlrmai]

A load of hilly Giro stages in the rain with a chest infection sounds like hell.

 

[smutchin]

(Has anyone ever come back from this sort of deficit in GC?)

In 1907, Luigi Battiguano came back from a 23 hour deficit to his arch rival Massimiliano Scarpa di Salice after riding the last three stages non-stop (a total of 1134km - stages were much longer in those days). But he nearly didn't make it - he punctured after hitting a rock hidden in the snow on the climb of the Tre Cime and had no spare inner tubes, so had to improvise a new tube using the intestine of a sheep, which he had to slaughter himself - he was almost disqualified because the shepherd held the sheep down while he cut its throat with a blunt toe clip, which the officials deemed "illegal assistance of a rider". I recommend Matt Rendell's book "In Santa Croce Without A Baedeker" if you want to read the full epic story.

 

[ayceejay]

In 1907, Luigi Battiguano came back from a 23 hour deficit to his arch rival Massimiliano Scarpa di Salice after riding the last three stages non-stop (a total of 1134km - stages were much longer in those days). But he nearly didn't make it - he punctured after hitting a rock hidden in the snow on the climb of the Tre Cime and had no spare inner tubes, so had to improvise a new tube using the intestine of a sheep, which he had to slaughter himself - he was almost disqualified because the shepherd held the sheep down while he cut its throat with a blunt toe clip, which the officials deemed "illegal assistance of a rider". I recommend Matt Rendell's book "In Santa Croce Without A Baedeker" if you want to read the full epic story.

I heard he kept riding north and was on time for the start of the TdeF three weeks later he had only one shoe on at the finish, the other having been bitten off by a mountain lion that he narrowly escaped from while feeding on road kill, he squirted the 'water' from his bidon into the lions eyes briefly blinding it - unfortunately he was disqualified for abseiling down the north face of Alpe d'Huez.

 

[rich p]

I see that Lancaster came in 5th today in a sideways nod to the anniversary of the Dambusters raid.

 

[Radchenister]

Does it always get this abstract on here at this stage in the Giro?

 

[rich p]

Does it always get this abstract on here at this stage in the Giro?

Cabin fever at the halfway point.

 

[Crackle]

Sky should already of been riding for Uran today rather than messing about trying to keep Wiggins in it when he is obviously knackered, and lets face it his descending was awful so far anyway. Now Uran has very little chance of challenging after today total waste of tour for the team.

Uran is still in third, two minutes off, he's looking pretty good so far.

I would imagine Wiggins would really like to salvage something from this tour if he doesn't get worse. The final TT would be an obvious aim.

 

[ColinJ]

It seems pretty far fetched to think that Wiggins can make a good recovery now in time to do anything useful in this Giro. He isn't supposed to be riding for a TdF win, and I can't see him wanting to be Froome's helper, so why not give him plenty of recovery time and send him to the Vuelta instead, and come back for the Giro next year? He said that he wanted a full set of GT victories before he retired.

 

[rich p]

Uran is still in third, two minutes off, he's looking pretty good so far.

I would imagine Wiggins would really like to salvage something from this tour if he doesn't get worse. The final TT would be an obvious aim.

If he's so under the weather that he can't keep up on flat sections with his team pulling, is thjere any point in flogging himself over the worst of the mountains in terrible weather?

 

[Crackle]

If he's so under the weather that he can't keep up on flat sections with his team pulling, is thjere any point in flogging himself over the worst of the mountains in terrible weather?

I agree but....realistically he's probably not going to be the Tour leader, so he could take a chance on toughing it out and putting some gloss on this Giro. That said, chances are he'll pull out, especially with the forecast snow and rain, not something you want with a chest infection.

 

[Pedrosanchezo]

Yeh if he's ill then he is just doing more damage than good - to both his body and reputation. Bow out and let Uran/Sky salvage what they can.

Rest, recover and return Sir Wiggo.

 

[Crackle]

but ....

This tweet from David Walsh

Reaction from Team Sky is that Bradley Wiggins was bothered by sore knee. If knee is troubling him, hard to see him continue

https://twitter.com/DavidWalshST

 

[rich p]

He also has a severe and incurable case of hypochondria I believe