/cyc/ - Giro d'Italia - stage 9 - Montenero di Bisaccia to Blockhaus (139km)

*blocks your haus*

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I heard from the peloton that Quintana will attack soon.

Get hype, lads.

Can't wait for one of his classic attacks.

PINOT

Got my ride in early so I can watch the whole stage

BLOCK
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K

HOUSE
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E

I'm ready for disappointment

I know he's got a reputation of this crazy cavalier who is constantly looking to attack, but he's targeting the giro+tour double this season. I think he's going to try to win the giro exerting as little effort as possible, defending until the final week

The opening slopes of the climb are relatively gentle, flitting between 7 and 4%, but the real hostilities begin once the road kicks up to above 9% with a shade under 10 kilometres to go. From there to the summit, the average gradient is a tough 9.4% and the Blockhaus quickly becomes an unremitting grind.

"It will definitely make a difference because the gradients are very significant," Cataldo said. "The first part, the lead-in, is very similar to Etna in that it's regular, but the last 12 or 13 kilometres are really hard. Up there, being on the wheels won't count for anything and having a team around you won't count for much. The legs will make the difference. There'll certainly be a big battle among the pure climbers."

The steepest section comes with a shade under 4 kilometres to go, when the gradient rears up to 14%, but it would [be a surprise if the maglia rosa group has not been splintered or even scattered across the mountainside by that point. The slopes relent only gradually thereafter, and there is precious little chance to recover save for the briefest of dips in the final kilometre. A strongman opening a gap on the approach to the summit will expect to hold it all the way to the line.

It is, Cataldo explains, a mountain for the pure climbers. Nairo Quintana (Movistar), for one, will surely sense an opportunity to distance maglia rosa Bob Jungels (Quick-Step Floors) and Tom Dumoulin (Sunweb) ahead of Tuesday's Montefalco time trial.

and then save himself during the Tour in case he can go for the Giro-Tour-Vuelta treble.

We have to face facts that Quintana may have to ride conservatively all year - even though he definitely wants to attack.

Quintana will win the Giro/Tour double, then help /Valverde/ win his 2nd Vuelta GC

>18km at 8.2% sounds hard enough, comparable to Mont Ventoux and there are more similarities thanks to the limestone rocks, communications masts and stunning views. Only this is a much tougher climb. Where Mont Ventoux steep in the forest on a wide, regular road this is irregular in gradient, often steeper than 10% and all on rough rural back road that is much slower to ride and has you changing gear a lot, or at least if you’re lucky to have fitted low enough ratios to cope with the gradient and the relentless length.

I think Nibali will be BTFO tbqh.

Whether he attacks, or just follows until 500m to go, Quintana should finish alone just by virtue of being a level above anyone else in this field.

Did you listen to the Cycling Podcast the other day when they were talking about Quintana's training in Colombia? He organizes weekly races against the local amateurs. They are supposedly really high standard and always end with a mountain finish.

This is how he gets in shape in the off season. Truly /ourguy/

Sean Kelly wearing the hell out of that puffer jacket. Pure style.

I imagine with all the success colombians are having in cycling it's becoming a very popular sport over there

>beating amateurs.

Quintana with his penny slot mouth will never be /ourguy/

Looks like the break already gone.

Can someone explain just why doing the Giro and Tour double is considered almost unfeasible? These are the best cyclists in the world who can otherwise endure and quickly recover from three weeks, several thousand miles of riding and dozens of thousands of feet of climbing no problem with a month of rest and recovery time between the Giro and Tour. They cannot recover from the sustained fatigue from the Giro after one month?

These amateurs climb better than Dumoulin and Mollema. This is why Quintana doesn't race much. He gets better competition at home

Definitely. They closed the streets for a big parade when Nairo finished second in the Tour. It would probably be a national holiday if he won

You don't ride alone, your entire team is geared towards peaking for two weeks.

It's not about recovery but their training is all about marginal gains at the right time.

>marginal gains

Froome focuses his entire season on the Tour. That's literally all he does (and the Dauphine, as preparation for the Tour)

Quintana will have the Giro d'Italia in his legs by the time the Tour comes around. His cumulative wear will mean he's less fresh than Froome

It is not optimal training. Plus lots of travelling sleep disruption, stress, risk of injury.

Meanwhile Froome is training everyday focusing on one single thing. Perfectly planned training with sleep and diet not disrupted.

I think the Giro-Tour double is possible, but not when riding against equals who didn't put their body and mind through those 3 exhausting Giro weeks.

If Froome is 100% at during the Tour, Quintana can't compete unless he's also at 100%.

If Froome didn't exist I absolutely believe Quintana could do the double. He could win them both at 90-95% IMO.

Because no one cares about winning both in the same year

tibble peenu

btw, when was the last time a Giro-Tour double happened?

Pantani in 98

Pantani 98

>unless he's also at 100%.
not even then

And that was a really weak Giro field.

tibble peenu

CABAL
A
B
A
L

Reminder that Valverde will win the Tour

Tour of California tonight too. Comfy evening cycling! :D

ah dang now i'm sad
poor Pirata, he didn't deserve what happened to him

Locombia has already tradition in cycling, but for many time, Locombia had bad flat road riders.

Pic: he won Alp d'Huez stage in 1984 as amateur (later he won VaE in 1987)

remember him in happier times
youtube.com/watch?v=zz_c_0ZhaoA

There will never be another Pantani. Even if someone had the talent they would never ride like he did because they way racing is so controlled these days. Closest we've seen since is Contador.

The way you train for a GT is that you plan your training in a way that you peak during the GT. Having your peak during a GT means months of training, so it's pretty much impossible to have your peak last for two GT's. So it's not only fatigue, it's the fact that if you peak during Giro, the peak will be gone at Tour.

TSUUUUUUUU

>open your link
>i'm now even sadder
>see in the rec videos Nibali winning the Giro last year
>well i guess i could use some hype to cheer me up
>first person to appear on screen is Scarponi

MAKE IT STOP

>majority of riders on aero bikes

really makes you think

true, he was a class of his own, definitely not the GOAT but so incredibly entertaining
he made Italy rediscover the love for the sport

My first two cycling-loves were Italian. Chiappucci and Pantani.

Not really. Using an Aero frame doesn't really carry any weight penalty anymore. There's no more need for a specialized superlight climbing bike

...

there is no real need for superlight bikes in the WorldTour anymore is there? Most aero bikes are about 2 lb above the UCI weight limit whereas most light bikes need ballasts to bring them up to the limit, and its been patently shown that the aero advantages of the former greatly outweighs the advantage of the latter at any speed above 11 to 12 mph I believe

>there is no real need for superlight bikes in the WorldTour anymore is there?
No, it's that they're all superlight. Not 6.8kg light, but light enough.

Five years ago an aero frame would be nearly 500g heavier than a climbers' frame. Now they're basically equal.

Any pro-level bike can be easily made 6.8kg. In many cases, being over the lower limit is because the riders prefer particularly heavy equipment like certain saddles, seatposts, powermeters, etc.

great tactics from cannondale, but it's going to count for nothing

have their been any professional cyclists that became world-class after squeaking into the peleton and going relatively unnoticed for years, that weren't also associated with doping? It seems that if you weren't a distinguished and prodigal talent by 22 or 23, that if you did make the WorldTour then you'd be relegated to bottle duty or being a domestique until you retire

>tfw every stream is laggy
Anyone got something good?

>I imagine with all the success colombians are having in cycling it's becoming a very popular sport over there

It has been the national sport since ever. Not as practiced/followed as football but considered more "traditional"

anyone got a stream? SBS was fucked out of the rights for the giro this year apparently

Today's results

1. Pinot
2. Quintana
3. Scarponi

Which one of you passed and shouted something at me?

>you will never domestique for Pinot

THANKS JUAN

Both me, la. And I doubt I shouted something today considering I haven't really left the house.

THANKS JUAN

THX JUAN

>that finish
I was going to spend this day jacking off, but now I have to watch it, innit.

Yer I guess there's not much correlation between shouting something at people irl and posting on this Zimbabwean watercolor board.

Is Juan from a spokesman for a distant planet?

>tfw it's snowing once again
fml

he looks like a dentist. you better watch out, bong.

does anyone else make the hay, as they say, while the sun shines?

no u dont, its as gruesome as your "jacking off"

>not doing both

>huddersfield 0-0 sheff wed

so glad i watched the cycling over that shit.

Don't try making me feel bad about myself, user.

You been to the WTCC race?

Meanwhile in Ireland...

stickybottle.com/races-results/video-horse-runs-peloton-new-north-west-three-day/

>HORSE CATEGORY

a photo has never looked more irish

Nibbles to break in the last 5km.

...

Too much ass

Hi friendos!

>only fun gc rider in the race beaking
pls no

break forward, or break backward?

CRASH
R
A
S
H

Nah, I dont really care about motorsports tbqh
I was there in the 2001 F1 GP though

Has anyone ever watched a movie because Jeremy Renner was in it?

Bob Jungels sounds like he should be in porn.

Why does quintana look about ten years older than he actually is.

...

Latin American genes

>Jungels Young'uns

He made a deal with devil to become the mountain goat he is.

South American mountain people (which includes Bolivians, Ecuadorians, Colombians, Peruvians, Brazilians) remain largely untouched from Spanish gene mixing

Are you ready for best climber /cyc/?

Well hopefully forward.

...

>Eurosport in charge of not having technical difficulties

guys, this stinks

Rate my new caps

>tfw rekt knees
>tfw no training

ITS SOFTWARE DUUUUUH YOU DUMB WHITEY

AGILE
MAINFRAME
SOFTWARE

Makes my blood boil desu

Movistar pls. They better not be doing a team Sky and killing the attacks

>it's a Teejay underperforms again stage

why doesn't cabal just sprint up the hill?

Catching the break before the climb even starts. How rude. I hate Movistar now

F1 finished at the right time

let's see if Geraint can hang onto Landa's coattails