Vincenzo Nibali won the Giro going downhill.
I spy with my little eye a certain Michele Scarponi, who sadly lost his life while out training near his home two weeks ago, in there amongst his teammates after his captain, Nibbles, won the race. I’m torn about a death like Michele’s – we subject ourselves to similar risks every time we climb aboard our bikes and we accept it as part and parcel of our craft. Yet, while every day members of our tribe lose their lives to their trade, it takes a high profile rider to remind us how real that risk is.
But onto lighter topics, Nibali won the Giro last year going downhill, and it happened on the one stage I managed to sleep through which is another way of saying I missed it. But I love waking up to a that WTF feeling only a reshuffled GS can give you.
The race starts Friday morning, which is sooner than I expected, so I’ll stop typing so you can start picking. Get them in by the time the clock goes to zero, and remember that our Grand Tour scoring rules are a little different than the smaller events. So jump on that start list and get prognosticating!
Good luck!
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View Comments
Fuck me. TVG has actually won something!
I am so NITRO today.
@wiscot
I've hit just over 50mph on my bicycle ... just once. The result was overshooting the road we were supposed to turn onto.
And you are a pansy car driver!
@chuckp
I am, I admit it. In my defense, you can only push a wee Ford Focus so hard . . .
TJvG won! I wasn't sure he was still in the race. Mind you, I'm glad he won. He is still a quality rider, just not a GT contender. Maybe a new focus on stage hunting will see him wind up his career with some more successes. For sure, today will have done his morale a world of good.
@chuckp
67 kph on the Hautacam which was pretty bumpy where the ski busses had been braking in to the corners. Fast enough for me on a road like that; I live in a pretty flat place.
@wiscot may just have a car that is worth less than his bike!
Pretty poor show from Quintana and it's hard to see where else he's going to pull something out of the bag.
That's twice he's had the whole team set up for an attack with riders up the road and both times he's failed to take advantage.
Watching him shake his head refusing to even go on Nibali's wheel in front of Dumoulin was surely the moment Dumoulin must have realised the Giro is his to lose.
Say what you like about Contador, even Froome, they do their best to make the race.
@ChrisO
Bertie would've attacked even earlier than Quintana's first attack on the Passo Gardena. He (Contador) understands that to win you have to risk losing.
P.S. I say this as someone who's a fan of Nairoman.
@wiscot
It must be an old Ford Focus. The new ones are pretty zippy. Even if it's not an RS model. I actually had a Ford Focus ST for a rental not too long ago and it could definitely haul ass!
Haha, this is very good: https://mobile.twitter.com/giroditalia/status/867758885066747904
"Why you don't ride"... stick it on a T-shirt someone !
Top work from Dumoulin today...clearly that little pit stop yesterday was just what he needed to get down to optimum racing weight. Last chance saloon for #thatgeekcanroll and Nibbles tomorrow. Stage 20 has a short downhill and some rollers before the finish and Big D should bury them in the TT.