SPOILER *Giro Stage 20* SPOILER

[retrofit]

http://www.grassyknolltv.com/2013/giro-d-italia/photos/stage-20/320-PIC370224492.jpg


Highlights, final climb video (http://www.steephill.tv/players/720/rai/?title=Final+Climb,+Highlights,+Full+On-Demand+Stage+20+Broadcast&dashboard=giro-d-italia&id=081cbf79-eb32-42ae-87c5-a911b661c808&yr=2013)

:banana:

[MattTuck]

Glad they got a mountain top finish this weekend! I watched this live, with the snow. Those guys look COLD... and I can only imagine how bad it was for the guys not at the front of the race.

Could they not source a pink fork for Nibali? I wasn't super impressed with the bike paint scheme. If you're going to do a blue fork, why not have it match the light blue in the team kit? just seemed weird to me.

Awesome win for Nibali though. Even if wiggins/hesjedal had made it this far, the weather today would have destroyed their emaciated bodies.

[chengher87]

Could they not source a pink fork for Nibali? I wasn't super impressed with the bike paint scheme. If you're going to do a blue fork, why not have it match the light blue in the team kit? just seemed weird to me.



I was wondering that myself.

[ultraman6970]

After seeing the disaster caused by the italian today, BMC has to play 2 cards in the Tour, no idea how nibali compares as a climber to the triad of spaniards that will do the tour this year.

[gavingould]

Only got up early enough to catch the last 20k. Great finish grind

[firerescuefin]

Apparently cost him second place...couldn't shift.:mad:

[ultraman6970]

If cadel is smart he will start start using cables again.

Campagnolo did not have a single issue with cold apparently?

iron man: "how did you fix the issue with the ice?"

[jbrainin]

Campagnolo did not have a single issue with cold apparently?

This might have something to do with the fact that they spent ~20 years developing EPS before bringing it to market. It's nice to be able to purchase a product that one does not wind up beta testing.

[thwart]

The difference between 2nd and 3rd place at the 2013 Giro d' Italia...

Two or three cogs Evans wished he had when he really needed them?

Fortunately for him, Nibali was running the good stuff... ;)

[Uncle Jam's Army]

I don't buy Cadel's excuse. Cadel claimed the same thing (couldn't shift into his lowest cog) when Basso dropped him on the Zoncolan (while riding Campy, BTW) in 2010. I saw Cadel the whole climb and it looked like his usual grinding too big a gear style that he normally employs.

[ultraman6970]

Have to agree with the uncle, nibali is incredibly thin this season, noticed that like 4 stages ago and clearly thats one of the factors in today's win. The guy is just 100% now, but again... sure he will go for the tour but the question is how he will do against contador, valverde and rodriguez (thinking that those will get 95% to the tour).

This giro really did not have amazing climbs neither climbers compared with other years, even pozzovivo that i thought was going to be killing this year did nothing (wonder if the team is having second thoughts now, betancourt rocked instead). Today was just too cold for them, and I blame the weather why we couldnt see any colombian at least matching nibali, sure many saw uran just putting 2nd gear and leaving nivali in the dust this giro right? I was thinking in that scenario that did not happen.

Cruel reality for evans? he did not have the legs eventhought he is doing a lot better than what imagine, what bmc will do for the tour tho, tejay won easy the californian tour but besides the slovak (no offence ok?) no riders "out of this world" were there so who knows what he can do this year in a month long race.

Gonna have to wait to see what will happen.

[chengher87]

Have to agree with the uncle, nibali is incredibly thin this season, noticed that like 4 stages ago and clearly thats one of the factors in today's win. The guy is just 100% now, but again... sure he will go for the tour but the question is how he will do against contador, valverde and rodriguez (thinking that those will get 95% to the tour).

This giro really did not have amazing climbs neither climbers compared with other years, even pozzovivo that i thought was going to be killing this year did nothing (wonder if the team is having second thoughts now, betancourt rocked instead). Today was just too cold for them, and I blame the weather why we couldnt see any colombian at least matching nibali, sure many saw uran just putting 2nd gear and leaving nivali in the dust this giro right? I was thinking in that scenario that did not happen.

Cruel reality for evans? he did not have the legs eventhought he is doing a lot better than what imagine, what bmc will do for the tour tho, tejay won easy the californian tour but besides the slovak (no offence ok?) no riders "out of this world" were there so who knows what he can do this year in a month long race.

Gonna have to wait to see what will happen.

Pozzovivo did have that nasty crash (horridly busted elbow and ribs) in the Giro del Trentino and Ag2R said that he and Betancur were both co-team leaders (which leads me to believe that they didn't think he's 100%).

As for Cadel, he had BMC's B-team and still managed third place and really, none of the European teams were really fighting for GC in the ToC. It was quite obvious that they were merely using it as preparation for the Tour. If Tejay didn't win, then that would be news worthy, that he did...really isn't. But I also don't think Cadel's got it and really wonder about how he won that Tour in the first place. If Leopard-Trek had any strategy, Andy Schleck should have easily won that year.

[ultraman6970]

Did not know about the problem with pozzovivvo...thats explains it then.

AS? well i dont count him even for stage wins, dove's heart you know. I totally see everybody trying to get rid off off nibali and froome at the Tour this year.

Totally see valverde or rodriguez (he really deserve's a big win) to win the tour this year.

[zmudshark]

The difference between 2nd and 3rd place at the 2013 Giro d' Italia...

Two or three cogs Evans wished he had when he really needed them?

Fortunately for him, Nibali was running the good stuff... ;)

That seems to be the case. I would like to know exactly what the failure was, not that I'm ever going to Di2. Mechanical Campy works just fine for my needs.

[1centaur]

A Tour being won by a mediocre TTer would be news in indeed. Valverde and Rodriguez are mediocre TTers. Neither one is really good on long steep mountains either.

Nibali showed something more than he ever has in the TT the other day and by busting a gut to win today when he did not need to. Chapeau for the panache. He's moved up from being a top 5% grinder with a spotty TT and very good descending skills, which basically meant hoping for things to break just right for him, to somebody to be feared when it counts. I don't think he's Contador or Froome, and I don't think he'd nail a long flat TT, but he's a guy to be handled now.

[firerescuefin]

Totally see valverde or rodriguez (he really deserve's a big win) to win the tour this year.

I'd take that bet.

[chengher87]

Did not know about the problem with pozzovivvo...thats explains it then.

AS? well i dont count him even for stage wins, dove's heart you know. I totally see everybody trying to get rid off off nibali and froome at the Tour this year.

Totally see valverde or rodriguez (he really deserve's a big win) to win the tour this year.

Not a lot of people did. His injury in the Giro del Trentino was hardly mentioned after the fact, even though he was the defending champion.

I'd love for Purito to win, but he needs time bonuses and less time-trialing. He'll lose two minutes at the minimum for each of the 30km ITT.

I don't think Valverde will be much competition only because Quintana is my dark horse and I'm really hoping he gets the nod as team captain once the race starts over Valverde.

I am actually excited for the Tour this year, there are so many strong teams with clear cut GC aspirations. And then the potential drama with Sky Procycling, it's shaping up to be a volatile Tour!