Giro D’Italia Chat (Contains spoilers) đŸ‡®đŸ‡¹

Not quite enough to distance enough from Wilco. Kelderman has Hindley there still to help if required. Rohan Dennis was just immense on the Stelvio for Tao. Final climb is going to be interesting.
 
Not quite enough to distance enough from Wilco. Kelderman has Hindley there still to help if required. Rohan Dennis was just immense on the Stelvio for Tao. Final climb is going to be interesting.
Heart in mouth time when Hindley was trying to get his jacket on.
 
Brilliant stage. Guess the GC riders will have an easy day tomorrow before fireworks on the Sestriere. Be interesting to see how TGH TTs too when he has to really perform.
 
I've looked at the results of the two previous TTs here and the different distances/terrain involved and the current form/allure of the riders. Given no significant time changes on the next two road stages I'm leaning towards Hindley for the overall, just. I think Tao will have to do something on saturday as I can't see him beating both Sunweb riders in the TT - I'd love him to prove me wrong though.
 
I've looked at the results of the two previous TTs here and the different distances/terrain involved and the current form/allure of the riders. Given no significant time changes on the next two road stages I'm leaning towards Hindley for the overall, just. I think Tao will have to do something on saturday as I can't see him beating both Sunweb riders in the TT - I'd love him to prove me wrong though.
Tao beat Hindley by a minute in the lst TT? Appreciate that was a lot longer than Sundays TT so it’s really all down to Saturday’s curtailed Stge.
 
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Tao beat Hindley by a minute in the hilly stage 14 TT not the opening TT (Kelderman was fastest), but you have to factor in variables like was Hindley told to just ride the course 'easy' and save his energy for the next day (he was not a podium contender then), or maybe he'd done a load of work the day before for Kelderman. Hindley beat Tao by close to a minute on the downhill/flat opening TT (and also beat Kelderman by 13 seconds) which is the same distance as sunday's pan flat TT.
 
There were some riders badly affected by the wind in the first TT, any idea if that was a factor between the 3 main contenders?

Think Ineos have the better team too and have the riders to really hurt Sunweb and the rest on the way to the Sestriere.
 
Tao beat Hindley by a minute in the hilly stage 14 TT not the opening TT (Kelderman was fastest), but you have to factor in variables like was Hindley told to just ride the course 'easy' and save his energy for the next day (he was not a podium contender then), or maybe he'd done a load of work the day before for Kelderman. Hindley beat Tao by close to a minute on the downhill/flat opening TT (and also beat Kelderman by 13 seconds) which is the same distance as sunday's pan flat TT.

I cant call a short non technical pancake flat TT like Sunday's so it will be doubly crucial to get a lead tomorrow. Hindley's legs look very good. It will be interesting to see Sunweb's tactics with two riders in with a chance.
 
I cant call a short non technical pancake flat TT like Sunday's so it will be doubly crucial to get a lead tomorrow. Hindley's legs look very good. It will be interesting to see Sunweb's tactics with two riders in with a chance.

I think that's why Ineos wanted to race today in the hope that the distance itself, despite the lack of hills, might provide an opportunity to put Sunweb under pressure and also put more fatigue into the legs for saturday's stage. I believe that Bora-Hansgrohe were the other team that wanted to race. i understand the reasons behind the protest, but think it sets a bad precedent. It certainly provoked lots of argument amongst the french commentary team.

EDIT I've just read the Cycling Weekly piece which says something similar.
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/...from-stage-19-of-the-giro-ditalia-2020-473569
 
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I think that's why Ineos wanted to race today in the hope that the distance itself, despite the lack of hills, might provide an opportunity to put Sunweb under pressure and also put more fatigue into the legs for saturday's stage. I believe that Bora-Hansgrohe were the other team that wanted to race. i understand the reasons behind the protest, but think it sets a bad precedent. It certainly provoked lots of argument amongst the french commentary team.

EDIT I've just read the Cycling Weekly piece which says something similar.
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/...from-stage-19-of-the-giro-ditalia-2020-473569
Bora in effect gave up when the gap was just 1 min 20! No other team were interested in riding at that stage inc Ineos. Too many in the break.
 
By 'wanted to race' I meant at the start - they wanted to race the full distance. The team representatives' vote to strike was 16-2.
 
Can you believe it. Level to the exact second after 20 stages. What a TT tomorrow it’s going to be. And very tense. Can a Brit win the Giro? The one no-one predicted.
 
Can you believe it. Level to the exact second after 20 stages. What a TT tomorrow it’s going to be. And very tense. Can a Brit win the Giro? The one no-one predicted.

Head to head on the final climb. Mad bad brilliant
Sunweb will be ruing their tactics if Tao wins the time trial.
 
How good has Rohan Dennis been in the second half of this Giro? It's almost like when G dropped out they said to him take it easy til the second half and use the second time trial to get back into full form. He's been absolutely immense.
 
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