Giro d'Italia 2017 **spoilers**

[Slick]

I've never been so excited about an imminent TT, can't wait to see if this goes as expected today.

 

[rich p]

View attachment 354319 Reporting in from Bovec, Slovenia. I managed to watch the race on piancavallo. Took up a space about 4K from the end. The race was blown apart. Pinot looked very strong.

I didn't take many pictures but guess who turned up.

Matt Stephens?

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

I was having a wee ponder last night over who had "good Giro" - mostly based on my knowledge and expectations rather than anything else: the stand-outs for me are: Dumoulin, Hirt, Jungels, Gaviria, Landa, Zhupa, Bora-Hansgrohe
I reckon it's been a very good race.

Zhupa ? Who's he ?
Other than that I would agree with you list but would add FDJ and Pinot - a real breakthrough performance.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

It's been a sensational race after a slow start. The organisers must be wetting themselves to have a final TT with such drama.
Yesterday's final climb was as good a fight as I remember seeing - I can't help wondering if that pillock, Marmion, was maybe watching the Tour of Belgium by mistake...

I only watched the final few kms so missed the final climb, I had expected to return to chaos and carnage but it all seemed a bit tame - however, it does seem to have been slightly more of a fight than I had appreciated from joining the last few kms

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Zhupa ? Who's he ?
Other than that I would agree with you list but would add FDJ and Pinot - a real breakthrough performance.

Albanian from Wilier-Triestina, was very lively in breaks and put in some good shifts.

I had high expectations for Pinot and think he has delivered.

 

[400bhp]

Matt Stephens?

Aye

 

[Adam4868]

Zakarin for me has had a good race,great climber and not afraid to attack....

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

4 riders, 53 seconds.

Bloody time trials...

 

[smutchin]

Zakarin for me has had a good race,great climber and not afraid to attack....

He has shown some tactical naivety though. When the attacks started yesterday, Nibali tried to encourage Zakarin to go with him, recognising that he would be a useful ally and it would be of mutual benefit, but he refused.

Then he went off on a solo attack, dragging Pozzovivo with him. Then when Nibali, Pinot and Quintana caught them, Zakarin refused to work (probably because he was cooked) and almost threw away all that hard work. He just came across as a bit of an idiot.

It's all very well not being afraid to attack but you've got to make it count.

 

[Crackle]

It's never going to equal the Fignon Lemond tt but if you'd have said there'd be 4 riders within a minute for the final TT I'd have looked at you askance.

 

[Slick]

It's never going to equal the Fignon Lemond tt but if you'd have said there'd be 4 riders within a minute for the final TT I'd have looked at you askance.

Exactly. It's bound to be an interesting finish.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

He just came across as a bit of an idiot.

My memory of Zakarin from this Giro will be that he's a bit of a dick; I had suspicions that he was and he has confirmed this.

 

[smutchin]

Talking of people who have done well, hat tip to the forgotten men of the GC: Rolland and Tejay.

Cannondale-Drapac getting a single stage win in a GT counts as a successful season for them.

 

[smutchin]

My memory of Zakarin from this Giro will be that he's a bit of a dick; I had suspicions that he was and he has confirmed this.

Worth noting also that his team had done a lot of the groundwork earlier in the stage by setting a ferocious pace on Monte Grappa. Clearly they had a plan for the stage and he, as team leader, failed to do his bit by winning it.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Exactly. It's bound to be an interesting finish.

Work in the potential for moto pacing and helis too close to the riders and we've got the perfect recipe for an exciting end stage