Giro d'Italia 2026 spoilers

[mididoctors]

Movistar did an outrageous amount of work on the climb only to be mugged by a classic one - two by UAE. The climb was compulsive watching, so many big names dropping out the back.
I suspect Ciccone will be pink from bar tape to shoes tomorrow.

Good synopsis

 

[mididoctors]

Stage 5 Praia a Mare - Potenza 203km

Built for a breakaway. who controls if trek put riders in the break .A lot of riders still close to the jersey

Complex Down hill run in may not suit some riders . Jan Christian struggled on the descent stage 4 .
Sprint to the line still a tad tough for 203k legs

 

[wakemalcolm]

Much seems to be getting made of Visma's new tactics of flanneuring around the back of the pack during non GC days, the thinking being that they'll be saving energy regularly spent by other GC teams always hustling for head of the peloton.

Although I applaud fresh thinking, and so will the sprint teams, it strikes me that it's an approach that'll work....until it doesn't. You have to always have a similar sized rider to your GC man next to him as your car's likely at the back of the convoy and if there's a split caused by a few Kms out of the finish, you're toast. There's a reason Warren Barguil and Ethan Hayter aren't known for their opportunist victories.

Maybe if all the GC teams commit, it could fly, but then any edge that it gives would be lost

 

[fossyant]

Some actual decent extended highliggts on TNT. Can't watch live as working and last few days have been 15 mins.

 

[T4tomo]

Much seems to be getting made of Visma's new tactics of flanneuring around the back of the pack during non GC days, the thinking being that they'll be saving energy regularly spent by other GC teams always hustling for head of the peloton.

Although I applaud fresh thinking, and so will the sprint teams, it strikes me that it's an approach that'll work....until it doesn't. You have to always have a similar sized rider to your GC man next to him as your car's likely at the back of the convoy and if there's a split caused by a few Kms out of the finish, you're toast. There's a reason Warren Barguil and Ethan Hayter aren't known for their opportunist victories.

Maybe if all the GC teams commit, it could fly, but then any edge that it gives would be lost

The reason for wanting to be near the front of the peloton is so that if a split does occur, you're in the "right" bit. There are less risky times and more risky times to be at the back, but in general its not a great tactic for a GC contender to be cruising around at the back.

Not flogging your team on the very front has merit however. On the bits I saw of the highlights, admittedly limited, Visma seemed happy to let Mov set the pace and sit behind them, & UAE did a brilliant 1-2 raid.

You wonder how much gas Ben turner would have had left had he not had to chaperone Bernal back. Unless Bernal had some tummy trouble or something, that was probably an effort in vain, as if was getting dropped on that climb, he's i big trouble later on (or even today)

 

[wakemalcolm]

The reason for wanting to be near the front of the peloton is so that if a split does occur, you're in the "right" bit. There are less risky times and more risky times to be at the back, but in general its not a great tactic for a GC contender to be cruising around at the back.

Not flogging your team on the very front has merit however. On the bits I saw of the highlights, admittedly limited, Visma seemed happy to let Mov set the pace and sit behind them, & UAE did a brilliant 1-2 raid.

You wonder how much gas Ben turner would have had left had he not had to chaperone Bernal back. Unless Bernal had some tummy trouble or something, that was probably an effort in vain, as if was getting dropped on that climb, he's i big trouble later on (or even today)

He was well placed for pink if he'd got some bonus seconds but he looked out of sorts and out the back. I do worry that the sum of their ambitions is a few days in pink (and the TT).

 

[T4tomo]

He was well placed for pink if he'd got some bonus seconds but he looked out of sorts and out the back. I do worry that the sum of their ambitions is a few days in pink (and the TT).

Agree on the lack of ambition - but how likely was Bernal to get any seconds in a heavily contested Red Bull Sprint?? - you and me would probably have more chance! I think they were just desperate to prevent Bernal losing time, at the expense of Turner who had a decent shot in the sprint out of who was left after Mov had decimated the field.

 

[TakeTheHighRoad]

Much seems to be getting made of Visma's new tactics of flanneuring around the back of the pack during non GC days, the thinking being that they'll be saving energy regularly spent by other GC teams always hustling for head of the peloton.

Although I applaud fresh thinking, and so will the sprint teams, it strikes me that it's an approach that'll work....until it doesn't. You have to always have a similar sized rider to your GC man next to him as your car's likely at the back of the convoy and if there's a split caused by a few Kms out of the finish, you're toast. There's a reason Warren Barguil and Ethan Hayter aren't known for their opportunist victories.

Maybe if all the GC teams commit, it could fly, but then any edge that it gives would be lost

I think it's a good tactic, personally. They have all the team around Jonas and so if anything does happen they have the firepower to bring him back. They'll also only do it on days where the course means the risk of crashing is low, and the risk of being caught behind (a pinch point) is also quite low.

The mere fact of being at the back also makes it less likely to be caught behind a crash, but even if you do, assuming you're not in the crash itself the biggest delay will be about 20 seconds.

On a day where there's a 5k safety zone, you've then got at least 5 kilometres to catch back up if there's a crash, but if not, you've got an armchair ride to the finish. With the 3 second rule it makes the chance of being gapped almost impossible (3 seconds at 60 km/h is 50 metres)

 

[mididoctors]

Ciccone enjoying the jersey

 

[mididoctors]

Quite a bit of action already

 

[mididoctors]

Bais trying to get a head start ,..mike seems keen

 

[mididoctors]

That Sheffield?

 

[mididoctors]

Visma controlling

 

[Dorset Boy]

It seemed Visma expended a lot of energy in the Red Bull sprint yesterday to come away with zilch for Jonas.
As said above, loitering at the back of the class may work, until it doesn't - see the Adam Yates situation.

 

[mididoctors]

Rain jacket timf