The Case For Levi
by Chris... on May 22, 2009 2:40 PM EDT
in News
95 comments
I had a little trainer time last night in front of Universal Sports' rebroadcast of the Cinque Terre ITT and I now see Levi Leipheimer in a sligtly different light. I think many of us viewed yesterday as the big test, and by not winning it's easy to say Levi didn't really pass. He now sits 40" back of Denis Menchov, after the stage that was supposed to launch his Giro campaign into the stratosphere. Disappointing? Perhaps, but it shouldn't be. Here are some other things to remember about Levi's effort over this course:
- He gained time in the final descent, chopping fourteen seconds off his deficit to Menchov from the last time check to the line.
- After trailing at the first two checks, Leipheimer put up the best time by 30" over Garzelli on the final climb, and by 43" on the last descent.
- His 43" gap over Stefano Garzelli is the largest gap between any two adjacent riders on the results list, save for a few of the stragglers at the end. Translation: he (and Menchov) blew doors off the competition.
- His gap to Menchov was 20" over 61km. That's one second every three km. Also known as a rounding error.
- So to recap: he climbed well and descended well, maybe even better. He got stronger as the race went on. Once one accepts that he couldn't do anything to stop Menchov (save for dropping nails on the course), it becomes clear that Levi simply rode a great race.
Seen in this light, a better argument than the one I made yesterday (Levi doesn't have what Menchov has in finishing off a Tour) is that Leipheimer is about the best Levi he can be right now. So far that hasn't been enough to stop Menchov, and ultimately it may turn out that Menchov is simply unstoppable, or at least that this race suits him too well for Menchov to blow it. Bottom line: 40 seconds isn't much, so the strongest rider will win, and given how that designation is so subject to change with the passing days or variable conditions, I have no way to handicap it.
All one can say, though, is that Leipheimer has a slightly better defined history of peaking in the final week of grand tours. Menchov's two Vuelta victories were a bit front-loaded, so I wouldn't draw many conclusions from them. His most recent grand tour of real contest was last year's Tour de France, where I would describe his performance as consistent across all three weeks.
Leipheimer's last grand tour was the 2008 Vuelta, where he was also pretty consistent, even winning the early time trial and taking the lead in the Pyrenees. But where he climbed decently enough then, his best climbing was on stage 14, and he closed fast with another time trial win on Stage 20. The contrast is more stark in the 2008 2007 Tour de France, where Leipheimer was fairly anonymous until the first long ITT on stage 14, where he ran eighth. He then ripped off a final week where he placed fourth and second on two of the final three climbs, and won the closing ITT, coming within 31 seconds of winning the whole damn thing. Riders will vary their strategy to suit each course, so I wouldn't assume Levi is building for a third week peak in this Giro just because he's done so before. But it's an obvious strategy and one he's used to his advantage in the past.
Folks, we have one hell of a battle on our hands.
p.s. Yes, I know it's a fuzzy picture. It's one of Dan's.
p.p.s. Big loser of the week has to be Cancellara. I respect his having another plan for summer, but he made it sound like he left the Giro in a huff over the course. In watching the race, it occurred to me -- most riding fans would pay a lot of money for the privilege of riding 61km of closed, unfrackingly gorgeous Cinque Terre roads with perfect pavement and nice smooth, fun little curves. I'd throw down $500 (since it comes with being in Italy), easy. Couldn't he just have said it didn't fit his program?
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Yes.
I was noticing the same things last night. Menchov really blitzed the first climb. He did exactly what he needed to do but he needs to do more.
I have a post ready in a couple of hours that doesn’t focus on Levi so much but on how the whole end game may play out and I’ve concluded the same as you, plus noticing that the others have real opportunities as well. Five Terrors didn’t decide things but it set the table. Not so much for stage 16, but Block House and Vesuvius. And Levi, if within 10 seconds of Menchov on the last TT should beat him. But it’s more than a two man race. Killer has a great chance. So does the Leeky duo, if they are smart. Even Sastre could wiggle between the cracks. Team work and brains will be huge to crack Menchov, a very smart rider. If he wins he will have totally earned it.
by ursula on May 22, 2009 2:48 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Yay!
I haven’t thought much about all of the remaining stages. Block Haus has always stood out, but with things so tight the others are in play more.
Abruzziamo!
by Chris... on May 22, 2009 2:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
monte petrano stage
may well be harder than the blockhaus stage. These next stages are hard – more so than the first week, in my view.
by gavia on May 22, 2009 3:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
certainly more intriguing
The Block Haus is a slow roll-out toward a mass start uphill ITT. The other stages have multiple climbs, which is where the mischief begins!
Abruzziamo!
by Chris... on May 22, 2009 3:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree it's harder.
Definitely it could set up for some fireworks. But from my reading of Menchov, that is the stage (Petrano) that he’s liable to be at his strongest. Not necessarily so strong that he’ll gain more time, but strong enough to defend. By the time of Blockhaus, even with a day off, and then Vesuvius, Denny I think will be past his peak.
by ursula on May 22, 2009 3:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Eh... I still like Menchov. Levi has promised to attack but it doesn't mean that these attacks will really go anywhere.
He would have to attack from about 3-5k out and then hold a ridiculous pace to get away from the likes of Basso, Pellizoti, Menchov, Di Luca, Sastre, etc. If he doesn’t attack, he does not have to the sprint to go against the like of Menchov and Di Luca. Armstrong and co. would have to be on top of their game to be able to stop this. Even on Alpe di Susi, Levi had Horner and they still lost 9 seconds (plus time bonus) to Menchov on the line.
It would be nice to see an absolute dogfight between him and Menchov that comes down to the final TT but methinks that it is going to be way too hard to gain enough time.
by Vlaanderen90 on May 22, 2009 3:30 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
If Lance Doesn't Deliver Levi The Win
Lance’s Giro is a failure in my opinion. I think Levi can do this, and with true help from Lance, and not what he has given so far Levi can when this. I honestly think that for Levi to win, it is not just attacking, but using the help of Lance, that he will win. Lance can set a pace up a mountain like no other domestique. It is time for Lance to deliver for his friend, by truly being his domestique.
by profgubler on May 22, 2009 4:07 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
yes and no
In the end Menchov may be unstoppable, but Lance needs to give Levi his all, as you say.
Abruzziamo!
by Chris... on May 22, 2009 4:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Particularly with Horner out
Lance has more to shoulder now. Really stinks that Horner had to abandon, it was great watching him ride in such good form.
First time poster, long time lurker. You folks are enlightening and entertaining at once. Thanks for enriching my knowledge of the pro peloton. I look forward to the rest of the season.
by Spot of Bother on May 22, 2009 4:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Welcome SoB(?) (ja, that's not going to work is it)
I agree on Horner. He was definitely one of the highlights of the Giro so far.
Me, I’d like to see Astana with a clear-cut plan on beating Menchov. I don’t think just riding along trying to outlast him is going to do it. They need to make the race happen now. In this light losing Horner was a major bummer for Levi.
by Jens on May 22, 2009 4:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Levi's plan
"I think Monte Petrano is the biggest day we have between now and the finish," he told reporters Friday morning. "And there’s two uphill finishes with Blockhaus and Vesuvio, but Petrano is a long day and it’s probably going to be hot. Some guys can just crack."
"Never swing a small stick. " Andy Hampsten
by Hons on May 22, 2009 4:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It's the"Some guys can just crack" bit that has me worried
Sounds like the “riding along” I was talking about. And riders rarely “just” crack. they crack under some form of pressure. Astana need to be the ones putting on the pressure at the right times. They are too big players in this race to rely on others to play into their hands. Although having said that, there are riders like Sastre and DiLuca who might be lending them a hand in this respect.
by Jens on May 22, 2009 4:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Tipping his hand?
Does this mean we will see the powder blue train on the front: Popo, then Jani, then Lance, then Levi, trying to rip the legs off everyone? And then of course the question:: whose legs will they rip off, Levi’s or Mencho’s?
Abruzziamo!
by Chris... on May 22, 2009 4:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
exactly
At some point, Levi has to get separation on Menchov. It doesn’t matter who the dom’s are if Levi can’t deliver. FWIW I think he can, but I think it will be when Levi can follow an attack that Menchov can’t. I don’t think Levi will be able to attack and lose Menchov.
"I get paid to hurt other people. How good is that? How good is that?
I get paid to make other people suffer on my wheel, that's good." Jens!
by jsallee00 on May 22, 2009 5:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don't think Menchov
will make the same mistake and chase after Sastre again any time soon. :-)
by Jens on May 22, 2009 5:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
powder blue? how do you get powder blue from turquoise?
btw, if someone hasn’t mentioned it yet, the reference for levi in your post intro should be 2007, not 2008
"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind
by umwolverine on May 22, 2009 5:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
believe me
it’s been mentioned.
Abruzziamo!
by Chris... on May 22, 2009 5:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Thanks
I’ve been branded SoB on another board too, quite an unintentional acronym when I selected a screen name nodding to one of Liggett’s catch phrases. Funny nonetheless.
by Spot of Bother on May 22, 2009 4:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Lance is probably close enough to the GC lead that Menchov has to watch him
I can see it now…
Lance attacks and PdC collectively screams “I knew it!” while Menchov gets out of his saddle and hunts him down. Then Lance attacks again. And again. PdC prepares to break out the pitchforks and torches, brimming with righteous indignation. Commenters are accused of loving cancer.
Meanwhile, Levi cruises along, all tranquilo and shit. Cool as a cucumber in a bowl of hot sauce. Menchov, weary from having to defend Lance’s attacks, cracks and is seen sobbing, talking to himself and snatching at imaginary flies during a natural break. Lance drops back to conduct a press conference from the back of the grupetto, announcing that he has arranged for Bernie Madoff and Alan Stanford to sponsor Astana and leaving Levi to get to the line first.
When crossing the line, Levi takes off his helmet, revealing that he has “Andy Hampsten Sucks!” tattooed on his head. PdC buries its collective hatchets (except for the Levi-haters) and gets on with discussing who would win in a steel cage match between Bennati and Cavendish.
It could happen.
When I'm on the mic, I'm like global warming, you can't ignore me.
by tehGrindCrusher on May 22, 2009 5:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Cav. No question about it. Benna is too much of a gentleman.
by ZoeRochelle on May 22, 2009 5:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
+1 on "Gentle"
"I get paid to hurt other people. How good is that? How good is that?
I get paid to make other people suffer on my wheel, that's good." Jens!
by jsallee00 on May 22, 2009 5:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Lance can't do all that much
If he sticks in a big pull on a climb, then he can get it down to the contenders, but that doesn’ t really get Levi anywhere. Levi will have to win this off his own back
Best thing Lance can do is get in the break on sunday, so Rabobank have a nasty day keeping him under control. An attack on Monte Nerone on stage 16 wouldn’t be a bad idea, either.
by William H on May 22, 2009 4:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Unless He And Popo Pull A Shleck Brother Maneuver
LIke they did on Alpe De Huez for Sastre. Basically you let your rider attack hard earlier and make a nightmare for all the other chasers by breaking their momentum.
by profgubler on May 22, 2009 5:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Not a bad plan. Menchov did lose over 2 minutes on Alpe d'Huez.
Long day--bad grammar. That's the way it works.--Lance Armstrong
by majope on May 22, 2009 5:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
One must not forget the damn time bonuses
Levi could cut Menchov’s lead in half with a stage win or Menchov could extend his lead to an almost insurmountable minute. Thus, I hate the damn things. But people should stop over looking Di Luca, hell he put in a better TT then most thought, but because he’s down 34 secs after the stage he suddenly looks weaker? Still looks damn strong to me, and because of the time bonuses he may even have the pink heading into Monday.
In Chauncey we trust!
by Phil H. on May 22, 2009 4:29 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Heh
I can picture Menchov sprinting for a win on a climb, but not Levi. Levi can win from a little further out, but that’s not exactly his specialty.
Abruzziamo!
by Chris... on May 22, 2009 4:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
No he can't, but if he only wins a stage by lets say 5 seconds, it really is 25, or 13 or 17...
depending were Menchov finishes. So he may not have to attack if he can be strong enough to ride away from Menchov before the finish, but I fear the time bonuses will only help Menchov more, and Di Luca the most, that’s why they shouldn’t be in GT’s dammit!
In Chauncey we trust!
by Phil H. on May 22, 2009 4:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Agreed
If Levi is soloing home to the win, by ANY margin, then he may well be the strongest guy here. Same goes for Menchov, whom we’ve already seen do this. The kicker is Di Luca, who isn’t the strongest but if you can’t get rid of him, he wins.
Abruzziamo!
by Chris... on May 22, 2009 4:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
That's why in some of the coming stages
Other classic-studs like Cunego, Garzelli and maybe Pozzato might play a crucial role. They’ll be more than happy to rid Di Luca of valuable bonus seconds. Non-GC mountain goats like Soler might do the same.
It’ll be in Rabo’s (and Levi’s) interest to give guys like these a small lead in the coming stages…
"Non-cyclists. The emptiness of those lives shocks me." Tim Krabbé
by Lopex on May 22, 2009 4:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hm
Astana have some money now, right? Surely Garzelli’s asking price can’t be that high. I bet they can get Rabobank to kick in as well. Hell, it’s a bank they live for throwing money at clandestine little games like this.
Abruzziamo!
by Chris... on May 22, 2009 4:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
That's a good point Chris.
Savoldelli wouldn’t have won the Giro in 2005 without the help of Lotto’s Ardila on the chase after the Finestre climb. And even more obviously, Acqua e Sapone acted as hired guns for Bruyneel at the 2002 Vuelta.
by mysterion on May 22, 2009 6:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Time bonuses really have two sides for me
I like the fact that it makes GC-contenders battle for stage wins instead of just rolling over the finish line in one group.
I dislike the fact that GC is not just about who rode the course the fastest. Does not seem fair and it is hard to explain to outsiders.
"Non-cyclists. The emptiness of those lives shocks me." Tim Krabbé
by Lopex on May 22, 2009 4:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
They shouldn't be in the big mountain stages at the very least
I find it incredibly unfair that someone can climb stongly and finish with the same time as the winner, but actually lose 20 secs.
In Chauncey we trust!
by Phil H. on May 22, 2009 4:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah
I’m often of two minds about this. I’ll say for now that I’m pro- bonuses, I think rewarding the stage winner is a propos. But I might limit them to 10", not 20, which is a lot in this kind of tight Giro.
Abruzziamo!
by Chris... on May 22, 2009 4:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
As someone who is a time bonus hater
I could live with 10,6,4….but 20? Natch, not in a race were every second matters like they do at this year’s giro.
In Chauncey we trust!
by Phil H. on May 22, 2009 4:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
20"
might be the entire split in the Rome ITT. That’s just too much.
Abruzziamo!
by Chris... on May 22, 2009 4:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Exactly, and if it weren't for time bonuses the difference between Menchov and Levi...
would be 12 secs, wouldn’t that be more exciting than 40 heading into Roma? i know there are plenty of stages left but that’s just an example if the tt were tomorrow.
In Chauncey we trust!
by Phil H. on May 22, 2009 4:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
12?
Did Menchov get an 8" one too?? I remember his 20" bonus, of course. Damn!
Abruzziamo!
by Chris... on May 22, 2009 5:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
He was third on stage 10
In Chauncey we trust!
by Phil H. on May 22, 2009 5:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I became a big supporter of time bonuses
after a Tour of the Basque country where Samuel Sanchez dominated, taking 2 stage wins and a second place (IIRC), but didn’t have a second of time advantage going into the TT on the final day.
by William H on May 22, 2009 4:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
But you can't compare the Basque country with a GT
there is usually one stage at Basque were riders can gain time heading into the final TT, at a GT there are plenty of places to gain real time over your rivals. I’m all for time bonuses in races were they are needed, especially sprint races, but not 3 week GT’s with 5 mountain top finishes and 2 itt’s plus other tough stages.
In Chauncey we trust!
by Phil H. on May 22, 2009 4:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
This is exactly why i love time bonuses
You should be awarded for actually winning in my opinion. Rewards aggressive riding, and we all love aggressive riding.
by PopUp Rolen on May 22, 2009 5:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
yup
Would we have seen Menchovs mighty burst of speed at Alpe di Siusi had it not been for bonuses? Maybe, but he is a naturally cautious rider and might well have been content to sit with the bunch and not waste energy.
by Jens on May 22, 2009 5:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Thomas Lovkist would have been in pink until stage 10 though......
In Chauncey we trust!
by Phil H. on May 22, 2009 5:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Perhaps
but it made him get out of the saddle and fight like an animal at the end there. I just think it adds a dimension.
Stageraces may be about combined effort over three weeks but every day is a race as well. There should be a reward for those who set out to actually win races.
by Jens on May 22, 2009 5:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well, there is. It's called a "stage win" and it goes on your permanent record.
Boo hiss to time bonuses. I thought the lack of them made the Tour all the more interesting last year.
Long day--bad grammar. That's the way it works.--Lance Armstrong
by majope on May 22, 2009 5:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well a reward in the big scheme of things then
Those riders who have GT victories in sight can rarely be bothered with what they consider “minor” wins. I hate stages where there is one battle for the stagewin and one behind for the GC. It gives both battles a meh-feeling.
by Jens on May 22, 2009 5:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Not the meh feeling!
Me, I like time bonuses. I think classification riders who go out on the attack and try to win stages should get a wee bit of extra love for that. Adds a bit of spice to the game.
by gavia on May 22, 2009 6:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Glad someone finally started talking about the time bonuses.
This is and will be the biggest factor. Were time bonuses given yesterday as well? If so levi will have lost what around 33 seconds in time bonuses to Menchov? Not sure what the actual number is.
So more than ever Levi needs to ensure that he beats Menchov in almost every time bonus possible in the coming stages.
by ncmussell on May 22, 2009 4:40 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
No time bonuses yesterday
so far Menchov has gotten 28 secs in bonuses and Di Luca a full minute.
In Chauncey we trust!
by Phil H. on May 22, 2009 4:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think
Ursula has a big strategery post coming.
Abruzziamo!
by Chris... on May 22, 2009 4:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
HA!!
Thanks Chris, for a totally Giro non-related thought. I had a friend growing up that used
“strateeeeeegery” all the time. Wily he was.
by tshawytcha on May 22, 2009 5:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I had to look up 'strategery'
So you grew up between 2000 and now? :)
by tedvdw on May 22, 2009 6:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
No time bonuses on a crono stage
Er, right, just realized someone else already said that. Slow, sometimes.
The easy answer to the time bonus issue is to make sure an early break goes and stays away to the finish. Then, none of the general classification riders get an advantage, and it’s won on the road or not at all. Rabobank will likely want to play this game tomorrow, while LPR does everything possible to prevent it.
I think Diluca is really the only of the general classification riders who can win this race on the time bonuses. The others will mostly be trying to win it on the road and prevent Diluca from winning any more stages.
by gavia on May 22, 2009 5:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
heh
I spent like ten minutes yesterday trying to figure that one out. Had me a rant all stored up if they did give out bonuses. Gotta pocket that for now.
Abruzziamo!
by Chris... on May 22, 2009 6:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Si.
It’s confusing – but there are never time bonuses for crono stages. At least, I’ve yet to see one ;-)
by gavia on May 22, 2009 6:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Nice post
One thing:
One of Menchov’s Vuelta’s is marked with an asterisk. To analyze his ‘victory’ one needs to look at how Heras managed to finish ahead of him on gc. (Leaving aside that whole doping thing and focusing on how it was done sur le route).
Now, it’s not really a comparable example, because I’m switching Vueltas, but to get an idea of how Bruyneel plays from behind—look at how he sliced down Nozal’s lead into an almost manageable proposition for the final time trial in the 03 Vuelta.
I say almost, because it still took an amazing ride from Heras and a pretty spectacular collapse from Nozal for Heras to win.
That victory was set up on the previous stages where US Postal (Landis, mostly) simply thrashed Liberty/Once or whatever Saiz’s team was that year.
I’m not sure that the Giro sets up with an arrangement of stages that allows for such a bludgeoning, but there are more teams (Astana, LPR, Liquigas) interested in it happening.
The interesting thing about this is that I can see a scenario where Di Luca winds up benefiting from Astana’s and Liquigas’s work and takes a lead that a 14k time trial can’t erase.
by R Mc on May 22, 2009 4:51 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Quick note
You said:
The contrast is more stark in the 2008 Tour de France, where Leipheimer was fairly anonymous until the first long ITT on stage 14, where he ran eighth. He then ripped off a final week where he placed fourth and second on two of the final three climbs, and won the closing ITT, coming within 31 seconds of winning the whole damn thing.
I presume you meant 2007, yes?
When I'm on the mic, I'm like global warming, you can't ignore me.
by tehGrindCrusher on May 22, 2009 4:54 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
er
yeah. Always go with common sense over anything I might have said. I try to limit the times when you have to make this choice… will correct.
Abruzziamo!
by Chris... on May 22, 2009 4:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Oh, i thought you just played the 08 Tour on pro cycling manager, with Astana in it
and that’s how it played out, I would have never thought you made a typo.
In Chauncey we trust!
by Phil H. on May 22, 2009 4:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Once I discovered you were a Roma fan
the rest was pretty easy to do.
When I'm on the mic, I'm like global warming, you can't ignore me.
by tehGrindCrusher on May 22, 2009 5:10 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
How do you know Roma fans so well?
“I think of a man, and I take away reason and accountability….”
by Jens on May 22, 2009 5:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Anyone who would follow that team
is suspicious.
Not condemned, mind you – that’s Lazio fans. And Feyenoord fans.
Just suspicious.
When I'm on the mic, I'm like global warming, you can't ignore me.
by tehGrindCrusher on May 22, 2009 5:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Interseting thoguht (if I do say so myself)
the rest day may end up being a pretty big factor. It has happned many times before that a contender doesn’t structure their rest day properly (goes too hard, not hard enough, too many massages) and ends up struggling the next day. If you look at the schedule, there is exactly zero mercy for anyone having a jour sans the day after the rest day
"Never swing a small stick. " Andy Hampsten
by Hons on May 22, 2009 5:27 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I'm sorry
but they really neutered that stage if the finish is at Hotel Breast Implants.
Teams have to ride the stage insanely hard from the start if it is to provide the big gaps we were hoping it might. I agree with Hons that rest day-jinxing may become crucial.
by Jens on May 22, 2009 5:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
But it is characteristic of Menchov
that he doesn’t hit the day after a rest day very hard. Especially if he successfully defends stage 16, Blockhaus might be more difficult for him then we might think.
by ursula on May 22, 2009 6:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Neutered?
I dunno, it was 28km averaging over 7%, so if it’s only 24km with about the same pitch, it still sounds awfully painful.
To this day I am completely confused about whether they will go past the Hotel Breast Implants or stop there, as if drawn in by some irresistible force.
Abruzziamo!
by Chris... on May 22, 2009 6:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
So, this profile is not the actual race?
Man, I’m so confused by all this. For the Cuneo stage, they put up the actual race day profile. But we’re supposed to subtract 4 km from this one?
This stage will be nuts. One of the classification riders may actually be hurt by this – as it is not their usual dealio to go hard for such a short time like this. This is directly after the rest day, right? Gah, the guys who want to win better go out and do some riding on the rest day, or this thingy is going to hurt like crazy.
Favors Diluca, unless he runs out of legs.
by gavia on May 22, 2009 6:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
which he should,
after all the efforts he has done so far.
by Bruce Suomi on May 22, 2009 6:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I was thinking Killer too.
Weird minds think alike!
by ursula on May 22, 2009 6:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Rest day recipe
Follow Jens! I’m sure his general irritation with the concept of rest days will guarantee a nice hard ride.
Abruzziamo!
by Chris... on May 22, 2009 6:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It's confusing
Official site has nothing else other than 83 km. This CN piece talks about 79 km. However, it’s confusing in itself: “a shortened Blockhaus climb (2064m)” …
I do think it tops out at the Boobie Hotel at 79 km and 1631 m.
by tedvdw on May 22, 2009 7:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Okee
I’ll worry about this tomorrow or something. I do recall the announcement in the Italian press about the second round of shortening. I’ll go read it. No doubt I’ll understand it all then. At least, I hope so….
by gavia on May 22, 2009 7:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
IIRC
When they shortened the climb, they tacked on a few extra kms of lead-up so the total stage length was a bit longer than the original.
"The road is our agony, but also our daily bread; and at night, when it is deserted and the moon glistens on the asphalt, the ridiculous dreams of racers like us pass up and down it."
--Dino Buzzati
by nrs5000 on May 22, 2009 7:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
We have noe denegrated it to the Booby Hotel have we?
As if Hotel Breast Implants wasn’t bad enough. :-P
by ZoeRochelle on May 22, 2009 10:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Nice post,
good thing you didn’t have to follow Ursula’s. It should be fun to watch and I’m still rooting for that Montanan.
by brunopitton on May 22, 2009 9:28 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Montana?
Is Antler Man at the Giro? Levi is from Santa Rosa now.
by M. Anatole on May 23, 2009 1:00 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yes he is
And he is doing costume changes this year. No wardrobe malfunctions please.
Bork, bork, bork!
by TheFigurehead on May 23, 2009 5:16 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
We shall see . . .
1. Di Luca is the likely time-bonus gobbler — not Levi.
2. Levi has to attack Menchov — a new trick or Levi.
3. In sum, there are good reasons why the book makers see the Giro as a two-up race and why Levi ain’t one of the two.
by DeathBredon on May 22, 2009 10:07 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Rest assured a new Levi
Astana will play it’s cards and Levi will attack at some point.
by sminer on May 22, 2009 11:45 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Levi
I just can’t see him going on a successful offensive in the mountains…..Lance won’t be up there so its up to Brajkovic and Popovich to turn the screw. Di Luca would take Levi in any attack. Levi’s loss in the TT means that he is resigned to third. Besides, how good can Astana’s morale be since they are not getting paid.
by Crazy D on May 23, 2009 6:35 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
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