Giro Donne – Stage 3

by Monty. on Jul 5, 2009 3:21 PM EDT

They rode this exact same course as last year’s Stage 4, and then Fabiana Luperini gained a minute on Edita Pucinskaite, with Tatiana Guderzo taking 3rd a further 30s back, and 4th place Claudia Hausler coming in 20s later. So this will be one of the key stages of the race, a good day to throw a sickie on Chris’ scale, if there was likely to be any live coverage. Even better for Luperini, this is her home region so there will be lots of supporters along the side of the road.

Last year Cicloweb did a Cassani style preview (E duro, multo duro), but somehow someone has claimed copyright of the audio and YouTube have stripped it all off, voiceover too. It’s still interesting viewing, even if at times you expect a piano to come crashing down towards them.

This is the organisers’ video of the highlights from Stage 4 last year.

Rai Sport Piu will have half an hour of coverage at 20:00 local time. Bear in mind that Stage 2 was scheduled for 17:00 but didn't appear until 23:00.

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Well that was unexpected

I turned on RAI to watch the Tour and they showed a short (15 mins or so) report on today’s key stage. No narrative, just a few seconds of the depart then an immediate cut to the final 3k up Monte Serra, so I can’t tell you what happened between. At that point there were two in the lead, Emma Pooley and Mara Abbott of Columbia (if anyone who knows her watches the highlights on Sport Piu tonight then cover your ears – to the Italian commentators she was Habbott, all the way).

About a minute behind them was Claudia Hausler

Pooley led just about all the way up the hill until Abbott jumped her at the last corner and took the stage

This is how winning feels

And losing (and clearly she has fallen off yet again)

I’m sure thatt the new jersey will provide some consolation

The results of today’s stage

And the new GC

And who’s that still in the white jersey? Who needs a team of our own, anyway. Now let’s see if Cav keeps the green, and Brad Wiggins gets yellow.

by Monty. on Jul 6, 2009 11:04 AM EDT reply actions

D'oh, never trust the commentators

During the RAI coverage they kept talking about Claudia Hausler and cutting to the girl in my second screen cap. I thought at the time that I didn’t realise that she was German national champ. And of course she’s not. And that’s not the German champions jersey, anyway. So it’s not Claudia Hausler at all, but her teammate and double Aussie champ Carla Ryan, who was about a minute behind Hausler in fourth place until she got caught by Bubnenkova and Arndt just before the finish. Luckily the Aussies here haven’t woken up yet.

by Monty. on Jul 6, 2009 6:24 PM EDT up reply actions

She really isn't very good at staying on the bike, is she?

With which I empathize hugely. So not quite the expected result (unless you expect Columbia to win everything…) but nice to see Emma in pink & the wins shared out a bit too.

by civetta on Jul 6, 2009 11:19 AM EDT reply actions

Do you want to tell a possible double GT winner how to ride a bike?

Who was the BBC reporter who got stick for asking Nicole Cooke “Do you fall off a lot?” It’s starting to look like a fair question.

by Monty. on Jul 6, 2009 11:29 AM EDT up reply actions

Ha! I really wouldn't presume...

by civetta on Jul 6, 2009 11:34 AM EDT up reply actions

Armitstead

post-Abergavenny said she was finding it a bit hard in the road peloton compared to the track because she felt she was just hanging in there & not quite good enough to go for wins herself yet. This should give her a bit more confidence (good thing for her Vos isn’t there, then?).

by civetta on Jul 6, 2009 11:36 AM EDT reply actions