Giro Donne – Stage 7

by Monty. on Jul 9, 2009 2:27 PM EDT

For stage seven, the Giro moves a bit further down towards the heel of Italy into the province of Bari, but still it stays in the mountains. Although as a minor consolation it moves away from obscure villages concealing evil climbs into countryside that merely rolls slightly uncomfortably. Those with sore legs will be glad to learn that they have made it over the worst. No more 1st category climbs are left, just a handful of 2nds and 3rds. OK there are four of them today, but if you’ve got this far without missing the time cut then you’ve got a good chance of making it all the way to Napoli, especially if you can survive today’s 131km. That’s the longest stage in the race.

The riders start in the ancient city of Andria, travel further inland to the town of Spinazzola for two laps of a circuit with a 3rd category climb both times, then turn back seawards via another cat 3 at Minervino Murge to finish at Castel del Monte, the 14th Century castle built by Holy Roman Emperor (or as Pope Gregory IX had it, the Antichrist), Frederick II, on top of one final climb, this one a 2nd category (And so what if the photo shows a different castle, this photo's got Sean Connery in it). It’s a tough day, especially if the weather stays as hot as it has been, but there is no single killer point to stop you there and then, just lots of kilometres needing to be ground out.

Rai Sport Piu will have half an hour of coverage at 19:30 local time. RAI 2 also claim to be interrupting their daily Tour coverage for a fifteen minute daily summary, but they've only done so one day so far. Untimetabled, so it’s the luck of the draw if you get it or not.

The Map

The Profile

Alternative Profile

I found this profile along with one for every stage in the forums over at Cicloweb, but based on data taken from Garmin users around the world and uploaded to tracks4bikers.com.

"I'm sorry, I didn't see you there" ((I love the shouts of "Dai! Dai!" as she goes up the hill.)

Original Video - More videos at TinyPic

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Comments

Il Nome della Rosa!

by Sui Juris on Jul 9, 2009 3:59 PM EDT reply actions

I love this movie even if I see Christian Slater semi nude

Monty: Kudos to you on all the updates on this race …. I read but (like usual) have nothing useful to add

sometimes life is a false flat

by Willj on Jul 9, 2009 4:18 PM EDT up reply actions

NTTAWWT

But Valentina Vargas? Mmm.

by Sui Juris on Jul 9, 2009 4:34 PM EDT up reply actions

+a thousand (blush)

sometimes life is a false flat

by Willj on Jul 9, 2009 4:43 PM EDT up reply actions

Psst...

… if anyone wants to buy a copy of Aristotle’s Second Book of Poetics, I know where to get a copy. Wash your hands after reading.

I think the official title of the novel is “Aristotle’s Poetics II : Electric Boogaloo”

Respect the Shit List; it respects you.

by crashdan on Jul 9, 2009 4:28 PM EDT reply actions

How about an eyewitness account

to what REALLY happened at Thomas Acquinas’ deathbed?

Brooklyn Chewing Gum: Vlaanderens Mooiste

by Koppenberg on Jul 9, 2009 5:31 PM EDT up reply actions

he died.

by Sui Juris on Jul 9, 2009 5:33 PM EDT up reply actions

No great drama to report today

it was the sort of stage where you could lose a lot if you stopped concentrating at the wrong point, but everybody kept their heads until the end. Claudia Hausler gained 1 second on Judith Arndt at the line, plus 4 bonus seconds (well 10 – 6 if you want to quibble over details) and is a little bit more comfortable than last night at 17 seconds ahead.

Here’s where they were heading for proper (no Sean Connery, no Christian Slater’s bum). Anyone could confuse the two.

And here’s Lizzie Armistead reading the instructions on how to get there. Note that even the riders get the same crappy profiles as us.

Today’s breakaway, Charlotte Becker (Nurnberger), Tatiana Antoshina (Gauss RDZ) and Katharine Carroll (USA). Becker is a policewoman back home in Germany, so 1) save your wise-cracks and 2) congratulate her and all the other part-timers for keeping up with the full-timers of Cervelo and Columbia. They never got far ahead because Columbia wanted Judith Arndt to get the bonus seconds at the finish.

Arndt and Hausler could have been given a tandem today; the one second gap at the finish was the biggest distance I ever saw between them.

Mara Abbott cranked the pace up as they hit the final km. She has impressed me this week and has been a great team-mate.

The end at last. I wouldn’t be surprised if this had been in sight all day.

Arndt slipped up slightly at the finish. She moved to the right of Abbott and got slightly caught behind Nicole Brandli, while Hausler went left and grabbed the inside line round the corner ahead. She might have been ten seconds closer to the lead otherwise.

Current G.C.

You can download the full standings from Cicloweb. In other news, Noemi Cantele did not start today, neither did team Australia’s Myfanowy Galloway. The Aussies also lost another girl, Belinda Goss, on the road. Aren’t they meant to be tough?

by Monty. on Jul 10, 2009 12:53 PM EDT reply actions

A few additions (and a bit of a correction)

Noemi Cantele apparently pulled out with a knee problem. No more info.

Tatiana Antoshina started the break. She went off alone after 26k and was by herself until 43k when the other two joined her. They never got more than a minute’s lead as Columbia wanted the bonuses for Arndt.

Amber Neben is back in the States and being treated by Eric Heiden. How cool is that, having a doctor who won hundreds of gold medals and then rode in the Tour de France.

The correction: Arndt didn’t get caught behind Nicole Brandli, Kristen Armstrong pulled up in front of her then moved across to avoid a rough patch on the road. Honestly, guv. It looks like a great piece of DSing from Manel Lacambra who had clearly scouted the finish and planned this. Pooley and Ryan just drop away at the 1k marker to ensure they don’t get in the way. I’ve tried to embed a bit of video in the main report above – you can’t stick it in comments. If you can’t see it click here.

German reporter Enrico Muax, embedded in Team Nurnburger, has posted another video over at his site complete with a short interview with Claudia Hausler. I don’t understand anywhere near the half of it, yet his style still makes me laugh.

The Giro organisers have stuck up another start/finish video on their YouTube page, plus a load of interviews with old men on the organising committee. Great way to draw the kids in, eh.

by Monty. on Jul 11, 2009 7:34 AM EDT reply actions