Giro Stage 19: Tiralongo's Happy Reunion
by Chris Fontecchio on May 27, 2011 11:11 AM EDT
in Giro d'Italia
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Astana's Paolo Tiralongo survived a lone break on the climb to Macungana to win stage 19 of the Giro d'Italia, thanks in large part to the benificence of his ex-teammate Alberto Contador. Tiralongo made it alone up the final climb to within 700 meters of the line, but a series of attacks behind him among the GC leaders eventually drew out the maglia rosa, who caught and dropped Joaquim Rodriguez, John Gadret, and the day's other pugilists in yet another devastating acceleration. Contador motored on up to Tiralongo, but then slowed down, exchanging some words, after which the soon-to-be-Giro winner led his ex-mate to the line and passively watched Tiralongo take the stage. Stage gifts are a custom in cycling, and Tiralongo is a worthy recipient, having been on his own for some 5+ km on the last climb. Contador is a worthy gift-giver too, with plenty of wins to his name and Tiralongo not being a rival to whom gifts maybe shouldn't be given.
Stage results:
- Paolo Tiralongo, Astana
- Alberto Contador,
AstanaSaxo Bank, s.t. - Vincenzo Nibali, Liquigas, at 0.03
- John Gadret, AG2R, at 0.06
- Joaquim Rodriguez, Katusha, s.t.
- Steven Kruijswijk, Rabobank, s.t.
Slight changes to the overall:
- Contador
- Scarponi, at 5.18
- Nibali, at 5.52
- Gadret, at 7.53
- Kanstantin Sivtsov, HTC, at 9.58
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Editorial alert
Actually, I rather approve of this gift – it’s hard to thank valued domestiques and a GT stage win is a good and public acknowledgement of the work.
Warning... not everything I say should be taken entirely seriously
Look how happy Contador is...nice.
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
I completely agree..... 'Gift' is great x 1000
Tiralongo is turning 34 in what? two months.
He’s raced since 1999 and has never had a win. This seriously could have been his last chance, and likely will be his own win.
He did attack at the right time and he did hold off everyone except Contador.
Bert had to counter attack to keep his rivals in check…. it would have been lame if he stole it from Tiralongo. Make no mistake, Tiralongo earned that win, he wouldn’t have been in that position otherwise.
I see it less of a gift and more “theft prevention”
I wrote that in the live thread
Tiralongo said it in his interview with Robert Hatch (the official Giro interviewer).
yes, because at that point Contador invited the GC contenders to attack and take
the lead. Noone wanted to go and Conta said go to Tiralongo.
Anton in at +19:31
he really could have just lost that much in week 1 and not move into 3rd on GC before shutting it down.
You can't spell epic without Giro
Ouch...I wonder what happened.
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
I'm never having carrot cake again
Dammit Igor, you carried my VDS hopes on your frail, lazy shoulders you punk.
I'd just like to second that.
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
Jens, step away from the carrot.
I will not have you bullying him! I have a duty if care here, whether he’s hurt, lazy, or saving himself for a big assault tomorrow. Play nicely!
Dos cervezas por favor!
by Albertina on May 27, 2011 12:07 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
maybe he was cuaght behind the crash that took Lewis and Pinotti out?
by Bruce Suomi on May 27, 2011 11:17 AM EDT up reply actions
Ah, well. There's always the Vuelta
[Pigilito has a] lifetime stupid statement pass [on PdC] -- Yeehoo
Garzelli's eyebrows take 'sculpting' to a whole new level.
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
debatable...
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
Gadret really helped himself today
It looks as though he’ll keep 4th despite his weak TT abilities
[Pigilito has a] lifetime stupid statement pass [on PdC] -- Yeehoo
Funny
2’ might not be enough over 30km, but who will catch him? Nieve? Some pretty appalling cronomen chasing him.
If cobble delusions are wrong, who wants to be right? -JFS PGH
by Chris Fontecchio on May 27, 2011 11:30 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Can Sivtsov TT? He's the only one with any sort of chance.
I’d never heard of him before this Giro
[Pigilito has a] lifetime stupid statement pass [on PdC] -- Yeehoo
won Tour of Georgia a couple years back - I picked him for VDS...
last year.
Dropped him this year…of course.
by JustJoshinYa on May 27, 2011 11:49 AM EDT up reply actions
He's not an ace
But not too shabby either. 2:05 in 25k might be a stretch, he better not lose more time and he need to look out for Kreuziger and perhaps even for Menchov.
Badger, badger, badger, badger, badger, badger...
by TheFigurehead on May 27, 2011 11:59 AM EDT up reply actions
& there was I thinking
the Italians all hated him… ;-)
"I’m hoping for the Mortirolo-Gavia combination, then we can ride down to Bormio for ice cream." Emma Pooley on the Giro Donne
Innamorati sempre di piu
in Maglia Rosa per
sempre tu! Alberto
More & more in love with the Pink Jersey, yours for ever! Alberto♥♥♥
see, I'm hopeless at translation, even when I understand it :-)
"I’m hoping for the Mortirolo-Gavia combination, then we can ride down to Bormio for ice cream." Emma Pooley on the Giro Donne
I can't translate the cutesy rhymes, ok? ;-)
[we’re] “ever more in love, in the maglia rosa forever you, Alberto!”
"I’m hoping for the Mortirolo-Gavia combination, then we can ride down to Bormio for ice cream." Emma Pooley on the Giro Donne
So, Contador's team now includes:
Androni
Astana
Euskatel
Katusha (they worked mightily hard for him today)
Saxo (might as well include them, though honestly it seems an easy GT for them considering)
Did I miss any?
Maybe a "who's not" list would be shorter:
Liquigas
Lampre
Colnago
hmm, sensing a trend here…
BMC is neutral (ironic)
by JustJoshinYa on May 27, 2011 11:33 AM EDT up reply actions
Perhaps you need more than four letters to be competitive at the giro?
Warning... not everything I say should be taken entirely seriously
No, but I'm sure there will be a FB post
celebrating Tommy Lofkvist’s abandonment or some-such.
It’s like seeing clueless parents celebrating their kid’s participation trophy . . .
yeah, poor old Russ Downing (see below)
"I’m hoping for the Mortirolo-Gavia combination, then we can ride down to Bormio for ice cream." Emma Pooley on the Giro Donne
you know
there appears to be absoutely zero “anti-Contador” sentiment in the peloton. You have people like Millar on record saying he may be ok, you have teams actively working for him, etc etc
What does the peloton know that we dont?
Warning... not everything I say should be taken entirely seriously
with which point?
[not snark, looking for info]
Warning... not everything I say should be taken entirely seriously
Eh he said he respects him a lot
the Zoncolan thing was nothing really
You can't spell epic without Giro
Nibs is a diplomat.
"I’m hoping for the Mortirolo-Gavia combination, then we can ride down to Bormio for ice cream." Emma Pooley on the Giro Donne
I half expect Contador to gift tomorrow to Scarponi or Nibali
Thus making him everyones favourite rider
at that point
it becomes patronising…
So far his gifts seem to have been “with the flow” of the racing and of debts he owes.
Gifting to nibs would be taking the piss, if you ask me.
Though seriously, it seems to me as though Conta could have won every single mountain stage in this giro. Assuming an all pasta diet, he has been utterly amazing
Warning... not everything I say should be taken entirely seriously
Certainly, I want him to ride the Tour
a) it would be good to see him race against the top level competition.
b) it gives him a shot at the triple
Warning... not everything I say should be taken entirely seriously
I agree if only the CAS bull shit was settled.
not a anti-contador sentiment…it’s anti-process sentiment.
by JustJoshinYa on May 27, 2011 11:47 AM EDT up reply actions
The Anti-Lance Approach to being the Patron
AC is doing a lovely job spreading a lot of goodwill and important stage wins in the peloton- In marked difference to Lance, who gave me the impression of an “Eff-you, I have the best team, the best equipment, a ton of money, domestiques who are doping (Landis and Hamilton- so far), a kick ass-foundation and only have to race this one race, so Eff-you (Restated)- NO GIFTS!” approach to his reign as Patron…
(Dare I say that AC is a bit more diplomatic, cosmopolitan, sophisticated and canny in his Peloton management approach?)
I think that if ASchleck and Leo-pahrd did not have enough headaches (now that it seems AC will live in in Liege) now, the ability of getting teams to ride against AC has significantly decreased-
He is already a freaking hero to the Spanish cycling fraternity, and his canny gifts to Androni, Astana, (and to some extent Euskatel) adds all of them to the Movistar boys (don’t think they did not notice/appreciate his tweet of condolence within minutes of Xavi Tondo’s terrible death- I’m sure that some words were exchanged in private or on the road as well) as places where he can get a bottle, an energy bar and a friendly wheel should things get a little tight (which if he can replicate this display in July, is unlikely).
To that point, I would not at all be surprised if AC was the beneficiary of a little “Ardilla” up to Sestriere tomorrow from one of those cats…
Just another strategic brick in the wall that he is aiming to bring down around the head of ASchleck and the other pretenders in July…
And ASchleck is skipping the Tour de Lux and will ONLY have the Tour de Suisse in his legs before the Tour?
Yeah Andy- Good luck with that- I am sure that there will be NO PRESSURE on you to save Leo-pahrd’s season or anything….
by Doctornurse on May 27, 2011 12:57 PM EDT up reply actions
thing is...
I don’t really think Contador really needs all that much help.
"I’m hoping for the Mortirolo-Gavia combination, then we can ride down to Bormio for ice cream." Emma Pooley on the Giro Donne
Never know....shit happens on the road
…And having friends is better than not, no?
oh absolutely
I’m not saying he shouldn’t do it (& obvious issues aside, I’ve always thought he came over like a nice guy, pace the Lance-whipped up anglophone media impression a couple of years ago). The irony is he’d probably get on just as well without it.
"I’m hoping for the Mortirolo-Gavia combination, then we can ride down to Bormio for ice cream." Emma Pooley on the Giro Donne
Agreed....
But after Movistar gave him a bottle and energy bar last weekend, I think that he is integrating this into his overall strategy for 3wk GT’s to ensure that lots of people who can’t win can don’t get in his way (since he definitely can win!)
i'd suggest it's ability that actually allows him to act this way
You can’t be the patron without the legs to back it up, give the gifts etc. and doing so then reinforces his position at the top. This Giro feels a bit of a masterclass from Alberto in GT-ing – in terms of sheer physical ability but also in imposing his will on the race and the peloton. To a certain degree it’s quite compelling though I do wish there was another rider able to compete with him.
by thebongolian on May 27, 2011 4:10 PM EDT up reply actions
I'll give Conta this...
…he plays the role of ‘noble’ in the Nietzschean sense very well. No resentment involved in his sense of his own strength and a purely affirmative relation to his rivals. It’s admirable and in complete contrast to LA, who seemed resentment and petty, childish dominance games personified. I actually think Conta does a nice job of showing what a non-asshole competitive, dominant rider looks like.
Still don’t want him in the tour unless this thing is settled.
I think Eddy's mentioning my dwinding lead in the VDS comp.
(Got helped by Tiralongo today!)
Proactively "From the Sea"; leveraging the littoral best practices for a paradigm breaking six-sigma best business case in the global commons, rightsizing the core values supporting our mission statement via the 5-vector model through cultural diversity
Actually
can someone erase that?
I can’t believe I just made fun of Eddy Merckx. That’s really lame.
Before all the UCI/lab/Ferrari/Tailwind/Weisel/Ochowicz/Armstrong stuff is over
you might need to reconsider Merckx too.
Just for reference's sake:
1) Eddy’s weight (the weight of Edvald Boasson Hagen that is):
Boasson Hagen took the opportunity to pick Merckx’s brains, while Merckx himself good-naturedly ribbed the Norwegian about his weight.
When Eddy met Eddy, Cycle sport magazine.
And for good measure:
2) Merckx on Armstrong’s weight + his (important?) role in the Armstrong/Ferrari saga:
Armstrong also was getting expert advice on nutrition, power-based training and high-cadence climbing technique from his advisor, Dr. Michele Ferrari. They had been working together since late-1995 after an introduction by Eddy Merckx, who always told Armstrong he should lose weight if he wanted to win the Tour one day.
Velonews. R Mc linked to this page a couple of days ago in the TH thread.
well by Armstrong too then
I remember him mentioning in an interview how much lighter a rider he was post-cancer
I'm feverished, or the way you want to spell it
by plinytheelder on May 27, 2011 9:47 PM EDT up reply actions
I have to admit I love it when they are flying up the mountains
Andy on Alpe d’Huez 2008 and Contador this Giro, to me it look so playfully easy, like a flying acrobat in the trapeze. I smile and laugh when I see it, feel free and carefree.
When I see someone like Chris Anker last year in the Giro with the magnificent painface I get tense and worried and try to push him up the mountain with my thoughts, a very different feeling.
I admire both types, they are just different.
thanks. Hope he is ok, didn't look good at all, the crash
by Bruce Suomi on May 27, 2011 11:50 AM EDT up reply actions
He was coughing appallingly when they fished him out of the undergrowth...
… but a bike change later off he went, brave guy.
"I’m hoping for the Mortirolo-Gavia combination, then we can ride down to Bormio for ice cream." Emma Pooley on the Giro Donne
Daniel Friebe on twitter
On Mottarone descent @RussDowning flew off road and 20 metres into woods, got up, crashed again, got up, punctured and still finished. Hat.
"I’m hoping for the Mortirolo-Gavia combination, then we can ride down to Bormio for ice cream." Emma Pooley on the Giro Donne
His brother says
he’s off to hospital for a checkup. He’s waited so long for a GT ride, I really hope he’s able to finish it.
"I’m hoping for the Mortirolo-Gavia combination, then we can ride down to Bormio for ice cream." Emma Pooley on the Giro Donne
Account of his crash
from Sky’s website. When a report includes the words “fortunately I hit a tree” (!) & “coughing up a bit of blood” you know it’s not good. :-(
"I’m hoping for the Mortirolo-Gavia combination, then we can ride down to Bormio for ice cream." Emma Pooley on the Giro Donne
They sure do.
Apparently he has bruised ribs but intends to carry on. Might feel a bit stiffer in the morning, mind…
"I’m hoping for the Mortirolo-Gavia combination, then we can ride down to Bormio for ice cream." Emma Pooley on the Giro Donne
Ended well
I believe that Bäckstedt's theory was
that Denifl held onto the car, the car accelerated and the front wheel lost traction. He added something like “has happened before”.
Badger, badger, badger, badger, badger, badger...
by TheFigurehead on May 27, 2011 12:25 PM EDT up reply actions
Pinotti
on twitter:
At the hospital in Domodossola. Just spoken with @craiglewis85 . Just want to say he is conscious and quite fine.We will be rooming together
"I’m hoping for the Mortirolo-Gavia combination, then we can ride down to Bormio for ice cream." Emma Pooley on the Giro Donne
Gifts
As a viewer I do feel sort of short changed, but such give and take is going to occur in the peloton. These people work together: they’ll work it out so that the job’s satisfactory for everyone, to an extent. Particularly in this race. Does anyone want to see Bert win ten stages?
Chapeau to Katusha and that man Di Luca for putting a plan together
today and create an opportunity for themselves. Frankly, this sort of initative has been missing allowing Saxo Bank to cruise and control matters from the front. Too bad that J-Rod is not in his best form and therefore couldn’t take the win today. Instead Tiralongo got a great win.
It would be nice to see an intiative from another team on stage 20.
Rodriguez has been looking good the last few days.
I just think this finish wasn’t for him anyway. Not steep enough.
by blackswangreen on May 27, 2011 1:06 PM EDT up reply actions
Following Dupont at 2-3k was surprising.
He might have been better just waiting for the sprint. That’s hindsight though.
broken femur and two broken ribs for Lewis,
according to the medical bulletin I just received. Also “contusive trauma of his right shoulder, contusion of his right scapular region, and lacerated wound of his left elbow.”
Pinotti has a “composed fracture of the right acetabolum and contusive trauma of the right shoulder.”
oh oh
that can be a tough fix with long term issues…
poor guy. He must have seen enough of the inside of hospitals to last a lifetime.
Warning... not everything I say should be taken entirely seriously
Pinotti's aim
is next year’s Olympic TT. I hope they can fix it ok & it doesn’t give him any long term problems.
"I’m hoping for the Mortirolo-Gavia combination, then we can ride down to Bormio for ice cream." Emma Pooley on the Giro Donne
Yep
that’s what Bram Tankink said: “That was very unfortunate for the guys from High Road, who crashed out of the race because of an unmanned traffic island. On a straight road in heavy rainfall at 60 km/h.”
In his previous tweet he said that Steven (Kruijswijk) and he were lucky to escape the nasty crash that happened right near them.
Downing crashed twice and had a puncture too
and finished the stage, chapeau
You can't spell epic without Giro
Some ride by Tiralongo.
It didn’t really look like he was coming back anyway, TBH. Rodriguez had a fair bit of ground to make up on him. Bert may have been a bit overzealous in marking the attacks. That or he just wanted the points.
maybe he wanted to ride across the line with Tiralongo - or take the win if he had to...either way, it's cool with me.
Above shot is great to see. I find myself – not a Bert fan ever – actually in awe of him. Can’t tell if it’s real, and sort of beyond caring anymore. He went like a rocket today…fucking crazy.
by JustJoshinYa on May 27, 2011 5:09 PM EDT up reply actions
It is crazy.
Pretty much from when he won the Etna stage, he’s just been dictating the race, deciding who wins stages and stuff. It seems like if you want a stage win, what you need to do is ask Bert nicely, not attack. He comes across as a total pro though- not conceited.
Haha. Michiel Elijzen, Lotto DS, on the twit
How tough are you when you can gift stages? I also often gifted stages but did that unnoticed. And from a 23 minute distance…
I like tinkering with the boys.
- majope
Hahaha...
Badger, badger, badger, badger, badger, badger...
by TheFigurehead on May 27, 2011 3:14 PM EDT up reply actions
Think that's impressive?
I gift stages all the time to ym VDS riders right from the comfort of my couch. But they all seem to proud to take them!
Eat rice, act nice, and let the good times roll
14
Badger, badger, badger, badger, badger, badger...
by TheFigurehead on May 27, 2011 3:14 PM EDT up reply actions
Be interesting to see what Rabo does with him the rest of the year.
I’d like to see him in the Vuelta but he might not get to be leader there. He might be good in one-week races but then again his best performances have come in the ridiculously hard parts of the Giro, so I wonder if easier terrrain suits him as well.
Anyway, very grateful for his performance as the rest of my Giro second-string (Anton, Machado, Sastre, Pardilla) have been disappointing.
What else can I say? I'm really happy. --Vincenzo Nibali
the Giro fair play classification makes interesting reading!
1. Leaky – 0pts
21. Farnese-Vini – 230pts
22. SAXO – 1143pts!!!
Hmmmmmm……
by Jonny_Red on May 27, 2011 3:19 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Garzelli should wear any points he gained for those elbows with honor
Eat rice, act nice, and let the good times roll
So I take it Saxo is a lock to win?
Well at least I have 1995, 2000, and 2003. Those were fun.
by dees ees en drama on May 27, 2011 7:25 PM EDT up reply actions
by losing
"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind
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