[Closed] STW Fantasy Giro 2019 / General giro discussion thread

You'd have to put Yates right up there. Roglic i'm not as convinced over the high mountains... Nibali has still to convince me day in day out. Ineos, well if they're not taking Froome, Thomas or Bernal i can't see them winning it... but then again, i can't see who will, so i'm going to have to go with Yates.

Tough one, but it’s the first time in years I’m a bit Meh with it all 🤷‍♂️🥴

Roglic for me, with Yates on the podium. I'd love Tao to be in the mix, and I think in time he will be, but this year is just to soon.

I'm in as "Bob Jungels ist massive".

No one team looks strong enough to do the whole Team Sky Tempo Snoozetime deal on this race and quite a few contenders look like they'll need to trade attacks to do well. The last half of the race could end up having some great stages.

Eddie Dunbar confirmed as the rider taking Bernal's place in the squad with Sivakov and Tao as join leaders, Christian Knees road captain

Righty ho, I’ve read the squads and I’m going to plug for Lotto Soudal and Thomas De Ghent FTW. I mean, why not? If he’s on form he can pop off the front without the rolling roadblock that is SkNeos hampering his exploits.

Lotto looks pretty solid, Campenerts/Ewan/DeGhent/Henson/Kluge.. all of them have plenty of wins under their Bibs..

I’d love em’ to win it.

Wednesday bump. Countdown to the ITT on Saturday...

I need to pull my finger out and start choosing a team.

Could be interesting as it's not a done deal this year.

Roglic, Tommy D and Syates as the the top 3. Not sure of the order.

For the Zwifters, they're releasing the Stage 1 ITT course.
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/giro-ditalia/teams-race-zwift-exhibition-prologue-ahead-giro-ditalia-2019-422532

On current form looks like Roglic, though the one big hill in the Tour de Romandie was scrubbed so...?

Evening bump...

As is usual at the Giro, I suspect that the winner will be us, the viewing public.

I'm in! Should be good, the Giro normally is 😀

I'm in. although a bit of a rush picking team, as I'm trying to cook at the same time.

Just a reminder that sadly we won't get expert insight from Ned and Dave on ITV4 - highlights are on Quest (Freeview 114, 10pm). Or if you speak welsh, S4C have Seiclo - Y Giro d'Italia

I'm in with Team Pie. Probably should start thinking of a new team name.

Should be a hell of a race, I'm going Yates, Dumoulin, Roglic in that order.

highlights are on Quest

Oh 🙁

chakaping - how did you manage to get Yates, Dumoulin and Roglic?

I've got the 2 Toms. DeGendt for his entertainment value (breakawaytastic) and Dumoulin, because I think he really, really wants this win.

Last chance to get your team sorted, entries close at 16.30 CEST (15.30 UK time). You can add a team to the league at any point.

I’m in:

Eazy Roulers

Well that was an unexpected start. For me, anyway.

I’m not surprised that Roglic has continued to improve, but I didn’t expect him to put 20 sec + on Dumoulin.

Yates looks like he has good from.

Interesting that the top five after stage 1 could easily be the top five at the end. Roglich put 19 secs into 2nd place Yates and it's all pretty close after that.

Will be interesting to see how Roglic goes - in comparison to the others he's pretty much only just started cycling, hasn't he ? That means he may have more yet to come than they do but he may also not really know how to pace his effort over a long race, bit like Yates last year but more so (I know Roglic did a solid TdF but that's different pressure to being right up front and competing to win IMO).

Mind, he's got a week to chill out before the action properly starts - unless it comes up crosswinds or something

How many different ways did Sean Kelly pronounce Roglic during the highlights?

Also, surprisingly good form from Nibbles. Keeps getting better as he gets older, doesn't he?

On initial viewing I thought Viviani's relegation was harsh. On repeated viewings (and with explanation from Brian and Brad) I can see why he was relegated but stil think it was harsh.

My fantasy Giro team think it was very harsh 😭

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/molano-suspended-by-uae-team-emirates-during-giro-ditalia-after-internal-testing/

Team Ineos’ great white hope Egan Bernal has been withdrawn after breaking his collarbone in a crash

I'm not sure that technically a Colombian mestizo can be referred to as a 'great white hope' in a sport dominated by white people. I know you didn't mean it with any sort of racial connotation, but it triggered a cocked eyebrow in the BWD kennels 🙂

On a sideline, I was amused by Richard Moore's tongue-in-cheek 'theory' that Ineos had faked the broken collarbone as a way of reserving Bernal for a serious tilt at the Tour. I think maybe he's been spending too much time on twitter or with the loons below the line on CN.

Aye, that aspect never occurred to me. Please relay my apologies to Senor Bernal 🙂

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/molano-suspended-by-uae-team-emirates-during-giro-ditalia-after-internal-testing//blockquote >

I've got Molano in my team as well...
Bollocks.

 

Looks bad for the “mancrush”. I hope he can make the start tomorrow.

My triple threat of Ackerman, Yates and Roglic has managed to come through the first few stages pretty well and hanging out of the fringes of the STW top 10.

Hope that's not the last of big Tom, stupid looking crash, probably caused by the Ineos guy not looking the right way.

Wasn’t the Ineos guy trying to move another rider out of the way? Thought he placed a hand on the rider in front, then looked like bars or wheels touched.
But of a crashy start, let’s hope it settles down soon.

Bad to worse for some people, The Mancrush is forced to withdraw 🙁

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/48284384

I've got Tom as well. I don't think it is going to be my year.

Head said chose Roglic, heart said chose Dumoulin. Wrong choice. I'm at the bottom of the STW pile.
Sad now for Tom.

So today is a long stage with a cat 2 hill 30km from the end. Sounds like a job for a breakaway specialist. I'm calling Thomas de Gendt for this one. He'll have some company on the shape of a rider from Nippo Vini Fantini of course, at least till the categorised climb. They're rapidly becoming the the giro's version of Wanty Groupe Gobert - stick a rider in the breakaway, we won't win but we'll have LOADS of TV coverage. Job Done.

Or Androni ??

Hope it’s better than yesterday’s stage, it was like watching a really crappy club run

Twitter shows a big crash has happened, thanks to which twitter also shows a picture of a gratuitous portion of Former Ski Jumper Primoz Roglic's arse. Looks like he went down HARD, but has regained the bunch.

Nibbles just keeps getting better at time trials, doesn't he?

There'll be frank discussions at the Lotto dinner table tonight. If Campanaert's bike change had gone better - if he'd had a spare tt bike - he'd have had a stage win today.

thank god it's a rest day to save us from mr ciclamino.

Do we know what happened to Yates? Is his knee playing up?

I'm quite pleased that the presenters started talking yesterday about how boring the race has been so far. I thought it was just me and an unusual lack of attention! (I have to agree with them that we've been spoilt with the Giro in the last few years, and hopefully, by the end of the race, I'll have forgotten about the first half.

Yes indeed, it's been mostly pretty dull. Well, unless you want to watch processions followed by sprinters... Then it's been ace.... I've mostly fast forwarded through most stages at the moment.

I'm hoping it livens up a bit soon.

Agree with the above.

Feels like a race of two halves, until now then basically going to be a climbing race for ~10 days. I suspect Viviani and Ewan will go home tonight to prep for the tour. I'm guessing Ackerman will see the Giro thorough and try to hold the points jersey as I'm guessing the tour team will be built around Sagan and maybe Bouchman.

Be interesting to see what it does to the fantasy league, could be all change with the climbers coming to the fore for the next few (after today) stages.

I almost considered turning the coverage off yesterday it was that dull. Today’s the last sprinters stage iirc so hopefully decent racing will commence afterwards.

Yesterday was basically the last sprint stage of the race and, if i heard correctly, we've got 43,000m metres of climbing to go. Should get good soon, hopefully...

Yesterdaytoday was basically the last sprint stage of the race

Fast-forwarded through today’s stage to the sprint. At least I’ve got more time to do other things this May! (I’m home late tomorrow and away then until Monday - guess when every exciting moment will be. 😁 )

This could be interesting...

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/bahrain-meridas-milan-erzen-under-uci-investigation-for-doping-links/

I don't get it this year. Boring as hell so far, all the sprinters could go home.

Only been one good day for the breakaway.

I know fireworks will be in last week, with all GC riders on fresh legs... unless they have de trained too much..

Need more interest for the coverage on tv though imho

Yep, boring, two pan flat stages in succession makes for yawn worthy viewing until it gets sprinty and then I'm cringing in case there's a crash - like yesterday. Speaking of which I'm impressed that Ackermann was up there after yesterday's crash, bravo that man. Will the sprinters stay the course? Demarre holds the maglia ciclamino and doesn't mind climbing so he's a fairly sure bet. Ackermann doesn't like giving up so could stay to fight it out. Ewan's primary target this year is the TDF so I'm think he has a ticket home already, two stage wins is a pretty good result.

Only one "flat" stage left, maybe one or two others that will favour a breakaway. Given there was fresh snow on the Gavia a couple of days ago, not sure how the (apparently already prepared) replacement route looks if they have to abandon plans to take the race over the Gavia due to fresh snow

Surprise surprise...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/48372560

that was brutal

Race is on now! Great viewing. Can't believe Roglic's DS was having a slash at the side of the road when he needed a bike change with 25k to go 😂

Shame we'll miss the Gavia

Shaping up to be a great race now.
A shame my fantasy team have pretty much all gone home/crashed/had a nightmare 😆

I have/had Dumoulin and Gaviria in mine - i feel your pain

I had both of them and Tao Geoghegan Hart, doh!

looks like Roglic has popped on the Mortirolo.

So not a bad Giro in the end

Not the best Giro ever but a worthy winner. One thing I have really enjoyed though has been the Eurosport coverage. They’ve really upped their game at this race. In fact I’ve probably watched more of the studio footage than the actual race.

Overall Race Score: 2042
Overall Rank: 18595 of 18637

That didn't go well.

"One thing I have really enjoyed though has been the Eurosport coverage."
Me too.

Well being a massive fan of the Giro the only bit I found interesting was the rider punching that bloke to the ground up that hill.

It was a dull race from start to finish. Even the Lombardia sections were just a bit "flat" it all felt a little repressed and lacking excitement.

Androni did well, and Nippo Vini. Thats about it as far as I recall.

🥺

Well there was no single dominant go rider which added interest I think but not enough climbing. My fantasy team did well 🙂

One thing I have really enjoyed though has been the Eurosport coverage.

I liked the studio stuff and Shaun Kelly, but Rob Hatch did my melon in, fully worse than Carlton! Arrrggghh!!

I’ve probably watched more of the studio footage

I thought the pretty lady was the best thing about the giro this year...nice to see a outsider win but fudge me Roglic v Nibbles was dull.

One thing I have really enjoyed though has been the Eurosport coverage.

Usually pretty good but this years commentary was starting to drive me mad. Every single time Nibali did anything and you got comments like "the shark shows his teeth..." or "the shark bites again", "another shark attack" etc etc. Once or twice is fine but after a while it becomes rapidly annoying. Same with Lopez. Every time the camera went to him on a climb and it's "Superman Lopez!"

Shaun Kelly too. Incredibly dull monotone delivery and his constant pronunciation of "Primoz Rojlick".

Think I'll stick to ITV when the tour comes around.

I though the studio stuff was much better this year, and also the way the highlights wasn't just "the last 40 minutes of the race". But yes, not a fan of Sean Kelly on commentary, nor really of Brian Smith in the studio. Give me Ned and Dave and woe, lament the loss of Chris Boardman for the tour and vuelta

The other one that got me was their talking about the finish lately.

"once they get to the gallop" and then used it about 20000 times... until the last month i'd never heard it called that and suddenly it's all day, every day.

Every single time Nibali did anything and you got comments like “the shark shows his teeth…” or “the shark bites again”, “another shark attack” etc etc.

My favourite was when a spectator got in the way of Nibali: "Don't go in the water..."

Eurosport coverage was great. Always thought they could do so much more than the standard commentary and I think they did it quite well. Even enjoyed Wiggins' quite thoughtful insights - you can tell he's thinking about stuff as it's coming out of his head, and that's quite rare.

Wiggins was very good I agree and yes, he did seem to engage his brain before talking!

Studio stuff was good although as I had to watch it late I tended to skip through it a bit. General coverage was fine but the commentary added to an unexciting route and the early loss of Tom, plus Yates being way of his best meant it wasn't great viewing. Probably spoilt by last years one though to be fair.