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Stage 12 » Imola › Vicenza (Monte Berico) (190k)
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Another very interesting looking stage, today its 190km and can be characterised as a stage of two halves. Although we only have 3 categorised climbs today (2 x Cat 4s, 1 x Cat 3) the finale is very tricky with some steep ramps and this should ensure this is won by a decent climber. We start in yesterday's finish town of Imola, heading primarily North through Emilia Romagna. The first 130km or so are almost entirely flat as we head through the Po Valley. The last 60km have some severe undulations, plenty of turns, plenty of sharp ramps and a severe uphill finish in Vicenza. We run across the Basso Ferrarese region to start with on easy, flat and wide roads. Just past Torreglia we find the first categorised climb, the fairly straightforward Castelnuovo climb where we head into the Euragean Hills.
Castelnuovo
Crosara
There are a few flat kilometres before we head into the Berici Hills and the tough Crosara climb, which we take from the Mossano side. Crosara is harsh, with almost 2km at over 10%, including maximum gradients at 17%. We still have 25km to ride as we crest Crosara, but already we should see a reduced bunch, and the Lapio descent is technical. We soon hit Fimon, and another climb. The Perarolo is not categorised but will cause further damage in the peloton as it is 2km at over 7% with maximum gradients of 11%. We then follow a false flat before a short but very technical descent before a very flat 5km stretch through the suburbs of Vincenza. The last kilometre has a sharp rise, with an average gradient of 7.1%, actually getting steeper towards the line. The final 300km are on a straight, 7m wide asphalt road, but the gradient is at +10%.
Perarolo
Last kms
Vicenza
Giovanni Visconti
Vincenza has been the destination town for the Giro 9 times before, most recently when Giovanni Visconti won Stage 17 in 2013, winning solo following a late attack on the Crosaro. This was Movistar's third stage in three days, as Visconti had also won Stage 15 and Benat Inxausti had won the previous day's Stage 16. With its severe slopes towards the end, this stage could suit a rider like Phillipe Gilbert
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Another very interesting looking stage, today its 190km and can be characterised as a stage of two halves. Although we only have 3 categorised climbs today (2 x Cat 4s, 1 x Cat 3) the finale is very tricky with some steep ramps and this should ensure this is won by a decent climber. We start in yesterday's finish town of Imola, heading primarily North through Emilia Romagna. The first 130km or so are almost entirely flat as we head through the Po Valley. The last 60km have some severe undulations, plenty of turns, plenty of sharp ramps and a severe uphill finish in Vicenza. We run across the Basso Ferrarese region to start with on easy, flat and wide roads. Just past Torreglia we find the first categorised climb, the fairly straightforward Castelnuovo climb where we head into the Euragean Hills.
Castelnuovo
Crosara
There are a few flat kilometres before we head into the Berici Hills and the tough Crosara climb, which we take from the Mossano side. Crosara is harsh, with almost 2km at over 10%, including maximum gradients at 17%. We still have 25km to ride as we crest Crosara, but already we should see a reduced bunch, and the Lapio descent is technical. We soon hit Fimon, and another climb. The Perarolo is not categorised but will cause further damage in the peloton as it is 2km at over 7% with maximum gradients of 11%. We then follow a false flat before a short but very technical descent before a very flat 5km stretch through the suburbs of Vincenza. The last kilometre has a sharp rise, with an average gradient of 7.1%, actually getting steeper towards the line. The final 300km are on a straight, 7m wide asphalt road, but the gradient is at +10%.
Perarolo
Last kms
Vicenza
Giovanni Visconti
Vincenza has been the destination town for the Giro 9 times before, most recently when Giovanni Visconti won Stage 17 in 2013, winning solo following a late attack on the Crosaro. This was Movistar's third stage in three days, as Visconti had also won Stage 15 and Benat Inxausti had won the previous day's Stage 16. With its severe slopes towards the end, this stage could suit a rider like Phillipe Gilbert
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yx-tNnIUP0Q
Last 20km of Visconti's win in 2013
Last 20km of Visconti's win in 2013
Really tough stage to decipher this. The last climb discounts the sprinters but we could see a Fleche Wallone style mountain sprint, and the punchers will fancy it too. We've seen the breakaway win the last two stages and if it's only the puncheurs teams chasing it down again we may well see the same outcome. I have a sneaky feeling that we could see the GC teams push hard again. Sky will be keen to get Porte back in play as soon as possible. Bertie tried his luck yesterday and found Aru slow to respond and on today's sharp finish he could have more luck. For their part, Astana will perhaps look to play one of their several GC cards today and for this reason I reckon Dario Cataldo might be worth chancing, at 80/1 or 66/1 4 places. I'm not sure this stage exactly suits him and it probably relies on the GC teams helping with chasing the break down and then Astana sending him up the road but at the price I think its worth a shot. Of the punchier type riders, Lobato looked excellent yesterday on the steeper slopes of Imola and was the first to chase down Bertie, and Gilbert loves this sort of finish and judging my his late dig yesterday is in good form, but Ulissi would probably be my favourite. He is pretty short so I'll chance Slagter 33/1 and Gerrans at 16/1 at a bigger price.
* Phillipe Gilbert Showed his determination and hard riding on yesterday's stage when attacking the peloton on the final lap, and bridging solo to the chase group just on the line. I think that it might have been a test for him prior to this stage, in order to assess his condition, and since it would appear that he passed that test, it may be a positive signal of what we are likely to see from him here. The way he breazed past Rutkiewicz, who had fallen off the back of the chase group, looked highly impressive, showing the type of speed he shows when he is feeling particularly strong, or when building form. This does look very much like a punchy classic stage as MC suggests, and I think on that basis Gilbert will be looking to win here by going all-in in the style he is famous for. BMC showed good strength on the front of the peloton in yesterday's stage before allowing Kung the opportunity to attempt to go clear, and should they come to the front here today, I expect it will be for Gilbert. Boyles have gone best at 13/2 with 4 places, and that appears like very good value on an E/W basis, but I have picked him up on here at mid-7/1s for a trade as he should be trading much lower at some point in the race, perhaps simply on the basis of finding BMC on the front chasing down the breakaway. Giving promising signals of a strong performance. Advantaged by the parcours. Good prospects. Worthy of very close consideration.
Good luck to all,
SP
Good luck to all,
SP
Still no breakaway allowed after 70km of constant attacking. Mental!
Looks like the break has been allowed to go, I've taken Elissonde & Barbin from it at 150/1 and 100/1 on the sportsbook here
Got in a bit late, nice little move already on Gilbert so hope he continues sliding, however I didn't see who was closing down the breaks -- was it the GC teams or EQS/TFR, MC?
Not really surprised to learn that Gerrans is the man for OGE -- massive go for him in comparison to Bling who has not attracted much interest. Gerrans has been working his way into the Giro slowly and deliberately, and he is under pressure to get a result after his failure in stage 7 when Ulissi won as he was targeting that stage from the start. There may not be a price left should he go with a selection on the Crosara, but OGE are not really working here, so am happy to leave him out at this point. BMC moving up, but it is looking increasingly likely that we may see some GC fisticuffs, which admittedly I didn't think would happen. Both Gerrans and Gilbert should claw back on the descent, though.
We did get a GC selection in stage 9 when Tiralongo won, so the potential for a GC selection here is still open, however it's unlikely they press the pace since it would appear, that unlike on stage 9, there's a much longer finish for them to hold. The puncheurs are still attracting most of the interest, and I think this is just a true pace from TCS.
Interesting now though that TCS are down to 1 man. Potential for Astana to attack with Landa or Cataldo on the Perarolo and for the other two to sit on Bertie's wheel and see if he follows.
No fisticuffs from the GC men on the Crosara, but this reduced peloton looks animated so it'll be difficult for the puncheurs to get away on the Perarolo.
This is looking more like a race for someone who prefers LBL than AGR, I would suggest.
That'll do me with the Gilbert trade, I'm out with a little on top.
The race swung back toward the puncheurs on the finale as LBL became old AGR finish, and the GC contenders hadn't dropped that second group so left the door open for Gilbert, who got great assistance from a teammate dragging him to the front at the perfect time. The early sign was Ulissi getting back on, in retrospect. Pity about Gerrans, I think he might have gained some confidence and form on that climb.
Cheers nugget, laid some Gilbert off, but at that point I thought he might have gone prematurely. His experience on display there though, to not bury himself and fail, but regroup and get towed back in.
He secures the confidence of the team there, also. Described it as a short Cauberg, so good to see the Boar of the Ardennes in Italy.
Well done SP great pick. Didn't back him myself, despite sticking a bloody great picture of him in the stage preview and suggesting it would suit. I'm a dopey so and so at times.
Think Slagter might have been taken out by Gerrans fall. It's always good when one of your runners also takes out another. Think that happened to me in the Grand National but you don't really expect it in the Giro.
Cheers MC, but I think you're doing very well so far in this Giro. And putting all the work into starting us off with each stage is really helpful and very convenient, so thanks heaps mate. But yes, perhaps you should pay a little more attention to your subconscious, you obviously put him there for a reason. I understand it can be difficult to back Gilbert nowadays, but the evidence was there on the previous stage, and good value.
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