*Giro d'Italia - Stage 16*

No worries MC.

Short stage, but make no mistake the two cat.2 climbs on offer today are really cat.1s by a non-ITA standard. This stage definitely holds the potential for wide-scale destruction of the GC riders, who might decide to use this stage to ramp-up the speed and give it a fair shake. I'm therefore looking at the GC riders to win this stage, and just as I write this the pace in the peloton is really high and I think the breakaway will have a tough time staying away, if they can get away in the first place. It's just too short for the peloton not to push the pace and AST/MOV may attempt to forge an alliance to give SK a taste of what might be to come on stages 19/20. Nothing at ante-post so looking for IR plays.

Good luck to all,
SP

Rope-a-dope...

Zakarin, Fuglsang and Jungels

Fair attempt by Nibali to attack SK 3kms from the top of the first climb, let's see if he is going to daredevil descend, take some chances and put SK under pressure?

Chaves has missed the selection...

Power-climb didn't suit Chaves, he is only suited to the steep stuff at high altitude.

Chavez chillaxing

*Chaves

Very odd from Chaves, must think he has them back on the final climb because he doesn't look to be struggling.

Valverde actually looks like he might be on good sensations.

Very exciting stage!

OGE are coming up with the goods...

Riders in the front group should be forcing Valverde and Nibali to do most of the work.  Dont know why Jungels is doing so much work.  He's already got a 12min lead in the white jersey classification.

CAN are going to contribute here now as Dombrowski falls off the back of the GC lead group, Chaves should get back in, now.

Big error by Kangert to ride off Dombrowski.

Jungels wants the stage nugg.

well he's working harder than most of the riders in the front group

Hatch is wrong there, CAN would always play both sides, they'd never call Dombrowski back when they could tell him to not work and stay there in the lead group. I've always thought highly of him, but lately he is more interested about talking about the scenery than talking about the big moves on the road. Prat.

...for the success of the group, fancies himself amongst them today.

Plus, it happened on the slight rise.

Pull Do,brow ski out to put Formolo in! Hatch is a mug!

Chaves must be struggling...

Lopez Garcia goes off the front Jungels comes to set the pace...

Going with Valverde here, he is definitely on good sensations and will be suited by the finale.

Chaves needs to go from here, this is dumb after all OGE work.

15%...

All Valverde can hope of from this Giro is a stage win, he won't back off here, I don't think.

Let's go Valverde, head down and all the way to the line!

Zakarin doing a monster amount of work!

Zakarin still on the front -- amazing stuff!

Valverde in an armchair, how can he not win this stage?

Get. In.

Excellent work from Valverde's teammates Jungels and Zakarin.

Marvellous sprint by Valverde to win, he can thank Zakarin, and will, knowing his good sportsmanship. Never in doubt, really.

thats why he was odds on quickly

Yes, it was between Valverde and Zakarin in the market.

Kruijswijk looking good

Chaves still the main danger in 2nd? Valverde into 3rd and Zakarin up to 5th 7 seconds behind Nibali.

Will put that subject up on the Virtual Leader thread nugg.

Just to confirm that Dombrowski came out after this stage, saying he made a mistake to get dropped from the breakaway group. Absolute nonsense for Hatch to have made his comment.