Season 13

[WinterIsComing]

Too close too call anything yet. Exciting Tour so far, looks like everything is still possible.

[Vos]

stage 6 ;
nr8 GC Pires and GC leader WinklerPrins made the difference by finishing in the first group on 0:00"
Samsonov finished in the 3rd group on 1:07" and dropped from nr10 to nr11 GC.

stage 7 ;
A perfect helpers job of sprinter Lebrun who finished as 8º.
As expected Samsonov could not follow him in the final section, but finishing in the 2nd group on 0:22" is an excellent result.
Also because none of the major GC rivals finished in the 1st group of 20 sprinters, and he moved up from nr11 to nr6 GC.

No more sprint-finishes in the Giro from now on. The upcoming 3 stages in the hills and mountains will be decisive for the GC.


stage winners ;
Stage 1 = Ismel Kaloev  ( Luka_Warriors )
Stage 2 = Mazim Pugovkin  ( IKIBASQUE )
Stage 3 = Miksa Pelle  ( IntellinetCyclingFF )
Stage 4 = Mauricio Parra  ( CC_Porco_Jones )
Stage 5 = Holger Wirth  ( Thorboassonarvesen )
Stage 6 = Pascal Cruyff  ( TilburgTerriërs )
Stage 7 = Alfred VanHeeswijk  ( Aspigarri )

TOP 20 GC after 7 stages ;
1  Sven WinklerPrins   30   WinterIsComing   0: 00"   
2   Lazare Pires   26   FrançaiseDesJeux   0: 35"   
3   Rafael Carlos Loinaz   31   TeamRHB   1: 09"   
- - - - - - - - - -
4   Adam Roethlisberger   31   Valderend   1: 26"   
5   Mannie Collins   30   Cabrasverdes   1: 38"   
6   Dinar Samsonov   31   SPORTLIFE   1: 49"   
7   Sandis Stabulnieks   28   FaltososDeChigre   1: 52"   
8   Diego Macia   31   ProdopingPong   1: 57"   
9   Afonso Rio   24   OphiukoCT   2: 07"   
10   Espen Valgren   26   SentinelChickens   2: 08"   
- - - - - - - - - -
11    Nicolas Gaspoz   31   MortoviaCycling   2: 16"   
12    Mazim Pugovkin   27   IKIBASQUE   2: 33"   
13    Oliver Bru   31   BorinotTeam   2: 48"   
14    Marzio Pantani   31   Wiggo_pupils   2: 50"   
15    Norbert Lénárd   31   CaptainOrange   3: 01"   
16    Victor Morgan   29   Valderend   3: 14"   
17    Pascal Cruyff   28   TilburgTerriërs   3: 21"   
18    Ted Churchil   27   Speedbird   3: 24"   
19    Arno Verbeek   30   TeamRHB   3: 31"   
20    Leonid Foros   31   CC_Porco_Jones   3: 32"

[Sjiz]

It will be a tense fight in the last tough stages. Loinaz is still on the podium and the goal is to keep him there. The failure in the hill stage made me lose contention for the win. The podium is possible so we fight for that.

[Sjiz]

After stage 8 it still is very close. It does look like Pires and WinklerPrins will fight it out for the win and Loinaz, Samsonov, Collins and Roethlisberger will fight for the last podium step (even Stabulniks, Rio, Valgren, Gaspoz, Pugovkin and Pantani have chances).

[Vos]

stage 8 ;
4º  Samsonov  on 0:04"
Excellent result, and he moved up from 6th to 4th GC.

stage 9 ;
27º  Helmains ( in a perfect helpers job )
56º  Samsonov  on 1:08"
Still 4th GC but there is a new nr3 GC and the gap towards the podium is now 20 seconds instead of 15 seconds after stage 8.


stage winners ;
Stage 1 = Ismel Kaloev  ( Luka_Warriors )
Stage 2 = Mazim Pugovkin  ( IKIBASQUE )
Stage 3 = Miksa Pelle  ( IntellinetCyclingFF )
Stage 4 = Mauricio Parra  ( CC_Porco_Jones )
Stage 5 = Holger Wirth  ( Thorboassonarvesen )
Stage 6 = Pascal Cruyff  ( TilburgTerriërs )
Stage 7 = Alfred VanHeeswijk  ( Aspigarri )
Stage 8 = Lazare Pires  ( FrançaiseDesJeux )
Stage 9 = Stéphane Vetsch  ( Quickstepbronx )

TOP 20 GC after 9 stages ;
1  Sven WinklerPrins   30   WinterIsComing   0: 00"
2   Lazare Pires   26   FrançaiseDesJeux   0: 26"
3   Mannie Collins   30   Cabrasverdes   1: 24"   
- - - - - - - - - -
4   Dinar Samsonov   31   SPORTLIFE   1: 44"   
5   Rafael Carlos Loinaz   31   TeamRHB   1: 52"   
6   Marzio Pantani   31   Wiggo_pupils   2: 05"   
7   Adam Roethlisberger   31   Valderend   2: 08"   
8   Sandis Stabulnieks   28   FaltososDeChigre   2: 21"   
9   Afonso Rio   24   OphiukoCT   2: 35"   
10   Nicolas Gaspoz   31   MortoviaCycling   2: 35"   
- - - - - - - - - -
11    Leonid Foros   31   CC_Porco_Jones   2: 55"   
12    Mazim Pugovkin   27   IKIBASQUE   2: 56"   
13    Oliver Bru   31   BorinotTeam   2: 58"   
14    Espen Valgren   26   SentinelChickens   3: 09"   
15    Denis Usov   31   HorsCategorieProTeam   3: 59"   
16    Adao Baiao   27   ProCyclingTeam10   4: 06"   
17    Gordon Jackson   29   MarvelProCycling    4: 57"   
18    Diego Macia   31   ProdopingPong   5: 45"   
19    Steven Pillig   31   KunTeam   5: 50"   
20    Clermont Agasse   28   Flandria   5: 52"

[Sjiz]

The only real thing to stay is that its very close :p

[cabrasverdes]

It is being a exciting Giro, very tacticall also, even thought there has not been wind. There will be fight till the last day. I am surprised with the good performance of my rider Collins,  it is his best performance in a big tour. I hope we gets the podium but Loinaz and Samsonov are strong opponents.

[WinterIsComing]

Yes, Tours are far more exciting when CaptainOrange decides to leave Hilton at home

Wil be a tough battle in the last stage for the win and for the 3rd podium spot, so it seems. Pires seems to have the edge over WinklerPrins in the mountains, but he still has a gap of 26 seconds to close. I'm curious. For WinklerPrins, this is his best performance in a big Tour as well.

[Sjiz]

A fitting end to a close Giro. It was still a seconds game. Pires won, Winklerprins rode a great tour and got his first grand tour podium. Vos got a great podium with Samsonov and Collins and Loinaz ended up close behind. I am fairly happy, the first hill stage was the biggest dissapointment. No points and time lost. I started out hoping to compete for the win and i did, at least until stage 6. Now to the Dauphine.

[Vos]

stage 10 ;
2º  Samsonov  on 0:15"
4º  Washington ( helper )
WOW, very unexpected, amazing result, finishing solo as 2nd behind stage winner ánd Giro victor Pires.
Thanks to the much better helper, 3rd favorite Washington, who did a perfect job.

Samsonov moved up to the podium in the final GC. This is the very first podiumplace ever of SPORTLIFE in a big tour. 


stage winners ;
Stage 1 = Ismel Kaloev  ( Luka_Warriors )
Stage 2 = Mazim Pugovkin  ( IKIBASQUE )
Stage 3 = Miksa Pelle  ( IntellinetCyclingFF )
Stage 4 = Mauricio Parra  ( CC_Porco_Jones )
Stage 5 = Holger Wirth  ( Thorboassonarvesen )
Stage 6 = Pascal Cruyff  ( TilburgTerriërs )
Stage 7 = Alfred VanHeeswijk  ( Aspigarri )
Stage 8 = Lazare Pires  ( FrançaiseDesJeux )
Stage 9 = Stéphane Vetsch  ( Quickstepbronx )
Stage 10 = Lazare Pires  ( FrançaiseDesJeux )

Final GC Giro d'Italia ;
1  Lazare Pires   26   FrançaiseDesJeux   0: 00"
2   Sven WinklerPrins   30   WinterIsComing   0: 29"
3   Dinar Samsonov   31   SPORTLIFE   1: 34"   
- - - - - - - - - -
4   Mannie Collins   30   Cabrasverdes   1: 54"   
5   Rafael Carlos Loinaz   31   TeamRHB   2: 13"   
6   Marzio Pantani   31   Wiggo_pupils   2: 18"   
7   Adam Roethlisberger   31   Valderend   2: 37"   
8   Sandis Stabulnieks   28   FaltososDeChigre   2: 50"   
9   Oliver Bru   31   BorinotTeam   2: 56"
10   Nicolas Gaspoz   31   MortoviaCycling   2: 57"   
- - - - - - - - - -
11    Leonid Foros   31   CC_Porco_Jones   3: 17"   
12    Afonso Rio   24   OphiukoCT   3: 20"   
13    Mazim Pugovkin   27   IKIBASQUE   3: 26"   
14    Espen Valgren   26   SentinelChickens   3: 38"   
15    Adao Baiao   27   ProCyclingTeam10   4: 20"   
16    Denis Usov   31   HorsCategorieProTeam   4: 20"   
17    Gordon Jackson   29   MarvelProCycling    5: 19"   
18    Steven Pillig   31   KunTeam   6: 36"   
19    Chester Myers   31   Cremy   7: 05"   
20    Clermont Agasse   28   Flandria   7: 32"

[Vos]

Dauphiné :
stage 1 =  23º Helmains
stage 2 =  5º Jørgensen
stage 3 =  zero points
stage 4 =  1º Washington --> victory ! 
stage 5 =  2º Washington , and 26º Sky-Baily ( free role )

Excellent Dauphiné of Washington who achieved his very first victory in his career.
He is for sale for just 99.000,- ( last day )
https://www.cyclingforfun.org/cff/vision.php?ciclistaid=6972

[Vos]

  selection SPORTLIFE

Exactly the same selection for the Tour de Suisse and the Tour de France.

Tour de Suisse ; Maybe Ibarrola can ride a good GC, however, he does not have helpers in 2 stages so the expectation is not high.
If his GC position is too low after 4 stages, the final mountain stage will be for one of my climbers as teamcaptain.

Tour de France ; Good results in the 5 mountain stages are the objectives.
It is uncertain yet who will be the climb teamcaptain, perhaps even different teamcaptains in those 5 stages.
Ibarrola gets a free role to try to score a few GC points, and probably he can score some points in stage 7.
Maybe Basov is even better in the GC, although he is very bad in stages 2 and 5 where he will lose many minutes.
But he can climb and has a TT skill as extra.
But also ; he has to be the teamcaptain in all mountain stages to maybe ride a GC, and at the moment that is very doubtfull.
The only not-climber of this selection is Kangert, he has to score points in the flat TT stages of both tours.

41 Ibarrola ( 31 ), GC Suisse + free role TdF
42 Basov ( 30 ), climb
43 Nyheim ( 24 ), climb
44 Miorlin ( 31 ), climb
45 Kangert ( 29 ), flat TT

Good luck everyone !

[Sjiz]

Kangert did well in the opening stage Vos.

For me Suisse is all for Loinaz. We will see how he does.

[Vos]

Indeed, Kangert did very well and this 2º place is by far his best result in his career.
He even almost won this TdS stage 1 with 3 cyclists finishing on 0:00" Too bad the finishline was not at the end of section 4.

Good luck with Loinaz.
I have Ibarrola as GC contender, hopefully he is good enough for a nice GC result.
His just 3 icons disagree with my hopefull thoughts ; bronze on TT, silver on climb and gold on tour.
But he has TC bonus ( in contrast to Loinaz ), and he proved 2 times before that he can ride a good GC ; 2º Romandie (s12) and 5º Vuelta (s11).

[Vos]

Bad luck in stage 2 ; Ibarrola had a mechanical breakdown in the final section.
Despite this, he is doing pretty well in the GC, at the moment 11th on just 0:38"
Let's see how he will do in the mountains of the next stage ;

Tour de Suisse stage 3 : Fiesch – Gommiswald

At 186 kilometres, the 3rd stage of the Tour de Suisse takes in an altitude gain of 3,328 metres.
The race goes from Fiesch to Gommiswald and travels over two huge passes, Furka and Klausen, before it concludes with a punchy finale with ramps up to 18%.

On rolling terrain the first 21.8 kilometres run to the base of the Furka pass. The 16.5 kilometres climb is averaging 6.3%. The Aston DB5-Ford Mustang car chase in James Bond’s Goldfinger was shot at these very slopes. The Furka peaks at 2,429 metres and the last time the pass was included in the Tour de Suisse was in 2016. It was the first climb in a stage that was won by Darwin Atapuma.

Following a long descent the riders reach the Klausen pass after almost 100 kilometres. This pass was included in the 2016 Tour de Suisse, albeit in another stage. The Klausen was crested with 60 kilometres to go and eventually Pieter Weening took the win.

Klausen pass is really a climb with two faces. The first 11.6 kilometres are characterized by a 4.8% gradient and following a 900 metres plateau the climb continues for 12.5 kilometres at 7.2%. On the top, there are almost 70 kilometres left to race.

Firstly, 22 kilometres on descent and then 45 kilometres on the flat. Just when you might think the slopes are history a punchy finale appears. With 4 kilometres remaining the riders hit a 2.5 kilometres climb at 5.2%. But this statistic is biased as the hill is extremely irregular. An 8% stretch continues onto a short drop before the road climbs 700 metres at 8% before it kicks up to 12% in the last 400 metres. A short false flat leads to the final flat of 1500 metres.

Probably the final section 5 in CFF might be just a flat finish, instead of the punchy finish in the real version of this Tour de Suisse stage.