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Saturday 4th May to Sunday 26th May
Good news - highlights 7pm on DMAX (Freeview Channel 39).
Live coverage Discovery+, Eurosport and S4C.
Startlist https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/giro-d-italia/2024/startlist
Route & stages https://www.giroditalia.it/en/the-route/
Post edited at 16:04
10
In reply to elsewhere:
You can have a 'like' for that, but currently following La Vuelta Femenina!
6
In reply to elsewhere:
Pogacar for the giro, tour and vuelta treble??
In reply to wynaptomos:
> Pogacar for the giro, tour and vuelta treble??
Crazily early to suggest such a thing, but not this year.
In reply to elsewhere:
Do Discovery also do highights? If they do will buy the year subscription but I only see reference to the live. I like live stages but also have to work and would value highlights.
I'll look at whether I can get DMAX without freeview via internet
In reply to elsewhere:
Noted, Series Record set!
In reply to Puppythedog:
Discovery highlights - yes but you might as well stick with DMAX.
1
In reply to elsewhere:
> Crazily early to suggest such a thing, but not this year.
Why not? All your main rivals are injured, and there is a shorter than usual gap between the giro and the tour (i.e. less time to hold a performance peak), then a longer than usual gap to the Vuelta, enough for some R+R (assuming he's not going to the Olympics). I'd argue the opposite, this is the year it's most possible to go for a treble.
2
In reply to Puppythedog:
> Do Discovery also do highights? If they do will buy the year subscription but I only see reference to the live. I like live stages but also have to work and would value highlights.
> I'll look at whether I can get DMAX without freeview via internet
Both highlights and rewatch of live broadcast on Eurosport
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In reply to ianstevens:
Or embrace the annual chance to brush up your Welsh on S4C!
3
In reply to ianstevens:
You can’t argue that is good for Pog that there is a small gap between the giro and tour and good for Pog that there is a long gap between the tour and vuelta! Either could be true, but not both!
2
2
In reply to Rampart:
Last year I learned the Welsh for concrete bollard. It’s “concrete bollard”.
All you need this year is “Pogacar ar ymosod” - on the attack.
2
In reply to rsc:
Point your phone at the TV for live translation?
In reply to elsewhere:
By the way, thanks for starting this thread. Despite what everyone assumes about the predictability of the winner, I’m daftly excited about the Giro, usually the best Grand Tour. Come on Gerrrraint!
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In reply to rsc:
To be honest the English language commentators can be so bad (looking at you Carlton) I’ll often watch in Danish
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In reply to ablackett:
Relative to the usual gaps. Normally the gap between G and T is too long, and T and V to short (especially if you’ve done the first two) - but not so this year with the date shifts
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In reply to ianstevens:
Pog and G made today’s finish a bit more exciting.
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In reply to Christheclimber:
The opening stages of this year's Giro have been nothing short of spectacular and G going with Pog today seems to sum up the idea that 'easy stages' no longer exist in modern grand tours.
Here's a pic I took of G riding through a local (to me) village on the Volta Catalunya in March this year. Even on this relatively insignificant warmer up (on which Pog won 4 stages and the overall) they were going absolutely flat out pretty much every day.
Looking forward to see how this race develops…
Post edited at 18:31
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In reply to Christheclimber:
> Pog and G made today’s finish a bit more exciting.
They certainly did!
Entertaining interviews with Thomas and Pogacar on DMAX highlights (and every other channel?).
Post edited at 20:09
In reply to elsewhere:
Thanks
In reply to ianstevens:
Thank you
In reply to elsewhere:
"He was kicking my head in"
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In reply to elsewhere:
Pogi in purple Torino tribute shorts disqualification threat fiasco.
In reply to felt:
> Pogi in purple Torino tribute shorts disqualification threat fiasco.
I thought you'd made that up, but no...
https://www.globalcyclingnetwork.com/racing/news/giro-ditalias-purple-polem...
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In reply to elsewhere:
Yes, well, I saw LR and Benji discussing it.
Incidentally, pink and "granata" really don't go well together, do they (pink looks bad next to so many colours: brown, red, orange, yellow etc)? But that's hardly DQ grounds. On that basis AG2R would have been perma-banned.
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In reply to felt:
> Yes, well, I saw LR and Benji discussing it.
> Incidentally, pink and "granata" really don't go well together, do they (pink looks bad next to so many colours: brown, red, orange, yellow etc)? But that's hardly DQ grounds. On that basis AG2R would have been perma-banned.
Sounds like a UCI fashion police
This evening I think a few sprint team Directors Spotives will be giving the hairdryer treatment.
3
In reply to elsewhere:
"I love it when a plan doesn't come together"
Given the lack of competition in the GC this could have been one of the dullest grand tours for a while but so far it has been thoroughly entertaining.
1
Exciting to see the will they/wont they breakaway yesterday.
My favourite part of the coverage was the Giro train alongside the riders - it’s a regular feature, but would take some dedicated scheduling to coordinate!
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In reply to Pete O'Donovan:
Nice photo of G in Spain. Just caught up with yesterday’s time trial, Pog looks absolutely invincible.
In reply to Christheclimber:
> Pog looks absolutely invincible
I felt bad for poor old Ganna, losing out at the very last.
Possibly TD should have a crack at the Hour once he's finished demolished the Grand Tours this season...
In reply to Rampart:
Looks like Pog has an iron grip on the GC lead.
In reply to elsewhere:
> Looks like Pog has an iron grip on the GC lead.
Yep, he was superb again today winning with plenty left in the tank.
In reply to Christheclimber:
> Yep, he was superb again today winning with plenty left in the tank.
I suppose all Geraint can do is hope Pog is overestimating the size of his tank and will be vulnerable to a bold venture like the drama of 2018.
That does seem wishful thinking, though
In reply to nufkin:
Yes I think it’s wishful thinking, thankfully G doesn’t appear to have been hurt in the crash today.
Is there anything that Pog can’t do? He’s now a lead out man……
In reply to Christheclimber:
Poor old Jhonny, so near . . .
In reply to elsewhere:
Some impressive buccaneering today, and a well deserved win!
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In reply to Rampart:
Brilliant breakaway, incredible!
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In reply to elsewhere:
Alaphilippe was superb yesterday with the breakaway win. Milan is showing how good a sprinter he is with his third stage win and no change in the GC?
Great result for Ganna and Italy today.
Lots of mountains coming up this week, 5200m of them on Sunday alone.
Post edited at 22:55
In reply to elsewhere:
Looks like being a long tough one today.
In reply to Christheclimber:
> Looks like being a long tough one today.
A super tough day, for sure as Pogacar has hair tufts visible. A bad omen for his GC rivals.
We need a cycling drinking game based on how often everyone says "super" and "for sure" in interviews.
In reply to elsewhere:
Just looked up the map and stats, the second half looks gruelling for sure…… oops
“Stage 15, arguably the hardest of the entire Giro, sees the start of a tough week of mountains. The route from Manerba del Garda to Livigno amounts to 220 kilometres and takes in an elevation gain of 5,700 metres”
In reply to Christheclimber:
> Just looked up the map and stats, the second half looks super gruelling for sure…… oops
fixed that for you
2
In reply to ablackett:
Back from the shops and looking at delayed coverage. Fantastic scenery but I think I need an e-bike.
2
In reply to elsewhere:
Think we are running out of superlatives for Pog, what an outstanding and commanding win today. Unbelievable.
3
In reply to elsewhere:
Looked like Tufty was on a mission to get things wrapped up early so he can take things easy this last week and recover to be fresh for the Tour
In reply to Christheclimber:
Even if they could, no other GC riders is going to try to race him. They'll be racing for minor places.
In reply to GrahamD:
UAE can leave the hard work of GC defence to Bora and Ineos, but I don't thing Pog has it in him to do anything but race hard.
Super hard. For sure.
Post edited at 22:46
All manner of chaos this morning - heavy snows and talk of a rider strike. Never a dull moment on this Giro...
In reply to Rampart:
Just read your comments and turned on the TV. The caption says the stage is delayed till 14.15 due to extreme weather, it looks horrendous…….
In reply to elsewhere:
Now he even has the luxury of choosing which stages to go for and when to just sit in. Hopefully (for him) that could leave him fresh for the TdF and bag a couple more stages.
It’s all been kicking off, not sure if this stage will get started even with a second shortened stage.,
Post edited at 13:33
In reply to Christheclimber:
Oops I was wrong, they have just started. Let’s hope there are no accidents.
Post edited at 13:34
In reply to Christheclimber:
> Let’s hope there are no accidents.
Yep, A flat 80k followed by 30k of climbing is probably as safe as professional cycling gets.
Given how although the weather is bad, it's not particularly unusual , I find it strange that more thought, to alternatives, isn't given beforehand. The forecast looks better l, but not great for the next few days, hopefully they will be able to go ahead as planned.
Crikey, the man just can't help himself!
In reply to nufkin:
It's all too easy.
In reply to DaveHK:
Maybe Pog is more calculating than we think, but it's a very easy calculation in the mountains. If you are leading but less than 5 minutes ahead of Pog, you are toast.
I think no crashes on horrendous looking descent, phew. Heart in mouth watching that.
Post edited at 20:27
In reply to elsewhere:
> I think no crashes on horrendous looking descent, phew.
Luckily G. managed to address that today in classic style, for little apparent reason.
In reply to Rampart:
God day for the breakaway, almost 16 minutes ahead of GC group who must have taken it easy.
Good to see it’s stopped raining, it looks like a tough stage today with two ascents of Monte Grappa. Pog to win again as long as they can find some sun cream for him.
Happy Birthday G, 38 today and still going strong. Pog wins again with a super ride, interestingly G said he was the best he has ever raced with.
1
In reply to Christheclimber:
> Happy Birthday G, 38 today and still going strong. Pog wins again with a super ride, interestingly G said he was the best he has ever raced with.
Utterly dominant performance by Pogačar, he just rode away from the other GC contenders at will on every mountain stage. But I’m not sure what to make of that- Martinez’s best performance in 7 previous grand tours is 5th, Thomas is 38, O’Connor seems to have hit a plateau outside of the ‘top tier’. Pogačar can only beat those who are there, but I’m not convinced this Giro adds as much weight to the Merckx comparisons as the Eurosport commentary would have it. The real tests will be against Roglič, Evenopoel, and especially Vingegaard- I think they’d all have been similarly dominant if it had been one of them here in place of Pogačar. For the ‘best of the generation’ tag, I think he needs to dominate them too, and the jury is very much still out on those matchups, especially against Vingegaard. Sadly, just as Pogačar wasn’t at full strength in last year’s tour, it looks like neither Evenopoel nor Vingegaard will be properly ready for this year’s, so it may be next year before we get to see what “full strength” Pogačar vs Vingegaard might look like- unless fate intervenes yet again…
I’d agree that his Monument performances over the last couple of years really mark him out- more wins than Van der Poel, and surely another Lombardia is pretty much a certainty this autumn. Vingegaard and Roglič can’t compare to him in one day races, so Pogačar can claim a broader range of excellence- and in a couple of years he may well have brushed aside the three other GC contenders- but for now I think Pogačar, Van der Poel, and Vingegaard are pretty evenly matched, each with their own ‘specialist’ area that they are pretty much unrivalled in. If Pogačar convincingly beats a fit Vingegaard in the high mountains in a Grand Tour, then at that stage, the ‘next Merckx’ claims will be beyond doubt.
But chapeau to Pogačar- has been awe inspiring watching him annihilate the field in stage after stage- feels like cycling is in a ‘golden age’, like tennis had with Federer, Nadal and Djokovic.
2
Incredible!
And a superstar - https://www.eurosport.com/cycling/giro-d-italia/2024/giro-d-italia-i-don-t-...
Post edited at 21:10
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In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:
> Utterly dominant performance by Pogačar, he just rode away from the other GC contenders at will on every mountain stage. But I’m not sure what to make of that- Martinez’s best performance in 7 previous grand tours is 5th, Thomas is 38, O’Connor seems to have hit a plateau outside of the ‘top tier’.
All true, and I agree with you that it is far to early to try and make comparisons, but my take on competition was that you listed a Columbian, Welshman and Australian. OK Merckx came after the era where a Frenchman almost always won the Tour, Italian the Giro and a Belgian Flanders, but cycling didn't extend much further than those and neighbouring counties (until the mid 80's?)
I had look at the top 10 from Merxkx's first Giro win, wasn't too surprised to see 7 Italians and I doubt he was second to an Ecuadorian on any stage.
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In reply to RobAJones:
Yes that’s a fair point. The depth of competition is much greater than it was in Merckx’s day. I think if Pogačar was to even equal Merckx’s records for Grand Tours and Monuments, at a similar age, that would be a greater achievement because of this being a more competitive era.
And I reckon he’ll probably pass both…
In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:
Merckx was almost definitely on the juice as well, if Pog is he's very good at fooling the testing.
1
That was an exciting finish with an incredible recovery from a mechanical by Milan.
In reply to elsewhere:
Yep, heartbreaking for Milan I didn’t expect him to get back to the front never mind coming second, chapeau.
In reply to elsewhere:
No camera coverage so I can only imagine how sticky that bottle was
1
In reply to Glug:
Merckx was confirmed as being on the juice three separate times. Conveniently forgotten by many.
see also: pantani
In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:
> Utterly dominant performance by Pogačar, he just rode away from the other GC contenders at will on every mountain stage. But I’m not sure what to make of that- Martinez’s best performance in 7 previous grand tours is 5th, Thomas is 38, O’Connor seems to have hit a plateau outside of the ‘top tier’. Pogačar can only beat those who are there, but I’m not convinced this Giro adds as much weight to the Merckx comparisons as the Eurosport commentary would have it. The real tests will be against Roglič, Evenopoel, and especially Vingegaard- I think they’d all have been similarly dominant if it had been one of them here in place of Pogačar. For the ‘best of the generation’ tag, I think he needs to dominate them too, and the jury is very much still out on those matchups, especially against Vingegaard. Sadly, just as Pogačar wasn’t at full strength in last year’s tour, it looks like neither Evenopoel nor Vingegaard will be properly ready for this year’s, so it may be next year before we get to see what “full strength” Pogačar vs Vingegaard might look like- unless fate intervenes yet again…
> I’d agree that his Monument performances over the last couple of years really mark him out- more wins than Van der Poel, and surely another Lombardia is pretty much a certainty this autumn. Vingegaard and Roglič can’t compare to him in one day races, so Pogačar can claim a broader range of excellence- and in a couple of years he may well have brushed aside the three other GC contenders- but for now I think Pogačar, Van der Poel, and Vingegaard are pretty evenly matched, each with their own ‘specialist’ area that they are pretty much unrivalled in. If Pogačar convincingly beats a fit Vingegaard in the high mountains in a Grand Tour, then at that stage, the ‘next Merckx’ claims will be beyond doubt.
> But chapeau to Pogačar- has been awe inspiring watching him annihilate the field in stage after stage- feels like cycling is in a ‘golden age’, like tennis had with Federer, Nadal and Djokovic.
Problem is this year, Vingegaard isn’t fit. Let’s see in 2025.
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In reply to ianstevens:
> No camera coverage so I can only imagine how sticky that bottle was
Who from ans when? Wasn't his problem exacerbated by, due to no GC rider in their team, his car was at the back of the convoy? There was footage of of him restarting on his own, tailgating another team car and quite a bit of him moving rapidly up through the peleton behind 3/4 of his team at which point he was finding it difficult to hold their wheel. I can see that he might have briefly had help getting up to 65kph from his car, but after that, especially given the technical nature of the run in I'm not even sure how hanging onto the team car would have helped.
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