The stage 13 uphill time trial sets the stage for the gargantuan Stage 15.

By my guestimations, they will be climbing in excess of 15,000 feet. There will be a couple of 14% sections and the uphill finish will be an 18% kicker.

Who will be top 5? How many will DNF? I haven't subscribed to the Giro coverage yet so this may be a good time to do so.

fc

http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/giro07/graphics/T15_alt.gif
info: http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/giro07/?id=stages/giro0715

The stage 13 uphill time trial sets the stage for the gargantuan Stage 15.

That's just great for us US viewers who subscribe to cycling.tv. On Sunday Versus shows the stage and will no doubt completely mangle it and show maybe 20 minutes of the actual race. Looks like I'll have to track down that link to the Italian feed :)

Hey DB, I like the looks of stage 17 on wednesday better anyways.

Stage 15 will be hard, really hard, but only the last 3km of the final climb are decisive. There is a downhill and rolling section in the middle. But those who crack will probably crack really hard, it being a really brutal stage and all.

That's just great for us US viewers who subscribe to cycling.tv. On Sunday Versus shows the stage and will no doubt completely mangle it and show maybe 20 minutes of the actual race. Looks like I'll have to track down that link to the Italian feed :)

Are you saying there's no cycling.tv sunday coverage? Sounds like a dealbreaker for me.

fc

I'm looking forward to tomorrow's stage. One of those days where we won't find out who will be on the podium but will see who won't be and get a good indicator of who will be serious protagonists.

Are you saying there's no cycling.tv sunday coverage? Sounds like a dealbreaker for me.

fc

Yes it appears part of the deal that Versus negociated to lease the US rights to the Giro to cycling.tv is that Versus gets to show the Sunday stages.

I haven't subscribed to the Giro coverage yet so this may be a good time to do so.

Yeah, but on the Italian feed today we got to see this bronze skinned beauty running out of the water and on to the beach at some Italian resort town along the route. The camera dude in the helicopter panned in close to the woman and she was hot, hot, hot. Oh, and did I mention she was topless? Oh, and did I mention she wore this hugely small thong?

Hope your paid subscription gets you some of the "real" Italy.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow's stage. One of those days where we won't find out who will be on the podium but will see who won't be and get a good indicator of who will be serious protagonists.
Should definitely be interesting. 8.8 km with an average grade of 8% and a max of 14%. All at the end of a 250km stage which looks to be non-stop rollers on the coast. If there's a crosswind (which is likely) this will be a really really hard stage. I think if you want to win the Giro, you'll have to be top 5 (or S.T.) at the finish tomorrow.

Yeah, but on the Italian feed today we got to see this bronze skinned beauty running out of the water and on to the beach at some Italian resort town along the route. The camera dude in the helicopter panned in close to the woman and she was hot, hot, hot. Oh, and did I mention she was topless? Oh, and did I mention she wore this hugely small thong?

Hope your paid subscription gets you some of the "real" Italy.

Flash version of it??

Yeah, but on the Italian feed today we got to see this bronze skinned beauty running out of the water and on to the beach at some Italian resort town along the route.

It's all the same RAI feed that is shown worldwide, so it was on cycling.tv as well. It was great when she realized the helicopter camera was focused on her so she covered her tits with her arm :)

No doubt Versus would have edited that little piece of tape out.

It's all the same RAI feed that is shown worldwide, so it was on cycling.tv as well. It was great when she realized the helicopter camera was focused on her so she covered her tits with her arm :)

I'm sure the helicopter pilot and cameraman were yelling "bon giorno, principessa!"

Yeah, but on the Italian feed today we got to see this bronze skinned beauty running out of the water and on to the beach at some Italian resort town along the route. The camera dude in the helicopter panned in close to the woman and she was hot, hot, hot. Oh, and did I mention she was topless? Oh, and did I mention she wore this hugely small thong?

Hope your paid subscription gets you some of the "real" Italy.

I was running the Italian feed with the Eurosport Audio. The Eurosport guys said "Looks like there are a lot of sunbathers out on the beach today"

I love Italy

Less than two hours until Eurosport starts the live coverage. This should be very interesting!

Savoldelli's descending is ridiculous.

Just caught the leading group after the descent.

Jesus, these guys are struggling.

DiLuca is this year's extraterrestrial, I think.

Man, Saunier is riding solid.

Ricco is giving his interview while covered in a blanket. Must be freezing up there. I can't believe they were riding in shorts and jersey up there.

What a stage. Wow. The Giro is so much more exciting than the Tour, IMO.

The Giro is so much more exciting than the Tour, IMO.

I agree -- and the final ITT still looks like it will decide GC. The moutain stages are awesome, and the organizers are very creative (e.g., TTT as opening stage; mountain time trial; 20%-gradient climbs; the uphill Briancon finish (Tour usually finishes in Briancon as a downhill finish)) The Tour has more extra-terrestrials too, so the Giro tends to be a closer affair. I'm definitely buying the 2007 Giro DVD -- it's been an awesome tour so far.

Saunier is loaded. Piepoli has won one stage, came in second on the mountain TT, and gifted today's stage to Ricco -- Piepoli is on fire. And Simoni should have won yesterday if Garzelli didn't pull a Nicco Mattan yesterday with the motorcycles. Iban Mayo, on the other hand, is saving his firepower for the Tour's climbs. :rolleyes:

What struck me today is that almost 80 of the finishers finished half an hour or more down.

Still, a truly exciting stage and a phenomenal Giro.
It's much easier if I don't think about how they do it. Like someone said, professional cycling is like good sausage. I like it, but I'd rather not know how it's made.

I really liked Perez Cuapio taking the devil's trident and prodding some guy's (Piepoli?) buttocks on the Passo di Giau. :)

What struck me today is that almost 80 of the finishers finished half an hour or more down.

Still, a truly exciting stage and a phenomenal Giro.
It's much easier if I don't think about how they do it. Like someone said, professional cycling is like good sausage. I like it, but I'd rather not know how it's made.

Haha, great analogy.

I really liked Perez Cuapio taking the devil's trident and prodding some guy's (Piepoli?) buttocks on the Passo di Giau. :)

:devil: :thumbsup: http://sports.yahoo.com/sc/photo?slug=r2492170371&prov=reuters

I have to admit I was hoping the mex climber would take the stage:D

Nonono, the right guy took that stage.

sorry I'll be more specific, I would have liked cuapio to attack and make the stage even more interesting.
I agree, well deserved by Ricco:)

That was an epic stage!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Everything was in the balance. Bravo!

fc