So far, so predictable. After a set piece weekend with an opening criterium and the team time trial and accompanying logical results, Stage 3 brings plenty of risk and uncertainty.
A scenic start in one of Italy’s most prized tourist destinations sees the race head south to wilder terrain. There’s some surprisingly steep climbing on the way to thwart the sprinters – how does 16% sound? – and a twisting high speed descent on a narrow road to the finish. Oh and the forecast says it could rain too.
Yesterday’s stage: we’re only two days in but it’s been the ideal start, Naples newspaper Il Mattino said “the Giro beat the Americas Cup, with a show and crowds”. A win by Mark Cavendish on the opening day to satisfy the global audience and then on the island of Ischia (I-Sky-ia?) the Giro got an Italian wearer of the maglia rosa to boost domestic interest.
Puccio wasn’t supposed to wear the jersey. Sky ensured Dario Cataldo crossed the line first, confident that he’d take the overall lead as Sky’s first man home. But in the event of equal time the Giro rules say it’s based on the cumulative stage finishes and on Stage 1 Puccio (33rd) was ahead of Cataldo (84th).
If that was a miscalculation, it’s nothing compared to Euskaltel-Euskadi reaching the finish line with just four riders. In a team time trial the clock stops on the fifth rider so it was down to the lone rider well behind them to set the time. Despite this they didn’t finish last.
The Route: you can break the stage up into four sections:
- the race will do two loops around the start town of Sorrento, a ploy to satisfy the host town by retaining the race for a bit longer. Then a very scenic start to the day as the race rolls out along the Amalfi coast with its winding cliff road. Hotels perch on the cliffs here, with elevators to take guests down to the beach. At times the road is narrow, it climbs and descends, twists and turns. Ideal for a breakaway to get away
- a flat coastal section roughly bookended by the two “TV” intermediate sprints
- the climb of San Mauro Cilento, which climbs away from the sea with 77km to go. It averages 6.7% for 7.8km but starts with a 16% section right and a series of narrow hairpin bends. The first 2.4km average a lactic-acid 8.7%. There’s 69km to go to the finish at the top of the climb but this is a strategic moment
- the final climb of the Sella di Catona, some 8.0km long at an average of 6.6% but a max of 13% and then a tricky descent all the way to the finish for the final 20km, broken by a short rise with 11km to go.
The Finish: dangerous. The roadbook says “The final kilometres are descending with demanding sections on well-surfaced roads of
medium width” which is generous. Most of the last 20km are downhill but there’s an short uphill section into Ascea, the ideal springboard for an attack before swooping down for 11km to the finish. The downhill gradient is 4-5% meaning riders have to pedal fast to keep their position but it’s enough to make an organised chase very hard work.
The roads they look narrow, wide enough for two cars to pass each other but no more. It’s the kind of road you could ride down yourself without problem but send 207 riders downhill with a stage win and time bonus available and it’s completely different. Here’s the map, note the twists and turns.
Sorry for the multiple graphics but this is a tricky downhill finish with bending roads and it might be wet. The finishing straight is flat and on the sea front. If a small group arrives ideally you want to me on the second or third wheel into the final bend.
The Scenario: the sprinters had their chance on Saturday and it’s hard to imagine the likes of Mark Cavendish and Elia Viviani coping with the climbs. Perhaps John Degenkolb will fare better? The second category climb to San Mauro Cilento is hard enough to eject the sprinters and with mountain points waiting at the top it’s a valuable point in the race. Worse for the sprinters if they fight to get back on there’s still another climb to go. But the race could easily split apart on the final climb or the descent, meaning a nervous day.
Sky will be delighted with the stage win and the overall lead but I can’t see them defending Puccio’s lead. Perhaps they’ll commit a couple of riders but fatigue in a grand tour is like compound interest and there’s no point adding to it with bigger objectives in mind.
The more you look at the route, the more the big teams have an interest in letting some lesser riders go up the road so that the final descent is not too chaotic with riders fighting for position. If you want names, watch out for the likes of Filippo Pozzato (Lampre), Fabio Felline (Androni), Fran Ventoso (Movistar), Stefano Garzelli (Vini Fantini) or Angel Vicioso (Katusha) but the race is still wide open and anyone could jump at the stage win.
TV: hopefully by now you’ve worked out a way to watch the race. It’s on a variety of TV channels according to where you are in the world. Eurosport is covering the race across most of Europe. beIN SPORT has the rights in the US and France. Italian host broadcaster RAI offers the best coverage with experienced commentators as well as roving reporters on motorbikes to add extra coverage.
As ever cyclingfans.com and steephill.tv are the go-to sites. The live feed starts at 3.10pm Euro time, just in time for the steep climb and be sure to watch the last half hour. The finish is expected around 5.15pm.
Weather: sunshine and clouds for most of the day but the clouds are forecast to bring rain. Temperatures won’t get higher than 18°C (64°C), a cool day. Rain is a worry with the downhill finish. Often the first shower is the worst as it is mixes with residual dust, drops of oil and diesel to make a slippery film on the surface of the road.
Local food: the insalata caprese is a mozzarella and tomato salad eaten across all of Italy but comes the island of Capri just of the coast. There are vines along the coast but the local speciality is limoncello, a cloying liqueur made from lemons.
Word of the Day: ammiraglia is Italian for team car but the word actually means a flagship, the vessel in the navy where the commanding officer sails.
Italy is beautiful or what. So colorful and bright sunshine, Acquarone did well to bring the race south.
It’s only Stage 3 and I don’t think a breakaway will be allowed to go free. Despite the difficult climbing sections, I think it will be a bunch sprint with Gossy & Degenkolb giving it a go on the final climb. I also won’t rule out Cav.
I feel Sky chooses not to chase the break. They’ll leave it yp to other trams. No point in a defending the Maglia Rosa for three weeks. If there are some strong riders in the break, it will have a chance to survive. No doubt Euskatel and Androni make the break. I’m calling this stage for Sandy Casar. It’s his type of terrain.
I can see DS’s of lesser teams telling their riders that if you ever want to wear pink today is your best chance. There will be multiple breakaways and big teams will just try to keep the time gaps tolerable.
I like your assessment; maybe Pellizotti?
I also like the “Word of the Day”; this would be nice see more of, when time allows.
It was not that the Basques couldn’t count to five, it was a case of bad luck or a case of a (perhaps poorly) calculated risk that materialized: the team was already down to five riders when the fifth, Ricardo Mestre, suffered a puncture with 1.5 km left to go. (OTOH I’m sure that if it had happened to Sky it wouldn’t have looked as farcical…)
Thanks, I didn’t know they had a puncture.
Movie stars Alex Dowsett also had a puncture crossing the line 5th rider, team seemed to cope with this better, taking into account the other 4 riders were climbers. Pro-active key word of the day
Ah, thanks for the explanation of ammiraglia.
That should be a great stage. There will be a lot of attacks on the hills, should be exciting. Forecast says 90% rain now, so let’s hope for a relatively small bunch going into the last descent.
Anyone know if there’s a chance of a fight for the intermediate sprints? Or at least Cavendish trying to nab them, expecting he’ll be dropped on the climb anyway. He seemed to take an interest in them on Stage 1.
Hard one to call. Would Nibali try one of his downhill attacks on this one? If there’s no breakaway too far out, with a 20 s bonus on the line it might be worth it. On the other hand all the other teams are still fresh and they won’t want to let him go.
He could try but it would be obvious and perhaps a sign of weakness to take risks now when there’s still more to come. Still the roads are ideal this, if he doesn’t others will as the overall lead is within reach for many.
You say a 3.10 start for the live feed. British Eurosport coverage begins at 1.30 (2.30 European time), so does that mean we’re going to get 40mins of picturesque, riderless shots of the Italian coastline to open the broadcast?
Not sure but I looked at the Italian TV listings and their actual live coverage doesn’t start until 3.10 and their earlier shows are discussions and chat.
Got a couple of quid on Goss. Not sure I see Cav getting there.
Good luck but I’d be tempted to take the other side of that bet today.
So un-Sky to get the jersey wearer wrong. And it was actually down to they actually misunderstood the rule rather than Catalodo failed to finish ahead of Puccio the day before.
Alas, it’s still a heart warming case of team culture and commercial interest working together, leading to sky’s decision to reward a hard worker (albeit the wrong one).
I got the impression that Sky’s plans changed on the course yesterday when Danny Pate had his gear problems…perhaps Puccio wasn’t meant to be in that final 5 crossing the line?
There’s no way Sky does not understand the rule.
After consulting stage 1 results, it appears that Sir Wiggo had the 2nd highest standing after Puccio within team Sky. If Puccio did get dropped …
Well, the Pink was meant for Wiggo after all. So much for awarding your hard worker.
Truly a beautiful part of Italy, one we know well from the daze we offered a tour of Campagna’s Cilento Coast. Interesting note on insalate caprese: a guy down there claimed it was actually invented in Switzerland! Perhaps like the Caesar salad, invented in Mexico or the fettuccini alfredo, dreamed up by a guy in Rome to satisfy the American actors in various spaghetti westerns’ cravings for a gooey pasta dish – kind of like macaroni and cheese? As to wines, don’t forget the “Barolo of the South” aglianico – Feudi di San Gregorio (among others) makes some great versions of this red wine.
And their whites aren’t half bad either…