Doh! Of course. Sorry, Peter and Juraj.

what's that saying from Princess Bride? Never count out a Sicilian when death is on the line? Nibali is ruthless when the conditions are horrid and is also quite good at ambushing.


you should be docked 5 points in next year's Spring Classics Pick'em for poor command of geography :p

Forgive him for he just wants to make party.

"I don't must nothing in the life, just die."

Fingers crossed for harsh, nasty conditions and gritty racing tomorrow, ideal for Nibs to pop a bottle of vintage Sicilian whoop ass. Aside from Mollema, not sure if any of the GC guys have been on the receiving end of him at his cutthroat best.

haha

There was a post race interview with him once that I love. The reporter wanted to know why he went in the break for the 3rd day in a row. Sagan's response: I have big balls

We have a nickname for Peter around here: PMFS - Peter M Fn Sagan

Not really a GC guy this time around (although about as close as most of them so far), but Esteben Chaves knows all about Nibali attacking in the Giro.

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"It's good enough for who it's for" - Grandpa Wayne

I have to believe his boys were called off to save it for the next 2 days. It would be a really bad sign for him if he's going to be isolated that easily.

If his team is that vulnerable, expect the same thing to happen tomorrow...GC attacks on a steep (9.6 km at 8.5% avg) climb 60 km out and teammates in the early break dropping back to support if they do get away as there is significant "flat-ish" riding before the last climb picks up.

I don't care how fit Roglic is...if he has to chase himself with Nibali in tow...he's eventually going to pay a price.

ETA: It was interesting though to see the other GC guys take up the chase on Landa and Lopez while Roglic stayed at the rear. Were Nibali and Majka really that concerned about losing time as compared to looking to Roglic?

It looks like the efforts were not out of the park. One strong 2min effort and some short 15sec efforts.

But nothing out of the park.

If we weren't already excited enough for tomorrow, GCN on YouTube put this together climbing the finale for stage 13.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zfm_y0OJmN4

Not a bad watch.

Ohh, and allow me to toot my own horn again as I got another mention on the Eurosport broadcast because of Twitter. I should see if I can get him to mention Slowtwitch

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When all is said and done. More is usually said than done
Ba Ba Booey

thanks for that - it was fun;
which of those three bikes would you choose ?

Speaking of Eurosport, do you say “torty” for thirty, like your countryman Sean Kelly?

Damn, that climb is a brute, should be some fireworks.

@ Jason - Roglic got lucky today that there was enough cooperation to limit gains by Landa and Lopez. Got to wonder if at some point the other GC guys will play chicken and let em go up the road or force Roglic to do the work and preserve lead. Especially with teams like Movistar & Mitchelton having multiple threats.

The Bianchi for sure. Beautiful all around bike. Welp, they all are for that matter.

I did like how they were closing on the one guy from Italy for having mechanical Ultegrra

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When all is said and done. More is usually said than done
Ba Ba Booey

In all reality I’ve never heard him say that because every time I hear him commentating I fall asleep. He’s definitely not the liveliest

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When all is said and done. More is usually said than done
Ba Ba Booey

Yeah, trail the armchair GC guy would have totally sat up and stared down Roglic-the-Slovak. I thought Roglic was pushing the boundaries of etiquette a bit too hard. I totally get not working. But at least when you're at the front do the courtesy of pulling through so that guys don't have to work to come around you. When people are working in your interest, at least stay out of their way. Because payback can be a bitch.

Just rewatched the descent and run in. Roglic was super lucky.

I think there were enough riders (and teammates) in that group that wanted to protect podium chances against Landa and Lopez. That and the last 22 km run in to the finish was mostly flat...so there wasn't a real risk of getting dropped in the last few kms of the stage just because you were contributing work to the chase. Not sure why Nibali (with Pozzovivo) and Yates (with Chavez) worked though as they should have played chicken given their clear goals to win.

Come tomorrow...it would be a different story if the same scenario played out. If Roglic is isolated on the Pian Del Lupo, with a couple GC guys up the road...nobody else is going to stick their nose in the wind from kms 151-189 except for Roglic. The rest of the GC is going to sit on him and try to light him (and others) up on the final 7 km pitch.

"I don't know. I fly through forest and heet my ass."

I noticed a lot of doms pulled the plug today pretty early. Tomorrow and Saturday loom large. I'd be very surprised if Roglic the Slovish guy didn't have more company tomorrow.

Really happy for Benedetti! I love it when one of the 2nd tier guys gets a major result. Work your ass off, suffer, work your ass off, suffer, suffer, work your ass off, suddenly (HEY!) get a major result.

Can't fake that smile!

Didn't watch the stage yesterday and just now saw that Benedetti won. I remember a handful of years ago I was on vacation around Lake Garda and going decently hard op a 20km mountain with this guy chugging along up to me and me barely being able to sit on his wheel for the last few km's of the climb. Had to look him up when I got back to see who it was that almost dropped me on a mountain (not many people usually do that after all). Sure enough, pro rider with climbing skills. Met him a few years later in Tour of Denmark and talked briefly with him. Nice to see him win something like this, he seemed like a very down to Earth guy from the little I know him.

My boy Joe D is in the big break. Lots of mountain talent in the bunch. Hope he has a good day. Good kid. (not a kid anymore)

The killer bees have to chase today.

Eddie Dunbar! In the break. Give em hell, kid.

Oh how I love the Giro mountain stages. This is great!

That is a great story and very happy to see Benedetti take a win. His post win interview was quite humble and moving too. You could tell it was someone who had fully committed his career to working for others and couldn't quite believe he was the bloke to win.

1:45 probably won't be enough, but who knows

I hope Joe D can win today, but tmwr and Sunday would appear better suited for a breakaway win

These Brit announcers.....pffft.

"Carthy, the young Brit for EF has little support."

Just a guy up the road and Kangert. More than the Slovakinian. More than Nibs.


USA! USA!

IRE! IRE! (Eddie D.)