those guys were shattered and if Sagan doesn't sit up and drags them Toms gets caught...........but that's why you attack......great ride, loved seeing it stick for a guy who deserves it

Back to the Giro, TD wasn't far off Yates on that nasty kicker today. If his form is on the way up it'll be a really interesting third week, and on more moderate climbs.

barring illness, mechanicals, crashes, and such, how many minutes would Yates ship? Let's say, 2 bonus points (in next year's Spring Classic tally) for anyone being within 15 seconds of the right gap, 1 point for anyone within half a minute.

I'll go first (subject to changes), 2:45 lost by Yates

The TT looks like it has some lumps and technical corners in it similar to the opening TT. Dumoulin should still crush the rest of the GC guys, but I'm thinking the gap between TD and Yates is 2:25.

For my own entertainment purposes though, I hope TD minimizes losses this weekend and crushes the GC in the TT. Then try to defend a big lead in stages 18-20.

That is such a difficult question. The brutality of 14 & 15, the rest day before the TT...I'll take a shot in the dark though. Tom D will take 2:25 out of Simon, but that is a total crap shot. In a "fresh" TT I would give Tom a solid 3+ minutes. I just worry about the toll of Tom carrying his extra weight up the mountains on 14 & 15. Plus I don't think anyone knows what legs they will have riding a long TT after a rest day. If my 2:25 prediction swings +- 1:00 in either direction I wouldn't be surprised.

you can revise until Tuesday morning :) But I fully agree, the toll in stages 14 and 15 are the most important, and that the TT is after a rest day always throws in a little bit more chaos. Reminds me of Evans at 2008 TdF: was expected to overhaul his rivals in the TT, but too tired to pull it off

Let me rephrase that without the hot take element. Sky could have shut it down but they did not care, most teams did not have their best domestiques with them and thus they were dropped by the end and everybody watched Sagan.

i've been reading predictions from this guy for quite a while;

his prediction for tomorrow seems off. The finale has a mile at 7-8% located 5 miles from the finish, and he's calling for a sprinter. Instead, I think the same actors who tried today could do well, including Wellens and Stybar. Perhaps Battaglin and Ulissi as well.

I agree, between 2:30-3:00 unless Yates has an incredible day, which admittedely he seems almost too good at the moment so possibly only 2 minutes. I also wonder if he will pay for these "small" explosive efforts on week 3?

Week three, no problem....just get asthma LOL!!!

d'oh, i really shouldnt quit my day job. Impressive ride from Bennett, took it up from a long way out (300 m?), and was also feisty on the climb. Didn't expect him to hang on the climb, but he did. Too bad Mohoric didn't make it. The Eurosport commentators were having a field day with Betancurt's weight though.

Yes it was a very impressive ride for Bennett. He had one hell of a kick today.

This is the blog to follow for all the grand tours. Best analysis I have come across.

http://inrng.com/2018/05/giro-stage-12-preview-imola/#more-33504

Bennett had to go early because Mohoric had a lead and the finish line was looming, how he managed to kick for that long is astounding- he's my new fave sprinter [plus he's on my fantasy team].
It is WAY COOL to see a stage of the Giro finish on the historic Imola track!

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res, non verba

I didn't follow today's stage, but looking at the results, Chaves was dead last, by himself, 15:24 down. Did something happen? Is he sick? Or is he simply saving himself for tomorrow?

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"Human existence is based upon two pillars: Compassion and knowledge. Compassion without knowledge is ineffective; Knowledge without compassion is inhuman." Victor Weisskopf.

Good catch. He wouldn't ride in alone to save himself, wonder what happened.

Yeah...there were options for him to ride with a group that was 3 minutes off the peloton, or even 8 minutes off the peloton if he really wanted to save himself. Finishing 5 minutes behind the last few riders means he was eating wind from a long way out. He must be struggling with something...this wasn't that long of a stage, but I didn't see the middle portions...maybe there was crosswinds and full gas sections in an attempt to split the peloton?

I just saw that. By himself that far back doesn't look good, but could be anything. It's interesting and sometimes enlightening to see who pulls the plug for the day and when they grupetto it in and with whom. My boy Joe D has really conserved after riding on the front for the first part of yesterday. He was down 30 minutes in GC and has just added another 20 to that, I think, just by resting. A lot of climbing coming up so these past 2 days are "easy" and stay safe days. Chaves may be sandbagging but who knows.

Yeah...could be that he was riding the the last pack that finished 8 minutes down and had to take a Dumoulin?

something seems seriously wrong. He was with the main group with still 15 km to go, and that one little measly hill saw him dropped. Real bummer. Hopefully not something more serious (I'm thinking along the lines of accidental brush with a tick or something).

yeah, he seems sick.......Sky meanwhile is mauling Tejay but I believe he's going to get back close to Bernal and hang on....Bernal looks like Contador,.......

Aaaaaaaand, I was wrong.

Bummer. But really impressive ride by McNulty.

Holy hell, Bernal.

Had McNulty not flatted yesterday he’d be sniffing GC podium. Nice guy, massive, massive potential.

Toms with KOM!

Tejay did what he could do and then McNulty and others all descended with him. What was impressive is that the heavy chase group didn't put a dent into Bernal on the descent. Bernal killed it all the way down, maybe even added to his minute plus. Sky has a full stable.

On the Zonc today! The question is, Who will bonk on the Zonc?

I'm getting the impression that Froome is not going to fade. I think he makes at least a charge at a spot. TD hangs close, per usual. I think Formolo goes well again and Carapaz and Lopez too.

Pulling for Chaves to bounce back. He's up front with the team now but 120k to go.