Road Bike Racing - Speeds in the Giro

According to cyclingnews.com's live report, the riders averaged 30km/hr for the first hour.
Granted they have to do almost 200km today. However, that speed seems really slow for
pro tour riders. I would think they would go a lot faster than that esp. when the peloton is
still together. It almost sounds like a jaunt in the park. Is this normally how stages start
out?

According to cyclingnews.com's live report, the riders averaged 30km/hr for the first hour.
Granted they have to do almost 200km today. However, that speed seems really slow for
pro tour riders. I would think they would go a lot faster than that esp. when the peloton is
still together. It almost sounds like a jaunt in the park. Is this normally how stages start
out?
Well having watched several Giros (from my recliner) I think that is not at all abnormal for the Giro. Seems to me the Giro has an entirely different character than the Tour for stage starts. Bob Roll has commented that it has been this way for a long time. In his days guys in the Giro gruppo compatto (sp) were always shouting out, "Slowly, slowy!!!"; and that's just what they did.

"spoiler"

I just read that Buffaz, who's on a long solo break right now, tried to stop and quit, but his DS talked him into keeping going. He lost 3 minutes of his gap, but still had a 4:30 advantage. The peloton's riding some serious piano!

"spoiler"

I just read that Buffaz, who's on a long solo break right now, tried to stop and quit, but his DS talked him into keeping going. He lost 3 minutes of his gap, but still had a 4:30 advantage. The peloton's riding some serious piano!
True, but we were talking about stage starts.

Prior to the 90's the Giro was known for slow early stage speeds; they would give it the gas the final 2-3 hours of each stage because those were televised live. They called it going 'piano'. It was seen more of a training race for the Tour back then. Even LeMond has stated the Giro has now perhaps become "too hard for it's own good" given its place on the calendar (translation = proximity to the Tour).

The riders anticipate the stage, if there are many climbs, averaging 40+ km/hr in the first hour makes no sense. The Giro stages are longer and steeper than TDF.
Several comments have been made this year about speeds-they are lower overall, and there have been no 5 minute super-leads of year's past, nor have there been the Birillo-like super climbs of the past few years.
Perhaps doping controls are working.

No one in the Giro considers it a training race for the Tour, most top riders are focused on this race and have little interest in TDF.

Two pianos this week.

The riders anticipate the stage, if there are many climbs, averaging 40+ km/hr in the first hour makes no sense. The Giro stages are longer and steeper than TDF.
Several comments have been made this year about speeds-they are lower overall, and there have been no 5 minute super-leads of year's past, nor have there been the Birillo-like super climbs of the past few years.
Perhaps doping controls are working.

No one in the Giro considers it a training race for the Tour, most top riders are focused on this race and have little interest in TDF.


+1 exactly what I was thinking.



The cofidis rider in the break "Buffaz" was reported that he stopped and started crying. His DS said this was his first grand tour and he didn't know what to do. He was worried of upsetting the peloton

The riders anticipate the stage, if there are many climbs, averaging 40+ km/hr in the first hour makes no sense. The Giro stages are longer and steeper than TDF.
Several comments have been made this year about speeds-they are lower overall, and there have been no 5 minute super-leads of year's past, nor have there been the Birillo-like super climbs of the past few years.
Perhaps doping controls are working.

No one in the Giro considers it a training race for the Tour, most top riders are focused on this race and have little interest in TDF.
Hincapie does. McEwen does which is why he always drops out before Milan. Rasmussen....most of CSC. You should have said most top Italian riders.

Giro stages traditionally start "tranquilo", regardless of the day's parcours. Riders will sit up and make the the sign to slow down....looks like the signal for a time-out.

doesn't make the racing any easier, tho.

I just noticed Simoni is a bit shorter than me but his saddle is an inch higher....man, I have short legs.


http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech/2007/probikes/?id=simoni_saunierduval_scott

"tranquilo"

I'm gonna start using that in my everyday 'bike-speak'..... "My ride? It was tranquilo" (said with a slight dreamy smile), sounds much better than 'slow'. :)

I just noticed Simoni is a bit shorter than me but his saddle is an inch higher....man, I have short legs.


http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech/2007/probikes/?id=simoni_saunierduval_scott

That's a cool bike but I've never been a fan of Scott bikes. I feel that, to really get a good value of bike for your money with a Scott, you've got to get up to a $6-7,000 bike. Their $1500 bikes are way below others of that price in terms of components/grouppo and they weigh more (yet didn't seem to be stiffer).

I'm gonna start using that in my everyday 'bike-speak'..... "My ride? It was tranquilo" (said with a slight dreamy smile), sounds much better than 'slow'. :)

Bike racing in Italy is the coolest thing ever.....beautiful scenery, roads smoother than a pool table.....and the women!!

:D

Will Walker on cn.com....

It was his presence in the front group on stage 8 going to Fiorano Modenese that allowed him to move up on GC. "Today was the most boring cycling day in my career," he laughed after stage 11 in Pinerolo. "Look at the time we spent on the bike: four hours and 46 minutes! And my average heart rate was 100. It was better than another hard and fast day in between the climbs. It was good actually. Most of the guys were tired after yesterday's stage. Everybody aimed at a day off or so."

"The Giro is definitely not like the Tour de France," he concluded. "The interest must be smaller because we'd never see such a slow stage at the Tour de France."

My HR goes over 100 just putting my shoes on.

My HR goes over 100 just putting my shoes on.


:roflmao:

I was thinking about this same thing, also was impressed how tired the riders look after each stage. it's not like in the big tours a couple years before were riders arrived like new every day giving interviews and then going all out the next and the next day. If you get to see the post stage interview program just look at their faces, there's something different. Remember the T-Mobile guys saying they would not be able to continue controlling the race (to keep the maglia rosa) after a couple days of work? Those guys were really destroyed. Also stage 10, I couldn't remember the last time I saw the guys get to the finish that blown. Stage 11 was the classic stage to go for win for a non GC rider, but instead almost no one wanted to leave the protection of the peloton.

For me it seems that teams are being much more cautious in relation to doping and taking less chances. I think the peloton is a bit more cleaner this time after all the stuff that's been happening these last weeks.

Robintosh

Today was definitely not a "piano" day. :eek: Nor will the next few climbing days. Some of the upcoming climbs look horrifically wonderful. :D

Hincapie does. McEwen does which is why he always drops out before Milan. Rasmussen....most of CSC. You should have said most top Italian riders.

None of those guys are serious contenders for the overall win, few even finish the Giro. Most of the sprinters don't finish the TDF either.

My HR goes over 100 just putting my shoes on.

110 just reading this thread.

None of those guys are serious contenders for the overall win, few even finish the Giro. Most of the sprinters don't finish the TDF either.
Your comment was
No one in the Giro considers it a training race for the Tour. I wasn't talking about GC riders; obviously they're in it to win it...especially the Italians and the ones who know they have no shot at winning the Tour. I think most of the sprinters do finish the Tour because of the green jersey battle. The Giro is too hard for the points jersey to be worth it.

Hey, even I could ride with the gruppo today. ;) Three hours at 17.9 mph. Well, maybe not though, that was a pretty nice climb they went over. :)

Hey, even I could ride with the gruppo today. ;) Three hours at 17.9 mph. Well, maybe not though, that was a pretty nice climb they went over. :)

while the campalongo is not the hardest climb, it's far from a walk in the park.

keep in mind that (according to cyclingnews) yesterday's rest day was wet, and most of the riders skipped a recovery ride, so the start was 'piano piano'. fair enough, considering the weather, the stiff legs after 2 days in the mountains, and what's on the schedule for tomorrow.

this was their view on the descent of the campalongo.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/botto/campalongo.jpg

while the campalongo is not the hardest climb, it's far from a walk in the park.

keep in mind that (according to cyclingnews) yesterday's rest day was wet, and most of the riders skipped a recovery ride, so the start was 'piano piano'. fair enough, considering the weather, the stiff legs after 2 days in the mountains, and what's on the schedule for tomorrow.

this was their view on the descent of the campalongo.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/botto/campalongo.jpg
Botto - thanks for the great photo. I drove over that pass a number of years ago but it was raining so hard that I could not see the view!

^^My wife almost dialed 911. She thought I had a stroke (wide, slack, open mouth with large amount of droooool.) Great picture. Thanks^^