Giro d'Italia / Tour de France

[Paddingtonwolf]

Lovely weather on the way in to Imola today looking at the highlights.

Horizontal rain.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Wow - just seen the finish by Sam Bennett - incredible stuff. Afterburners on.

 

[Pompey Wolf]

Not caught today but great to see Bennett get another one, what happened to Viviani?

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

There was a split in the peloton just before they got to the circuit in an absolute belter of a storm. His group dropped about twenty seconds and couldn't bet back on until the last couple of ks. Then it lit up at the front and he had no chance of getting through to compete.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Zoncolan day is here. Really looking forward to the brute later on, but they are on a smaller climb at the moment, and even that has bits of 22%.

 

[Pompey Wolf]

Sadly out all day so will have to catch up later. Huge day for Yates to put some more time into Dumoulin who I don’t think will suit such a steep climb.

 

[Johnny75]

Sadly out all day so will have to catch up later. Huge day for Yates to put some more time into Dumoulin who I don’t think will suit such a steep climb.

I would say he needs at least a minute as Doumulin will make that and more back in the TT.

 

[Pompey Wolf]

Yeah the TT is 34km and pretty flat so he might even need 2 minutes. Think he’s more likely to get that today than tomorrow although there will be opportunities then as well.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

This is superb stuff. Froome is back and Yates is doing a tremendous ride

 

[Johnny75]

This is superb stuff. Froome is back and Yates is doing a tremendous ride

Great stage and ride from all the top men bar Aru. I think Yates needs another 20 seconds from tomorrow to win it otherwise it's Doumulin's on the TT.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Possibly but there are some brutal stages next week as well. Yates can get at Dumoulin there as well.

 

[Johnny75]

Possibly but there are some brutal stages next week as well. Yates can get at Dumoulin there as well.

True, the mountain finish on Thursday looks a beast. A stage win could be decisive next week as long as Yates keeps the gap lower than 2minutes in the TT.

It's very exciting especially with Froome now winding himself up.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

I expect Froome to put in a monster TT. He was deliberately undercooked for the first ten days and now is right at the party.

 

[Pompey Wolf]

Wow that certainly didn’t disappoint! As you guys have said this is totally up in the air now, think Yates will need time tomorrow not to lose the jersey on Tuesday but he could get it back Thursday or even Saturday. Maybe even Froome can come into the mix now as well. Great race!

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Aru blown out the back door again today. I think he is going to abandon before the finish.

Froome and Yates looking great again, but the main meat of the stage is yet to really start.

 

[Johnny75]

And Yates goes, brilliant stuff with 18k's left. Froome looks cooked.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

I think that is Froome done. Yates goes again!! Holy shit he is amazing.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

I think this could be the maglia rosa for Yates. He surely isn't going to lose enough in the TT to not get it back on Thursday. What a giro this is. It's magnificent.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Dumoulin cracks!

 

[Johnny75]

What a ride from Yates.