2010 Giro d' Italia: Stage 4 - Savigliano - Cuneo (TTT) - 32.5 km

[steve]

After the transfer to Italy, which takes the riders to Savigliano in the Piedmont, the first stage on Italian soil is, as it has been since 2007, a team time trial. The route is on a slight uphill for its duration, which is atypical for a team time trial. The course heads south on mainly straight roads from Savigliano to Cuneo, with intermediate time checks in Genola and Centallo.

Current GC

1 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana 10:07:18
2 Richie Porte (Aus) Team Saxo Bank
3 David Millar (GBr) Garmin - Transitions 0:00:01
4 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo 0:00:05
5 Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Team HTC - Columbia 0:00:07
6 Matthew Goss (Aus) Team HTC - Columbia 0:00:10
7 Andre Greipel (Ger) Team HTC - Columbia
8 Linus Gerdemann (Ger) Team Milram 0:00:12
9 Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone 0:00:15
10 Pieter Weening (Ned) Rabobank 0:00:16

Start times and order

14:50 Cofidis
14:55 Colnago-CSF Inox (Pozzovivo)
15:00 Footon-Servetto-Fuji
15:05 BMC Racing Team (Evans)
15:10 Quick Step
15:15 Caisse d'Epargne (Bruseghin, Arroyo)
15:20 Acqua e Sapone (Garzelli)
15:25 Bouygues Telecom
15:30 AG2R La Mondiale
15:35 Androni Giocattoli (Scarponi)
15:40 Lampre-Farnese Vini (Cunego)
15:45 Team Katusha (Karpets)
15:50 Team Sky (Wiggins)
15:55 Omega Pharma-Lotto
16:00 Cervélo Test Team (Sastre)
16:05 Garmin-Transitions (Millar)
16:10 Rabobank
16:15 Team Milram (Gerdemann)
16:20 Liquigas (Basso, Nibali)
16:25 Team HTC-Columbia
16:30 Team Saxo Bank (Porte)
16:35 Astana (Vinokourov)

Live video

2010 Giro d'Italia Live Video, Route, Preview, Results, Photos, Teams aka Tour of Italy

 

[Eldrack]

Could be some quite big time gaps, depending on the wind direction. I think the 200m uphill could make more of a difference than people guess, will mean teams shell a lot more riders during the course.

1. Garmin
2. Sky
3. Astana
4. Saxo

That's my prediction, it'll be wrong as usual!

 

[Andrija]

I love to watch team time trials. This one looks like pure specialists'. The road is straight and false flat.
I'm hoping there will be some crosswind, so we could enjoy in team work perfection.
Millar was talking that Garmin will ride it for Vandevelde, they should have good stage even without him.
Columbia, Sky, Liquigas and Aastana will be very close, I think.
On the other side, BMC, Cervelo, Acqua e Sapone, Lampre... Will try to limit their losses.
I don't know what's the rule for this time trial... Will there be time correction, or the actual times will be awarded?
I'm tipping Sky for the victory.

 

[Griesemer]

Anyone know where I can stream in English?

 

[pennstater]

Wet roads for the TTT today. It's a good thing this course isn't too technical. However, a few sharp turns in the last few kilometers may prove dangerous.

I'm going with Sky to take this one, followed by Columbia, Garmin and Astana in no particular order.

 

[Maxiton]

Katusha just crushed BMC's leading time, and was in turn bettered by Sky. HTC, Saxo, Astana, among others, yet to go. Looks like Sky will take it, but it'll be interesting to see just how much - if any - of that 40-some seconds Evans' team has wrested back from Vino.

EDIT: Man, I'd definitely rather be on a false flat going down - though I suppose in a time trial, that would hurt just as much.

 

[Maxiton]

Liquigas

 

[Maxiton]

So Liquigas are now 1, 2, 3 in the overall, putting Basso, in the number two spot 13 seconds behind Nibali, pretty much where he'd want to be. Anyone know where Evans stands now in the overall?

 

[pennstater]

So Liquigas are now 1, 2, 3 in the overall, putting Basso, in the number two spot 13 seconds behind Nibali, pretty much where he'd want to be. Anyone know where Evans stands now in the overall?

Wow! Didn't see Liquigas taking this one. Disappointing rides for Garmin and Astana. Wouldn't mind being a fly on the wall in the team Astana bus. I'm pretty sure Vino will call a few of his teammates "kotakbas".

Nice ride by Katusha and I'm sure Sastre is very happy with his team's performance in the TTT.

Here are some quick calculations for the overall (my math is not reliable)

Nibali 10:44:00

Vino -33
Evans -1:59
Sastre -2:13

 

[tambourlain]

Wow! Didn't see Liquigas taking this one.

Neither did I. I had Liquigas loosing a little time to Astana.

Wouldn't mind being a fly on the wall in the team Astana bus.

They are probably putting a call in to the Kazakh cycling federation to deliver more blood bags.

Nice ride by Katusha and I'm sure Sastre is very happy with his team's performance in the TTT.

Yeah, I also didn't expect that from CTT. But Carlos is still a long way down. In a way, this hurts him more, because it will be hard to take big time out of Basso in the mountains.

Scarponi's chances were also hurt today. His team stunk it up.

Looking at the French teams, after some early season success, they seem to be back to their old selves.

 

[pennstater]

Looking at the French teams, after some early season success, they seem to be back to their old selves.

I think this is good for Moncoutie, who is over 18 minutes down on GC. I think the Cofidis team will focus on the KOM jersey (Probably their overall ambition for the Giro before it began), and the strong GC contending teams will be less apt to chase Moncoutie down in a long mountain stage breakaway as he is no threat to the GC... al a Richard Virenque.

 

[Andrija]

Besides fantastic ride from Liquigas, today we could see effects of Vinokourov's suspension. It looks like he did his time constructively. He was reading, studying, learning how to do it properly when he gets back.
He was pulling very long shifts, during which his team mates struggled to hold wheels, and managed to blow his own train. He looked unnaturally strong for a 37 year old guy who has just done his time.
Maybe he brings decision to ride the Tour for himself. After all - Astana is his project.

 

[guncha]

The stupidity of the route once again. Evans would have never been so far down if there had been a normal ITT and not TTT. Don't get me wrong - TTT is fine but it should have been balanced with ITT. 23 km of ITT is not enough and it is not fair to some of GC contenders. It would have been better if ITT and TTT would have been switched.

 

[Maxiton]

Besides fantastic ride from Liquigas, today we could see effects of Vinokourov's suspension. It looks like he did his time constructively. He was reading, studying, learning how to do it properly when he gets back.
He was pulling very long shifts, during which his team mates struggled to hold wheels, and managed to blow his own train. He looked unnaturally strong for a 37 year old guy who has just done his time.
Maybe he brings decision to ride the Tour for himself. After all - Astana is his project.

Unnatural being the operative word. If he decides to ride tour for himself, it could be deja vu all over again for Contador, and the nightmare he feared Astana might be this year.

 

[Maxiton]

The stupidity of the route once again. Evans would have never been so far down if there had been a normal ITT and not TTT. Don't get me wrong - TTT is fine but it should have been balanced with ITT. 23 km of ITT is not enough and it is not fair to some of GC contenders. It would have been better if ITT and TTT would have been switched.

Yeah, but c'mon, in fairness those of us supporting Evans can't really complain about the time trials. If his team were better prepared - or just better - and he were further up in the standings, we wouldn't be complaining. He might be able to make up the time - though I'm sure he'd rather not have to. At least he's away from Lotto. Things can only get better.

 

[steve]

Will BMC's Tour de France team be any stronger? I realise Hincappie will make a difference, is there anyone else with HP missing?

Omega Pharma-Lotto @ 0:00:46

BMC Racing Team @ 0:01:21

 

[pennstater]

Will BMC's Tour de France team be any stronger?

BMC will bring a stronger team to the TDF, but so will most of the other teams.

 

[pennstater]

The stupidity of the route once again. Evans would have never been so far down if there had been a normal ITT and not TTT. Don't get me wrong - TTT is fine but it should have been balanced with ITT. 23 km of ITT is not enough and it is not fair to some of GC contenders. It would have been better if ITT and TTT would have been switched.

I agree with you and wish there was a longer final time-trial, but not because of the TTT. I do think its fair; I'm sure all the riders knew the route/stages before they arrived for the race. I actually thought BMC would have lost more than 1 minute on this stage, certainly not to Liquigas though.

There has been plenty of times where riders (one-trick-pony climbers in particular) have had high ambitions for the overall classifications in grand-tours, but were pretty much out of the overall contention because their team did poorly in the TTT. I'm pulling for Cadel, but I don't think the organizers should be blamed for BMC success or lack thereof.

 

[pennstater]

I agree with you and wish there was a longer final time-trial, but not because of the TTT. I do think its fair; I'm sure all the riders knew the route/stages before they arrived for the race. I actually thought BMC would have lost more than 1 minute on this stage, certainly not to Liquigas though.

There has been plenty of times where riders (one-trick-pony climbers in particular) have had high ambitions for the overall classifications in grand-tours, but were pretty much out of the overall contention because their team did poorly in the TTT. I'm pulling for Cadel, but I don't think the organizers should be blamed for BMC success or lack thereof.

I did some research after I posted this. In the 2000 TDF Fernando Escartin, who made the podium in 99, was arguably one of the favorites to finish high overall. The TTT on stage 4 was 70km long and Escartin and his Kelme squad lost almost 5 minutes on the stage. The last place team, Bonjour, lost 6:25. The time difference between the 1st and last place teams on this years Giro TTT was only 2:50. A 70km TTT for a climber who wasn't very good individually against the clock could be deemed unfair. Evans losing a minute... Not that bad

 

[Scotttri]

It does look like evans team choice has cost him again. It will be hard for him to make up that time, but it is only early on in the race. It's been his problem most of his career, Good rider......poor team choice!!