Giro stage 15

Eldrack said:

Holy sh!t Savoldelli just came to the front on the Giau and annihilated the bunch. Cunego, Di Luca without teamates. Simoni has three team mates up the road so good tactics there. Schleck, Arroyo still in there. Going to be big time gaps today........

Wow, this is going to be a great stage....

Saunier Duval looking strong - you would have to say Di Luca would be worried now about Simoni.

I am going to say Schleck wins the stage....and ultimately the Giro. Long shot I know, but seeing a young guy come through, especially as he does not have a strong climbing team around him is awesome. I am on the bandwagon!

Savoldelli makes a minute on the descent of the Giau so he's there to help Mazzoleni on the next climb, what a legend on the descents.

Eldrak looks like you were right. Mazzoleni has gone on the attack after a big pull from Il Falco. I hope he gets some time on the favorites.

20KM to go. The fun should really start in about 10 KM.

Wow, what a stage! Everything to play for on the Mont Zoncolan now. Di Luca still looking amazingly strong, gapping Simoni and Cunego! Given how strong Mazzoleni time trials he's pretty much guaranteed a podium place unless he cracks big time on the Zoncolan.

The best stage of this years Giro - in my opinion.

What a stage.

Ricco, Piepoli, Parra and Perez Cuago's climbing display was awesome.
The last 20kms looked like sheer torture.

The man of the stage for me today was Eddie Mazzolini : road the stage by himself (for the most part) cut a minute and a half out of his deficit to DiLuca - and all by himself.
Superb.
For a tall rider, he climbed really well.

Then the chase group of DiLuca, Cunego, Simoni, Schleck : what a group.
Enjoyed the standoff where no one would make a move.
Finally DiLuca went for it : he looks really strong.
Hard to understand how a very good one day rider, can climb like DiLuca did today (sorry for being suspicious - but given what has happened this week in the sport, I can't help but be cynical).

Savoldelli's descending was great too.

Liked Dave Harmons commentary on today stage.
Nice piece he did about Sean Kelly beating Eddy Merckx in a sprint finish this day - 30 years ago!

limerickman said:

Finally DiLuca went for it : he looks really strong.
Hard to understand how a very good one day rider, can climb like DiLuca did today (sorry for being suspicious - but given what has happened this week in the sport, I can't help but be cynical).

So I'm not the only one then? He crossed the line today looking like he could go round again. Cunego crossed the line looking like he didn't know where he was. Two years ago he clung on in the big climbs, last year he was nowhere, this year he looks like he could out climb Pantani. DiLuca actually looks to me like he's holding back a touch. At this rate I expect to see him riding up the Zoncolan in the big ring, holding his breath. 🙄

Great stage.

1. Surprised how everyone in the maglia rosa group just sat... they risked having Mazzoleni gain a good deal more time on them today. Silly of Simoni, Cunego and Schleck, IMHO.

2. Great riding by Savoldelli and by Mazzoleni.

3. Very impressive day for Ricco'. If this boy continues to ride like this he is the next Italian GT rider.

4. I hate to admit it, but Di Luca's riding is a bit too impressive. Have to agree with Lim. Hope that I am wrong on this one, but...

Do you think Di Luca will confess?

He and his team are looking very similar in this Giro to a certain multiple TDF winner.
Strong TTT, where they beat specialists' teams, then attacking and building advantage on first two mountain-top finishes (with full team support), very strong TT and now climbing (not climbing, flying) steepest climbs like they're flat... Nothing of this he and his team could do previous years. They weren't even close to other teams and Di Luca could climb just 1 or 2 stages on satisfying level (just satisfying not great).
Let's wait and see Zoncolan and last TT.

Great stage overall.

'The Killer' looked like he had rocket fuel. BTW, why do they call him that?

Schleck, very impressive. I'am the same age and I would expect this generation to have been guided well and ride clean. Hope this is the case.

I loved how when Cunego was closing on Simoni at the finish, Simoni took a look behind and accelerated, just was not going to let Cunego beat him at anything.

Impressive by amigo de brillo.

Epic, epic stage. This is what I love about the Giro. Bring on the Zoncolan!

It's really sad though, and I find myself doing it too, that we will always be doubting these spectacular climbing perfomances by those not really know, or well-suited for them. For the first time its not just irrational either.

Eagle of Toledo said:

Epic, epic stage. This is what I love about the Giro. Bring on the Zoncolan!

It's really sad though, and I find myself doing it too, that we will always be doubting these spectacular climbing perfomances by those not really know, or well-suited for them. For the first time its not just irrational either.

Agreed I'm the same... didn't Mazzoleni get caught up in a couple of scandels ?

Oh well its been great racing and good to see some of the younger riders coming through....

Isn't the CSC rider the Brother of the Friend of Basso (i.e. Frank's brother Andy)? He seems to be doing a little "too" well for a young rider. Given Riis admissions and CSC's part doping record (Hamilton, Basso while in their employ) there's enough doubt to go around.

By focusing on DiLuca we assume that the others are clean (and always were given their past performances)?

Faulty logic.

Anyway, great stage, and more to come.

limerickman said:

Nice piece he did about Sean Kelly beating Eddy Merckx in a sprint finish this day - 30 years ago!

Yes that was nice. Pity they can't prompt John Kelly with other stuff like this from the past

Stages 14 and 15 were superb. Stage 14 shading it for me - given the number of splintered groups with favourites in each one all along the road and the dramatic finish in Bergamo

Di Luca has become unbeatable. All he needs now is to ride awaay from Simoni on the Zoncolan to earn the ET tag. And Liquigas - don't they get tired?

Basso's brother in law has never been so high up in GC. Is he the new "Buffalo"?

Best part of todays stage, I have to agree, was the extra zip in Gibo's legs at the end when he saw Cunego the little princess gaining on him.

Apparantly Gibo trains on rollers with a picture of Cunego hanging on the wall behind him. When he feels tired he just has a quick glance over his shoulder. Its better than blood doping.

wicklow200 said:

Pity they can't prompt John Kelly with other stuff like this from the past

Paul Kimmage said this as well in yesterdays Sunday Times newspaper.

limerickman said:

Finally DiLuca went for it : he looks really strong.
Hard to understand how a very good one day rider, can climb like DiLuca did today (sorry for being suspicious - but given what has happened this week in the sport, I can't help but be cynical).

go!

As luck would have it I was going through some old procycling issues the other day and I happened to find the one just after Di Luca had won the inaugural Pro Tour. They had a long interview and a long piece on him and (of course) quite a few photos...
Taking into consideration that this (2005) was his best year since 2001 it is really surprising how different he looks now compared to then.
I think he must has lost quite a bit of weight, he looks really thin now much thinner than 2005 and is very evident on his face.
In 2005 he did quite well in the mountains also and the field that year was much stronger than this year's. Which i think it goes some way in explaining how good he looks (still he looks too good though).
I think to an extent Di Luca is flattered by Simoni and Savo showing their age and Cunego failing again to reproduce his 2003 form. The same for Mazzoleni.

DV1976 said:

As luck would have it I was going through some old procycling issues the other day and I happened to find the one just after Di Luca had won the inaugural Pro Tour. They had a long interview and a long piece on him and (of course) quite a few photos...
Taking into consideration that this (2005) was his best year since 2001 it is really surprising how different he looks now compared to then.
I think he must has lost quite a bit of weight, he looks really thin now much thinner than 2005 and is very evident on his face.
In 2005 he did quite well in the mountains also and the field that year was much stronger than this year's. Which i think it goes some way in explaining how good he looks (still he looks too good though).
I think to an extent Di Luca is flattered by Simoni and Savo showing their age and Cunego failing again to reproduce his 2003 form. The same for Mazzoleni.

DV - it could be the case that the weight loss has helped him climb.
I hope that this is the reason.

He looked super strong on yesterdays stage - even on the 18% gradients, he was going away from the likes of Cunego/Simoni.
Even Rasmussen was struggling toward the end of that stage.

Interesting that you spotted this.
I'll have to dig out the old copies and take a look at the Killer!

limerickman said:

DV - it could be the case that the weight loss has helped him climb.
I hope that this is the reason.

He looked super strong on yesterdays stage - even on the 18% gradients, he was going away from the likes of Cunego/Simoni.
Even Rasmussen was struggling toward the end of that stage.

Interesting that you spotted this.
I'll have to dig out the old copies and take a look at the Killer!

December 2005 is the issue.
There is a photo of him climbing up Stelvio pass. It could be the light but I think that his face doesn't look anyhere near as gaunt as it looks now...