Giro d'Italia 2017

[FelicityLemon]

It's that time of year again

www.giroditalia.it/eng/

Here's the route

www.giroditalia.it/eng/route/

They will be honouring Michele Scarponi:
The Giro d’Italia can’t forget a great champion, a big friend and a great man who was set to take part in the Corsa Rosa for the twelfth time this year. Therefore, a tribute will be paid to him with one of the iconic climbs of this year’s race dedicated to him: the Mortirolo.

This climb is well known all over the world and universally respected by cyclists. In 2010, it was the springboard to Michele’s last stage victory at the Giro d’Italia, at Aprica, ahead of Ivan Basso and Vincenzo Nibali.

On stage 16 from Rovetta to Bormio, Tuesday 23 May, the King of the Mountains points awarded to the rider who passes the Mortirolo in first position will be doubled compare to what was originally planned in the race regulations. He will also be honoured on stage on the final podium of the Giro in Milan.

Moreover, in Sardinia, Scarponi’s Astana team will be first to be introduced to the crowd on Thursday 4 May at 6.30pm in Alghero, when a special moment will be dedicated to his memory.

The following day, at the start of stage 1, the pink caravan will observe a minute’s silence before the flag off. The Astana team will be on the front line of the bunch for the very first part of the course. The name of Michele Scarponi will thus be associated with the 100th edition of the Giro d’Italia.

Giro d’Italia 2017 stage overview
Stage 1, May 5 Alghero – Olbia (flat) 206km
Stage 2, May 6 Olbia – Tortolì (hills) 221km
Stage 3, May 7 Tortolì – Cagliari (flat) 148km
May 8 Rest day
Stage 4, May 9 Cefalù – Etna (Rifugio Sapienza summit finish) 181km
Stage 5, May 10 Pedara – Messina (hills with flat finish) 159km
Stage 6, May 11 Reggio Calabria – Terme Luigiane (flat) 217km
Stage 7, May 12 Castrovillari – Alberobello (flat) 224km
Stage 8, May 13 Molfetta – Peschici (flat start, hills) 189km
Stage 9, May 14 Montenero di Bisaccia – Blockhaus 149km
May 15 Rest day
Stage 10, May 16 Foligno – Montefalco (ITT) 39.8km
Stage 11, May 17 Ponte a Ema – Bagno di Romagna (hills) 161km
Stage 12, May 18 Forlì – Reggio Emilia (hills, flat finish) 229km
Stage 13, May 19 Reggio Emilia – Tortona (flat) 167km
Stage 14, May 20 Castellania – Santuario di Oropa (summit finish) 131km
Stage 15, May 21 Valdengo – Bergamo (flat start, hills) 199km
May 22 Rest day
Stage 16, May 23 Rovetta – Bormio (mountains) 222km
Stage 17, May 24 Tirano – Canazei (mountains) 219km
Stage 18, May 25 Moena – Ortisei/St. Ulrich (summit finish) 137km
Stage 19, May 26 San Candido – Piancavallo (summit finish) 191km
Stage 20, May 27 Pordenone – Asiago (mountains) 190km
Stage 21, May 28 Monza (Autodromo) – Milan (ITT) 29.3km

Read more at www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/giro-ditalia/giro-ditalia-route-192184#T8G1kGUCrYmfcqC7.99

Finally here are the details of the Velogames League

League Details

League Owner: Felicity Lemon
Owner Email: redacted
League Name: Frankje's Mob
League Code: 560220130913

Well done Dumoulin & G

Quintana's skinsuit was indeed hideous, but at least he didn't have the pink socks, shoes, gloves and bike he had when he won the thing

I think he lost so much time because he was cycling along burning up too many calories going 'oh god what do I look like' .

Eurosport reported that Dumoulin gave up medicine for cycling. Is he too young for me to propose? Plus have we heard if that Belgian (I think?) cyclist got a date from writing "date me" on his chest with a girls name?

See, he totally didn't want his photo taken, he knew how bad it was

And now for a musical interlude ...

Go Quickstep Floors

Thomas is out, he's still recovering from his injuries after the crash. I think it's the right decision.

It's a shame, but the right decision, I agree.

Right decision, but what a shame indeed. Poor G.

Oh no, the second of my team not to continue!

Me too, I've now lost Thomas and Greipel. And Foliforov needs to get a move on and score at least a few points.

I didn't realise Greipel had gone too. I lost Rohan Dennis early on.

I think all the sprinters are going to head home now apart from Gaviria, he may have done amazingly well but now he has to finish the final week to wear the maglia ciclamino on the finish podium. I wonder if he thought that through . Isn't it 20,000 meters of climbing in the final week? Ouch.

I am so heartbroken for G. Totally the right decision. The man who rode the tour with a fractured pelvis obviously knows his limits.

The big day today, the Stelvio twice

In honour of the stage I will be tackling the ironing mountain while watching the TV. This is shaping up to be some competition, will Dumoulin hold onto the lead, will Quintana crack in the hills. Speaking of which, Quintana's sprint on Sunday's stage for second was quite impressive.

I followed that stage on Twitter due to work interfering with cycling. Cant wait to watch the recording.

Also very sad to see Tanel Kangert leave due to injury but it could have been so much worse. And my velogames team is now missing 3.

So, if you stop for a poo, should they wait?

Maybe not wait exactly - but they shouldn't attack. Just like I think it was wrong that Movistar attacked when the police bike took out most of the Sky team.

I've seen other occasions where something big has happened, and the race leaders have sat up, until the peloton was largely back together, and I thought that was very sporting. But on the flip side, the team sponsors will want wins - rightly so, for the money they are putting in.

They pointed out that Dumoulin waited the other day when Quintana crashed. Usually they slow up a bit, don't they? Apart from when they don't!

Quintana said it wasn't his team that rode on yesterday. I don't think the group should have waited. I also think Dumoulin had no one from his team to help him catch back on. There was one domestique but he cracked quickly.

Not had hardly any time for Giro-watching this year! Just the odd highlights programme.

Bit disappointed on the loo break gate and the peloton NOT waiting for Tom - not in good spirirt of sportspersonship at all.
Not disappointed in velogames league at all!!....I seem to remember Giro was kind to me last year, but then tanked on TdF.

It's been an excellent Giro, plenty of attacking moves. It's nice to see the GC contenders really challenging each other. I'm pleased Lands and Pinot won stages after all the effort they put in over the last few days.

It's not often that you get to the last day of a Grand Tour and not know who's going to win.

Tomorrow should be fantastic. I will be attempting to follow it all via twitter, damn kids and their sports! Watching today was fascinating, who has the strength in their legs for a time trial after all those mountains? Please let it be Dumoulin! I've not been impressed with Nibbles and Quintana over the last three weeks, not much in the way of the gentleman sportsman evident.

Very pleased how Landa's Giro has played out in the end and happy for Pinot's stage win today.

It's great that the final stage isn't just a procession. Hoping that Bob and Fernando both get the jerseys!

Last Day, Last Day!! I am stupidly excited. I so badly want Tom D. to pull off a win. I realise my fondness for him is borderline maternal ... I am old enough to be his mam!!

Nibali is a formidable TTer, too, though. The likes of Zakarin & Landa have made this Giro very exciting, too. Half-Dutch colleague made a throw-away comment about Dumoulin last week. He knows I follow pro-cycling. He got several paragraphs of prattle off me as a result. He probably will never ask again.

It's been a very exciting Giro. I'm looking forward to the TT today very much. Hoping Tom D wins and that Adam Yates hangs on to the white jersey.

Fernando keeps points jersey.
GC Contenders now starting. Final results in 50 minutes or so (we can reckon).