[crockett]

NBOL, I believe you have a satellite dish. If there is no English language channel showing, I will order RAI for the three weeks necessary. In the past, RAI has shown most of the stages live- all the weekdays, and some of the weekends- soccer can get in the way. Available on Dishnetwork (what I have) and hopefully on DirecTV.

[N.B.O.L.]

crockett, on 26 April 2013 - 02:27 PM, said:

NBOL, I believe you have a satellite dish. If there is no English language channel showing, I will order RAI for the three weeks necessary. In the past, RAI has shown most of the stages live- all the weekdays, and some of the weekends- soccer can get in the way. Available on Dishnetwork (what I have) and hopefully on DirecTV.

I appreciate your heads up and wishful thinking, but if DirecTV has RAI available in any way, I can't find it.

According to CyclingNews BeIN is going to carry it. If they are that is good news although I haven't had a lot of luck with some of their other cycling coverage.

[N.B.O.L.]

Just confirmed that the Giro is showing on DirecTV's schedule for BeIN. Granted on Sunday's time trial they allocated all of 35 minutes for it.

The other days are more of the normal 2 hour show, based on the first 5 days that I can see on the schedule at the moment.

This post has been edited by N.B.O.L.: 26 April 2013 - 10:13 PM

[crockett]

N.B.O.L. said:

1367014369[/url]' post='184069']
Just confirmed that the Giro is showing on DirecTV's schedule for BeIN. Granted on Sunday's time trial they allocated all of 35 minutes for it.

The other days are more of the normal 2 hour show, based on the first 5 days that I can see on the schedule at the moment.

That's great. Excellent HD on BEIN. They have the tour of romandie this week.

[Mark]

And Basso is out.

I don't think he would have been much of a factor anyway. Still, the more contenders, the better the racing.

[Burkni]

Mark, on 02 May 2013 - 02:42 PM, said:

And Basso is out.

I don't think he would have been much of a factor anyway. Still, the more contenders, the better the racing.

That'll probably spell the end for him, career-wise ... The Giro is his season

[The Rake]

Burkni, on 02 May 2013 - 05:11 PM, said:

That'll probably spell the end for him, career-wise ... The Giro is his season

What are you saying? 35 is nothing these days!

[Burkni]

The Rake, on 02 May 2013 - 05:27 PM, said:

What are you saying? 35 is nothing these days!

43 is even the new 35 ... Just ask Horner!

[The Rake]

Burkni, on 02 May 2013 - 10:28 PM, said:

43 is even the new 35 ... Just ask Horner!

Is it just me or does anyone else think Horner looks like Toad from Super Mario?

Horner:
http://en.wikipedia....oad_3D_Land.jpg

Toad:
http://www.google.co...49&tx=124&ty=59

This post has been edited by The Rake: 03 May 2013 - 07:50 AM

[bontempi]

Quite disappointed that Basso won't be there. Despite his doping past and sub-par performances of late, I do kinda like him as a rider. He sort of flies under the radar a bit these days and stays out of trouble in the early part of the race, so the uncertainty about how he might perform on the first mountain stage adds a sort of excitment to proceedings that will be missing this time around.

[micomico]

bontempi, on 03 May 2013 - 03:20 PM, said:

Quite disappointed that Basso won't be there. Despite his doping past and sub-par performances of late, I do kinda like him as a rider. He sort of flies under the radar a bit these days and stays out of trouble in the early part of the race, so the uncertainty about how he might perform on the first mountain stage adds a sort of excitment to proceedings that will be missing this time around.

He has been missing a piston for some time, had high hopes last year throughout most of the race, until it really went uphill.He kept saying he start showing up, never did.
I don't know how much the biological passpport/cleaner riding is affecting him, but he is a second-tier rider at best.
I wonder how much that dynamic is affecting AC this season.

[bontempi]

micomico, on 05 May 2013 - 08:54 PM, said:

He has been missing a piston for some time, had high hopes last year throughout most of the race, until it really went uphill.He kept saying he start showing up, never did.
I don't know how much the biological passpport/cleaner riding is affecting him, but he is a second-tier rider at best.
I wonder how much that dynamic is affecting AC this season.

Oh well, I still reckon he has another Japan Cup in him though

[Burkni]

micomico, on 05 May 2013 - 08:54 PM, said:

He has been missing a piston for some time, had high hopes last year throughout most of the race, until it really went uphill.He kept saying he start showing up, never did.
I don't know how much the biological passpport/cleaner riding is affecting him, but he is a second-tier rider at best.
I wonder how much that dynamic is affecting AC this season.

He might be able to salvage his season by doing TdS and (particularly) Austria.

[bontempi]

GC Talk

With the rest day unpon us and a couple of stages coming up that probably won't have a big effect on the GC, it's as good a time as any to reflect on the current standings and whether anything is likely to change over the last week:

1) Vincenzo Nibali
2) Cadel Evans +1:26
3) Rigoberto Uran +2:46
4) Mauro Santambrogio +2:47
5) Michele Scarponi +3:53
6) Przemyslaw Niemiec +4:35
7) Carlos Betancur +5:15
8) Rafal Majka +5:20
9) Domenico Pozzovivo +5:57
10) Benat Intxausti +6:21

So, Nibali is in complete control and it's beginning to look like a formality. But, we do still have two huge mountain stages to come, which coming at the very end of the three weeks, could result in buckets of time being lost if someone has a bad day. Nibali has not dominated the race in the same way as, say, Contador did a few years ago. It's been more a calculated performance similar to wins of Menchov and Savoldelli. His good, but not "great", climbing ability could yet be exposed in the series of stages from Thu-Sat. Aside from that, the shortened stages, bad weather and the nature of the Galibier climb have worked in Nibali's favour to thwart any would be attackers.

However, the threat of Evans seems to be diminishing by the day - although he's doing well considering his participation seemed to be something of an afterthought, it appears that he's just hanging in on the mountains and probably won't have the armoury to trouble Nibali. The only people who look like they might be able to trouble Nibali are Uran and Betancur. Betancur seems like the best climber in the race at this point but he's a long way down. It would be nice to see him try an attack from distance on either Friday or Saturday. As for Uran, I think Sky's policy of sending Hanao up the road has only really served to neutralise Uran. I don't necessarily think Uran needs to attack from way out, but I think Sky would be better off using Hanao to thin out the group and then get Uran to fully commit to an attack of his own.

[Burkni]

Agree re: Henao/Uran.
Regarding the GC, if Nibali has an incident-free week, only Evans is close enough. I for one think that Evans will be better next weekend than this one. Trouble is that he will have to attack and Nibali will have to crack, the bonus seconds and TT alone will hardly be enough.

Edit:
Special shout-out to Przemislav Niemec, who seems to be finally delivering on the big stage finally delivering on the big stage, even though (nominally) he is working for Scarponi.

This post has been edited by Burkni: 20 May 2013 - 10:27 PM

[N.B.O.L.]

Burkni, on 20 May 2013 - 10:22 PM, said:

Agree re: Henao/Uran.
Regarding the GC, if Nibali has an incident-free week, only Evans is close enough. I for one think that Evans will be better next weekend than this one. Trouble is that he will have to attack and Nibali will have to crack, the bonus seconds and TT alone will hardly be enough.

Edit:
Special shout-out to Przemislav Niemec, who seems to be finally delivering on the big stage finally delivering on the big stage, even though (nominally) he is working for Scarponi.

Well at least Evans is someone who has in the past shown a willingness to attack. Hopefully such a move won't cause him to crack rather than Nibali.

[Burkni]

N.B.O.L., on 20 May 2013 - 10:31 PM, said:

Well at least Evans is someone who has in the past shown a willingness to attack. Hopefully such a move won't cause him to crack rather than Nibali.

His willingness to attack is quite overshadowed by his willingness to follow. He basically never puts his nose in the wind except when:
A ) Forced to
B ) He can ensure that no one is on his wheel

This post has been edited by Burkni: 20 May 2013 - 10:35 PM

[The Rake]

Burkni, on 20 May 2013 - 10:34 PM, said:

His willingness to attack is quite overshadowed by his willingness to follow. He basically never puts his nose in the wind except when:
A ) Forced to
B ) He can ensure that no one is on his wheel

Sadly he is not the exception in this respect. Modern racing is very conservative, and based too much in science than gut. Thomas Voeckler aside (and brief flares by Schleck and Contador in 2011) the swash buckling days are over.

As an example when Uran was interviewed yesterday he said:

Quote

I think both Evans and I are trying to secure our podium places.

http://www.cyclingne...balis-dominance

Pragmatic yes, but hardly going to make Nibs worry

This post has been edited by The Rake: 21 May 2013 - 06:35 AM