Please join us for live blogging of Stage 7 of the Giro d’Italia. Live coverage will begin at 19.45 AEST with comments being added to this post as the race progresses.
Only a Category 3 climb and the Category 2 uphill finish on the menu today. By Giro standards that’s easy, right? Nothing is easy about today’s stage because there’s nothing really all that flat about it.
Things go uphill fast with the 4kms up Macerata (291m) coming at the 13.9km mark followed by a 5km descent. By this point, you can expect a breakaway to build on its lead. Then comes the 26km jaunt up Santa Maria Pieca (468m).
After a few more down and ups and 96kms of undulation in the legs, the riders face a 5km run to the top of the Cat 3 Colle Gallucio (1190m).
Relief arrives with 10kms of descending to Trisungo (608m) but soon leaves as the peloton pianos up Piano Palasone (1152m) for 32kms.
What comes next is a 36km descent to L’Aquila (707m), a slight bump, a dip and it’s on: 15kms to the summit of the Rocco di Cambio with some switchbacks. It’s still not over: a short descent and a 1.5km stab up a 5.9% gradient finishes the stage.
Each climb up the categorised and non categorised medium mountains in the Appenini seems easy. After a relatively odd week and yesterday’s not so simple stage, stage 7 has the potential to be relentless.
If that’s the case, sprinters will catch the mini autobus and GC contenders will ride with an eye out for hazards and time losses. Some of the GC teams will no doubt send a domestique up the road early on.
Unless pink Italian pride gets in the way, Scarponi’s (and Cunego’s) Lampre won’t fight too hard for Adriano Malori. With Miguel Rubiano only 30 seconds down on GC and leading the mountains classification, Androni Giocattoli look ready to battle for rosa glory.
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I will give up my punditry
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Thanks to everyone for reading and commenting. Keep an eye on the Roar from the Crowd for a stage recap very soon
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To sign off, it looks like Goss is still in red, Rubiano still in blue. Good night all.
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Missed the times but the GC looks like this after today's stage, 1. Ryder Hesjedal takes the maglia rosa. Congratulations Garmin. 2. Tiralongo (Astana) 3. Rodriguez (Katusha) 4. Vande Velde (Garmin) 5. Stetina (Garmin) 6. Moreno (Katusha) 7. Kreuziger (Astana) 8. Basso (Liguigas)
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Hesjedal 5th, Pozzovivo 6th, Moreno (Katusha) 7th and Basso 8th. Top 8 schmack full of GC contenders. Great to see them race for it. Scarponi possibly gains 21 seconds including 12 bonus seconds.
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Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) takes the win for Astana. Kreuziger comes to congratulate him. Scarponi second, Schleck third, Rodriguez fourth. Scarponi gains some valuable seconds for the GC
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Scarponi goes for the win with an Astana rider on his whell. Not long now. Steepest part now.. Scarponi..Scarponi...
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1km to go. Peloton has caught Pirazzi. Herrarda still out the front. But he won't hold on. Lampre out the front with Scarponi.
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2kms to go, catch to come soon. Pirazzi over cooks a corner and loses his lead.
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Garmin have regrouped too
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Astana dominating the main group with Omega Pharma having a crack too. 3km to go, 10 the gap
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4kms and 15 seconds. Herrarda starting to struggle
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Pirazzi tries to pull clear from Herrada but to no real avail. 4kms to go, the main group at 0.25
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Like
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6kms to go, 0.29 the gap
Russ Mullo
Guest
10% maximum gradiant of an Aussie rail trail :)
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Kreuziger's Astana with four at the front driving it behind two Androni riders
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Don't forget the last 1.5kms goes like this - 6.5% for 500m, 6.8% the next 500m, then the final 500m 4%. At one point for 100m it's 10%. And before this section, a stab downhill which these guys are jostling to be in the best position for
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8kms to go. Pirazzi and Herrada have 30 seconds. Gadret (AG2R) moves closer to the front of the peloton
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Teams with riders at the front of the peloton include Radioshack, Liquigas, Movistar, Astana and Lampre, and Omega. Garmin up there but not in a good position however, Ryder Hesjedal is virtual pink jersey.