Giro stage 8

Well here goes today, nowhere to go for tomorrow after the famous 2 point debacle, except follow the general classification and hope for some points.

Ryder Hesjedal (GRM)
Joaquin Rodriguez (KAT)
Damiano Cunego (LAM)
Theo Bos (RAB)
Christian Vande Velde (GRM)
Paolo Tiralongo (AST)
Andrea Guardini (FAR)
Arnaud Demare (FDJ)
Sylvester Szmyd (LIQ)

I've had a bad couple of days, but quite like my team now...
Hesjedal
Rodriguez
Visconti (optimistic he'll be very active the next 5 days)
Goss (thought I'd hang on to him for tomorrow)
Pozzovivo, Barta, Felline
Kristoff (for tomorrow)
Guardini (had to waste a transfer on Meersman so he's still here - outside bet for last man home though...)

Rodriguez
Hesjedal
Uran
Gasparatto
Pozzovivo
Sella
Kristoff
Demare
Guardini

Will probably shoe horn Goss in tonight by either ditching Uran +1 DS or Uran and Gasparatto.

With only two transfers I will get hammered tomorrow
Joaquin Rodriguez (KAT)
Ryder Hesjedal (GRM)
Enrico Gasparotto (AST)
Ivan Basso (LIQ)
Enrico Battaglin (COG)
Miguel Angel Rubiano (AND)
Angel Vicioso (KAT)
Domenico Pozzovivo (COG)
Emanuele Sella (AND)

but hopefully tonight's score will cover it, plus my team will be in good shape for Tuesday's uphill finish without any transfers, giving me 4 transfers for Wednesday's "sprint" finish, keep "same" team for flatter Thursday & Friday and have 4 transfer to get back to a climbing team for the two tough climbs on Saturday and Sunday

streaming pre race show now, live in a few minutes
http://videochat.gazzetta.it/index_Radiocorsa01.shtml

Cheers nickobec, just having to follow it on twitter because i finally found a BT openzone Sould be home again in time to watch the tour of Cali, i'll get my story later on

I cant copy n paste my team. So here is a screen grap from my tablet

Gkam: Is a 'grap' halfway between a 'grab' and a 'crap'?

Here's the top 9 for today . . .

Joaquin Rodriguez (KAT)
Ryder Hesjedal (GRM)
Enrico Gasparotto (AST)
Matthew Goss (GRE)
Arnaud Demare (FDJ)
Alexander Kristoff (KAT)
Miguel Angel Rubiano (AND)
Peter Stetina (GRM)
Damiano Caruso (LIQ)

maybe not in that order. . .

Stage looks like its all coming back together ahead of the final climb, expecting fireworks

2 man break reeled in at 17.5 km,and someone in white and blue stepped off his bike

Astana leading the peleton

liquigas grouping well just behind

liquigas grouping well just behind

...and the footies looking better for #bwfc . . . torn between watching 2 things at once

lampre well placed. . . 10k to go

gasporetto at the front

how many have picked kreuziger today?

Not me, but regretting keeping Gasparatto, he surely won't place well after 10km of pace setting. Looks like he's peeled off now and will drop back.

Schleck and Hesjedal struggling, change of pink tonight?

Pozzovivo attacks!

Three from liquigas on the front, Basso, Scarponi, Rujano all up there but Pozzovivo flying away, surely the stage is his with 5km to go.

Hesjedal looks broken, he's dangling off the back.

Benat Intxausti trying to catch Pozzovivo

Pozzovivo has 30 seconds on Intxaustiand 45 on the main group with less than 5km to go.

i'm never going to pick intxausti again after letting my purist team down at Romandie . . . might regret this unfounded bias

Pozz onlt 26 secs ahead

Intxausti closes the gap to 20 seconds with 2.5km to go, Schleck moves up to the head of the group alongside Scarponi. Can't see Rodriguez.

Pozz still leading as last km nears

I had the choice of bringing in Pozzovivo or somebody in the break, I chose somebody in the break... oops.

The stage is Pozzovivo's, Intxuasti might be caught, looks like a bunch sprint for the other placings.

My girlfriend is being very smug as she picked the winner for me.

The stage is Pozzovivo's, Intxuasti might be caught, looks like a bunch sprint for the other placings.

My girlfriend is being very smug as she picked the winner for me.

pozz wins

intzausti second and sky lead in the group

Pozzovivo is quite a popular pick isn't he? I messed up bad today.

j-rod 3rd , de gendt 4th

j-rod 3rd , de gendt 4th

Caruso and Hesjedal were up there

1. Pozzovivo
2. Intxausti
3. Rodriguez
4. De Gendt
5. Cataldo
6. Caruso
7. Brambilla
8. Huzarski
9. Rujano
10. Gadret
11. Hesjedal
12. Tiralongo
13. Uran
14. Cunego
15. Scarponi
16. Basso
17. Kreuziger
18. Schleck
19. Henao
20. Pardilla

And why did I get rid of Uran? A disaster of a stage.

Pozzovivo
Inxausti
Rodriguez
De Gendt
Cataldo
Caruso
Brambilla
Huzarski
Guillen
Gadret
Hesjedal
Tiralongo
Uran Uran
Cunego
Scarponi

1, 3, 11 and 13 plus a good few of the top few GC guys, average day I'd say.

Hesjedal keeps the pink by the looks of things, don't know much else.

GC:
1. Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin)
2. Joaquim Rodríguez (Katusha) 9'
3. Paolo Tiralongo (Astana) 15'
4. Roman Kreuziger (Astana) 35'
5. Beñat Intxausti (Movistar) 35'

Then probably:

6. Basso
7. Caruso
8. Cataldo
9. Schleck
10. Uran (maybe)
11. Scarponi
12. Pozzovivo

that's a guess by the way, waiting for the offical results

CLASSIFICA M.AZZURA (mountains)

UNOFFICIAL Standings
1 RUBIANO CHAVEZ Miguel Angel
COL AND 24 0
2 GOLAS Michal
POL OPQ 16 8
3 TIRALONGO Paolo
ITA AST 9 15
4 POZZOVIVO Domenico
ITA COG 9 15
5 BENEDETTI Cesare
ITA APP 7 17

CLASSIFICA M.ROSSA (points)

UNOFFICIAL Standings
1 GOSS Matthew Harley
AUS OGE 65 0
2 CAVENDISH Mark
GBR SKY 55 10
3 RUBIANO CHAVEZ Miguel Angel
COL AND 36 29
4 POZZOVIVO Domenico
ITA COG 35 30
5 RODRIGUEZ OLIVER Joaquin
ESP KAT 30 35

Still waiting on official GC and White Jersey standings...

Well my gamble paid off transferring in Basso & Pozzovivo for Goss & Balloni especially with the KOM points close but not at the finish. 40 for Pozzovivo + 5 for Basso add that to Hesjedal & Rodriguez is about the same as most the other team in the top 10

Guardini last man home.

1, 2, 3, 12, 13, 19. That's all my luck for this year.

OFFICIAL GC
1. Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin)
2. Joaquim Rodríguez (Katusha) 9'
3. Paolo Tiralongo (Astana) 15'
4. Roman Kreuziger (Astana) 35'
5. Beñat Intxausti (Movistar) 35'
6. Basso
7. Caruso
8. Cataldo
9. Schleck
10. Cappechi
11. Uran
12. Scarponi
13. Pozzovivo

WHITE JERSEY
1. Caruso
2. Uran
3. Henao
4. Stetina
5. Slagter

better day today although gasparotto will haveto go because of DS duties.

1,3,6,11,12,

1,3,4 and last man for me today

Bos came in last. . . about time he got some pts

Guardini according to official site was last

Didn't Guardini come in last? Bos is last in GC, not last on the stage.

Not a bad day today, got 1,3,11,16,19 plus whatever gc, mountain points etc etc etc.

Now for tomoro's stage - do i put in cav or goss ?

Hey Dave/Simon can you check the scores? I'm pretty sure they're wrong, for a start Rubiano seems to have been given Rujano's points.

aye, i'll check

I think Rubiano should have 8 pts and Rujano 12 points. So Rubiano has currently been given all of Rujano's points and nothing up for Rujano. Shame, as I didn't have Rujano in the end but have got Rubiano - but fair's fair.

Agreed, I haven't checked all the results but it does look like Rubiano has been given both his and Rujano's points.