Giro Stage 14

Joaquin Rodriguez (KAT)
Mark Cavendish (SKY)
Roberto Ferrari (AND)
Giovanni Visconti (MOV)
Domenico Pozzovivo (COG)
Miguel Angel Rubiano (AND)
Paolo Tiralongo (AST)
Damiano Caruso (LIQ)
Jon Izagirre (EUS)

Was my team from today,

My transfers will be a simple reverse of these

46 May 18, 01:54 Mark Cavendish Ryder Hesjedal
46 May 18, 01:54 Giovanni Visconti Jose Humberto Rujano
46 May 18, 01:54 Roberto Ferrari Sergio Luis Henao

I may well pick Hesjedal and Rujano but I'm worried that Hesjdal will just get blown out of the back if they decide to up the pace on the last climb, he didn't look hugely comfortable in some of the earlier much smaller climbs.

Ok.

Poz for the win, got him in.
Scarponi to do well, left him out for a spell.
Basso to fly, gave him a try.
J Rod to suffer, left him in as he's a bluffer.
Because of Schleck's shoulder I've got someone older.

RUJANO'S AMAZING, IT'S HIM I'M PRAISING.

Oh, and I didn't have enough transfers to get rid of Hunter.

So hope he's a Punter.

NB. HE CLEARLY WON"T BE

My team is sososososososososososososo reem

Also, with Rujano and Gadret 3 minutes down needing a lead of maybe 3 minutes on those who can TT will they go big early on or will they wait till next week?

My high risk/high reward strategy is to pick both and hope for fireworks but I think I might just go for one.

So many climbers, not enough transfers. I think I might just play safe tomorrow and go with some 'obvious' picks.

Got to be Gadret. Suddenly AG2R can't stop winning.

Still not sure what I'm going to do

My safe option is bringing in Hesjedal and Kreuziger for guaranteed GC points and hope no-one goes for it this early into the mountains.

My risky option is bringing in Rujano and Gadret hoping that they've both got so much time to make up that they go for it and the GC guys just watch each other letting them win.

I'll probably go for a combination of those, with 7 climbers I'm already set up for the mountains so I can make full transfers each day knowing I won't really have to overhaul my team too much in the next week.

Dear dear dear dear, your meter is queer,
I've tweaked it some though, you'll see down below.
My mistake yes or no though?, leaving out pozzovivo.
But I have no clue, what they're all gonna do.

Poz for the win, so I've got him in.
Scarponi to do well, so left him out for a spell
Basso to fly, gave him a try.
J Rod to suffer, left him in he's a bluffer.
Because of Schleck's shoulder I've got someone older.
RUJANO'S AMAZING, IT'S HIM THAT I'M PRAISING.

I'm over the edge I think.

Well I decided against Gadret, hope i dont regret it. Basically my choice was Hesjedal for Gadret or take out demare. So I took out demare and bought in slagter

My team

J-Rod
Hesjedal
Ruijano
Haeno

Pozzovivo
Caruso
Cataldo
Huzarski
Slagter

Used 20 penalty points for my team - cant win the overall so losing 20 to possibly gain mega more is worth the risk.

Henao
Uran
Basso
J-Rod
Pozzovivo
Demare
Kristoff
Boaro
Bauer

Both the sky riders are still quite cheap for the form they are in, and are 2nd and 3rd in young riders so points there as well.

Rodriguez
Hesjedal (will be dropped tomorrow I think but hoping for a solid result today)
Rujano
Henao

Pozzovivo
Tiralongo
Caruso
Rubiano
Golas

I think my transfers tonight will be Hesjedal for Basso and maybe Rodriguez for Scarponi, or a DS swap.

As we have exactly the same DSs we have exactly the same choices.

Gone for Scarponi, (I'm sure he'll do something over the weekend and place high even if the secs difference isn't big, expect him to be top 5 GC by Sunday if his legs are ok as his whole training schedule has been orientated to this one week).
Rujano - bit of a punt - could try and win stage to get some bonus secs and some time back while the GC guys are more cagey. He's not going to win it outright after all and AND have done well so far.
Basso - should put in a solid performance and move up a few places on GC.
Henao - cheap, got 5 points for Cav and is young rider so extra points if he does well. He and Uran will stay close together somewhere in the top 10 on the stage and move up a few places on GC- I hope.

Other options - Kreuzinger but we've already got Tiralongo, who could go for the win to upset things and let Kreuzinger wait.
Gadret - ALM have some wins now so less pressure on him - or this could give him extra confidence, but 2 punts is too much and I've gone for Rujano.
Uran - prob no better than Henao and more expensive.

Purito and Hesjedal, think they will both drop a few places in GC although they'll both be top 10 but prob not top 5 on the stage.

There'll be a few surprises. I've considered De Gendt so I could have Purito and Scarponi with Henao. He might do well today or wait and go for a stage victory in the MM stages next week. Then there's Seeldrayers, Nieve might go for a stage win while the GC guys mark each other.

It's going to be an interesting tactical stage and I think everyone's team is going to be more or less the same with similar points - quite high. It's the MM stages next week that will shake up the Fantasy game with much more chance of unexpected winners.

MM used to be my weakness but now it's more of a strength, so I'm hoping to just not lose too much ground this weekend and be set up for a few interesting transfers next week. Going to need a monster stage win to get up near the top.

Amongst the remaining DSs we haven't got Stetina, who I had at one stage, he could be interesting. Lost some time due to mechanical and could be dangerous. We'll see.

At least Cav finally won for me. When he was boxed in I thought, oh no here we go again, and Goss did well enough to justify keeping him. Even went up the table with a climber heavy team.

You've pulled a handy little gap on me now Alan, as ive been steadily dropping.

My plan is to see what happens tonight and maybe drop J-Rod and Hesjedal for tomorrow, however tomorrow should suit Pozzovivo/J-Rod I reckon. At least im now in a position where my team is pretty much how I want it making my transfers tactical, rather than needing to switch for sprinters or climbers so I haven't been able to axe climbers i may have wished to.

My only set in stone tactic is to make sure I have 4 transfers going into the last stage

My team for today

J.Rod
Basso
Gasparotto
Intxausti
Golas
Casar
Tiralongo
Rubiano
Santaromito

Not having Kreuziger is my main worry today.

It's not much of a gap and you've closed that before
Been lucky/canny with Rubiano and Golas both scoring good points for me. Most of that gap is Rubiano's win.

Only way I could have Cav and Goss was to drop Purito and bring in Henao for Hesjedal early , which paid off. Didn't seem much point bringing them back in again so went for the big Italian favs to do something today as tomorrow and some of the remaining stages, apart from the last one, still suit Purito who might come back into my team if I think he's still capable of a stage win or two and those bonus secs. His TTing isn't bad after all, although Basso is better and prob. relying on that a bit. If Hesjedal doesn't lose too much time today or next Saturday he's also in with a shout of a podium spot. Kreuzinger is also well-placed as he's a decent TTer. The climbers really need to put some time into the other guys soon. There aren't that many chances.

OK, so i didn't quite stick to what i said above, my team today looks like this

Joaquin Rodriguez (KAT)
Jose Humberto Rujano (AND)
Roman Kreuziger (AST)
Benat Intxausti (MOV)
Domenico Pozzovivo (COG)
Miguel Angel Rubiano (AND)
Paolo Tiralongo (AST)
Damiano Caruso (LIQ)
Jon Izagirre (EUS)

Kreuziger
Hesjedal
Haedo
Rodriguez
Pozzovivo
Caruso
Rubiano
Golas
Tiralongo

Hoping Hesjedal and JRod can hang in there today.

Agreed, that's my worry too, I can see him, with the help of Tiralongo, making a major move this weekend.

Ah brilliant! Kept Goss for 4 defo points and he's flippin pulled out this morning

Todays break

Nelson Oliveira
Olivier Kaisen
Andrei Amador Bipkazacova
Matteo Montaguti
Nikolas Maes
Jan Barta
Alessandro De Marchi
Pier Paolo De Negri

I did point that out for everyone yesterday, he'd give the sprint a go and then leave the tour

The ONLY sprinter who's said he's likely to complete the Giro is Cav, he wants to get the red jersey overall.

Then maybe next year he'll go to the Vuelta and take the points jersey there, making the full set

But he won the Vuelta one in 2012

The mountains are good practice for Cav for the Tour and they left 18 as a carrot. Goss, to be fair, hasn't recovered from his crash, so better for him he rests up. The Tour battle between them will be interesting as Goss can do well on stages Cav can't, although not this time. It will be tighter than the battle between Cav and Rojas last year. And what's happened to Rojas? Hardly seen him this year.

I'd have thought Sagan would be the biggest thorn in Cav's side at TDF 2012?

Cav already has the TdF and the the Vuelta, he only needs the Giro to complete the set

So he did, but not in 2012

Interesting to here the interview with Pozzovivo's manager today read out online, what does he fear. The cold, the rain and going downhill

Maybe as well but will he place that high in the flat stages. The points drop off after the first couple across the line. And the MM stages will be a bit more competitive than the TOC, but he will be a factor as well but I see Goss as his main rival with his ability to win some flat stages. Could have won yesterday if he hadn't had the crash as Cav was very poorly positioned.

So who's your money on today then folks?

I'm thinking Barta is looking good, but will get caught towards the end.

Tiralongo and Kreuziger to drill it on the decent and try with a few others to break Shrek, J-Rod and some of the big guns?

Did anyone just see that?

The farnesi vini guy had a problem with his bike, jumped off, a guy in just boxers and trainers was holding it while the team got him another bike. A spectator pushed him up to speed while the team jumped back in the car and left the naked guy holding the bike even after him waving it in the air. Nice souvenir or will someone pick it up??

The little lord of the rings extra Rujano is offski on his own

Keep missing out on this Tour - dropped Kristoff the day before yesterday, and dropped Barta yesterday, having had him in for about a week! Silly me.

Just what i thought. Astana drilling it on the front as Liquigas drop back into the pack.

Some mad descending going on. Cunego and Rujano still off the front chasing the break. But Rujano losing time on Cunego because he can't go downhill for toffee

No time gaps being show, But Amador has exactly 5km ahead of the peleton as they went through the 30km banner just as he went through the 25km one.

Cunego going to be caught as Astana still hammering out the pace on the front. I think Rujano may have been swept up on the descent

No Hesjedal or Pozzovivo in the maglia rosa group???

Oops, 2010, sorry.

It's just that I've only recently returned from the future.

Let me tell you what happens in this year's Giro.

It transpired that Thor had actually been cycling really slowly behind the race caravan, sneaking into the roadside bushes for sleeps and nuts to keep him going. He actually finished seventeenth on the GC, cycling through the night to gain bonus time at the intermediate sprints.
Mark cavendish launched an attack on stage 19 on one of the descents, soling to the finish like never before.
Both Frank Schlecks arms fell of, but he still managed to finish.
Mehdi Sonrabi returned from Limbo to win three stages on the bounce.
Androni finished top of the team classification, by way of Rujano finishing First, Second, Third and Fourth.

So yeah, I basically got a little confused.

And oh yeah, Heinrich Haussler became the first person ever to win every single stage of the Tour and Vuelta.

Both of them still in there

13.4 to go and Amador has 7.15 of a gap, Looking like a break win today

De Marchi looking stronger than Amador which is good for me having two Androni riders in my team

But 11km with 6,39 gap, big enough? Hmmmm

5km 3.25 gap to De Marchi, Amador and Barta

Might just about make it to the finish

Rujano having another punt off the front......Come on you ugly little man

But FAIL, he's going no where

Sat in a bowling alley, any idea who's in the main peloton? All the main guys still there?

Going on your team drheaton

Rodriguez ✔
Hesjedal ✔
Rujano ✔
Henao ✓

Pozzovivo ✔
Tiralongo ✔
Caruso ✓
Rubiano ✓
Golas

I think the smaller ticks "might be"

3km 1.34 of a gap and Hesjedal is going for it

Its going to be a nice day for my points if they can reel in the 3 break away guys because there are only around 30 riders in the pack left and most of my guys are still there

J-Rod going to catch Hesjedal, Tiralongo, Scarponi, Pozzovivo and Kreuziger trying to keep with and there are two sky riders in there

Heano and Uran

SH*T i just noticed i didn't put Hesjedal back in, Come on De Marchi

God damn

Amador
Barta
De Marchi
Hesjedel (now in pink)
Tiralongo
Uran
J-Rod
De Gendt
Scarponi
Gadret
Schleck
Pozzovivo
Basso
Henao
Intxausti

Kreuziger dropped? Sounds like 4th for Hesjedal

1 Andrey Amador Bakkazakova (CRc) Movistar Team
2 Jan Barta (Cze) Team NetApp
3 Alessandro De Marchi (Ita) Androni Giocattoli
4 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin - Barracuda
5 Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Astana Pro Team

GC now looks like this

Hesjedal
J-Rod +9
Tiralongo +41
Casar +1.05
Basso +1.06
Kreuziger +1.07
Intxausti +1.07
Uran +1.19
Scarponi +1.20
Pozzovivo +1.21
Henao +1.39
Cataldo +1.42
Pardilla +2.06
De Gendt +2.14
Schleck +2.20

Cav might be timed out today aswell

4th, 5th, 7th, 12th, 16th for me. Surprised by Hesjedal, disappointed with Kreuziger.

I didnt do so well again argh

I didnt do so well again argh

Damn! Why did Rujano attack early when he can't descend. If he'd waited till the last 2/3k he could have done it as he obviously had some good legs, just no brain

Surprised by Hesjedal a bit as well, but the flatter climbs suit him better. Not sure if I'll change my team though. Might wait and see if Rujano tries again tomorrow as he obviously wants a stage win and he could do it if he uses his grey matter a bit. Might switch Scarponi for Purito tomorrow as it suits him better though. Glad I didn't put in Kreuzinger for Basso though, but De Gendt did well. Maybe going for the GC after all as he can TT very well. He's not out of it yet.

Going to lose ground today.

1 AMADOR
2 BARTA
3 DE MARCHI
4 HESJEDAL
5 TIRALONGO
6 URAN
7 RODRIGUEZ
8 DE GENDT
9 SCARPONI
10 GADRET
11 SCHLECK
12 POZZOVIVO
13 BASSO
14 HENAO
15 INTXAUSTI
16 KREUZIGER
17 MORENO
18 PARDILLA
19 NIEVE
20 CATALDO

For me 5,7,12,15,16,20 +5 for winning team

Rujano got 24th Was going to take Moreno over him, but only lost 4 points by not doing that

Cav in at 32.04 down, Inside the time limit??

Last man home might be good for someone

GUARDINI at 35.59 all on his ownsome

The Cav bus had 80 riders in it!
180 riders home
Sky have all 9 riders still in race

Have mountain points accidently been awarded for todays finish? I've got 5 more points than I was expecting.

130 points but only 253rd on the stage, must've been some pretty high scores today. Thankfully not fallen back in the overall but running out of stages to make up that 130 points. I think today might've been the day to do it with Amador and Barta, shame I went defensive with my choices.

Didn't fall back as much as I expected but 200 points is a lot to make up. If I'd played more defensive today and stuck with Purito and Hesjedal I would have got within 150 points. Still not completely out of it yet though. Still a few unpredictable stages to come. May have to be a bit more risk-taking with the DSs and play safer with the stars rather than the other way round.

I thought you'd gain on me today but we ended up with the same number of points. Now, what to do about Scarponi and Rujano. Do I go back to Purito and Hesjedal or take a gamble and change some DSs. Got the feeling some people may go on a break for mountain points tomorrow if they've got some energy left, but who will join them. Keizer again?

My decision, drop Rubiano and Caruso or Rodriguez and pick up Sella and Slagter, or Garate and Scarponi.

I reckon one Rabo rider might have a go, Sella too as he's 15 minutes down and Scarponi should come into his own this week.

Ideally I'd like both Sella and Garate but that can't happen unless I drop Tiralongo, which I have no intention of doing.

Tiralongo is definitely undroppable, but I would have thought tomorrow suited Purito more than Scarponi. Was hoping Scarponi would make a bit more of a move at the end today like Hesjedal did, but maybe he doesn't have the legs or not just yet. Maybe he'll (S) wait until people are more worn out. But there's only one really difficult stage left. Tomorrow isn't that bad, 7k at 7/8%. Wed is downhill finish, Fri is short and sharp, only next Sat is long and hard, about 20k at 7%. Leaving everything to one stage is a dangerous game. Don't think Scarponi is going to win it now, think Purito might hang on and win.

After taking the extra hit of a 20 point penalty to drop Hesjedal for Basso it bloody backfired big style

Never ever thought he could climb like that !

Just had a proper look at the profile you might be right, might keep Rodriguez and take some chances with me DSs.