Giro d'Italia - Tappa 11

As for today, i'm with people on Betancur or Pozzivivo or Pirazzi.

I'm goign to go out on a limb here and say Nibali WONT win the Giro.

There is some hellish climbing to be done and i know his team aren't upto it and i cant see him being able to live with constant breaks going out, especially if the big gc teams stick together.

Betancur (for Atapuma)
Chalapud (for Pellizotti)
Pirazzi
Nibali
Evans
Pozzovivo
Santambrogio
Di Luca
Battaglin

Wanted Betancur for the finish, think he may finally get the win today (although Evans may push him for it if it comes down to a GC sprint), and Chalapud for the break as Columbia will want to get someone in there after missing it the last few days (plus at 3 credits Chalapud helps free up funds for sprinters tomorrow).

Expecting a breakaway win but with the GC guys rolling in in a fairly large group not far behind. Don't think any of the top 5-10 will lose a great deal of time today and don't expect the stage to be hard enough for someone to try and take serious time out of their rivals.

Here goes then :-

NIBALI
BETANCUR
EVANS
SANTAMBROGIO
NIEMIC
MAJKA
SANCHEZ
PANTANO
SELLA

I agree with Dave, Astana won't work to bring it back and have the chance of Uran/Betancurt/Evans taking the bonus time ahead of Nibali so if a strong enough break goes away (unlike yesterday) I reckon it'll stick.

Maybe one of the Columbians (Pantano hopefully as he's in my purist team) will take it or a Vini guy like Rabottini or Di Luca.

yeah the final climb today is neither long enough nor steep enough to distance anyone half-decent. bunch finish from a reasonably select group, i reckon. but if there's a break that the GC are happy with, i reckon it'll stay out

I don't think today is as hard a finish as yesterday so I don't know if Uran will be able to get away as easily. Yesterday was a long and very steep climb for the finish, today is much shorter and not as steep. Today's finish is 7km at only 7% rather than the stupid 20% bits yesterday.

I see a larger GC group coming to the finish together with the likes of Wiggins still in there. He won't be as easy to drop today.

Do u reckon Uran will be allowed to do a repeat of yesterday? And maybe be given the go ahead to go for overall victory?

I made 3 transfers, one in preparation for stage 12/13. The problem comes who to drop on those stages. I dropped Pellizotti and kept Battaglin and Gavazzi for those stages.

Nibali
Evans
Santambrogio
Viviani (for Wiggins)
Betancur (for Pellizotti)
Majka (for Di Luca)
Pirazzi
Battaglin
Gavazzi

Dont think a break will be allowed to take the bonus seconds at the end....The rest of the GC need the bonus seconds more than Nibs does....I really think that he has all the bases covered...Too strong for anyone out there at the moment....Uphill TT to come....just cannot see who can stop him barring crashes/mechanicals...

Who to drop for bentacur?
Di Luca
Rubiano
Atapuma

I've made two transfers, one to chase the break and one to bring in Betancur.

I can't see Nibali winning today, it's a stage more suited to a break and as long as a strong-ish break goes away I can't see Astana bringing it back.

Plus, the final climb isn't as tough as yesterday and with a short downhill section at the end it's possible that it'd suit a climber with a sprint, someone like Evans maybe?

Yea was thinking of keeping the same team I had yesterday, as a few people that should of delivered didn't, so hoping they'll make amends today, but can't ignore the form of Bentacur. Might be my only transfer

Nibali looked so strong at the top of that climb yesterday....He may well go and try for the bonus seconds with two flat stages coming up....Nibali and Betancur..1 and 2 for me...