It's unfortunate that the GC is essentially decided at this point, as this stage would be a fabulous showdown for a close race. As it is, it will still be a fabulous race, but the stage victory and the mountains jersey will be the only things in the balance (barring disaster for Contador). It has been a long Giro for a lot of teams, and that would suggest a breakaway will have a lot of impetus, but plenty of strong riders like Uran (above) won't want to go away empty-handed.
The Course
A long flat run precedes the climbing at the end of the stage, which will be a real shock to the rider's legs when they hit the immediate sharp slopes of the Colle Delle Finestre (18.5 kms, 9.2%), which has its steepest sections at the foot of the climb. After that it is a fairly regular ascent, with the gradient sitting at about 9% for the entire way up. The initial 9 kms of the climb is paved, and stuffed full of hairpins, but after that a dirt/gravel section awaits riders to the top of the climb, which is going to pose some new challenges to the climbers. How will Contador's out of saddle technique fare? Will Hesjedal use his mountain biking past to accelerate away?
A fast and furious descent from the top of the Finistere follows, and it is straight into the final ascent of the day, up to Sestriere (9.2 kms, 5.4%). Most of the gaps will probably be created on the previous climb, but it could well be the place to decide the stage winner from an elite group.
A long flat run precedes the climbing at the end of the stage, which will be a real shock to the rider's legs when they hit the immediate sharp slopes of the Colle Delle Finestre (18.5 kms, 9.2%), which has its steepest sections at the foot of the climb. After that it is a fairly regular ascent, with the gradient sitting at about 9% for the entire way up. The initial 9 kms of the climb is paved, and stuffed full of hairpins, but after that a dirt/gravel section awaits riders to the top of the climb, which is going to pose some new challenges to the climbers. How will Contador's out of saddle technique fare? Will Hesjedal use his mountain biking past to accelerate away?
A fast and furious descent from the top of the Finistere follows, and it is straight into the final ascent of the day, up to Sestriere (9.2 kms, 5.4%). Most of the gaps will probably be created on the previous climb, but it could well be the place to decide the stage winner from an elite group.
The Contenders
Alberto Contador has the final GC all but wrapped up, and he'll be looking for a stage win to crown his acheivements in this year's Giro... or he has already decided to start banking energy for the Tour de France, and will be happy enough to see Astana take another stage. I am leaning towards the former, but it will be hard for El Pistelero to win in any case, as the stage doesn't particularly suit, with its gravel roads in the crucial second half of the climb, which may restrict Contador's out of the saddle climbing style. He has proven himself the strongest rider in the race though, and his time losses to Landa and Aru on the past few stages have been largely due to his forbearance.
Mikel Landa may take exception with that last statement, with the new kid on the block keen to show his climbing legs by taking another stage and perhaps reclaiming second place from his teammate. He is currently third, and will be more likely to be allowed space by Contador, and he has looked the sharper of the Astana pair in the high mountains. Again, like Contador, he does quite a bit of his climbing out of the saddle, so you would think that he would need to make the difference on the other slopes.
Fabio Aru won yesterday, and may be tired from that effort, but he should be quite well suited to today's stage as well. His seated style and the advantage of having teammates should play in his favour, and he could well prove strong enough if he is given room as he was yesterday. He is the closest rider on GC to Contador and realistically the only threat (if Contador implodes spectacularly) to him on GC. That should lead him to being marked out of the race, but even in that case, it may come down to a sprint, and in that case Aru has proven himself faster than most of the GC contenders.
Ryder Hesjedal has been riding strongly in the third week, and whilst he won't threaten for a podium spot, he could finish off what has been an impressive Giro for the Canadian with a stage win. He should be advantaged by the dirt road at the top of the Colle delle Finistere, with his mountain biking experience, and he won't be a marked man, at least for the overall, being a long way off Contador and Astana in the GC.
Rigoberto Uran appears to have finally come good with a 3rd in yesterday's stage, and he will be looking to salvage something from what has been a pretty forgettable Giro for the Colombian who was placed 2nd twice in the overall at this race. He is another who will be suited by the Colle delle Finistere, but I'm not sure he really has the punch to drop the other favourites, and may have to rely on a long-range move to surprise the others, before they are even thinking of the stage win.
Alberto Contador has the final GC all but wrapped up, and he'll be looking for a stage win to crown his acheivements in this year's Giro... or he has already decided to start banking energy for the Tour de France, and will be happy enough to see Astana take another stage. I am leaning towards the former, but it will be hard for El Pistelero to win in any case, as the stage doesn't particularly suit, with its gravel roads in the crucial second half of the climb, which may restrict Contador's out of the saddle climbing style. He has proven himself the strongest rider in the race though, and his time losses to Landa and Aru on the past few stages have been largely due to his forbearance.
Mikel Landa may take exception with that last statement, with the new kid on the block keen to show his climbing legs by taking another stage and perhaps reclaiming second place from his teammate. He is currently third, and will be more likely to be allowed space by Contador, and he has looked the sharper of the Astana pair in the high mountains. Again, like Contador, he does quite a bit of his climbing out of the saddle, so you would think that he would need to make the difference on the other slopes.
Fabio Aru won yesterday, and may be tired from that effort, but he should be quite well suited to today's stage as well. His seated style and the advantage of having teammates should play in his favour, and he could well prove strong enough if he is given room as he was yesterday. He is the closest rider on GC to Contador and realistically the only threat (if Contador implodes spectacularly) to him on GC. That should lead him to being marked out of the race, but even in that case, it may come down to a sprint, and in that case Aru has proven himself faster than most of the GC contenders.
Ryder Hesjedal has been riding strongly in the third week, and whilst he won't threaten for a podium spot, he could finish off what has been an impressive Giro for the Canadian with a stage win. He should be advantaged by the dirt road at the top of the Colle delle Finistere, with his mountain biking experience, and he won't be a marked man, at least for the overall, being a long way off Contador and Astana in the GC.
Rigoberto Uran appears to have finally come good with a 3rd in yesterday's stage, and he will be looking to salvage something from what has been a pretty forgettable Giro for the Colombian who was placed 2nd twice in the overall at this race. He is another who will be suited by the Colle delle Finistere, but I'm not sure he really has the punch to drop the other favourites, and may have to rely on a long-range move to surprise the others, before they are even thinking of the stage win.
The Verdict
I like Ryder Hesjedal for today's stage, as noted before, he has been getting stronger throughout the race, and if the GC doesn't look like breaking up Hesjedal should be allowed to get the jump and use his mountain bike skills to go up the dirt road faster than everyone else.
I like Ryder Hesjedal for today's stage, as noted before, he has been getting stronger throughout the race, and if the GC doesn't look like breaking up Hesjedal should be allowed to get the jump and use his mountain bike skills to go up the dirt road faster than everyone else.