slcbob

I'll go with Gaviria on stage 7, just for the suspense.

Stage 6, the big guns will be shed at the start and won't get back on. Sagan has had a long drought. So, too, has Matthews. I wonder who can keep them thirsty? Maybe Ballerini will make it a race again, and some of the rest of the cast of characters from Stage 4.

GrainBrain

I'm wondering if Craddock would find himself in a break. A good sized 10 rider break could help stave off the sprint trains. More then likely there will be a selection made on that last climb, with the peloton together just at the foot of it. Anything before then, even after the lumpy start is going to get chased down.

Going to throw a wild guess and wonder if we'll get an American to win a stage? Brandon McNulty or Sean Bennett? Both were 12th/13th on stage 4. Ha ha why not?

slcbob

Belay my last.

I'm not worthy.

USAZorro

Well that really sucked. lol

Flip Flop Rider

Viviani for me

and my move to the top of the peleton has taken a wrong turn

USAZorro

What's the deal with him? Italian sprinters are supposed to dominate in the Giro.

Flip Flop Rider

you know I picked several Italians for that reason. Maybe he's losing his legs

diphthong

viviani hasn’t done much since moving to cofidis...

slcbob

They were made for each other.

Some cross-winds tomorrow might make for some excitement. They way things have been going, they can't hurt my picks. I don't think they'll hurt Demare either, but may catch a GC hopeful or two.

USAZorro

Hope Demare crashes. lol

Actually, I'd rather see Peter dust him.

diphthong

ouch.

me too but démare seems to have that separation speed currently and on a flattish, dowhill course, he'll be tough to beat. didn't think he'd be able to hang in and compete for stage six but he obvs did.

slcbob

Barbier!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Points for me for 6th place today! Woo hoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That takes out the last rider on my roster with a goose egg. A small moral victory. Not a hurdle I regularly clear.

I'm going to have to take my wins where I can fabricate them this season. Things aren't going well in pink fantasy land for me. Heck, I don't even have a shot at the maglia nera the way GrainBrain has that locked up.

diphthong

stage eight...picking matthews but i like any of the power trio (matthews/ulissi/sagan) to win and maybe a podium sweep for them.

their respective teams are gonna wanna drop démare and his winning ways somewhere along the way in that rolling 2nd half of the stage.
if he gets dragged along to the finish, it doesn't bode well for anyone else.

https://www.procyclingstats.com/race...today/profiles

USAZorro

I like how you're thinking.

I wonder what the market is like for sports psychologists in the peloton. I think I could help make a difference for guys like Sagan, Viviani, Bernal, Pinot and Tom Dom.

Caretaker

Yates is out of race after positive test for Covid-19.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/20...-positive-test

Wouldn't be surprised if there's more to come.

GrainBrain

I got it pretty well locked in, er, locked down covid style thanks to Yates! Bless that James Knox, that unwritten hero keeping me from a goose egg each stage!!

I got money on Demare to take every single "sprint/roleur" stage as punishment for me not realizing how good of form he's in. Gosh he's really on a hot streak, yet so humble.

2cam16

diphthong

okay...here's a horrible prediction for y'all...stage nine...davide villella of movistar ftw.

diphthong

it’s horrible predictions like this that sustain me during these times of “rest days.”

USAZorro

I do appreciate your bravery.

My prediction - the race MAY go on when Tuesday rolls around.

My main question. What the heck happened to the climbing? So many flat stages. Were they hoping to tempt Petacchi and Cipo out of retirement?

My prediction - Demare comes to some grief (points jersey-wise) on stage 12.

diphthong

def hoping they're able to keep rolling.

climbing appears to mostly back-end loaded except for today's skirmish and the stage three etna dalliance.

démare has been hanging tough. thought the combo of sagan/matthews would yield more points at race's end than matthews/démare
or sagan/démare. hasn't so far but it's been close. valued the versatility/consistency of sagan/matthews more but démare has shown more
versatility than i expected. already knew he was faster than either. another master plan to rule the fantasy league down the drain so far...

USAZorro

Well, they're going to be riding up through the more opera-centric portion of Italy. No singing heard just yet.

slcbob

kudos to the yellow snow aficionado and all-around husky connoisseur, ooga-booga, for his dominance of the league through the first rest day. he has suffered the loss of his big man yet continued to excel. he's just that good.

fresh off his engagement at the demare fan club, USAZorro is there in second. rounding out the virtual podium and, i think, new-ish on the scene here, Zizi Pro Cycling is proving to be a fierce competitor in the Giro even as their classics squad is tearing it up over there.

what rest day revelations and day after rest day surprises are in store? it's italy and 2020. this should be good.

diphthong

rest day recap!

next giro salvo contains two mtn stages (12 and 16) along with a USAZorro approved time trial on stage 14 and two semi-lumpy/classics-style or perhaps sprinter stages
on 10, 11 and 13.

i think all the teams, save for two, are missing at least one rider. a few doubled up on the disappeared. four teams have a rider still in the race that hasn't scored a single point
as of stage nine. that takes some special selection talent. take a bow, teams yellow snow aficionado, Malted Grains, Zizi Pro and Riders On The Storm!

some of the rosters are built more for the mountains and final (especially gc) standings. expecting to see said teams shooting up the standings by stage 16 with more to come
in the last week. those crazy wingdings that opted for the two sprinter approach had better solidify a thousand beams of light...er....thousand point lead by the end of stage 11
on their nearby opponents if they hope to maintain any reasonable podium dreams.

so far, best luck/effort on a single stage goes to team yellow snow aficionado with 871 points earned on stage 2. that should change by stage 15 looking at the rosters.

more than a handful of teams within striking distance of the podium placings at the end of stage nine. team Zizi Pro Cycling in third currently. team USAZorro rocking hard
in second and team yellow snow aficionado placeholding first for a really worthy team for now.

diphthong

if bilbao hangs tuff and finishes in the top 5, i'll take my ridiculous hare/tortoise approach and my chances. if bilbao collapses/bails, i'm finished. #houseofcards .