Giro Rosa 2017 – Stage 2 Preview

Jun 30
cyclical

Karol-Ann Canuel has the honor of wearing the first maglia rosa of this year’s race, having towed her team across the line in Grado. The leaden skies did nothing to shadow the delight of the new Canadian TT champion, as the rain held off until Canuel and her team-mates were spraying champagne on the podium.

In terms of the overall picture, there are already gaps that will be causing headaches. Guarnier and Van Der Breggen will be delighted, Van Vleuten will be very satisfied, Niewiadoma will know she’s got a bit of work to do, but Moolman-Pasio will know she’s already got nearly 60 seconds to find to restore parity.

Stage 1 review

As expected, Boels-Dolmans blitzed the TTT, putting what their DS Danny Stam felt was an unexpectedly good 19” into second-placed Sunweb.

Orica-Scott produced a super ride for third at 22”, powered by Annemiek Van Vleuten. They held the lead late on until Sunweb knocked them off top spot, and then Boels came steaming through as last team.

Wiggle-High5 slipped into fourth, the only team in the top ten other than FDJ to finish with all their riders together.

Canyon-SRAM were a surely disappointing fifth, 36 seconds behind and Cervelo-Bigla were only eighth, almost a minute behind. Kasia Nieiwadoma’s WM3 squad came home in a respectable sixth at 37″. Giusfredi Bianchi were first off the start ramp and ended last, 3’03” behind.

Stage 2 preview

This 122.3-kilometer stage heads south from Zoppola then turns north to a TV sprint at Sesto Al Reghena, from where the course starts a long gradual upward trend, and on to sprint two in San Martino. Sprint three in Arba leads the riders close to the finish in Montereale Valcellina, before looping out clockwise  up the steep pitch to pass the highest point of the Giro, a second-category pass at 846 meters in Andreis.

The run-in, is lumpy, but should suit a Classics style sprinter who can get through the hills, like Deignan, or Longo Borghini. Boels-Dolmans hold all the aces, but they also have all the responsibility. It’s unlikely they’ll get much help from any other teams to keep things together.

Everyone should be fresh, so the big climb should see a real fight – the climbers wanting to take an early chance, and the sprinters’ teams trying to keep their riders in position. Hopefully, we’ll get an early fireworks show.