"Today's course lends itself to shifts in the standings" - Jumbo-Visma DS on mountainous Giro day
Cycling
Stage 15 of the Giro d'Italia will take the peloton through the mountains of Lombardia, familiar terrain for several of the big riders setting up who are in the fight for the overall classification. Jumbo-Visma DS Marc Reef argues it could see changes in the standings.
“Today's course lends itself to shifts in the standings. So far, the classification men have only really tested each other once, apart from the time trials," Reef said ahead of the final day of racing in the second week. "It depends on many factors how the stage will go. We all know that the final week will ultimately be decisive.”
The stage will include ascents of the Valico di Valcava early on, Selvino and also lastly the Roncola Alta climb which is 10 kilometers at 6.7%. Over 30 kilometers away from the finish however it is not the most suitable finale for attacks, however tactical play with the breakaway can take place, as well as the small hilltop at Bergamo Alta, just a few kilometers away from the finish where seconds can be gained or lost.
So far Jumbo-Visma have not made moves in the mountains, stage 13 saw a very conservative ride, as Roglic did not look to try and move into the pink jersey - he starts 2 seconds behind Geraint Thomas. After yesterday however Bruno Armirail took over the pink jersey after a day in the breakaway. “Now another team will take control in the race. Groupama-FDJ will do everything possible to defend the pink jersey," Reef concluded, perhaps believing that there will be different type of racing this afternoon.
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- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
- That is a very lazy way of putting it but so far on this website it seems like everyone is happy to look at everything lazily, even things that annoy them intensely. All they want to do is state their feeling and position but ask most to analyse a problem or come up with solutions or improvements and you’re stunned by silence. Nobody even really knows how this all happens. It’s very simple and quick to just say the UCI did it but I bet you they didn’t, I bet you not more than 2 people were involved, more likely just 1. The UCI may be ultimately responsible but it is not their decision, this is about hierarchy, power and delegation. The fact that protest is possible also means it isn’t over and that MORE people could get involved for a thorough review which could throw up anything. It is highly likely it was a sole commissar who decided and has that power in a first round. Therein might lie the problem the UCI has to consider, is it acceptable to give so much authority to one single person when it is quite possible for them to have a natural bias or be too easily susceptible to imposed bias. Who is to say an individual in this position isn’t susceptible to collaboration with outside players with interests in the results, nations, families, teams, betting companies, etc. On the one hand we have sports where these problems have been worked on way more to reduce such problems, on the other hand we have sports with far stricter and more draconian rules not even concerning safety or obstruction that nobody really questions like false starts or stepping out of lane or zones in athletics. If cycling hastowork on itself, it would be good if protagonists (all kinds) would start doing a little more than just moaning over outcomes.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- Yes, so why not make comments less pointless?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - There really was nothing in it. Schreiber was so much faster, and Brand was fighting to stay in the wheel in the sprint. Schreiber did move a bit, but to say she closed the door doesn't make sense because Brand couldn't enter it anyway, abd she wasn't impeded.Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
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- Thibau Nys does exactly what Iserbyt is calling forRafionain-Glas08-11-2026
- i did not see it. was the relegation justified or an overly hard decision? and don‘t cross riders deviate from straight lines all the time? bumping into each others when they cut corners, etc … why being more strict with the rules on the finish sprint?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- seems like we are advertising the website with pointless comments…Ketterechts08-11-2026
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🇮🇹 #Giro This will be a 𝐟𝐮𝐧 day. Racing on the roads of 𝐈𝐥 𝐋𝐨𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐚! 👊
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