🏁Etapa 3 | Stage 3
🙋🏻♂️🏆 DAN MARTIN @DanMartin86🏆#LaVuelta20pic.twitter.com/VQRHI0yVRd
— La Vuelta (@lavuelta) October 22, 2020
The new race leader Wilco Kelderman (Sunweb) said: "The hardest stage of my life. We had a goal and we achieved it. Wearing the Maglia Rosa is a dream after so many difficult years. I'm really happy to be leading the GC."
Stage winner Jai Hindley (also Sunweb) said: “Winning here is such an incredible feeling. It's a big step forward in my career and a double success for the team with Wilco Kelderman now wearing the Maglia Rosa. The tactics were perfect for our team today.”
What a stage! Here was @TeamSunweb rider @JaiHindley's last 5km as he won Stage 18 of the @giroditalia and moved up to 2nd overall ⚡️
Duration: 11’29”
Avg speed: 26.5km/h
Avg power: 310w
Max power: 1000w
Red Zone: 11%Winning sprint: 19s at avg 790w.
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🇮🇹 #Giro#Giro2020pic.twitter.com/kitAEBJgBo— Velon CC (@VelonCC) October 22, 2020
Jai Hindley (Sunweb) won the sprint (bet they were delighted about having to do that) ahead of Tao Geoghegan Hart (Ineos Grenadiers).
Hindley's team-mate Wilco Kelderman was dropped by those two, but minimised the damage sufficiently that he's into the race lead.
The top three are now separated by just 15 seconds.
Hindley's team-mate Kelderman also had issues with his jacket and ended up descending the Stelvio in arm warmers.
When the road levelled out, Hindley and Geoghegan Hart started moving away from him but he's since arrested his decline.
Kelderman's actually gaining on the men ahead now. If the gap remains as it is, he'll be in the race lead at the end of the day.
After what felt like about 25 minutes, Team Sunweb's Jai Hindley finally managed to get his second arm into his jacket.
It was far more exciting than it sounds.
He was a whisker away from crashing at one point.
Rohan Dennis (Ineos Grenadiers) has now ridden everyone bar team leader Tao Geoghegan Hart (fourth overall at the start of the day) and Sunweb's Jai Hindley (third) off his wheel.
Hindley's team-mate Wilco Kelderman (second) was the last man to lose touch.
This was one 4m30s stretch.
Rohan Dennis is causing all sorts of damage on the Stelvio for @INEOSGrenadiers on @giroditalia Stage 18, dropping lots of GC riders. Here was one 4'30" stint ⚡️
Gradient: 8%
Avg speed: 19.5km/h
Avg power: 450w
Red Zone: 37%Follow live power data 👇
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🇮🇹 #Giro#Giro2020— Velon CC (@VelonCC) October 22, 2020
🏔️ The 2020 #Giro d’Italia, Cima Coppi: her majesty Passo dello Stelvio.
🏔️ La Cima Coppi del #Giro d'Italia 2020: sua maestà Passo dello Stelvio.
Powered by @Garminpic.twitter.com/xkNokDT61K
— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) October 22, 2020
#Giro🇮🇹 Passo dello Stelvio 🏔
10 km to the start of the climb pic.twitter.com/ElFxDDi0sI— Trek-Segafredo (@TrekSegafredo) October 22, 2020
The BBC reports that a motorist has been arrested on suspicion of killing cyclist Sze-Ming Cheung in Swannington, Norfolk, on June 7, 2018.
The arrest comes after Norfolk Police reviewed the case.
In July, we reported that no charges were brought after the head-on crash for which the driver was more than two times over the legal alcohol limit.
Speaking at the time, Cheung's family issued a statement in which they described the case as a “shambles” and said that Norfolk Constabulary had “handled it very poorly.”
No head, no hands.
“I started getting some good responses from people and enjoyed doing it,” Matthew Dunkle told the Boston Globe. “I thought it would be sensational, someone riding around without a head.”
Alistair and Jonny Brownlee are among the investors in HUUB’s Crowdcube campaign.
Primarily a triathlon brand, the Derby firm is looking to expand, having seen cycling sales climb by 681% this year.
The firm’s aim is to raise at least £250,000.
Jonny Brownlee commented: “Working with HUUB has always been born out of a genuine love for their products and their approach to innovation, and so it was an easy to decision to take the opportunity to invest in the business at this exciting stage in their growth.”
Don't forget your sperm oil and silk flag.
Revolver optional.
Advice to British cyclists planning a tour to Europe pic.twitter.com/jGuTRTsxpA
— JohnJ Project Fear = Project Reality. 3.5% (@johnleremainer) October 20, 2020
As my colleague Simon points out, both belt *and* braces are of course in there.
Sounds like there's a battle to get in the break.
Could be a loooong day for some.
📢The peloton is strung out with many riders already dropped. Follow live 👉 https://t.co/TlBPO3lAsS
📢Ritmo alto da subito, diversi corridori sono già attardati. Segui il live 👉 https://t.co/mKk45RbViY#Giropic.twitter.com/OAiTLkddBy
— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) October 22, 2020
The story in numbers.
It's been a savage start to @giroditalia Stage 18. Here were @TrekSegafredo rider @vincenzonibali's uphill first 7.5km ⚡️
Time: 18’12”
Avg speed: 23.2km/h
Avg power: 370w
Power-to-weight: 5.69w/kg
Red Zone: 23%Follow live power in our Race Centre 👇
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🇮🇹 #Giro#Giro2020— Velon CC (@VelonCC) October 22, 2020
Looks less-than-toasty...
Hello Stelvio...🥶, we’re coming...#giro#giro2020#giro103pic.twitter.com/aihMjsDymI
— Israel Start-Up Nation / Israel Cycling Academy (@YallaIsraelSUN) October 22, 2020
The Stelvio: 24.5km long at an average gradient of 7.4% with 48 hairpins, taking you up over 1,800m to a height of 2,758m.
What's it like to go up? And come down?
Background to the video here.
Meanwhile here's 13 useful and not so useful observations on riding Europe's second-highest road pass from Tony.
The Vuelta's managed to serve up as much general classification action in two days as the Giro has in two weeks.
Now there's a summit finish.
🔥 Etapa 3 | Stage 3 🔥
🚩 Lodosa
🏁 La Laguna Negra - Vinuesa
⏰ 13:15 CEST > 17:18 CEST
📏 166,1 km💚 Vinuesa
⛰️ 1x1️⃣cat. — 1x3️⃣ cat.+ info ➡️ https://t.co/EazatVWPAl#LaVuelta20 x @reliveccpic.twitter.com/5ccKq8hjXg
— La Vuelta (@lavuelta) October 22, 2020
RCS has introduced additional saliva antigen controls at the Giro, in agreement with the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and the teams.
In the event of a positive saliva test, a PCR test is carried out to validate the result.
A total of 484 tests were performed on Tuesday and yesterday.
No rider tested positive for Covid-19.
One staff member from Astana Pro Team tested positive for Covid-19. He was referred to his team doctor and isolated in compliance with the World Health Organisation (WHO) rules.
It was actually a big day yesterday - over 5,000m of climbing - but it didn't translate into significant changes in the general classification.
Throwing the Stelvio at them today might change that.
🇮🇹 Giro d'Italia 2020
🗓️ 22/10/2020
🚴♂️ Stage 18 | Pinzolo - Laghi di Cancano (Parco Nazionale dello Stelvio)
📏 207 km
2⃣ GPM 1 cat
1⃣ GPM 2 cat
⛰️ Cima Coppi
⏰ 10:15 AM (CET)
🏁 ~4:30 PM (CET)
✒️ Live: https://t.co/3RV3dXR0s3
#️⃣ #GiroPowered by @ENIT_italiapic.twitter.com/Ctuakej3jo
— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) October 22, 2020
It is not going to be warm at the top. Don't envy them descending from it one bit.
It's a crucial day because Stage 20 has had the French bit of the route - the bit with the Col d'Agnello and Col d'Izoard - excised from it, so that's not really the stage it was.
The change is as a result of Covid-19 restrictions.