Stage 10: Foligno - Montefalco. 39.2 km. ITT. First real BB day, topped up with micro infusions and your cortico of choice. get it right and you're flying...on the flip side..could kill any ambitions you have.
It's an interesting crono. It's flat in the opening section. At the half-way mark, after a short steep climb, the route runs on a wide downhill road and finishes on an uphill at 4.5 km at 3%, at the walls of Montefalco.
Looking at the start list, GC riders Dumoulin and Jungels stand out as the two main riders who could win this stage.
Kiyienka has won a long Giro crono before, but it was longer and harder, and he may be asked to conserve energy on this stage by Sky.
Pinot has really improved his ability to ride against the clock and could go well.
Nibali will claw back some if not all of his losses from stage nine.
Thomas, Amador, who I suspect might be told to have a recovery ride, like Kyri. TJVG, Zakarin....all riders who can do a decent crono.
Looking at the non-GC riders, Kiryienka stands out, as does Italian champion Quinziato. Boaro, Van Emden and Campanaerts, Cataldo, Hepburn, Ludvigsson, Lulu, Kangert and Bartall competent on a crono..I feel the top ten will be composed of riders I've mentioned.
Dumoulin and Jungels are my real favourites here. Pinot will do a good ride...I expect to see Dumoulin, Pinot and...I don't know who else.
That brings me to the race leader. It's simple...Quintan will look to lose as little as possible. Anything under and up to 2.30 minutes will be seen as a win...3 plus minutes...the race gets interesting.
I'm hoping he gets blown away and thus the race is set up for the spectacle we wish it to be.
Forecast is set to be sunny with a 18 km/h wind coming from the north-east, with gusts into the high 20 km/h. That makes the final section into Montefalco a headwind....another plus for the crono experts.
Live UK 12.00
Streams.
https://www.procyclinglive.com/livestream/
