Giro d’Italia 2014 – Stage 2 Preview
By David Hunter
Stage 1 Recap
As predicted Orica took the win. The rain and wind were in their favour and had the conditions been different, OPQS might have taken a surprise win. Both Uran and Evans were the winners in terms of the GC riders.
Stage 2 Belfast – Belfast 219km
The riders head out on a nice loop around the coastline of Northen Ireland.
The weather forecast is not good with rain and wind. As the riders end down the coast the wind looks like going from the West and that means crosswinds!
The profile is nothing that will worry the riders.
The road into the finish is very easy, apart from the 90 degree turn with 350 metres to go! As we have seen in previous years, the opening few sprints in the race can be very scary. This looks like being another one.
Marcel Kittel is the fastest sprinter in the race, but not always the most attentive rider in the bunch. The other sprinters would love to apply pressure and drop him in the wind. He comes with a relatively strong team, but not outstanding. I think that FDJ arrive with a good team to support Bouhanni, it’s such a shame that Soupe had to withdraw from injury. The French squad are the only main threat to Kittel and they might try something in the wind.
As it is only stage 2 I don’t see many of the GC teams trying something on the road. The only team I see capable would be OPQS. They’ve had a brilliant season and I wouldn’t surprise me to see them try to distance 1 or 2 of the GC riders.
If we do get a sprint them it’s all about that final corner. All the teams will want to be at the front of the race and that includes the GC riders. In the last few grand tours, the GC teams trying to be at the front of the race in the last few kilometres has caused many crashes. This could happen again.
Hopefully as the last turn is near the end of the race, the sprinters teams will be in control of the peloton. Both Giant and FDJ will be there, but riding on the front all day will have depleted the Orica lead-out and I doubt Matthews will feature.
Viviani went well in Turkey but the final corner requires good positioning, something he’s not good at. He got away with it in Turkey, as he just needed to get onto the wheel of Cavendish. This sprint will be a different story.
Prediction time…
It has to be a battle between Kittel and Bouhanni, with the German coming out on top.
Related: Giro 2014 general preview:https://bicis.frangandara.net/giro-ditalia-2014-general-preview/
David Hunter
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