Rujano back to Selle Italia?

afx237vi

http://www.cyclingpost.com/rider/article_005374.shtml

Will we ever see him climbing like he did in the 2005 Giro? If there was ever a team specifically made to house good climbers, then Selle Italia is it. But he left them under a pretty dark cloud, I seem to remember, with Gianni Savio refusing to let him get in the team car when he abandoned in the Giro.

But he is still only 25. And with Simoni and Mazzanti also going there next season, maybe some of the pressure will be off him.

drenkrom

I seem to remember Savio having a few harsh words for Rujano when they went their separate ways. But Savio looks like such a father figure, I wouldn't be surprised if he took the estranged son back under his wing.

Mr Bumble

I see Rujano as Piepoli from Venezuela.... The tug that launches Simoni's Giro ambitions...

I hope he proves to be more than a one season wonder....

Mauricio Ardila is another rider who keeps failing to live up to expectations... :?

squired

Its amazing seeing the poor results that Rujano has been getting. It wouldn't be so bad if he was placing even in the top 20, but he is coming absolutely nowhere on mountain stages. My feeling is that mentally he isn't focused. Maybe a return to the team where he was happy will be the answer.

As for Ardilla, didn't he buy himself out of his contract to move to his current team, for a huge wage increase? Maybe also a case of not having the mental willpower now that he is on a healthy wage?

afx237vi

Re Ardila: I have no idea where he even got his reputation from, because I can't recall him *ever* doing well in the mountains.

People must see that he's Colombian and therefore assume he's some kind of amazing mountain goat. But if you look at his palmares, his best results actually came in the Tour of Britain. Bizarre.

drenkrom

Ardila rode like a beast in the 2005 Giro. That's where he got his reputation. Paolo Savoldelli had only Ardila to thank when he won the final pink jersey. Ardila was the Lotto rider that pushed hard on the end of the Finestre and on the road to Sestrieres to bring Savoldelli close enough to Simoni to keep his lead when it was in danger. There was speculation as to why he worked so hard for another team's leader, but you could only witness the class he showed on that stage. We've never seen it again, though.

jimmythecuckoo

After some of the things Savio said in his column in procycling this will be a massive climbdown from him.

I think he is a great manager though.