The Giro

Tom Butcher

Who do people fancy for the Giro this year ? Anyone know of a good site with a list of riders and a bit of discussion as to who the favourites are ?

Brian B

Not a site but I got this months procycling mag and they have good coverage of the Giro.

lucybears

Tom Butcher wrote:

Who do people fancy for the Giro this year ? Anyone know of a good site with a list of riders and a bit of discussion as to who the favourites are ?

startlist at
http://startlist.cyclingfever.com/start ... t&id=18757

more info at the Giro Special link at the top of that page

GroupOfOne MkII

There's a prelimary start list up on CyclingFever & CyclingStartlists

http://giro.cyclingfever.com/editie.html?detp=view&_ap=startlijst&editie_id=18757

Think this year's could be very open, as several of the riders that you've banked on for a top five finish are missing (Cunego, Basso), others are getting older and can they really keep up their good finishing record (Simoni, Savoldelli, Garate), others have perhaps a weaker team (Di Luca, plus he always seems to do well one year in the Giro, then have an off year) and then there's those riders who have ridden one good Giro, but for a variety of reasons not since (Ardila, Rujano, McGee).

And of course, there's the 'newcomers' like Ricco, Nibali, Efmkin, Pozzovivo, Anker Sorensen maybe even Sella (though he's been knocking around years but I class him as 'young'). Plus I didn't even mention Karpets or Menchov. All shaping up to be an interesting 3 weeks I should think (and hope please!).

afx237vi

^ Pretty good summary. I think DDL will be favourite, but apart from Savoldelli he has a pretty weak team. With a 23 km TTT to start, he could be a minute or two behind the other favs from the end of day 1.

With three ITT's, the ones to watch IMO are Karpets and Menchov. Big strong rouleurs who can grind up the climbs and then pull out some time against the clock.

But with those two riders you never can tell. One stage they're right up at the front, then the next day they're in the autobus.

It's gonna be an interesting race, that's for sure.

donrhummy

I'd like it to be Gibo but I think he's a year older and his team's not the strongest. Last year the TTT killed him. If he'd had a stronger team, he'd have been in 2nd place and probably could have made a big push for first.

With DiLuca in it again, you gotta say he's got a chance and Schleck's out.

I'd say Ricco, despite his mouthing off and making everyone hate him, is probably the front runner for the Giro. The guy looked REALLY strong last year.

Really too bad Schleck's not doing it though...

Oh, and for sites, nothing beats: http://www.steephill.tv/giro-d-italia/

Arkibal

Just read that the rumour is that Astana is in for the race! If true, wonder what roster they would send?

Salsiccia

Arkibal wrote:

Just read that the rumour is that Astana is in for the race! If true, wonder what roster they would send?

Which team are they replacing?

If this does come about, I imagine they will send the strongest team they can and give Kloden a real shot (assuming Contador wouldn't want to double up with the Vuelta). Kloden looks to be in decent nick in Romandie.

blazing_saddles

Just to say hi, as a newbie. Been around a few other places, some dead, some alive. Looking forward to the first and the best Grand Tour of the year.

Astana at the Giro? I don't think so.

Not a fan of the Team TT to start, but watch out for stage 2. That profile is really tough for the first road stage. If you want to know who this year's favourites are, you'll have an idea by next Sunday.

Great to see they've poached Dennis Menchov from the Vuelta, but very disappointed by CSC's team.

Noodley

Yep, just read the "breaking news" re Astana ...

http://translate.google.com/translate?u ... n&ie=UTF-8

I look forward to seeing the Astana hens

afx237vi

All hens on deck? Maybe Bruyneel has signed the Chicken :shock:

Noodley

afx237vi wrote:

All hens on deck? Maybe Bruyneel has signed the Chicken :shock:

blazing_saddles

Well with Contador, Leipheimer and Kloeden all named to start, there's not a lot of point in the others turning up.

Makes you wonder what deal has been done behind the scenes. Don't expect Mr Prudhomme will be too pleased with AZ.
Expect the turquoise train to make this a race into the expected.

Decked hens? Don't count your chickens before they are hatched, is my guess.

Noodley

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Just to say hi

Hi blazing saddles, good to have you here.

donrhummy

Noodley wrote:

Yep, just read the "breaking news" re Astana ...

http://translate.google.com/translate?u ... n&ie=UTF-8

I look forward to seeing the Astana hens

Why is no one else reporting this? That'd be huge news!

GroupOfOne MkII

donrhummy wrote:

Noodley wrote:

Yep, just read the "breaking news" re Astana ...

http://translate.google.com/translate?u ... n&ie=UTF-8

I look forward to seeing the Astana hens

Why is no one else reporting this? That'd be huge news!

That's what's puzzling me. Nothing even coming up on NewsNow, which will usually pick up the wildest of stories. I can only presume all the UK cycling journos are enjoying their three day weekend, while all their Continental counterparts are too busy watching Romandie to bother typing up stories. That or it's all balls of course

Just noticed though that CyclingFever have added Astana to the line up - Bazayev, Colom, Contador, Gusev, Iglinsky, Kloden, Leipheimer, Mizourov and Muravyev - with no teams removed it seems. Cyclingstartlists.com also says they WILL start, but with Yakovlev instead of Muravyev. At least it appears no team has lost their spot.

GroupOfOne MkII

No Petacchi for the Giro, Zabel to take his place. So that'll be no stage wins for Milram then...

iainf72

Here you go - Astana comment - Looks like it's on!

http://sports.yahoo.com/sc/news?slug=re ... &type=lgns

paisa

promising to be exciting race if Astana is in. Watch for Rujano's performance on initial TT, however it remains to see how he does in the rest of the stages given his races in the last 2 years. Other southamerican to watch is paisa Soler.

Salsiccia

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Well with Contador, Leipheimer and Kloeden all named to start, there's not a lot of point in the others turning up.

Mmm, they'll be motivated that's for sure. They immediately become the team to beat; but who will ride for who?

As for the other contenders, I think the mountain stages this year will be too much for Di Luca (unless they are curtailed by snow!), and I don't see the route suiting Menchov either. Simoni will give this Giro everything as I can't see him being a contender after this year; but my dark(ish) horse is Riccardo Ricco. With the support of Piepoli and the mountains lasting right up to the last stage, I fancy him to finally live up to his own hype.

Cumulonimbus

How about Nibali for a dark horse? Last year he finished 19th but would have been riding for Di Luca. This year there is no Di Luca and so the team leadership is up for grabs. Nibalia won the Giro Del trentino finishing ahead of Garzelli and Simoni and then went to the Liege-Bastogne-Liege and finished 10th - given only one day in between this is probably more impressive than it at first looks. Kreuzinger and Beltran are going well in the Tour de Romandie at the moment so maybe one of them may snatch the leadership but then again if Nibali is the leader then it means his team is better. Given that he was only 22 last year then he should naturally improve.

scwxx77

http://www.gazzetta.it/Speciali/Giroditalia/2008/it/

Translated via google:
"MILAN, May 3, 2008 - The team winner of the Tour de France 2007, Alberto Contador, could be invited, albeit in extremis, to 91 ° Giro d'Italia cycling, ahead next Saturday from Palermo with the crono team. The Astana, team headed by Johann Bruyneel, was rejected by the organizers of the race rose last February when selecting formations participants: the basis of exclusion by the organizational direction of the race in stages there have been cases of Appeal found the use of drugs on the part of Vinokourov, Mazzoleni, Kaschechkin and Kessler, men peak in the Kazakh team last season.

POSSIBILITY '- The admission dell'Astana accepted in recent days also by the Spanish Vuelta, provides the presence of Contador, Leipheimer, third at the Tour a year ago, and Kloden, current leader of the Tour of Romandie in Switzerland. Just after the Swiss race in stages, scheduled for tomorrow will be the final decision informed all'Astana as indicated on by Angelo Zomegnan, director of the Tour organisation. "The Astana remains a candidate to join the tour - said Zomegnan Agency Dire - All teams were invited with the reserve and scioglieremo reserves nell'immediatezza departure." The head of organizational cycling events of Rcs not confirmed, but neither denies the entries. "There is no official confirmation - stresses -. We say that the team Contador is less distant from participation.""

Arkibal

So is Astana in or not???

blazing_saddles

I think its a done deal, Bruyneel having promised Contador, Kloeden and Leipheimer to AZ. Maybe it has something to do with knowing that no Tour invite will be forthcoming.
The reason Astana were not invited, in the first place, was because of Bruyneel sending poor teams to the event. Send all the big guns and the argument goes away.

The doubt over Contador's "fitness" is in regard of him suffering from hayfever in May. Same excuse as Savoldelli, the year after he won it :oops: and Rominger, for being able to walk the Vuelta and Giro, but getting his butt kicked by Indurain in July! :shock:

Hey, hay fever....asthma......I feel a back dated TUE coming on!

Btw: Other news today. The ASO have announced a route change for the Italian Alpine stage. It's posted on this site.

GroupOfOne MkII

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Btw: Other news today. The ASO have announced a route change for the Italian Alpine stage. It's posted on this site.

Route change was annouced quite a while ago now. Basically because of rock falls the start moves from Digne to Embrun and the Col de Larche is out and the Col d'Agnel is in (I presume this is the Col d'Agnello from previous Giros). Makes the stage shorter, but the new climb is apparently harder, plus Embrun gets two stage starts.

iainf72

http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/cycling/n ... id=3379780

I reckon it'll happen - Especially if you take Kloden and Bertie or Levi. LL and AK would both be in good shape at the moment.

micron

This is quite a shame - I was hoping the Giro would be a good open race and an open fight between the excellent Italian favourites and newcomers - now unfortunately we will simply see one team riding on the front of the peloton on all the climbs to block attacks. This does not make for good racing. But I expect that the sponsors of Astana have been able to pay a lot of euros for a place at the start.

Blazing Saddles, they have made it very obvious that Contador will have a TUE I think.

One serious question - I thought that there was going to be some problem for the riders implicated in OP that the CONI investigation would stop them from riding in Italy. This would mean that Contador could not be there. Could someone please correct me if I'm wrong about this?

iainf72

micron wrote:

One serious question - I thought that there was going to be some problem for the riders implicated in OP that the CONI investigation would stop them from riding in Italy. This would mean that Contador could not be there. Could someone please correct me if I'm wrong about this?

They'd only not be allowed to ride if they wouldn't speak to CONI. Contador made it clear he had no issue speaking to CONI about it at all. And he's still officially not considered part of the OP investigations, despite Warner Franke and his mystery document.

mangaman

Still looks likely according to the Guardian

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/feedarticle/7498307

(and no talk of hens or anything! )

I guess it looks as if it's going to happen

donrhummy

Wow, this only makes it more exciting. I can see Gianni and Gibo going even harder to try and keep Astana from dominating in the mountains. But Kloden + Contador? Wow. Levi's big too but he's got zero acceleration in the mountains. Astana makes this race super exciting and I think for the UCI, this could also be huge. It says that ASO+RCS are not the undivided powerhouse we all thought they were. RCS clearly wants to steal some thunder from the TDF if they do this and I think that means ASO loses a bit of leverage against the UCI.

iainf72

Not sure it's a win for the UCI - Afterall the Giro were perfectly within their rights under the 2008 calendar to invite whoever they liked.

Things which have come into play for RCS are : The quality of the line up Astana could send, the possibility of having an American challenger (I suspect they chose Slipstream for the American market but have realised that someone like Levi would be a bigger draw for the great unwashed) and, and this is only a theory, they may have got some details about what's happening in the passport scheme.

I could see Kloden winning it.