The Giro
Comments
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Blazing Saddles wrote:I'll tell youwhat says a lot.
Having asked the question about the chances of various other contenders, both Italian and foreign, no one can be bothered to give it a second thought.
No one has expressed an interest in the race parcours.
Deltadawn and Micron have expressed an interest in having a great race.
Iain has made the correct observation for having US squads and US products etc.
Other than that, you would think there was only one team in the race.
It would be interesting to know how many of the numerous Astana fans on this forum, have been supporting the team since Vino won the Vuelta, in 2006.
I suspect very few indeed.
I refer the honourable gentleman to the answer I gave some time ago...Salsiccia wrote: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.I was only joking when I said
by rights you should be bludgeoned in your bed0 -
Stage 2 reminds me of Liege Bastogne Liege - hopefully this will mean that the team monopolising GC after the TTT will be neutralised but I expect that in reality a break will be allowed to go away - I guess too early for the main contenders to show. The advantage of the Italian geography is that if offers the possibility for stages like these much earlier in the race than in the Tour.0
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I thought stage 2 looks tailor-made for the Killer.
I'm finding it really hard to pick a winner - or even a clear favourite.
Di Luca doesn't appear to have the form of last year, but I can't discount him.
Gibo is old and rubbish at TTing, but must like the look of the mountains.
Ricco is also on poor form and I'm not convinced of his TT ability (and he's a twunt).
Contador has counted himself out - though he definitely has the ability but he's just had a tooth out and gets hayfever.
Leipheimer - does he really have any edge to win a three week race? I doubt it, but I don't know.
Klödi? I can see him losing time on the steepest and longest passes, but will win a TT I reckon. And he's on form.
Nibali? He could be ready to step up.
For me Contador is theoretically the best rider but I don't think he is either ready or up for it. So it is between DDL and Klöden for me.
I'm going for Klödi on form.
What do you think?
Rule No.10 // It never gets easier, you just go faster0 -
I think a lot has been made of people defending Astana. Those people are not necesserily Astana 'fans', but people who want to see the best riders in the biggest events. All though there is rumour and speculation about some of the riders and the team has had some high profile recent dopers, what happened to innocent 'till proven guilty? I am not a fan of any individual rider or team but I would like to see all the best riders slug it out, hopefully fairly. In my opinion the big races should have the best riders, the best doping checks, and you'd see the best racing.0
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Apologies to you, Salsiccia. Must have missed that nice summation. :oops:
I too, think stage 2 is a mini LBL, probably on equally small roads. Could define the GC very early."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Hmm think we may just have an inkling of why the sponsors of the NGC - OTC Doors team didn't kick up a fuss when they were uninvited from the Giro.
NGC Medical have just signed up as co-sponsors to Lampre, with their logo appearing on the jerseys in time for the start, and the sponsorship likely to extend into next season.0 -
ContrelaMontre wrote:I'm going for Klödi on form.
What do you think?
I think me and you will get the same points for GC
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Noodley wrote:ContrelaMontre wrote:I'm going for Klödi on form.
What do you think?
I think me and you will get the same points for GC
I just wish I'd picked him for Romandie!
I selected him as 2nd choice in case Dekker didn't start (as I was away). If I'd picked all my second choices I'd have got 53 points rather than 2!
Oh well...
Rule No.10 // It never gets easier, you just go faster0 -
ContrelaMontre wrote:Oh well...
You seen anything "bizarre" for this year's prize or is it another bananrama year?0 -
Noodley wrote:ContrelaMontre wrote:Oh well...
You seen anything "bizarre" for this year's prize or is it another bananrama year?
hmmm....
As defending champ I think you should have the privilege...
but I am happy to fight for the pink bananaguard!
You decide!
Rule No.10 // It never gets easier, you just go faster0 -
Blazing Saddles wrote:Apologies to you, Salsiccia. Must have missed that nice summation. :oops:
I too, think stage 2 is a mini LBL, probably on equally small roads. Could define the GC very early.
No problem, I was just trying to lift your sense of despair over this thread!I was only joking when I said
by rights you should be bludgeoned in your bed0 -
ContrelaMontre wrote:As defending champ I think you should have the privilege...
but I am happy to fight for the pink bananaguard!
You decide!
Bananaguard it is then...I'll decide on the colour later. I don't want another one of the same colour this year when I am victorious 0 -
Salsiccia wrote:Blazing Saddles wrote:Apologies to you, Salsiccia. Must have missed that nice summation. :oops:
I too, think stage 2 is a mini LBL, probably on equally small roads. Could define the GC very early.
No problem, I was just trying to lift your sense of despair over this thread!
Oh, I'm on the up. I'll be watching the presentation of the teams, tomorrow afternoon, around fivish CET. Get to see who's sleek and ready and those who are looking like Jan Ullrich impersonators! 8) "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Blazing Saddles wrote:It would be interesting to know how many of the numerous Astana fans on this forum, have been supporting the team since Vino won the Vuelta, in 2006.
I suspect very few indeed.
Blaze
Shhhh.................As you have expressed an interest, I am one of those. But it doesn't make me a bad person ........honest!
BTW - I want Astana to win the TTT but they may well finish after CSC and High Road.
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I'm getting quite excited now, this should be a cracker! 0
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Please don't shoot the messenger, Astana fans, here's an alternative take on the invite.
Keep reading through the red mist and you'll find some very ironic observations on the passed two Giros, at the bottom.:-
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/The ... 55475.html"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
David Arroyo's broken his arm in a crash in training and is out, so that's one possible top 10 finisher dismissed and we've not even got to the start yet!
Frenchman Matthieu Perget has been called up in his place.
Apparently Rodriguez, Karpets and Perez were all involved in the crash too. Presumably there were practising for the TTT, if all four of them managed to take a tumble like that.0 -
SecretSqirrel wrote:Blazing Saddles wrote:It would be interesting to know how many of the numerous Astana fans on this forum, have been supporting the team since Vino won the Vuelta, in 2006.
I suspect very few indeed.
Blaze
Shhhh.................As you have expressed an interest, I am one of those. But it doesn't make me a bad person ........honest!
BTW - I want Astana to win the TTT but they may well finish after CSC and High Road.
Hi Blazing Saddles... Where can you view the presentation?0 -
ACMadone wrote:SecretSqirrel wrote:Blazing Saddles wrote:It would be interesting to know how many of the numerous Astana fans on this forum, have been supporting the team since Vino won the Vuelta, in 2006.
I suspect very few indeed.
Blaze
Shhhh.................As you have expressed an interest, I am one of those. But it doesn't make me a bad person ........honest!
BTW - I want Astana to win the TTT but they may well finish after CSC and High Road.
Hi Blazing Saddles... Where can you view the presentation?
You have to have italian tv, I'm afraid. It's on RaiTre at 17-00CET.
Bummer about David Arroyo. He wanted a top 5 place, too. Perez had to have a scan on his hand, but is OK to start. Jaochim Rodriguez and Karpets involved can't be good news for Jose "The Venezuelan Dwarf" Rujano."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Speaking of Astana, anyone else see Dan Cruikshank's 'Adventures in Architecture' the other night, which featured the still-being-built newtown Kazakh capital Astana ?
President Nazarbayev certainly seems to be a megalomaniac dictator, but one with plenty of oil&gas money...0 -
It'll be interesting to see how Rujano does. Caisse d'Epargne would seem like a much better fit than his two previous teams - Quick Step and Unibet, seriously wtf was he thinking when he joined those?
This is his first GT since what, the 2006 Tour? His performance in the 05 Giro was incredible, hopefully he can show some of that form again in the mountains. Interesting to see Savio tipping him in ProCycling a few months ago.0 -
I saw it - its no wonder they take drugs. I was always a great believer in the truism that its better to be nouveau riche than not riche at all, but Astana (the city) is a step too far. It's like Mayor Quimby meets "Manga" architecture.'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'0
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This months Procycling is excellent for a Giro preview, can't go wrongRobert Millar for knighthood0
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Better on here for profiles etc:-
http://www.steephill.tv/giro-d-italia/
Re: Eurosport on the other thread. The only country that has it free to view is Germany. It is usually sold as part of a heavily encrypted ppv package, even in the darkest recesses of Eastern Europe.
I can't see it fitting into the Freesat set-up.
Besides, It's even more crap this year, than ever! :oops: Women's claycourt tennis anyone? :roll:"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Yup far better than the 'Giro Preview' in Cycle Sport...they never seem to really bother with previewing the Giro properly do they? Always says Giro Preview somewhere on the front cover, and then all you get is an interview with an Italian cyclist and a couple of stage profiles of the key stages in the back.
When I saw Procycling didn't have their usual separate/pull out guide I was a bit fearful, but it was excellent as always.
Latest Giro news...Benjamin Noval of Astana is out with stomach problems, *ignites touchpaper and stands back*, hasn't that been used as a euphemism for something before?
Anyway, Steve Morabito is in for him, so shouldn't be a great loss.0 -
Blazing Saddles wrote:Better on here for profiles etc:-
http://www.steephill.tv/giro-d-italia/
Re: Eurosport on the other thread. The only country that has it free to view is Germany. It is usually sold as part of a heavily encrypted ppv package, even in the darkest recesses of Eastern Europe.
I can't see it fitting into the Freesat set-up.
Besides, It's even more crap this year, than ever! :oops: Women's claycourt tennis anyone? :roll:
Depends whether or not Ana Ivanovic is playing.... 8)0 -
Blazing Saddles wrote:Better on here for profiles etc:-
http://www.steephill.tv/giro-d-italia/
Aye that is a good site. CyclingFever & CyclingNews both have good previews too, problem is you can't read them on the b*g or in the bath (well I could try with my laptop, but I think it could end rather badly for all concerned).
I always try and get hold of the Bicisport La Guida del Giro 200* which is excellent - big maps, stage profiles & timings etc.
This beauty - http://www.compagniaeditoriale.it/bicisport/rivista.asp?IdRivista=4950 -
Blazing Saddles wrote:
I love the way Di Luca's low hormonal values were listed but not the other riders who had the same thing. And he wasn't investigated for having those low levels, he was investigated because they returned to normal in the evening which could've indicated a transfusion.
Those Tuesday comments sometimes border on moronic.Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.0 -
Richeze has just been booted out for testosterone...0
