Giro GC Contendors

Oz Chief

Giro GC

Would like to get some opinions from anyone willing to unload them.

1. Leipheimer & Armstrong – Will Astana’s team just dominate the whole race?
2. Basso – Only started following cycling 18 months ago so got no idea about him. Is he any good since suspension?
3. Cunego and Di Luca – Both previous winners, but could either do it again?
4. Menchov and Vandevelde and Sastre – These 3 are unlikely to win the Tour this year, so they should be having a crack shouldn’t they?
5. Saxo and Caisse– Why have they got no-one?
6. Rogers – My favourite rider, My favourite team. If I was team management, the priorities for this year would be: Cavendish for Tour Points, Rogers for Giro GC and Vuelta GC. I’m slightly patriotic but I would have thought that Rogers is a good shot. Why is he at $67?

disgruntledgoat

You missed off my long shot for overall Gilberto Simoni. 2 times a winner adn, although he's ancient and can't time trial, he thrives on the hard summit finishes and steep gradients. The tough first weeks means he won't be fighting a rearguard action having lost time on a TT or an early climbing stage when everyone is fresh. The long TT suits him as much as it can and he's always good in the 3rd week.

Pokerface

Leipheimer definitely in with a shot at the overall. Forget about Armstrong - he's there to get into shape.

Basso going strong and my personal prediction to win it.

Some think Cunego has a chance to win. I don't think he climbs well enough.

Saxo and Caisse - saving their best riders for the Tour.

TheStone

From BetFair:

Basso 2.9
Leip 6
Mench 12.5
Cunego 13.5
Arms 16
Sastre 24
Di Luca 26

Cumulonimbus

Be interesting to see how Soler goes on his comeback. Scarponi won Tirreno-Adriatico earlier this season - does anyone know how he will fare in this sort of race? I think that Leipheimer will be the one to beat. He finished equal with Contador in the Vuelta until you take time bonusses into account and with both Contador and Armstrong in the tour then maybe this will be the better of the two for him to have a stab at.

disgruntledgoat

Sportingbet.com is offering 5/1 on Cav for the overall! Where do I sign?

iainf72

Oz Chief wrote:

6. Rogers – My favourite rider, My favourite team. If I was team management, the priorities for this year would be: Cavendish for Tour Points, Rogers for Giro GC and Vuelta GC. I’m slightly patriotic but I would have thought that Rogers is a good shot. Why is he at $67?

Because he doesn't stand a hope, maybe? I see he is starting now so lets hope no more T-Mobile doping stories come out and make him come down with swine flu or something.

It's hard to see past Basso. He looked very very good in Trentino, and can do 3 weeks.

timoid.

iainf72 wrote:

Oz Chief wrote:

6. Rogers – My favourite rider, My favourite team. If I was team management, the priorities for this year would be: Cavendish for Tour Points, Rogers for Giro GC and Vuelta GC. I’m slightly patriotic but I would have thought that Rogers is a good shot. Why is he at $67?

Because he doesn't stand a hope, maybe? I see he is starting now so lets hope no more T-Mobile doping stories come out and make him come down with swine flu or something.

It's hard to see past Basso. He looked very very good in Trentino, and can do 3 weeks.

Too funny. How can people see Colombia as clean with Rogers riding in on its roster?

afx237vi

Basso is the man to beat, definitely. Leipheimer will probably gurn his way onto the podium.

Caisse d'Epargne is an interesting team. Arroyo and J-Rod are both freed from their usual duties of pulling Valverde up mountains, will either of them step up and get a high GC ranking?

A 60 km TT could suit Bruseghin. He could get on the podium, but again, will he waste energy nursing Cunego through the mountains?

Di Luca will probably get a top 10. Simoni is too old and should concentrate on picking the stages that suit him best.

Menchov, Sastre and VDV. Who knows? They all have bigger fish to fry later in the season. None of them have done anything so far this season. What is their motivation for being in the Giro? Personally I don't think any of them will finish highly.

Riders I'm looking forward to seeing make a breakthrough :- Augystyn and Sivtsov. Or Sioutsou. Or whatever. Maybe they won't finish high up on GC, but I want them to make a showing in the mountains. Ben Swift to win a transitional stage.

Kléber

If Basso is doing this clean, as Aldo Sassi promises, then I'd be tempted to put my money on Leipheimer. I still see Basso as a strong pick given all the climbs though. Menchov is a dark horse as ever, Mr Consistent.

timoid.

It will be interesting to watch some of the up and coming riders like Seeldrayers, Soler, maybe even Siutsou. I'm disappointed in Van Den Broeck not coming back; he promised a lot last year.

I'm also intrigued to see how Jani Brajkovic goes. He's a real dark horse in my book.

DaveyL

Timoid. wrote:

iainf72 wrote:

Oz Chief wrote:

6. Rogers – My favourite rider, My favourite team. If I was team management, the priorities for this year would be: Cavendish for Tour Points, Rogers for Giro GC and Vuelta GC. I’m slightly patriotic but I would have thought that Rogers is a good shot. Why is he at $67?

Because he doesn't stand a hope, maybe? I see he is starting now so lets hope no more T-Mobile doping stories come out and make him come down with swine flu or something.

It's hard to see past Basso. He looked very very good in Trentino, and can do 3 weeks.

Too funny. How can people see Colombia as clean with Rogers riding in on its roster?

Because (I'm prepared to be corrected) only 7 riders from the 06 TDF went to Freiburg, no? It's conceivable Rogers wasn't one of them. Theoretically... And anyway, there's nothing to stop a rider stopping doping, if the team management says "Look guys, you don't have to do this any more." many riders would welcome it I imagine. Again, theoretically...

Can Basso do 3 weeks clean? Oh I forgot, he didn't dope at the '06 Giro, did he? It was after that he went off and made plans to dope, after being so shaken by the narrow margin of his 9 minute victory...

jerry3571

Final Overall 2009 Giro

1. Basso
2. Armstrong- 1.45min
3. Leipheimer- 2.57 min
4. Pellizotti - 4.40 min
5. Bruseghin - 5.48min
6. Di Luca - 7. 22 min
7. Cunego - .740 min
8. Simoni - 9. 05min
9. Menchov 10. 33 min
10. Pozzovivo 12. 48min

Nailed myself to the floor ME THINKS!!
Ciao Jerry

iainf72

DaveyL wrote:

Because (I'm prepared to be corrected) only 7 riders from the 06 TDF went to Freiburg, no? It's conceivable Rogers wasn't one of them. Theoretically... And anyway, there's nothing to stop a rider stopping doping, if the team management says "Look guys, you don't have to do this any more." many riders would welcome it I imagine. Again, theoretically...

So he only got training plans from Dr F? Kind of like Pat Sinkewitz....

If it looks like a dog, barks like a dog....

afx237vi

jerry3571 wrote:

Final Overall 2009 Giro

1. Basso
2. Armstrong- 1.45min
3. Leipheimer- 2.57 min
4. Pellizotti - 4.40 min
5. Bruseghin - 5.48min
6. Di Luca - 7. 22 min
7. Cunego - .740 min
8. Simoni - 9. 05min
9. Menchov 10. 33 min
10. Pozzovivo 12. 48min

Nailed myself to the floor ME THINKS!!
Ciao Jerry

He ain't in the race!

DaveyL

iainf72 wrote:

DaveyL wrote:

Because (I'm prepared to be corrected) only 7 riders from the 06 TDF went to Freiburg, no? It's conceivable Rogers wasn't one of them. Theoretically... And anyway, there's nothing to stop a rider stopping doping, if the team management says "Look guys, you don't have to do this any more." many riders would welcome it I imagine. Again, theoretically...

So he only got training plans from Dr F? Kind of like Pat Sinkewitz....

If it looks like a dog, barks like a dog....

Ah, you didn't bite at the second part of my post. You disappoint me

jerry3571

Not that Pozzovivo but good ole "DAVE Pozzovivo". An unheard of rider from the outer reaches of Peru.
Ok ok I didn't know he wasn't in the Giro. hmmm.... I think it'll be an Italian so... Scarponi!!

Final Overall 2009 Giro

1. Basso
2. Armstrong- 1.45min
3. Leipheimer- 2.57 min
4. Pellizotti - 4.40 min
5. Bruseghin - 5.48min
6. Di Luca - 7. 22 min
7. Cunego - .740 min
8. Simoni - 9. 05min
9. Menchov 10. 33 min
10. Scarponi 12. 48min


Ta Da!!

I must remind people who post inflammatory remarks about riders and cheating should do with a fully trained Liable Barrister beside them.
Also, Mr Basso's dog has only been used to improve his owner's results by strapping sausages to Mr Basso's Shorts padding and then releasing the ravenous Dog to chase his owner up the Mountains. Thank you.

-Jerry

timoid.

DaveyL wrote:

Timoid. wrote:

iainf72 wrote:

Oz Chief wrote:

6. Rogers – My favourite rider, My favourite team. If I was team management, the priorities for this year would be: Cavendish for Tour Points, Rogers for Giro GC and Vuelta GC. I’m slightly patriotic but I would have thought that Rogers is a good shot. Why is he at $67?

Because he doesn't stand a hope, maybe? I see he is starting now so lets hope no more T-Mobile doping stories come out and make him come down with swine flu or something.

It's hard to see past Basso. He looked very very good in Trentino, and can do 3 weeks.

Too funny. How can people see Colombia as clean with Rogers riding in on its roster?

Because (I'm prepared to be corrected) only 7 riders from the 06 TDF went to Freiburg, no? It's conceivable Rogers wasn't one of them. Theoretically... And anyway, there's nothing to stop a rider stopping doping, if the team management says "Look guys, you don't have to do this any more." many riders would welcome it I imagine. Again, theoretically...

Can Basso do 3 weeks clean? Oh I forgot, he didn't dope at the '06 Giro, did he? It was after that he went off and made plans to dope, after being so shaken by the narrow margin of his 9 minute victory...

T Mobile started the race with 7 being one Ullrich and one Sevilla down...

DaveyL

I forgot about Sevlla, which is odd given that he's still plying his trade at Rock, isn't he? With, er, Pevenage as DS...

dave_1

iainf72 wrote:

Oz Chief wrote:

6. Rogers – My favourite rider, My favourite team. If I was team management, the priorities for this year would be: Cavendish for Tour Points, Rogers for Giro GC and Vuelta GC. I’m slightly patriotic but I would have thought that Rogers is a good shot. Why is he at $67?

Because he doesn't stand a hope, maybe? I see he is starting now so lets hope no more T-Mobile doping stories come out and make him come down with swine flu or something.

It's hard to see past Basso. He looked very very good in Trentino, and can do 3 weeks.

I hope Pierre gets to interview Mickey Rogers at the Giro

dave_1

Kléber wrote:

If Basso is doing this clean, as Aldo Sassi promises, then I'd be tempted to put my money on Leipheimer. I still see Basso as a strong pick given all the climbs though. Menchov is a dark horse as ever, Mr Consistent.

If Basso is clean then surely he will collapse a bit in the final week. Am hesitant about picking someone I suspect might be clean

Oz Chief

My confusion is ...
So if Rogers is no hope and at $67 for the Giro, why is he then $26 for the Tour? Surely he would be more likely to win the Giro than Tour?

Also regarding the allegations, someone will have to explain that to me too. Is it just because he was team-mates with Ullrich and was one of the last ones to get dropped by Landis in his Tour "win" (didn't follow cycling at the time so don't know if its true, just been told it by someone).

So until someone can inform me, i will return to the position of in the corner, holding my teddy, sucking my thumb repeating "Aussies dont take drugs. Aussies dont take drugs..."

Kléber

Oz Chief wrote:

Also regarding the allegations, someone will have to explain that to me too. Is it just because he was team-mates with Ullrich

Not so much the mere fact of being a team mate, rather it appears that Telekom/T-Mobile had an organised doping programme for their riders. It takes a leap of faith to imagine one rider, whether Rogers or another, was shielded from this.

timoid.

Kléber wrote:

Oz Chief wrote:

Also regarding the allegations, someone will have to explain that to me too. Is it just because he was team-mates with Ullrich

Not so much the mere fact of being a team mate, rather it appears that Telekom/T-Mobile had an organised doping programme for their riders. It takes a leap of faith to imagine one rider, whether Rogers or another, was shielded from this.

Was that programme there when Evans was with T mobile though? Maybe Rogers isn't the only aussie that isn't squeaky clean. Where does it leave Cavendish. Stagiere in 2006?

I don't trust that team still.

shinyhelmut

Oz Chief wrote:

So until someone can inform me, i will return to the position of in the corner, holding my teddy, sucking my thumb repeating "Aussies dont take drugs. Aussies dont take drugs..."

Except Neil Stephens (allegedly) :?

iainf72

Timoid. wrote:

I don't trust that team still.

I do a nice line in "I don't trust Bob Stapleton" t-shirts, if you're interested.

Poor old Mick getting ill everytime there is doping news really does just feel like something from the 90's.

Kléber

ShinyHelmut wrote:

Oz Chief wrote:

So until someone can inform me, i will return to the position of in the corner, holding my teddy, sucking my thumb repeating "Aussies dont take drugs. Aussies dont take drugs..."

Except Neil Stephens (allegedly) :?

and puertisto Allan Davis?

iainf72

Kléber wrote:

and puertisto Allan Davis?

And Nathan O'Neill.

And many of the Olympic guys from 04.

jerry3571

ShinyHelmut may have stole my Thunder??

Clean Aussies!! I love it. A particular article I may have read involved a possibly Mulletted Aussie rider who may have ridden for ONCE and Festina saying he would never dope as he had a young Family and would never want to effect their lives through any side effect from doping (such as keeling over from too much EPO).
Yes. Whilst I was on the Train down to Alpe D'Huez in 1998; he and his Team was busted. He didn't cry though showing his true Aussie Grit. God Bless Austraaaaalia!!!
-Jerry

Ps- I still find it hard to believe that anyone thinks that a rider they know as a top Pro is going to be 100% clean. If you do then you will cry; yes, like a wimpy French man in Polka Dots, cr, cry, cry
...unless you're a Bona Fida Bonza Good Ole Bloke from the Land of OZ!!

Pss- Top point made from Dave_1 about the form dropping off in the 3rd week. Shows a lack of Steriod doping. Charley Mottet was rubbish in the 3rd week.

Ciao Jerry

Cumulonimbus

Timoid. wrote:

Kléber wrote:

Oz Chief wrote:

Also regarding the allegations, someone will have to explain that to me too. Is it just because he was team-mates with Ullrich

Not so much the mere fact of being a team mate, rather it appears that Telekom/T-Mobile had an organised doping programme for their riders. It takes a leap of faith to imagine one rider, whether Rogers or another, was shielded from this.

Was that programme there when Evans was with T mobile though? Maybe Rogers isn't the only aussie that isn't squeaky clean. Where does it leave Cavendish. Stagiere in 2006?

I don't trust that team still.

In 2004 the t-mobile team suffered from food poisoning on one stage in the Vuelta forcing a lot to struggle or drop out but Evans managed to battle on and finish sixth with Zabel also doing well.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2004/vu ... /vuelta045

I have seen speculation on other forums about what the cause of this may have been but it could mean anything. Maybe it is down to dietary choice.

jerry3571

Sounds a bit like when the PDM Team went down in the early 90's.
Food poisoning??
-Jerry