Evans ready for Giro

iainf72

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/lat ... angue.html

"My philosophy," Evans told Italian paper La Gazzetta dello Sport, "is that certain riders should not, cannot go to the Giro as preparations for the Tour. It is a form of honesty towards the organiser and public, but also respecting yourself.
"I will race the Giro and Tour as a protagonist."

With a bit of luck, I think he's in with a very good shout at winning

andyp

I was looking at the course last night and anyone who wants to win needs to time their peak form to arrive in the final week. There are no major obstacles before that so anyone hoping to be in form for the Giro and the Tour has a bit of leeway this year.

I think one of Basso, Evans, Pellizotti or Sastre will win.

timoid.

How about Vino? Or is there enough time trials for him to show his AWESOME RAW POWER*!






*copyright IainF72

andyp

Up until this week I'd have said Vino has showed very little form in the high mountains to be considered a serious contender.

afx237vi

andyp wrote:

I was looking at the course last night and anyone who wants to win needs to time their peak form to arrive in the final week. There are no major obstacles before that so anyone hoping to be in form for the Giro and the Tour has a bit of leeway this year.

I think one of Basso, Evans, Pellizotti or Sastre will win.

What about the 33km TTT on stage 4? Of the teams with GC candidates, I think Liquigas are by far the strongest. Basso or Pellizotti could be a few minutes ahead going into the mountains. BMC look BBoxesque in terms of their TTT team...

andyp

I can't see any team gaining much more than a minute in 33 km TTT. It's dead straight for the main part so won't see the carnage the one in the Tour last year caused.

iainf72

I agree it's between those guys.

Trentino today should tell us what Basso's proper climbing legs are like but he's looking very thin. He's less than 70kg's this year.

afx237vi

andyp wrote:

I can't see any team gaining much more than a minute in 33 km TTT. It's dead straight for the main part so won't see the carnage the one in the Tour last year caused.

Maybe, but even a minute would be tough to claw back from Basso. Being in the lead and just having to follow wheels would suit him down to the ground. Kinda like Menchov in that respect.

blazing_saddles

afx237vi wrote:

andyp wrote:

I can't see any team gaining much more than a minute in 33 km TTT. It's dead straight for the main part so won't see the carnage the one in the Tour last year caused.

Maybe, but even a minute would be tough to claw back from Basso. Being in the lead and just having to follow wheels would suit him down to the ground. Kinda like Menchov in that respect.

Or Pellizotti, for that matter.
For me, it's a question of whether they can employ better tactics this year, than they did against Menchov.

Sastre certainly won't be ready until week 3, given his warm up.

Cadel could win the Giro, but not the Tour.
I think he's going to get worked over at some point, by the men in green and the old issue of weak support will raise it's head.

Vino? Who knows. He's got to survive the Zoncolan and Mortirolo...
Better than expected team support, though.

frenchfighter

Well it is not like there are that many other riders....

Good to hear Evans stating his objectives beforehand, not like some of these riders pussy footing around and being cautious and defensive with their comments and even their riding.

afx237vi

Another thing - if Liquigas do win the TTT, the politics between Basso and Pellizotti could be veeeeeeeery interesting.

andyp

Personally I think the race winning gap is more likely to be forged on the Zoncolan and the Plan de Corones that on the TTT.

Gingerflash

I agree with AndyP and I don't think Sastre will be far off the pace in the mountains.

Kléber

The TTT is quick but don't underestimate Evan's ability to get shirty if things don't go his way, once he loses confidence he can unravel a bit. That said, I see him as a big contender.

Basso still seems to be struggling, he's not got the power (or the bloodbank) that he had in the past. Pellizotti and Sastre are lively but inconsistent. Don't rule out the likes of Garzelli, Scarponi, Vandevelde, Wiggins, Cunego and others.

iainf72

Kléber wrote:

Basso still seems to be struggling, he's not got the power (or the bloodbank) that he had in the past. Pellizotti and Sastre are lively but inconsistent. Don't rule out the likes of Garzelli, Scarponi, Vandevelde, Wiggins, Cunego and others.

I think in a GT, even the "new" Basso is better than all those guys like Garzelli etc. He's done ok in Trentino considering he's just come off training rather than racing.

Depends if the modified approach this year gives him a bit extra I guess.

Bakunin

I like Pellizotti over Basso.

iainf72

Bakunin wrote:

I like Pellizotti over Basso.

Is it coz he looks like Glenn Close?

He finished a bit off the pace in Trentino...

Bakunin

No offense to Glenn Close, but no.

I have a sentimental attachment to dolphins. That, and Basso is nothing without the special sauce.

skavanagh.bikeradar

Got to be Evans as Favouirte at this point though right? He's just shown he's up for it, majorly as it were...I wouldn't rule out those that Kleber mentions either but Wiggins is supposedly treating it as training and Cunego is only after stages......but as the action is loaded to the 3rd week they might inadvetently be in contention still at that point.

timoid.

skavanagh.bikeradar wrote:

Got to be Evans as Favouirte at this point though right? He's just shown he's up for it, majorly as it were...I wouldn't rule out those that Kleber mentions either but Wiggins is supposedly treating it as training and Cunego is only after stages......but as the action is loaded to the 3rd week they might inadvetently be in contention still at that point.

Whatever way Wiggins treats it, he's unlikely to threaten. This will be Evans vs. the Italians with a few Vino cameo's thrown in for good measure.

Any chance Contador really will ride, or has that speculation already been dismissed?

iainf72

Don't Sky say a top 6 in the Tour is more interesting to them than a Giro win.

Says it all really.

I think Wiggins might wear pink for a bit but he'll follow the plan and back off in week 3.