Giro preview.

smithy21

I am praying someone, anyone can come through and challenge AC. I'm not sure its going to happen though. Nibali, in my view is the best all round bet. J-Rod and Igor Anton should hopefully make him sweat on the steep climbs but the odds say it all for me- Bet 365 had him at 2/3 to win.

Best case scenario for me is a massive crash for Saxo in the TTT- all the other riders are ok but Contador inexplicably crashes through the window of a butchers shop and cant continue thereby removing him from proceedings before he has a chance to influence things.

rick_chasey

What works is that the transition stages should be enough distraction for what will be a one-sided GC battle, and the sheer size of the stage will add a bit of 'wow' factor. Rather like the Alto de L'Angliru in '08, where Contador rinsed everyone, but because the climb was so ridiculous it was still very watchable.

frenchfighter

Funny how Contador is considered the outright favourite by everyone on this forum and out. I thought he was only good because...

Anyway, yes he always was and still is the Worlds Best Champion Stage Racer.

He has never been utterly dominant, he can just do all things very well. His GTs are pretty close. It wont be a walkover and he certainly isn't approaching it like that either.

One thing that is important is that his team love him and are very much willing to work for him. It requires skill and good human qualities to achieve that. Can't wait to see Navarro rip up the climbs and Porte bury them.

He’s an exceptional rider, the perfect captain, but also a sympathic man
-Morkov

iainf72

frenchfighter wrote:

Funny how Contador is considered the outright favourite by everyone on this forum and out. I thought he was only good because...

Because he was doping and would still be doping?

smithy21

frenchfighter wrote:

Funny how Contador is considered the outright favourite by everyone on this forum and out. I thought he was only good because...

Anyway, yes he always was and still is the Worlds Best Champion Stage Racer.

He has never been utterly dominant, he can just do all things very well. His GTs are pretty close. It wont be a walkover and he certainly isn't approaching it like that either.

One thing that is important is that his team love him and are very much willing to work for him. It requires skill and good human qualities to achieve that. Can't wait to see Navarro rip up the climbs and Porte bury them.

He’s an exceptional rider, the perfect captain, but also a sympathic man
-Morkov

because Basso, Schleck etc are not in it. The quality of the field has a lot to do with his margin of favouritism here as well as the amount of climbing.

rick_chasey

frenchfighter wrote:

He has never been utterly dominant, he can just do all things very well. His GTs are pretty close. It wont be a walkover and he certainly isn't approaching it like that either.

I always got the impression with Contador there was always enough room in the tank if he needed it with all his wins.

As a climber, he usually goes into the TT with a good cushion, so can manage the gap accordingly.

You never really feel he's going to lose the jersey once he gets it.

knedlicky

TakeTheHighRoad wrote:

The transitional stages will create some time gaps. ... someone will be caught out, maybe Menchov.

I expect Rujano to do well, probably on the Finestre stage

Re Menchov and Finestre, ... rumour has it, he will be climbing Finestre tomorrow morning, together with Sastre and young hope Colombian Duarte (junior world champ 2008 I think), presumably not just to get a feel for it but also to work out team tactics for that stage.

blazing_saddles

frenchfighter wrote:

Funny how Contador is considered the outright favourite by everyone on this forum and out. I thought he was only good because...

Anyway, yes he always was and still is the Worlds Best Champion Stage Racer.

Well, the previous owner of that title was always considered outright favourite for the Tour by everyone on every forum.
I suppose that must make him Mr Clean as well.

knedlicky

frenchfighter wrote:

The Gardeccia ascent will only be accessible to authorised vehicles on race day. This ban also applies to hobby cyclists, who will be stopped at Pera (where they can leave their bikes at designated depots for a 3 Euro charge).
The last 950 m of the ascent will be barred to all spectators because the road therabouts is subject to landslides!

Edit: Pera is 6 km short of the finish. There is a track from there to the finish through the woods for those on MTBs.

frenchfighter

“In 2008, I was clueless about the Giro. I didn't know how it started or what the route was like or which riders were going,” he said. “I knew absolutely nothing. This year, on the other hand, I know the riders that are going, I know the route, and I've been able to do preparations tailor-made for the Giro.

“About the route, I think it's much harder this year than the one I rode in 2008, although it's true what some riders say, that the 2008 route was really hard, too. But I still think the difficulty of this one is greater.”


Read more: http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/8323/ ... z1LOC7Nfsy

blazing_saddles

Don't know if you have seen this, ff, but it's 19 pics of your chum climbing on Monte Crostis and doing the tourist bit.
http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/7988/sport/pho ... Giro.dhtml

cal_stewart

hes still a turd

inkyfingers

Not a great surprise, but he looks quite a bit skinnier than he did a couple of months ago.

Personally, I don't think he should be racing until all after the CAS have made their decision. Having said that, unless he has some bad luck or a crash I think he'll win the Giro, he's just too good in both the climbs and the TTs. I think Nibali will be second...good, but don't think he'll be able to live with Bertie on the super steep stuff.

lucybears

frenchfighter wrote:

“In 2008, I was clueless about the Giro. I didn't know how it started or what the route was like or which riders were going,” he said. “I knew absolutely nothing. This year, on the other hand, I know the riders that are going, I know the route, and I've been able to do preparations tailor-made for the Giro.

“About the route, I think it's much harder this year than the one I rode in 2008, although it's true what some riders say, that the 2008 route was really hard, too. But I still think the difficulty of this one is greater.”


Read more: http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/8323/ ... z1LOC7Nfsy

velonation.com guilty of the second-hand reporting they say that others do.
All they did was read the press release....
http://saxobanksungard.com/ny_news.asp?n_id=3156

Tusher

Nibali or Contador? I'm going to have to toss a coin for my PTP pick.
Would be fantastic for the Sicilian to win, but I'd kinda like Riis to have the win too.

rc856

Whereas in the Tour with the green jersey usually going to a sprinter, do you think this years Giro points jersey will be a non sprinter again?

I definitely look forward to the Giro more than the Tour these days.

RichN95.

RC856 wrote:

Whereas in the Tour with the green jersey usually going to a sprinter, do you think this years Giro points jersey will be a non sprinter again?

On this year's course, I'd be astonished if a sprinter won it. It'll be someone who finishes in the top 5 on GC.

afx237vi

Footage of new road being built for inclusion in next year's Giro:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13274947

RichN95.

afx237vi wrote:

Footage of new road being built for inclusion in next year's Giro:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13274947

Ha! I saw that earlier and thought exactly the same thing.

FJS

Geox on the Finistere.. : http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza/wielrenn ... _apocalyps

stfc1

FJS wrote:

Geox on the Finistere.. : http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza/wielrenn ... _apocalyps

On some days being a professional cyclist must feel like the best job in the world. On others…

camerone

i cannot begin to tell you how excited I am about this race. David Millar has described it as pure massacre..

dougzz

There must be a danger that by making it as difficult as they have they reduce the racing.

Abdoujaparov

dougzz wrote:

There must be a danger that by making it as difficult as they have they reduce the racing.

Both Contador and Zomegnan have made similar points to this. Contador was saying that the flatter days in the Giro are often pretty easy (while in Tour they're brutal) and Zomegnan made the point that the difficulty of a race is never decided by the parcours - it's always the riders that make it tough or not.

Put it this way - I could trundle my way around the course of the Zoncolan stage, but doing it at any sort of pace would be a completely different matter!

StefanP

Some Giro stats for this year:

Oldest Rider = Andrea Noè (42!)
Youngest Rider = Carlos Alberto Gomez
Lightest Rider = José Rujano
Heaviest Rider = Alex Rasmussen
Tallest Rider = Olivier Kaisen
Shortest Rider = José Rujano
"Thinnest" Rider = Francesco Masciarelli
"Fattest" Rider = Alex Rasmussen

btw Thinnest/fattest are based on BMI - not very scientific I know but it gives a general weight/height ratio

Full Information Here
Giro Stats

blazing_saddles

Giro team presentation just starting:
http://www.fromsportcom.com/v-2/6/20/v-262001.html

frenchfighter

StefanP wrote:

Some Giro stats for this year:

Oldest Rider = Andrea Noè (42!)
Youngest Rider = Carlos Alberto Gomez
Lightest Rider = José Rujano
Heaviest Rider = Alex Rasmussen
Tallest Rider = Olivier Kaisen
Shortest Rider = José Rujano
"Thinnest" Rider = Francesco Masciarelli
"Fattest" Rider = Alex Rasmussen

btw Thinnest/fattest are based on BMI - not very scientific I know but it gives a general weight/height ratio

Full Information Here
Giro Stats

Nice.

frenchfighter

Some good words from Riis;

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/8338/ ... ouble.aspx

RichN95.

frenchfighter wrote:

Some good words from Riis;

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/8338/ ... ouble.aspx

The Giro-Tour double is almost impossible these days (IMO), especially with the Giro parcours of recent years (riders must be praying that Guardini develops into the top sprinter so they get easier Giros)

However, Contador is trying to do the Giro-CAS-Tour triple. Something never attempted before. I can't see him pulling it off.

P_Tucker

RichN95 wrote:

However, Contador is trying to do the Giro-CAS-Tour triple. Something never attempted before. I can't see him pulling it off.

I agree that it's unlikely, but I for one am glad that he's giving it a go. Far more interesting than Lance metronomically winning the Tour at the expense of any other racing.