Giro - Pre Race Chat Thread.

tailwindhome

Inner Ring's excellent preview is up.

http://inrng.com/2013/04/giro-guide/#more-14491

cogidubnus

My favourite grand tour of the year. I can't wait

RonB

Really looking forward to the race this year, and just a reminder that the time bonuses are back!

As per the Gazzetta site - "The 2013 edition of the Giro d’Italia will see the return of time bonuses for the first three finishers in every stage, with the exception of the time trials.

96th Giro d’Italia will award the riders the following time bonuses: 20 seconds to the stage winner, 12 seconds to second place and 8 seconds to third. The potential impact on the General Classification will be significant.

The other important change, and one designed to make the race even more exciting and hard fought in every stage, will be the addition of a second intermediate sprint. In recent years there has only been one intermediate sprint per stage.

Both the intermediate sprints will give the riders time bonuses for the individual General Classification, respectively 5, 3 and 2 seconds for the first three riders to cross the line."

Macaloon

These time bonuses seem to give climbers who are lesser TTers another way to stay in the game in addition to the do or die long attack. Could see someone taking 60s out of Wiggins this way. Hope this doesn't deter futile attacks.

pottssteve

Sky team looks interesting. From their press release:

" Sir Bradley Wiggins – He follows his success at the 2012 Tour de France by mounting a challenge on the next Grand Tour, supported by one of Team Sky’s strongest line-ups to date.

· Dario Cataldo – A strong addition to Team Sky this season, he finished 12th in the last two editions of the Giro and, after winning an epic mountain-top finish at the Vuelta a Espana last season, his Grand Tour credentials are undeniable.

· Sergio Henao – Made an impression on his Giro debut in 2012, routinely riding at the head of the race on his way to ninth position overall. The Colombian has enjoyed a superb start to the season and will be a crucial asset in the mountains.

· Christian Knees – The former German national champion brings power and Grand Tour experience. One of three riders from the Tour-winning team, where he played a key role riding hard on the front and keeping Wiggins out of trouble on the road.

· Danny Pate – Reads a race like few others and his knowledge and selfless work ethic make the American an integral part of the nine-man unit. Pate rode alongside Wiggins as he chalked up a string of stage-race victories in 2012.

· Salvatore Puccio – Makes his Grand Tour debut at the Giro. The young Italian will tackle the biggest challenge of his career to date. Despite being just 23, he has already contested all five of cycling’s monument classics.

· Kanstantsin Siutsou – Brings both power and climbing prowess to the team. A former stage winner back in 2009, ‘Kosta’ makes his Grand Tour return after suffering a broken leg at the Tour de France last year.

· Rigoberto Urán – Team Sky’s highest-placed Giro finisher to date, riding to seventh overall and the young rider’s jersey last year. He has formed an exciting climbing partnership with compatriot Henao and will support Wiggins in the mountains.

· Xabier Zandio – The Spanish domestique is another rider who brings incredible Grand Tour know-how in addition to a laid back, calming and cheerful demeanour."

Steve

TheBigBean

The odds. I haven't looked at the parcours, but Wiggins seems short.

B Wiggins 10/11
V Nibali 2/1
R Hesjedal 9/1
S Sanchez 22/1
M Scarponi 25/1
C Evans 33/1
I Basso 33/1
S Henao 33/1
R Gesink 33/1
J Rujano 40/1
B Intxausti 50/1
F Pellizotti 50/1
M Santambrogio 50/1
D Pozzovivo 80/1
R Uran 80/1
J Gadret 100/1
J Brajkovic 100/1
J J Cobo 100/1
S Garzelli 150/1
C A Sorensen 150/1
F Aru 150/1
F Duarte 150/1
C Betancur 150/1
S Kruijswijk 150/1
P Niemec 175/1
D Ulissi 200/1
T Machado 250/1
D Di Luca 250/1
R Nocentini 250/1
F Kessiakoff 250/1
W Kelderman 250/1
D Lopez 250/1
A Jeannesson 250/1
P Tiralongo 250/1
D Cataldo 250/1
R Majka 300/1
J Dombrowski 400/1
S Casar 500/1
K Elissonde 500/1
E Capecchi 500/1
E Chaves 500/1
S Locatelli 500/1
S Pirazzi 500/1
R Mestre 500/1
M Rabottini 500/1
G Brambilla 500/1
J Monsalve 500/1
D Atapuma 500/1
P Stetina 500/1

cogidubnus

Would agree.

With the time bonuses I quite fancy a e/w on Sanchez or Cobo

TheBigBean

Cogidubnus wrote:

Would agree.

With the time bonuses I quite fancy a e/w on Sanchez or Cobo

I bet on Cobo at around 900/1 on last year's tour. I figured that after his Vuelta performance the year before he was worth a punt. His performance reflected his odds. He seems to struggle with things outside cycling, and I won't be betting on him again.

nevman

Why haven't Sky used Kiri on the team?

No_Ta_Doctor

nevman wrote:

Why haven't Sky used Kiri on the team?

Would guess they're just saving him for the tour.

No_Ta_Doctor

I effing hate time bonuses. They've got no place in a GT.

rick_chasey

No tA Doctor wrote:

I effing hate time bonuses. They've got no place in a GT.

It's a good ( if perennial ) discussion. I prefer them, within reason.

Turfle

I dislike them on mountain stages.

Nibali is favourite for me. Think the climbs suit him a little better, and he has shown good form lately.

Santambrogio a good e/w bet imo. He's been climbing like a madman all year.

alihisgreat

Rick Chasey wrote:

No tA Doctor wrote:

I effing hate time bonuses. They've got no place in a GT.

It's a good ( if perennial ) discussion. I prefer them, within reason.

20 seconds isn't within good reason though..

Richmond Racer

ALIHISGREAT wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

No tA Doctor wrote:

I effing hate time bonuses. They've got no place in a GT.

It's a good ( if perennial ) discussion. I prefer them, within reason.

20 seconds isn't within good reason though..

I'd have to agree. On the very chunky side, that is

Pross

Doesn't seem right that someone can finish a bike length behind the winner but in 4th place on 3 MTFs and then have to win the time trial by a minute to make up for it. It shouldn't be so bad here as there doesn't look like being one rider who'll dominate but on the Vuelta last year with all those super steep uphill finishes and the same riders winning it became a farce.

Richmond Racer

TheBigBean wrote:

The odds. I haven't looked at the parcours, but Wiggins seems short.


All the Brit non-cycling fan bets piling in, innit

danlikesbikes

Quite like the time bonuses but when they are that big does seem a little OTT.

rick_chasey

What's the bonus for second place? ?

milton50

Can't wait for this. This is easily a harder parcours than last year's Tour. Whoever wins this will have earnt it beyond doubt.

Remember that the 'net' time bonus will be 8 seconds because second place gets 12 seconds. So if Wiggins finishes second to Nibali on the mountain finishes then he'll only lose 8 seconds; which should be easy to gain back in the long time trial.

alihisgreat

Rick Chasey wrote:

What's the bonus for second place? ?

12 seconds.

I can't imagine a scenario where Nibs won't win a stage... have to say its not looking too good for Wiggo - maybe Sky will be sending someone up the road to try and get the bonuses?

inkyfingers

Personally, I think time bonuses can work, so long as the route is balanced enough to give riders without a fast finish (i.e. Wiggins) to make up time elsewhere (i.e. in the TTs).

Lets not forget that Wiggins beat Nibali by 3m 38s over 53.5km in the 2012 Tour, so assuming that Wiggins can take a similar margin in the long Giro TT then this race is not going to be decided by Nibali gaining a few time bonuses here and there, they may help him, for sure, but if Wiggins is in good shape then he'll need to either out-smart him, or out-climb him. There are other guys of course, like Sanchez and Evans, who may not win the Giro, but will likely be in the shakedown and steal bonuses on some of the uphill finishes, Sky also have Uran and Henao who could take them. Nibali is no great shakes as a sprinter either, when he wins it tends to be when "with nobody else in the photo".

I am really looking forward to the Giro, it has the ingredients of a great race.

LeicesterLad

I'm not usually a fan of time bonuses - however I do think it will make the Giro a better race. Wiggins won't be able to just romp away with victory after a couple of TT's and rolling in 8th etc on the mountain stages in the lead group and getting the same time (however fair this is). It *should* create some aggressive racing from the climbers who TT like Andy Schleck. Think it add's an extra dimension to the race otherwise we could just be watching the 2012 Tour all over again (and though the result pleasing, lets all agree it was a turd race).

rick_chasey

ALIHISGREAT wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

What's the bonus for second place? ?

12 seconds.

I can't imagine a scenario where Nibs won't win a stage... have to say its not looking too good for Wiggo - maybe Sky will be sending someone up the road to try and get the bonuses?

So 8 seconds between one and two. That's not so big.

andyjr

From looking, I think the time bonus's will have an effect on the racing, as teams will have to consider these and it could see more attacks in the last couple of km's to gain time & also the time bonus. Will be interesting to see how it pans out. Whether they'll have an effect on the actual overall result, is another matter. Wiggins will take time out of all on the long TT and will force the climbers to attack more if they want the overall. Can see Uran & Henao being told to try and take a couple of the stage wins to nullify the time bonus aspect to help Wiggins and it' not like Wiggins is going to be poor on the hills.

Sky as as an all round unit look very strong, but if you discount the team's Wiggins vs Nibali vs Sanchez looks pretty close. Can't see anyone outside of those 3 being on top come the end

frenchfighter

I hope the Italians dominate with their panache and attacks.

I hope the Giro d'Italia retains its unpredictability, flair, class and difficulty.

Bring on the war. I don't really mind who wins as long as it is based on individual talent, an attacking spirit and tactical brilliance.

LeicesterLad

frenchfighter wrote:

I hope the Italians dominate with their panache and attacks.

I hope the Giro d'Italia retains its unpredictability, flair, class and difficulty.

Bring on the war. I don't really mind who wins as long as it is based on individual talent, an attacking spirit and tactical brilliance.

Why did they let Gesink have his photo taken with the favourites?

Crozza

realising that I could watch live streams of last year's Giro at work completely destroyed all productivity last May

can only see this year being worse

frenchfighter

I like the fact that on some of the heavyweight stages, there is a monster climb or two before the final one. This will mean that GC riders that rely on their team more than their own legs will be at a disadvantage as the final climb will have a lot fewer teammates to pace you up.

I really like the short stages as well.

Squirrelpie

Looks designed to attract Wiggo only for Nibali to drop him on all the mountain finishes.

Richmond Racer

Squirrelpie wrote:

Looks designed to attract Wiggo only for Nibali to drop him on all the mountain finishes.

I can see Henao in particular being sent up the road to try to stop Nibbles from taking max points if Wiggo's not feeling sprightly enough on a summit finish. Damage limitation.