Giro overall - Who's everyone thinking of?

iainf72
iainf72 Posts: 15,784
edited April 2010 in Pro race
I'm going to have to cast my PTP early next week and I'm still trying to figure out who to go for.

Evans
Basso
Pellizotti
Sastre
Vino
VDV
Wiggins

What's everyone thinking? Evans looks very good, Basso is getting there - He looks in better shape than Carlos or Sastre at the moment but they all seem to be working themselves into shape. It's all about the 3rd week

Vino - Looks strong but I don't believe he can win a grand tour unless he pulls that whole "oh-I-missed-the-test-as-I-was-on-the-bus-going-to-the-start" thing again.

VDV looking better but it's all about the Tour. Same for Wiggins.

Anyone missing?
Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.

Comments

  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    Don't rule out some second-tier Italian. The race could see the likes of Garzelli or Scarponi open up the old suitcase of courage and pull out a magic potion or two.

    Vino looks interesting, he's getting very strong. He was a Tour GC contender before the ban, he's back to the top of his game. Evans is strong but could suffer from a weak team and within Liquigas, we'll have to see who's on form, Romandie is crucial for Basso.
  • Pokerface
    Pokerface Posts: 7,960
    Unless Wiggins is doing some serious sandbagging, I would forgot about him. Evans will be the man to beat as he seems to be genuinely targeting this race and is on form right now.

    Vino is strong. But not sure how he'll fair over a 3-week tour - especially with so many mountains. Plus something still doesn't sit right with me about him. I have the bad feeling is all going to go Pete Tong mid-race at some point.

    Basso seems past it as a winner since his return. Some flashes of brilliance, but not enough to get to the top step.

    Sastre? Interesting possibility if he turns up wanting to win and has done enough work on his own leading up to it. His lack of racing this year may hurt him.

    Not sure if any of the Liquigas juniors are showing up for the Giro? But if they were to throw Sagan in there - he might be a good outside pick - the way he's riding right now.
  • I find the prospect of Cunego being shepherded by a two time winner for 3 weeks quite interesting, although this has been tried before with limited success.

    Basso or Evans for mine.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,244
    Honestly, I've always found the Giro difficult to predict.

    I'd put Pellizotti as first principally because he seems to do better than Evans or Basso when it gets stupidly steep.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,069
    It's always a risk backing anyone other than an Italian. Pellizotti would have been my choice but his form seems to be short of where he needs it to be, plus him and Basso will both want support from Liquigas.

    Evans looks good but his team looks very weak.

    Sastre is an unknown as he's only ridden one race so this season, but he is usually very good at hitting his peak form when he needs to.
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    I think I'd make Evans favourite - but there is something about Evans being favourite that worries me - I can see him losing the pink jersey in the last week as other favourites attack him and they all wait for him to respond. You can make more of a case against any of the other contenders but there are quite a few that he has to watch - Pelizotti probably the pick for me.

    I reckon Kleber makes a good point - it could be one of the second tier Italian GC contenders inexplicably "coming good" in their home race .

    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • le_patron
    le_patron Posts: 493
    I'm in the 'second-tier Italian looking surprisingly strong' camp. The other thing is that the course contains such seriously steep terrain....the mountain stages are mad.

    The whole Vino situation is fascinating. 36, been out for two years but clearly back to a level where he can cause some very serious damage. Perhaps more interesting for July than May, he’s an unexpected factor in the equation with this form. Not sure how the other GC contenders have factored him in…makes it very interesting, regardless of rights or wrongs.
  • Neil McC
    Neil McC Posts: 625
    Personally, I think it's between Evans, Basso & Pellizotti. Will be interesting how Liquigas shape up.

    Sastre, well who knows. I think he's targeting the race, but hasn't really done any racing this season. Will this tactic work? I have no idea and we don't really know what he has in his legs. Then again, neither do the other riders. I can't discount him, though it would take some courage for me to pick him for PTP.

    Vino. Like others have said, he's in form but how will he be over a three week race?

    Wiggins. I'm not sure if he's keeping his form to himself ahead of the Giro or if he's not targetting it at all and just using it for a warm up ahead of July. Though something in me thinks he may have a go and see where he is going into the final week. A lot could depend on how well Sky go in the TTT?
  • pedro118118
    pedro118118 Posts: 1,102
    I would say Evans has a very good chance if he is going all-out for the win.
  • DaveyL
    DaveyL Posts: 5,167
    Is "Denny" Menchov riding?
    Le Blaireau (1)
  • Gazzaputt
    Gazzaputt Posts: 3,227
    I think it'll be a Basso Pellizotti battle which will be very interesting.

    Maybe if Wiggo gets to the 3rd and has a chance I think the team will push for him. As I said in another post a grand tour win for Sky in it's first season will be a major coup.
  • Never count Sastre out. The first week of the Gior this year is incredibly easy, so I expect him to ride into form.

    Cunego always flatters to deceive, and other Italians don't have the durabiltiy to last three weeks.

    Evans is looking good too, but as has been said he could suffer from a poor team.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,244
    I tend to think the teams are less important in the Giro, than the Tour.

    Then again, when it comes to GTs, I often talk even more bollocks than usual.
  • sonny73
    sonny73 Posts: 2,203
    Pellizotti for me, I would agree it's a hard call. I can see Evans doing it but when the serious mountains hit I think it's going to be too heavy for him.
    Sastre, well he says his preparation last year prior to the Giro was light and he came 4th, so I guess he could be counted on to do well.

    As far as the others go Wiggo I think the Tour is way too important, even just a decent top 10 finish. Vino, I cant see it and the same with Basso.
    Either way I am looking forward to it, some great stages in there :D
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,069
    It's not impossible to win a GT without help from a team, as Lemond and, to a lesser extent, Contador, can attest but it does make it more difficult.

    I just look at the list of BMC riders pencilled in for the Giro and think that Evans will be isolated on most of the mountain stages. If he's canny he can cope with this but if there's a situation where a team mate is needed, i.e. one of Basso or Pellizotti is away with Sastre then having someone to chase would be beneficial. If I was the BMC DS I'd be forming alliances from day one.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,244
    Anyone know if van den Broeck is doing the Giro?

    Not FTW, but more for interest in the Mountains?
  • Cumulonimbus
    Cumulonimbus Posts: 1,730
    FWIW Wiggins says he's in better shape than he was this time last year. Perhaps not surprisingly he is targetting the early part of the race - the prologue offers the chance of the leader's jersey and the ttt offers the chance of a sky win or a chance to take the jersey if he's not far away from it.

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/ap ... ns-cycling
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
    edited April 2010
    Surely, some dodgy Eye-talian from a 2nd rate team, will go "ET" and be all over the Dolomites like a Gordon Brown soundbite. :P

    Far harder to call, than the Tour, IMO.
    Best of the undercard? Looks like it could be Domenico Pozzovivo. He ripped the legs off the field, including the Ceramica Cobra, on the big climb of the Giro dell Appennino on Sunday.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Bronzie
    Bronzie Posts: 4,927
    Pokerface wrote:
    Evans will be the man to beat as he seems to be genuinely targeting this race and is on form right now.
    He does look good now.........but maybe peaked 3 weeks too early? Depends on how much more form he has left to build up.
  • Bernardus
    Bernardus Posts: 136
    DaveyL wrote:
    Is "Denny" Menchov riding?

    No, he's targeting the podium in France, he will probably ride the Vuelta too. Even IF he manages to stay on his bike (like he nearly did in the Giro) he probably won't beat Contador, but he could claim 2nd.

    Rabo's Giro team: Ardila, Brown, van Emden, Flens, Freire, Kozontchuk, Moerenhout, Mollema, Weening

    They don't have a real GC leader, but Mollema has a "protected" status, Freire is the team leader for the first stages. They really want to win the second stage, the finish in Utrecht is basically next to Rabo HQ,
    Anyone know if van den Broeck is doing the Giro?

    He's riding the Tour and he's aiming for top 10, I think he'll end up 11-15.
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    Surely, some dodgy Eye-talian from a 2nd rate team, will go "ET" and be all over the Dolomites like a Gordon Brown soundbite. :P

    Far harder to call, than the Tour, IMO.
    Best of the undercard? Looks like it could be Domenico Pozzovivo. He ripped the legs off the field, including the Ceramica Cobra, on the big climb of the Giro dell Appennino on Sunday.

    Damn you BS!

    I was reading the entire thread with Pozzovivo in mind and thinking to myself "ha, I'm gonna look so smart when I tip this dodgy second tier ey-etalian that no-one's heard of and he finishes on the podium in Milan... er, or Rome or wherever the Giro finishes this year."

    And you beat me to it.
  • stanislav
    stanislav Posts: 1,151
    afx237, I picked pozzovivo three times in tirreno adriatico for ptp,

    with so many question marks over the favs he may challenge for
    a top 5 as he has climbing form from recent seasons.

    any thoughts.
    PTP winner 2015.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,069
    stanislav wrote:
    afx237, I picked pozzovivo three times in tirreno adriatico for ptp,

    with so many question marks over the favs he may challenge for
    a top 5 as he has climbing form from recent seasons.

    any thoughts.

    Yes, will he get busted during the Giro or after? :wink:
  • stanislav
    stanislav Posts: 1,151
    andyp wrote:
    stanislav wrote:
    afx237, I picked pozzovivo three times in tirreno adriatico for ptp,

    with so many question marks over the favs he may challenge for
    a top 5 as he has climbing form from recent seasons.

    any thoughts.

    Yes, will he get busted during the Giro or after? :wink:

    he could be the clean contender :)
    PTP winner 2015.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
    My other outside top 5 bet would be Katusha's Giampaolo Caruso.
    He is quietly coming back to his old form.
    Gianni Savvy's boys are bound to turn up en mass, whenever the road turns upwards.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • donrhummy
    donrhummy Posts: 2,329
    Of the riders who have the ability I think only Sastre and Evans are going all out. I'm leaning toward Sastre simply because of the extra mountains in a Giro.
  • Doobz
    Doobz Posts: 2,800
    Gotta be vino for me..
    cartoon.jpg
  • Yorkman
    Yorkman Posts: 290
    The last 2 days in the Dolomites amount to over 11,000m of climbing.

    An out & out climber will win this year, and Pelozzoti has already won the TT up Kronplatz, beating Bertie & Ricco in the process so he's the man for me.

    Basso looks a busted flush without Dr Fuentes' assistance.
  • oldwelshman
    oldwelshman Posts: 4,733
    No idea :D but I do not believe WIggo can win the TDF this year and although he will use the Giro as training, he will be flat put first two weeks and if he is then high on GC I do not believe Sky would give up the chance of winning just for training as the Giro would be a huge win for SKy in first year, maybe they are playing down their Giro ambitions to allow Wiggo a bit of leaway from Italians :D
    I do now Valverde wont win tho :D
  • moray_gub
    moray_gub Posts: 3,328
    Surely, some dodgy Eye-talian from a 2nd rate team, will go "ET" and be all over the Dolomites like a Gordon Brown soundbite. :P

    Far harder to call, than the Tour, IMO.
    Best of the undercard? Looks like it could be Domenico Pozzovivo. He ripped the legs off the field, including the Ceramica Cobra, on the big climb of the Giro dell Appennino on Sunday.

    Good shout for a wild card this one maybe top five as his form this year has been quite impressive ,iirc when he was with Ceramica he also had a good Giro (top ten ?) a few years back. As for winner got to be Evans for me if he can overcome having a weak team.
    Gasping - but somehow still alive !