Who will win 2013 GIRO?

[Ivan_Basso_77]

Ivan Basso is going to disappoint many British who watch cycling since this year's Tour:)

[Ryo Hazuki]

True. I'd even say on the climbs with the average grade >=7%. Any continuous 9 and more % sector and ... Fuglsang is dropped like a cork. Jani got slimmer for the last few years and his TT is for him too. Why do Astana prefer Fuglsang?? Probably he guaranteed them something?

brajkovic got slimmer? he was 177x52 he only got heavier and thank god for that

[greenedge]

ton? Kreuziger have not been as good as we hoped, but noone thought Brajko would do any better than a top 10 in the tour.

losing weight?? dombrowski is 188 and 68 kg

JTL-http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tiernan-locke-hoping-to-ride-a-grand-tour-in-2013

I did for Brajkovic, it was the only reason he was in my CQ team.

[Ryo Hazuki]

sorry, my bad. I thought was about donbrowski, but I read now you said jtl. I hate those shorts of names

[movingtarget]

Ivan Basso is going to disappoint many British who watch cycling since this year's Tour:)

Ivan is on the slippery slope, heading in the same direction as Dennis Menchov. He won't make the podium I don't think. His last good grand tour was the 2010 Giro.

[The Hitch]

Ivan is on the slippery slope, heading in the same direction as Dennis Menchov. He won't make the podium I don't think. His last good grand tour was the 2010 Giro.

He was ok.in 2011 tour considering his preparation was badly messed up by the may etna crash

[movingtarget]

He was ok.in 2011 tour considering his preparation was badly messed up by the may etna crash

I suppose, all things considered, it wasn't a bad performance. I thought he was disappointing in the this year's Giro though.

[airstream]

brajkovic got slimmer? he was 177x52 he only got heavier and thank god for that

Such riders don't exist. He would have blown away from the peloton on flat. Brajkovic is 58 as minimum.



Previous 5 years clearly show that TT's decide more than mountains if we look into contenders of comparable level. There is a 50 km TT. Basso will lose to Wiggins 3 minutes in case of the best scenario. The main problem is he can not get away on pedalabele climbs and the stages are not difficult enough that the opponents would be dropped due to tiredness. Next year he won't have a team. I don't see Basso get on the podium if 2-3 main contenders won't fail.

[Jason_Mercier]

I suppose, all things considered, it wasn't a bad performance. I thought he was disappointing in the this year's Giro though.

Very very disappointing if we consider Scarponi wasn't the Scarponi of 2011 and Kreuziger did a crappy race. The shadow of the 2010 Basso would had won the Giro.

[Parrulo]

Very very disappointing if we consider Scarponi wasn't the Scarponi of 2011 and Kreuziger did a crappy race. The shadow of the 2010 Basso would had won the Giro.

i would even add "easily"

[airstream]

I think people underrate the general level of this year's Giro because of 2 facts maybe:
- a new guy won;
- to elevate the Vuelta even more.
. Yes, the riders behaved too cautiously because everyone felt he's not stronger or stronger not that much to get away. They could ride faster in case someone could have shaken the race a bit. But to say they were weak is ridiculous.

[Jason_Mercier]

The question is who was Ryder Hesjedal before the 2012 Giro and if Rodriguez ever had the opportunity for win a GT? Also a "GT rider" like Thomas De Gendt with win options... Please.

[Jason_Mercier]

We'll see this year. But dont get surprised if Ryder Hesjedal finishes more than 6 minutes after Wiggins in the final GC.

[Eshnar]

They could ride faster in case someone could have shaken the race a bit. But to say they were weak is ridiculous.

Agreed. After all, how can we know how strong was Purito (Giro version) compared to Purito (Vuelta version)? We have no means to compare him. I can't find the data now, but when I looked at it the VAMs in the Giro were far from being poor.

[cineteq]

The question is who was Ryder Hesjedal before the 2012 Giro and if Rodriguez ever had the opportunity for win a GT?

He was just a Canadian cyclist riding for Garmin and Purito will have a great opportunity to win a GT if he chooses to ride the right GTs.

[theyoungest]

I think people underrate the general level of this year's Giro because of 2 facts maybe:
- a new guy won;
- to elevate the Vuelta even more.
. Yes, the riders behaved too cautiously because everyone felt he's not stronger or stronger not that much to get away. They could ride faster in case someone could have shaken the race a bit. But to say they were weak is ridiculous.

It just seems impossible to me that Hesjedal would have been able to follow the amazing Spanish threesome in the Vuelta. Just a feeling.

[Jason_Mercier]

He was just a Canadian cyclist riding for Garmin and Purito will have a great opportunity to win a GT if he chooses to ride the right GTs.

You mean the "Vuelta a los Muros de España"? Dont see Purito with opportunities in the Giro one more time. First because of the age. Second because of the new GT's context.

[Dedelou]

It just seems impossible to me that Hesjedal would have been able to follow the amazing Spanish threesome in the Vuelta. Just a feeling.

Those guys made it into their own "club race" everybody elses was relegated to spectator status.. Would not be any different for Hesjedal.

[cineteq]

You mean the "Vuelta a los Muros de España"? Dont see Purito with opportunities in the Giro one more time. First because of the age. Second because of the new GT's context.

Bonus points (20 for 1st place) for all stages in the Giro ring a bell? His window of opportunity is reducing, but he should be able to keep a similar shape for next year.

[Eshnar]

It just seems impossible to me that Hesjedal would have been able to follow the amazing Spanish threesome in the Vuelta. Just a feeling.

Meh. Purito made it, so why not Hesjedal.