Who will win the 2013 GIRO? (Second round)

[Ferminal]

Still not good enough to beat Wiggins, although he did smash that ITT in 2005...

[Netserk]

Still not good enough to beat Wiggins, although he did smash that ITT in 2005...

How about the ITT in 2006

[trevim]

lol podium is way out of reach for benat

Not really has long has he avoids a bad day, a couple of proper GC riders underperform and makes a couple of decent moves. OK, maybe it's out of reach with Wiggins, Gesink, Nibali, Scarponi and Sanchez (?) going for it

[The Hitch]

"But I see myself in the top three and for the others to beat me, they'll have to be at 110%."

the thing we all waited for since 2006. robobasso makes a comeback in may 2013. be afraid.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/basso-focused-for-a-giro-ditalia-success-in-2013


_O_

vai ivan!!!!!!!

Does Basso have an explanation for why he sucked so hard this year? Cos to me it looked like it was simply - losing it, and if you are losing it at 35 you wont suddenly get it back at 36

[Eshnar]

Does Basso have an explanation for why he sucked so hard this year? Cos to me it looked like it was simply - losing it, and if you are losing it at 35 you wont suddenly get it back at 36

didn't he crash in the early season? I don't actually remember

[trevim]

didn't he crash in the early season? I don't actually remember

Yeah I seem to remember that he had a pretty bad build up towards the Giro: a crash in the training camp and then again at Paris-Nice if I'm right.

[cineteq]

Yeah I seem to remember that he had a pretty bad build up towards the Giro: a crash in the training camp and then again at Paris-Nice if I'm right.

On April 30 2012
"Ivan Basso (Liquigas-Cannondale) has declared himself pleased with the state of his condition during the Tour de Romandie and is confident that he can continue to improve in the days leading up to the Giro d’Italia."

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/bassos-fears-allayed-ahead-of-giro-ditalia

Obviously he was following the wrong wheels, nothing to do with his fitness.
"Basso has named his former Liquigas teammate Roman Kreuziger (Astana) as perhaps his biggest rival for Giro victory, but he also expects Fränk Schleck (RadioShack-Nissan) to be a strong performer in the coming weeks."

[movingtarget]

In the space of the last 18 months Evans wins the Tour, Basso shows some deterioration but Menchov, what's happened to him ? They are all about the same age but the oldest of the three, Evans still seems to be the most competitive. Menchov had a nice stage win in the Vuelta but compared to what he could do, it's a big step backwards. After Sastre won the Tour in 2008, he seemed to go backwards pretty quickly also. Kloeden and Leipheimer also seemed go off the boil pretty quickly in their mid thirties. The recovery factor over three weeks is probably at the heart of the matter although it does not mean that riders like Horner, Levi and Kloeden don't do well in the shorter stage races as we have seen. Can't see Menchov or Basso making another podium and Evans possibly has one last shot.

[Parrulo]

well at roughly the same age evans has ridden 13 GT's while menchov has ridden 21, i honestly think that makes a significant different when declining time comes.

also sastre was still very good in 09 and imo his decline wasn't as bad as some make it sound. he rode all 3 GT's in 09 and 10 and 2 more in 11 so all that should imo be taken into account when considering his decline

[Leendert82]

Rodriguez will not ride the Giro in 2013 as his focus will be on the Tour the France
http://www.biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=58260

My Vote will go for Gesink. He will come back stronger than ever in 2013 and will win the Giro and with that a new sponsor for his team. (always good motivation)

[theyoungest]

Rodriguez will not ride the Giro in 2013 as his focus will be on the Tour the France
http://www.biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=58260

My Vote will go for Gesink. He will come back stronger than ever in 2013 and will win the Giro and with that a new sponsor for his team. (always good motivation)

An Italian sponsor?

[movingtarget]

well at roughly the same age evans has ridden 13 GT's while menchov has ridden 21, i honestly think that makes a significant different when declining time comes.

also sastre was still very good in 09 and imo his decline wasn't as bad as some make it sound. he rode all 3 GT's in 09 and 10 and 2 more in 11 so all that should imo be taken into account when considering his decline

And that's what some fans questioned. His form wasn't great so why ride all three tours. His 7th in the 2010 Giro was only because he got into that crazy breakaway. Likeable rider but after 2008 he went from Tour winner to possible top 10 rider pretty quickly. Agree about Evans, he had a relatively late start to grand tours.

[Leendert82]

An Italian sponsor?

Blanco Pro Cycling team already shows more signs of an international team than Rabobank ever has. Especially with the way they are promoting their Blanco Pro Cycling brand. http://www.facebook.com/BlancoProcyclingteam Im sure that the new sponsor will be big in the Netherlands, however it might be an international company.

It's rather obvious as it shows in the way thatthey are spreading their chances this season:
1. Having Gesink for the Giro for the First time, Mollema and for the Tour and Kruiswijk (he will also ride the Giro) and LLS for the Vuelta.
2. Gesink will not ride the Ardenne Classics for the first time this year, but focusses on the international stage races which I think better suits him.
3. Nordhoug (Nor) will take over the role from Gesink in the Ardenne classics together with Mollema.
4. Van Marcke (Bel) with Boom for the spring classics Blanco looks well spread in all area's.
5. Also note that Blanco has new riders to support the sprinters Bos and Renshaw (Aus) with the newcomers R. Wagner (Ger), D. Tanner (Aus), & J. Bobridge (Aus).

[Leendert82]

Rodriguez will not ride the Giro in 2013 as his focus will be on the Tour the France
http://www.biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=58260

My Vote will go for Gesink. He will come back stronger than ever in 2013 and will win the Giro and with that a new sponsor for his team. (always good motivation)

Those people that voted for Rodriguez can vote again

[theyoungest]

Blanco Pro Cycling team already shows more signs of an international team than Rabobank ever has. Especially with the way they are promoting their Blanco Pro Cycling brand. http://www.facebook.com/BlancoProcyclingteam Im sure that the new sponsor will be big in the Netherlands, however it might be an international company.

It's quite obvious that they are spreading their chances this season
1. Having Gesink for the Giro for the First time, Mollema and for the Tour and Kruiswijk (he will also ride the Giro) and LLS for the Vuelta.
2. Gesink will not ride the Ardenne Classics for the first time this year, but focusses on the stage races which I think better suits him.
3. Nordhoug (Nor) will take over the role from Gesink in the Ardenne classics together with Mollema.
4. Van Marcke (Bel) with Boom for the spring classics Blanco looks well spread in all area's.
5. Also note that Blanco has new riders to support the sprinters Bos and Renshaw (Aus) with the newcomers R. Wagner (Ger), D. Tanner (Aus), & J. Bobridge (Aus).

It's a bit off topic but to me it seems obvious that Gesink rides the Giro because they need a sponsor ASAP, as already in April/May other teams will start scooping up their riders (the best ones at least). It's more of a desperate measure than spreading their chances.

And of course it's also a way to increase his own value on the market

[Ferminal]

Gesink would have to ride every MTF at his Allevard level to challenge Wiggins.

[Eshnar]

Those people that voted for Rodriguez can vote again

just wait 'til the next poll...

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Gesink would have to ride every MTF at his Allevard level to challenge Wiggins.

I dunno, Gesink's Allevard level wasn't all that impressive, IMO, or he would have easily gapped Van Den Broeck, who didn't seem to really bother.

Wiggins seemed kind of weak, though. If he climbs like that he might as well not show up.

[theyoungest]

No, VDB didn't really bother. Other than the fact that he was trying to get on the podium in the Dauphiné...

That's VDB's climbing level. Wiggo, in his Tour 2012 form, is better than what he showed that day.

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

No, VDB didn't really bother. Other than the fact that he was trying to get on the podium in the Dauphiné...

That's VDB's climbing level. Wiggo, in his Tour 2012 form, is better than what he showed that day.

I meant that it seemed like he didn't really care if he finished 2nd or 3rd in that stage. Gesink, meanwhile, went pretty much all out to finish second. Not sure what that was all about.