2010 Giro d'Italia... Who will win?

[Notso Swift]

Santambrogio is back on the active list, so he will start, he was scheduled for it anyway
Hope Ballan is cleared in a day or two, but I fear not as they would have announced both together
Wouldn't Moos be a walk up starter? (Or is he on the Cali list)

Oh yea and I think it will be between
Evans & Pellizotti
With Sastre & Vinokourov outsiders

Voted Evans because I am a nationalist

 

[issoisso]

Florian Stalder

Yes he can climb a bit but he describes himself as a sprinter and a classics rider.

Yes, and Grabsch and Greipel also describe themselves as "all-rounders" despite being completely one-dimensional. Heck, from the BMC website, Ballan describes himself as a stage racer. Kristoff, a pure sprinter, describes himself as a stage racer and classics man. Kroon a stage racer. Santambrogio idem. Danilo Wyss, another sprinter, as well.

It's completely normal for team websites to say those insane things

Fact is, he can climb and nothing else. And his results show it. He's done well at the Tour de Suisse, on the Kitzbüler Horn, at the Dauphiné....but always in mountain stages or otherwise escaping on a climb. Always.

 

[El Imbatido]

It's completely normal for team websites to say those insane things

I agree with Isso here, the BMC website lists Evans weight as 68kg. I always thought he was about 64kg? Anyone else know his weight?

Just checked wikipedia it lists him as 64. So who knows what it is. But it also proves my point that team websites will say anything.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Santambrogio is back on the active list, so he will start, he was scheduled for it anyway
Hope Ballan is cleared in a day or two, but I fear not as they would have announced both together
Wouldn't Moos be a walk up starter? (Or is he on the Cali list)

Oh yea and I think it will be between
Evans & Pellizotti
With Sastre & Vinokourov outsiders

Voted Evans because I am a nationalist

If ballan were to come back, he would of been announced by now. MS has been training still pretty hard so he must of felt he had a relatively good chance to still be able to ride the giro. Moos is on the tour list no giro and the ToC is supposed to be Hincapie, Burghardt, Kroon and yanks for the rest of the team. Not sure if moos will get a jersey there.

Yes, and Grabsch and Greipel also describe themselves as "all-rounders" despite being completely one-dimensional. Heck, from the BMC website, Ballan describes himself as a stage racer. Kristoff, a pure sprinter, describes himself as a stage racer and classics man. Kroon a stage racer. Santambrogio idem. Danilo Wyss, another sprinter, as well.

It's completely normal for team websites to say those insane things

Fact is, he can climb and nothing else. And his results show it. He's done well at the Tour de Suisse, on the Kitzbüler Horn, at the Dauphiné....but always in mountain stages or otherwise escaping on a climb. Always.

Oh, thanks for the insight on him. He should be handy then. (i hope your right)

EDIT: Just checked Stalder's weight, it says he is 52kg so I don't imagine he is a sprinter even if they were a few kilos out.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I agree with Isso here, the BMC website lists Evans weight as 68kg. I always thought he was about 64kg? Anyone else know his weight?

Just checked wikipedia it lists him as 64. So who knows what it is. But it also proves my point that team websites will say anything.

pick me, pick me! 64kg is evans!

 

[Moondance]

So Pellizotti is out, or at least the Gazetto is saying that. Nibali to replace him. I guess that means I'm picking Evans to win now. Evans v. Sastre i guess.

Nibali might do well, but I don't think he has the climbing skills to match Sastre & Evans on the Zoncolan or Mortirolo or Kronplatz.

 

[Barrus]

I think I'm going for a dark horse, if Gazetta is right, I'm placing my bets on Nibali this year, at least for a top 5 place

 

[theyoungest]

I think I'm going for a dark horse, if Gazetta is right, I'm placing my bets on Nibali this year, at least for a top 5 place

Yes, don't know what his intentions are, but of course it's really cool that he will be there. He won't win, but he'll surely figure. If he wants to/if his form is up to par.

 

[Archibald]

with the re-inclusion of Santambrogio for BMC things must be looking better for Evans...

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

no pellizotti makes me a lot less excited for the race. Evans chances just drastically improved imo. Him or sastre, Basso has to have improved from last year to have any chance (not that he didn't ride well, it just isn't enough to win a GT)!
I'd really like to see nibali challenge.

 

[Moondance]

No Pellizotti is a bad thing in terms of spectacle. On the other hand it'll make the race dynamic a lot more interesting, given that we wont have a dominant force driving the race.

Evans' chances have gone up in a major way. If he wasn't the clear favorite before, he certainly is now. Obviously losing a top competitor is good for him, but on the other hand the focus will be more on him. The peleton wont look automatically to Liquigas to chase if a dangerous rider goes on the attack.

 

[MagnusW]

Italians, what should we with them?

 

[Moondance]

Italians, what should wo with them?

Force them to make even more delicious food

 

[MagnusW]

Force them to make even more delicious food

The food's great! But there seems to be a lack of moral.

I shouldn't generalize. But it just seems like all the good Italian riders get caught. Off course, there are plenty other nationalities that get caught aswell, but some how I feel more Italians get caught.

Anyway, I wouldn't start a debate about this, not in this thread at least. Carry on.

 

[Mellow Velo]

It's a conspiracy of the English speaking nations.
Never a wiff against any of them........but those dodgy Eyetalians.
Only right that small percentage of Anglo Saxon riders, dominate the sport, against all the Mediterranean majority, no?

McQuaid has aided Evans's Giro quest, more than his BMC bandits will.
A true UCI poster boy.

I blame the French!

 

[ttrider]

Final General classification

1 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank 86.03.11
2 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) LPR Brakes - Farnese Vini 0.41
3 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas 1.59
4 Carlos Sastre (Spa) Cervelo Test Team 3.46
5 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas 3.59
6 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana 5.28
7 Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo 8.43
8 Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Columbia - Highroad 10.01
9 Tadej Valjavec (Slo) AG2R La Mondiale 11.13
10 Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C. 11.28
11 David Arroyo (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 12.50
12 Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana 15.59

Armstrong in top 10 and Bassos comeback looking better!

Can Nibali do a Contador and win it off the beach?! well he did ok in the ardennes and until terminillo he shud hav time to gain form so i think he can be right up there only worry is the pro-logue he can be 80% for that and build up to peak by zoncolan and plan de corones, add to the fact he descends like a stone....

 

[Mellow Velo]

Hah! The old dopers do better, because the new dopers get caught.
Comedy mediocrity.

 

[GoGarmin]

I can't wait for the Giro.

I'm glad we got rid of a doper before the race rather than during or, worse, after it.

The race will certainly have a Tour '08 feel with Evans and Sastre battling it out. But the addition of a TTT really opens it up for other teams like Sky and Garmin if they're serious about making a run at this thing. Problem is, both are more focused on success at the Tour. That's understandable, but I think Wiggins or VdV (maybe even Dan Martin?) would have a better chance at winning or podium-ing in Italy.

The bottom line is that a wild parcours and an open field are going to make for a great, wide-open race.

 

[Francois the Postman]

No Pellizotti is a bad thing in terms of spectacle.

Bang, there goes my pick.

Not too sure if this changes the dynamics in Evans favour either, in a weird way, although losing a mayor competitor when you're a favourite ought to be an immediate boost. It is his team I am a bit worried about, as they will be required to cycle a lot more in the picture, rather than just patch the gaps left by Liquigas. Combined with a suspicion that Evans (to his credit) might want to race like a champ. I can see something give way there.

Don't think Basso has it, don't think Sastre has it either. Can Vino benefit from the spotlight on Evans? Hhmm. Dark horse time. Back to my drawing board I think.

 

[issoisso]

Unlike most people, I don't consider Evans the most likely winner.

The fact he looks like a dwarf miner here doesn't help

 

[Moondance]

Unlike most people, I don't consider Evans the most likely winner.

The fact he looks like a dwarf miner here doesn't help

Hmmm... Does Evans have rainbow underwear too?

 

[issoisso]

Hmmm... Does Evans have rainbow underwear too?

That's a good question.

ACF94, please enlighten us.

 

[theswordsman]

I think that having Nibali get the last minute call to participate will add a bit of flavor. No course recon, no training build up, no months of mentally targeting the race, just pack a bag and get to Amsterdam. In other words, he goes in with no pressure and nothing to lose. I can hear Sean Kelly calling him a Danger Man right now

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

That´s a hammer: Pellizottl. Wow!

I tought about Scarponi and Garzelli before (to be caught)...

So now i can make my Giro-Tip official (i had to wait ´til the names are out): It will be Scarponi. I was one of the 3 who voted for him (secretly). He has a good season, was good in TT and always a good climber.

1. Scarponi
2. Garzelli (+ ca. 2 mins.)
3. Evans (+ ca. 3 mins.)

 

[auscyclefan94]

That's a good question.

ACF94, please enlighten us.

No comment!

Evans would have to be red hot favourite! I think Cervelo is his main danger imo as they have a very strong team. Really it is stronger that Liqiugas in the mountains and in the ttt.

Evans has shotened from 3.25 to 2.70

Sastre is evans' biggest threat imo.