2011 Giro di Lombardia

[El Pistolero]

I think Samu will win

 

[Shardi]

Whats Samu's Schedule between the Tour and Lombardia? Is he on track form-wise etc?

 

[auscyclefan94]

Whats Samu's Schedule between the Tour and Lombardia? Is he on track form-wise etc?

he's doing the tour of beijing and maybe one or two of the italian classics which will lead into lombardia well.

 

[Swabian Lass]

Could be. I think on paper Gilbert, but I wonder if he'll be tired and it will start to show. He's had a very long season. I don't see EB-H doing anything much, and although I wouldn't rule Sagan out in the future, can't see it this year. If not Gilbert, then I guess it might be Samu's year. Perhaps, maybe.

 

[El Pistolero]

Well, right now he's had 72 race days and in 2009 he had more than a 100 race days.

 

[Lupetto]

Team Lampre riding the last 180k.

 

[Ruudz0r]

Dan Martin for place 2! Hopefully Pozzovivo can put in a nice performance aswell.

 

[El Pistolero]

Team Lampre riding the last 180k.

No wonder people almost never remember Scarponi's doping past. Such a great guy!

Anyway, what I like about the new Lombardia is that the Ghisallo climb is closer to the final now and thus more important to the race. As it should be because IMO it's the Ghisallo that makes Lombardia a Monument.

 

[LukeSchmid]

Gilbert will win or it will be some second rate rider

 

[Pippo_San]

not enough TGBM love in this thread (wonder if he'll ride it tho)

 

[Winterfold]

In typical one-eyed fashion I did think about Wiggo's chances when I saw he was riding this, but then reality got the better of me.

But after the Worlds, and now some other posters are having similar ridiculous thoughts, maybe...

no stop it, I can see how he could dish out hurt and force the final selection, but I dont see how he wins, unless he drops everyone, which is too much

 

[Parrulo]

while cunego hasn't been the classics rider he used be for the past 2 years he has had a pretty light season and may have gotten a big moral boast after this good tour performance( i think it was pretty good considering the performances he was having in GT's for the past few years) he may be up there.

with scarponi also riding and maybe niemec if all 3 are in form lampre will be big challengers here. so will liqui with basso+nibali and euskaltel with samu+anton+nieve.

this is far from won for gilbert.

my bold prediction: rui costa to top 10

 

[ultimobici]

Gilbert will win or it will be some second rate rider

Why second rate?

 

[Shardi]

Why second rate?

like in GP Montreal. Gilbert and the other favourites watch n close down eachother. A 2nd rate rider is able to jump away.


For myself, I think it'll be between the pre-race favourites.

 

[AussieGoddess]

well personally I wouldnt call Rui Costa a second rate rider ....

but I do think Phil will win all the same

 

[ultimobici]

like in GP Montreal. Gilbert and the other favourites watch n close down eachother. A 2nd rate rider is able to jump away.


For myself, I think it'll be between the pre-race favourites.

No one gives a stuff about the GP Montreal so losing it to a a lesser rider means little. Allowing a rider to walk away with a Monument is a whole different thing.

Lombardia hasn't had a fluke/second rate winner in living memory AFAIK. In fact, looking down the winners list, it's pretty much a who's who of cycling royalty. Anyone who is a legend in the sport is there.

 

[Shardi]

Yep, a monument is a monument.

By 2nd rate, I mean someone not talked up beforehand as a potential winner.

 

[Eric8-A]

Hopefully more riders finish this year than last year

 

[ultimobici]

Yep, a monument is a monument.

By 2nd rate, I mean someone not talked up beforehand as a potential winner.

That's not second rate, that's a surprise. Second rate is unworthy.

Fignon won the 83 Tour, but no one had him as a contender at all. He was far from second rate!

 

[ultimobici]

Hopefully more riders finish this year than last year

I was at the top of the first climb that day. It was spitting a little as the break went through. Five minutes later, when the bunch was passing, it was torrential and didn't stop until the finish. a few hundred metres from the summit was a nice cheery sign that read "Arrivo 200km". No wonder I was descending with a lot of pros back to Como!

Forecast this year appears to be the other end of the spectrum. Fingers crossed it stays that way!

 

[LukeSchmid]

Why second rate?

Everybody is second rate over this course to Gilbert. He has proven this year he is head and shoulders above everyone.

 

[theyoungest]

I was at the top of the first climb that day. It was spitting a little as the break went through. Five minutes later, when the bunch was passing, it was torrential and didn't stop until the finish. a few hundred metres from the summit was a nice cheery sign that read "Arrivo 200km". No wonder I was descending with a lot of pros back to Como!

Forecast this year appears to be the other end of the spectrum. Fingers crossed it stays that way!

Lombardia is nice in every kind of weather, but why hope for sunshine when we had such a great race last year?

Everybody is second rate over this course to Gilbert. He has proven this year he is head and shoulders above everyone.

Gilbert himself was second rate once.

 

[LukeSchmid]

That's not second rate, that's a surprise. Second rate is unworthy.

Fignon won the 83 Tour, but no one had him as a contender at all. He was far from second rate!

I don't use second rate to mean unworthy, I just mean a level below, in this case Gilbert.

 

[ultimobici]

Lombardia is nice in every kind of weather, but why hope for sunshine when we had such a great race last year?

Because I land in Milan on 7/10 and leave on 17/10!

As you say, Lombardia is beautiful no matter the weather. But riding in single digit temperatures and rain is something I do all summer long in London.

 

[Dancing On The Pedals]

like in GP Montreal. Gilbert and the other favourites watch n close down eachother. A 2nd rate rider is able to jump away.

No one gives a stuff about the GP Montreal so losing it to a a lesser rider means little. Allowing a rider to walk away with a Monument is a whole different thing.

Johan Van Summeren