2012 Giro Di Lombardia 29/09/2012

[Ryo Hazuki]

Rabobank

Stef Clement
Juan Manuel Garate
Wilco Kelderman
Steven Kruijswijk
Paul Martens
Bauke Mollema
Tom-Jelte Slagter
Laurens ten Dam

End of season for Gesink.

this is hilarious. both the team for this race and gesinks season. lolcry

 

[manafana]

excited for this, lots of guys in potential form to do well here, gilbert of course will be gunning for it again

 

[maltiv]

this is hilarious. both the team for this race and gesinks season. lolcry

What's hilarious about that team? Pretty much the best they could send. Certainly not one of the worst on the startlist...

 

[Zam_Olyas]

M moser @ Sormano

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

What's hilarious about that team? Pretty much the best they could send. Certainly not one of the worst on the startlist...

tis is oen of the 5 richest wt teams and look what horrid line-up. I know it's the best they can send now and that is probably the most pathetic.

 

[movingtarget]

tis is oen of the 5 richest wt teams and look what horrid line-up. I know it's the best they can send now and that is probably the most pathetic.

Rabo need a rethink and new strategy. Developing riders is fine but as we have also seen with Euskadel, you need a mix of developed riders and outsiders. Sanchez was one of their best riders this year and he was not a development rider. If you are not getting results try something different. GreenEdge have had a good first season with a mix of young Aussie riders and experienced Europeans and Aussies. What Rabo have in their favour is the relatively young age of some of their better riders and I think Gesink can do better next year. If Hejesdal can win a Giro there is no reason Gesink could not do the same. Gesink has always had talent but now he has to go to the next level otherwise he is set to become another highly paid domestique like Roche or Kreuziger. I think that finishing a hard Vuelta in the top 10 will give him some motivation and confidence for next season.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

hesjedal is way more complete than gesink. this years giro gesink had zero chance even if he was 100%, cuz of explosive finals and climbs. hesjedal also recuperates better than gesink. gesink tends to fade in the third week, not to mention he crashes all the time, unlike hesjedal

 

[theyoungest]

Lol, Ryo can't stop dissing Gesink even when the guy has already finished his season... get over it, man.

Rabo need a rethink and new strategy. Developing riders is fine but as we have also seen with Euskadel, you need a mix of developed riders and outsiders.

Until not too long ago they had guys like Menchov and Freire. Maybe they thought that Boom and Gesink were ready to lead the team, but apparently they're not.

 

[cineteq]

hesjedal is way more complete than gesink.

LOL I'm quoting you: "you know nothing about cycling"

 

[Telmisartan new]

This is a Lombardia thread so let's not get into the Gesink debate again.

Who are the live contenders apart from Gilbert/AC?

I was thinking Pozzovivo might do something,maybe even Rabottini if he has good legs,both finished adrift of AC the other day but it might have been a tune-up for them.Who else might go well.Visconti?

I am going to the race,first race in Italy i have attended so quite excited to say the least!

 

[cineteq]

Who are the live contenders apart from Gilbert/AC?

Purito and Vincenzo of course. Don't look any further.

 

[Telmisartan new]

Purito and Vincenzo of course. Don't look any further.

Is Purito still in form after Vuelta? Nibali always has a go here and will do so again.

 

[cineteq]

Is Purito still in form after Vuelta? Nibali always has a go here and will do so again.

Purito wants to win, and get the WT points.
http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/12941/Rodriguez-pins-WorldTour-hopes-on-winning-Il-Lombardia.aspx

Hopefully Nibali was saving himself for this race.

 

[BillytheKid]

Is Purito still in form after Vuelta? Nibali always has a go here and will do so again.

Purito is still good:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/milano-torino-2012/results

This was a tough up hill that suited Contador. Purito put in a good attack for a while.

With the last 3km flat for the Lombardia final, he's got a good chance, but my money's on Nibali.

 

[Telmisartan new]

Purito is still good:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/milano-torino-2012/results

This was a tough up hill that suited Contador. Purito put in a good attack for a while.

With the last 3km flat for the Lombardia final, he's got a good chance, but my money's on Nibali.

Yeah,well let's hope Purito gets the pts to beat Wiggins,that would please me no end.

 

[movingtarget]

Two grand tours for Rodriguez this year and his ride in the Worlds at at Torino make me think he is tired. He will be motivated to win Lombardy but I can't see him beating Gilbert. It's taken Gilbert most of the season to find his best form while I think Rodriguez is on the way down. I would actually like to see Rodriguez win as I hoped he was going to last in the Vuelta but I think Gilbert will be too strong.

 

[SafeBet]

And this is so because...? I for one am waiting for early action from both of them. Muro might just be enough to make the crucial difference and render long(er) range attacks a feasible option.

I'm sure Nibbles doesn't want to blow like last year, which is exactly what would happen if he attacks from Sormano.

 

[Afrank]

Purito doesn't need to win the race to take the lead in the world tour, he's only 9 points back meaning all he needs to do is get 9th or better. I think he could definitely do that, he'll no doubt have started feeling the fatigue from a long season at this point but his 4th in milano-torino showed he has enough form still left to place well.

Really hope he can get in the top 9, I want to see him take the lead in the world tour away from Wiggo .

 

[Miburo]

Purito is still good:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/milano-torino-2012/results

This was a tough up hill that suited Contador. Purito put in a good attack for a while.

With the last 3km flat for the Lombardia final, he's got a good chance, but my money's on Nibali.

How was that hill not suitable for purito?

 

[sultanofhyd]

Purito is still good:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/milano-torino-2012/results

This was a tough up hill that suited Contador. Purito put in a good attack for a while.

With the last 3km flat for the Lombardia final, he's got a good chance, but my money's on Nibali.

Purito, good chance, 3km flat? I need a lot of time to process that..

 

[ILovecycling]

How was that hill not suitable for purito?

Yes,I have the same question

 

[kukiniloa]

jumping in here, I've watched quite a few Giro di Lombardia - it's one of my favorite finishes - and it has seemed to favor decent climbers and technical descenders. Would you all agree?

This would suggest that Purito and Nibali are favorites, perhaps Bertie as well, but Gilbert...not so much...

 

[trevim]

Purito, good chance, 3km flat? I need a lot of time to process that..

I think it means guys like Velasco will have a difficult job avoiding the sprint where Rodriguez is definitly a good contender

 

[Bernie's eyesore]

jumping in here, I've watched quite a few Giro di Lombardia - it's one of my favorite finishes - and it has seemed to favor decent climbers and technical descenders. Would you all agree?

This would suggest that Purito and Nibali are favorites, perhaps Bertie as well, but Gilbert...not so much...

I agree, Gilbert will never win Lombardy, doesn't suit him at all.

 

[hfer07]

there are two scenarios here to consider:
* Gilbert or Contador
* somebody else....