2013 Giro D'Italia Field Discussion

[movingtarget]

No. That's "Don't stand on my dog!"

Evans is always super-euphemistic regarding his form. Basically you can't read anything in what he says. To me it seems like he's definitely over the hill, he's always strong all season. Not anymore.

Yes usually he is consistent all season and he likes to get results in the smaller races. Either he has something physically wrong or he is past it. I hope I am wrong on both counts but I have a feeling that next year or possibly this year I will be supporting Porte as the best Aussie GC rider. Actually BMC should buy Porte when he comes off contract, would be a good buy but Sky will wave some more dollars at him and I think he is pretty good friends with Froome.

 

[The Hitch]

He rode like a train that day, so much that it was perhaps the performance of a lifetime, and it defined his career. The TT 2 days later was just a formality. Galibier was when Cadel finally took matters in his own hands, not anticipating on actions of others.

did you just see the race on YouTube or something that your suddenly so eager to turn this discussion into 2011 galibier

you are over romantacising it anyway. Evans was pretty much the only person in that group who could win the tour by that stage. there was absolutely no reason why anyone in that group would help Evans chase apart from maybe Rolland. Its pretty basic cycling that if there's 10 people in the group who can't win the tour then the one who can does the pulling.

Moreover his main rival for the tour was out on his own getting no help either, so it's not like Evans was risking anything.

Not pulling would have been stupid beyond belief. Pulling wasn't "smart". It was just the obvious thing to do in that situation.

and no it was not more impressive than anything sky have ever done. Though the performance itself was impressive. Don't get how he's a prototype to sky. There's no similarities at all.

 

[Jelantik]

Well Evans pretty much conceded that Nibali and Wiggins will probably fight out the win and that he was going to do what he could in the race.

Heh? that's not what I'm getting from his interview. Evans never won Giro anyway, why not try? He and Wiggin only won 1 GT, why not try to win another GT that's not TDF before he rides to the sunset? Wiggin is never a pure climber and most people believe he can win this year Giro. Well, evan and wiggin to me are similar type of rider. Why pass the opportunity? Evans by no mean a low rate TT-er. Even if he looses time to wiggin, it won't be massive like Nibali. Compare to TDF? he got so much good climber and good TT stacked against (contador, froome, purito, valverde, probably andy) him. And not to mention his own young teammate.

 

[Samson]

that is good. He has steadily improved his climbing abilities over thelast 2-3 years, and will be a very strong helper for Nibali in the not so hard mountains (and he is an ok tter)

He had once again problems with his knees which explains his slow start in this season.

 

[movingtarget]

Heh? that's not what I'm getting from his interview. Evans never won Giro anyway, why not try? He and Wiggin only won 1 GT, why not try to win another GT that's not TDF before he rides to the sunset? Wiggin is never a pure climber and most people believe he can win this year Giro. Well, evan and wiggin to me are similar type of rider. Why pass the opportunity? Evans by no mean a low rate TT-er. Even if he looses time to wiggin, it won't be massive like Nibali. Compare to TDF? he got so much good climber and good TT stacked against (contador, froome, purito, valverde, probably andy) him. And not to mention his own young teammate.

Yes but there's no hiding Evans current form. He would need to improve 200 % to be competitive. I think if Evans shows progress throughout the race he will happy.

 

[GP Blanco]

Blanco's line-up: Robert Gesink, Steven Kruijswijk, Wilco Kelderman, Juan Manuel Garate, Jack Bobridge, Paul Martens, Maarten Wynants, Maarten Tjallingii and Stef Clement.

A strong team according to Blanco standards.

http://nos.nl/artikel/491195-blanco-vijf-nederlanders-in-giro.html

 

[Eshnar]

strong team indeed. Let's hope they can deliver...

 

[SafeBet]

Blanco's line-up: Robert Gesink, Steven Kruijswijk, Wilco Kelderman, Juan Manuel Garate, Jack Bobridge, Paul Martens, Maarten Wynants, Maarten Tjallingii and Stef Clement.

A strong team according to Blanco standards.

http://nos.nl/artikel/491195-blanco-vijf-nederlanders-in-giro.html

Strong team on paper. Really hoping Bobby won't disappoint me

 

[jens_attacks]

strong team

for the first week

 

[Gloin22]

Sky's Pre-Selected Giro Squad

WIGGINS Bradley
HENAO Sergio Luis
LOPEZ David
KIRYIENKA Vasil
DOMBROWSKI Joe
CATALDO Dario
URAN Rigoberto
PATE Danny

R.: KENNAUGH Peter

As I said before and some didn't believe. No Porte in there. Same with Dombrowski.

Insane squad, definitely best team in race. Whether they win it is other matter.

Considering Pate is the weakest climber here, and he's still not too bad, we may see 8 rider train at some points

 

[Ferminal]

That is only 8, Knees missing?

 

[theyoungest]

Sky have an insanely strong team, on paper. Uran already looked a little uninspired in Catalunya though, and both Henao and Uran did in the Vuelta. I'm not sure they like the whole Wiggo train thing.

Blanco look like they're prepared for a lot of flat echelon stages. Just two or three real climbers, that's not much.

 

[Ruudz0r]

They should have kept Kiryienka for the Tour.

 

[movingtarget]

Sky's Pre-Selected Giro Squad

WIGGINS Bradley
HENAO Sergio Luis
LOPEZ David
KIRYIENKA Vasil
DOMBROWSKI Joe
CATALDO Dario
URAN Rigoberto
PATE Danny

R.: KENNAUGH Peter

As I said before and some didn't believe. No Porte in there. Same with Dombrowski.

Insane squad, definitely best team in race. Whether they win it is other matter.

Considering Pate is the weakest climber here, and he's still not too bad, we may see 8 rider train at some points

Yes it's very strong and also means that Froome won't have many fresh riders for the Tour amongst the best climbers, not that he needs them as badly as others. I think they would have been better off saving one of the Colombians for the Tour to complement Porte.

 

[Contadoraus Schlecks]

Sky's Pre-Selected Giro Squad

WIGGINS Bradley
HENAO Sergio Luis
LOPEZ David
KIRYIENKA Vasil
DOMBROWSKI Joe
CATALDO Dario
URAN Rigoberto
PATE Danny

R.: KENNAUGH Peter

As I said before and some didn't believe. No Porte in there. Same with Dombrowski.

Insane squad, definitely best team in race. Whether they win it is other matter.

Considering Pate is the weakest climber here, and he's still not too bad, we may see 8 rider train at some points

Imagine they had taken that team to the Tour, putting in Froome and Porte instead of Pate and dombrowski. Stupidly strong team. Potentialy they could have dominated the podium and had 5 in the top ten. Surely they can't hang on to all this talent next year

 

[Eshnar]

That is only 8, Knees missing?

I'll take it as such.
So Pate instead of Kennaugh in my first post. I'll leave Kennaugh marked as substitute

 

[movingtarget]

Imagine they had taken that team to the Tour, putting in Froome and Porte instead of Pate and dombrowski. Stupidly strong team. Potentialy they could have dominated the podium and had 5 in the top ten. Surely they can't hang on to all this talent next year

I agree. Not everyone wants to be a domestique and quite a few of those riders could be team leaders in other teams. I think there will be lot's of movement from Sky riders in the next two seasons but it's always the way with strong teams unless they have an unlimited bankroll and have plenty of riders that are not interested in winning races themselves. And Sky also have plenty of good young riders so the depth in talent is there.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

They should have kept Kiryienka for the Tour.

He could ride both, I suppose. Sky already hinted that some of their riders would do the double, IIRC.

 

[Eshnar]

 

[JRanton]

Sky's Pre-Selected Giro Squad

WIGGINS Bradley
HENAO Sergio Luis
LOPEZ David
KIRYIENKA Vasil
DOMBROWSKI Joe
CATALDO Dario
URAN Rigoberto
PATE Danny

R.: KENNAUGH Peter

As I said before and some didn't believe. No Porte in there. Same with Dombrowski.

Insane squad, definitely best team in race. Whether they win it is other matter.

Considering Pate is the weakest climber here, and he's still not too bad, we may see 8 rider train at some points

Where did you get this from? Only 8 riders? Sounds legit.

I still don't think Dombrowski will ride the Giro. It's probably between him and Kennaugh for the last spot and I think the Manxman will take it.

 

[IndianCyclist]

Sky's Pre-Selected Giro Squad

WIGGINS Bradley
HENAO Sergio Luis
LOPEZ David
KIRYIENKA Vasil
DOMBROWSKI Joe
CATALDO Dario
URAN Rigoberto
PATE Danny

R.: KENNAUGH Peter

As I said before and some didn't believe. No Porte in there. Same with Dombrowski.

Insane squad, definitely best team in race. Whether they win it is other matter.

Considering Pate is the weakest climber here, and he's still not too bad, we may see 8 rider train at some points

The team may be insanely strong but the one who matters is the leader Wiggins. So far i am not impressed by his performances at Oman, Catalunya. Last year he was winning almost everything he raced in. This year he is in two minds. Looks like he is not properly training for the Giro(overconfidence) and wants to save his best for the tour(greedy). There is no way he can be best in both. He is already experienced in that.

 

[whittashau]

What's happening with Lampre? Are they sending Scarponi, Cunego, and Ulissi? If so, who's going to be the leader? If they did send the three of them and with Niemiec and Serpa they actually have a team which could compete with Skyborgs during climbs....maybe.

 

[Eshnar]

What's happening with Lampre? Are they sending Scarponi, Cunego, and Ulissi? If so, who's going to be the leader? If they did send the three of them and with Niemiec and Serpa they actually have a team which could compete with Skyborgs during climbs....maybe.

Cunego isn't going.

 

[trevim]

The team may be insanely strong but the one who matters is the leader Wiggins. So far i am not impressed by his performances at Oman, Catalunya. Last year he was winning almost everything he raced in. This year he is in two minds. Looks like he is not properly training for the Giro(overconfidence) and wants to save his best for the tour(greedy). There is no way he can be best in both. He is already experienced in that.

As far as I know, riding the Giro means you can't be really good early in the season. Anyway, he's been doing OK.

 

[movingtarget]

I think Wiggins looks fine along with Nibali and Henao. Ryder needs some improvement but he has another month. After those riders it's hard to know who will figure in the Giro unless Evans and Gesink can surprise or Sanchez.