2013 Giro D'Italia Field Discussion

[Netserk]

Damn that mountains jersey was so good. Screw the blue one.

Sure you don't want to screw the green one?

 

[staubsauger]

Rujano _O_

He will lose about 4 or 6 minutes against the clock on Wiggins. No way he is consistent/ steady enough to take them all back. Based on that you could've also mentioned Atapuma or Chaves as overall challengers.

 

[SafeBet]

Field looks good on paper.
I'm still voting Gesink. Don't believe it will happen, but cheering for him.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

You're clearly mistaken. Said in number of interview's he's doing Giro

ok my bad. thought sky never let guys 21 or younger do gt's

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Rujano _O_

this is straight from heaven!

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

He will lose about 4 or 6 minutes against the clock on Wiggins. No way he is consistent/ steady enough to take them all back. Based on that you could've also mentioned Atapuma or Chaves as overall challengers.

lol. rujano isn't a bad itt rider, unlike chaves and atapuma, who are very bad, in giro 2005 he lost a masisve 1:58 in the 2nd long itt to winner basso(who was an itt monster on the csc juice) for instance and in the first itt he was in the first 10 until he had to change his bike 3x

rujano's enemy is only one and it's not wiggins or itt, it's the weather

 

[staubsauger]

lol. rujano isn't a bad itt rider, unlike chaves and atapuma, who are very bad, in giro 2005 he lost a masisve 1:30 in the 2nd long itt to winner basso(who was an itt monster on the csc juice) for instance and in the first itt he was in the first 10 until he had to change his bike 3x

rujano's enemy is only one and it's not wiggins or itt, it's the weather

But he's still just mediocre in time trailing for European levels and that would make him lose enough time on Wiggins for sure

If I'm wrong and Rujano wins it I'm gonna party here with you for sure, pal

Also Chaves was Colombian youth time trail champion I thought!?

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

But he's still just mediocre in time trailing for European levels and that would make him lose enough time on Wiggins for sure

If I'm wrong and Rujano wins it I'm gonna party here with you for sure, pal

Also Chaves was Colombian youth time trail champion I thought!?

chaves was never colombian champion in anything. he is really bad at itt. I'm not saying rujano will win the giro(been there done that ) but if the weather is good for 3 entire weeks and he has absolutely no sickness or anything he will be unstopable, whoever it is. wiggins, contador. hes the greatest cycling talent on earth no doubt. but also the most vulnerable.

 

[staubsauger]

chaves was never colombian champion in anything. he is really bad at itt. I'm not saying rujano will win the giro(been there done that ) but if the weather is good for 3 entire weeks and he has absolutely no sickness or anything he will be unstopable, whoever it is. wiggins, contador. hes the greatest cycling talent on earth no doubt. but also the most vulnerable.

Okay I must have been mistaking that. My excuses.

I'd still doubt that. There will again be one moment of in-concentration or a descent that would cost him precious time, again.

 

[taiwan]

That picture is immense. She was totally beautiful, and then Rujano looks like the cycling Mr. Bean. It just works.

 

[JimmyFingers]

I haven't read through the entire thread but I'm very surprised Hesjedal has so few votes as defending champion. It took a long time during the race last year before he was taken seriously as a contender, the consensus was he would be ganged up on and crack in the mountains, but he didn't. Am I missing something? Is the parcours particularly ill-suited to him? Or is who he's riding against?

That said, I voted for Wiggins

 

[Afrank]

I haven't read through the entire thread but I'm very surprised Hesjedal has so few votes as defending champion. It took a long time during the race last year before he was taken seriously as a contender, the consensus was he would be ganged up on and crack in the mountains, but he didn't. Am I missing something? Is the parcours particularly ill-suited to him? Or is who he's riding against?

That said, I voted for Wiggins

The field for this years Giro so far is looking much stronger and more complex than last years. Plus there will be bigger names competing (Nibali, Wiggins, Sanchez, etc.) so Hesjedal is being slightly overlooked. But as has been said before, that's the way he and Vaghters like it.

 

[Leendert82]

wait, you say that Nibali can't win because he's not the best climber nor the best tter and then you say Gesink will win?

yes, you read that correct

 

[Leendert82]

Probably not, the Rabobank board doesn't watch the Giro. Just the Amstel Gold Race and the Tour.


Come on, expecting Gesink to win is not realistic. His best result in a GT is 6th. Yes, I know Hesjedal's best result before last year was even worse, but he hadn't been trying as often.

Apparently there are quite a number of ppl agreeing with me that Gesink will win.
And yes I can be serious. Gesink has massive potential in both Climbing and Time Trials and is a serious contender.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

He was good at the Italian champs but he's completely untested over three weeks since '09. I think he'll go stage hunting.

Not just at the Italian nationals... but sure, Pellizotti hasn't done a GT in a while. I don't think that matters all that much, though. His track record is still miles better than Scarponi pre-suspension, who's been a top-3 climber in every Giro since (if you account for consistency) Edit: that is highly unusual of course, but Savio just might be the right guy for the job.

 

[theyoungest]

Apparently there are quite a number of ppl agreeing with me that Gesink will win.

I'm not saying he can't win, but the fact that only Dutchies vote for the guy should tell you something

Objectively, there are guys with way better GT credentials than him in this poll.

 

[cineteq]

And yes I can be serious. Gesink has massive potential in both Climbing and Time Trials and is a serious contender.

+ 1 He's my 2nd fave!

 

[Leendert82]

I'm not saying he can't win, but the fact that only Dutchies vote for the guy should tell you something

Objectively, there are guys with way better GT credentials than him in this poll.

It is normal that a person will vote for their star in their country. And yes it is also understandable that for people in other countries will not see him winning the Giro as he has not shown it in the past. There were glimpses of qualities in the past, however due to various reasons they were never glued together in a 3 weeks Grand Tour.
If he is able to manage that, and if Wiggins does not have the form of 2012 I think he has a good shot. And it is my honest opinion that he posesses better quality than Nibali on the longer climbs and time trials.
Nibali is allot stronger on the shorter and steeper climbs as he is more explosive than Gesink and Wiggins. Nibali is also a perfect rider for a Vuelta Espania and less for the Giro. He will do well, but he wont win. (is my opinion)

 

[search]

according to luxemburgian newspaper Wort Ben Gastauer is confirmed to do the Giro for AG2R.

As preparation to this he will also do the Giro del Trentino (which would mean AG2R will be invited, whcih was not officially mentioned so far I think)

 

[Eshnar]

according to luxemburgian newspaper Wort Ben Gastauer is confirmed to do the Giro for AG2R.

As preparation to this he will also do the Giro del Trentino (which would mean AG2R will be invited, whcih was not officially mentioned so far I think)

they have the defending champion anyway.

Speaking of ag2r, what about Gadret?

 

[theyoungest]

It is normal that a person will vote for their star in their country. And yes it is also understandable that for people in other countries will not see him winning the Giro as he has not shown it in the past. There were glimpses of qualities in the past, however due to various reasons they were never glued together in a 3 weeks Grand Tour.
If he is able to manage that, and if Wiggins does not have the form of 2012 I think he has a good shot. And it is my honest opinion that he posesses better quality than Nibali on the longer climbs and time trials.

Nibali is always fairly unspectacular, but he's also quite consistent, and he knows how to save energy in a three week race. He has also shown steady progression whereas Gesink's progress has been halted and, in my view, set back by the legbreak. In the only "real" mountain stage of the Vuelta with multiple cols you could see Gesink suffered like hell, and he was dropped really early, from a 20 man group. To the "old" Gesink this would never have happened. And the Giro has more stages like this.

Nibali is allot stronger on the shorter and steeper climbs as he is more explosive than Gesink and Wiggins. Nibali is also a perfect rider for a Vuelta Espania and less for the Giro. He will do well, but he wont win. (is my opinion)

Nibali is not that explosive at all. Gesink used to be better on hills than him.

But nowhere do I say that Nibali will be the main contender... I think Hesjedal and Wiggins have an equal or bigger chance.

 

[search]

Speaking of ag2r, what about Gadret?

he will skip the Giro and focus on the tour

Edit: source

 

[Eshnar]

he will skip the Giro and focus on the tour

Edit: source

ok I seemed to remember something like that but wasn't sure.

 

[Leendert82]

Nibali is always fairly unspectacular, but he's also quite consistent, and he knows how to save energy in a three week race. He has also shown steady progression whereas Gesink's progress has been halted and, in my view, set back by the legbreak. In the only "real" mountain stage of the Vuelta with multiple cols you could see Gesink suffered like hell, and he was dropped really early, from a 20 man group. To the "old" Gesink this would never have happened. And the Giro has more stages like this.


Nibali is not that explosive at all. Gesink used to be better on hills than him.

But nowhere do I say that Nibali will be the main contender... I think Hesjedal and Wiggins have an equal or bigger chance.

Nibali still won stage in the Tirreno Adriatico on a relative short climb, which indicates to me he is quite explosive. But indeed not as explosive as Rodriguez, Contador or Valverde.

With regards to Gesinks Vuelta last year, not really fair to judge him entirely on that. for 2 reasons he was not at his best there.
1. He broke his leg and had to learn how to walk again, therefore the power in his legs are not back to normal yet. (explained many times)
2. His peak form was targeted for the Tour the France, however because he fell there he tried to go for the Vuelta. The vorm was OK but not at a peak.

And Gesink indeed got dropped once when there were 20 riders still in the group (bad day in the office) however there were also many times that he finished many times in the top 10 on mountain stages. and had a not to bad 6th place in the overall classement.

I dont have the feeling that Hesjedal will perform as well as he did last year. He is a capable rider, but some how I see his performance in the Giro as a one off

 

[Eshnar]

Nibali still won stage in the Tirreno Adriatico on a relative short climb

If you mean last year, it was 14 kms at 7% or so. Hardly a short climb.