2013 Giro D'Italia Field Discussion

[Netserk]

Don't mess with the Dirk.

Found this one on procyclingstats:

HANSEN Adam
BELLEMAKERS Dirk
WILLEMS Frederik
DE GREEF Francis
BAK Lars Ytting
BILLE Gaetan
BULGAC Brian
DEHAES Kenny
DOCKX Gert
KAISEN Olivier
REYNES Vicente
VAN DER SANDE Tosh
WELLENS Tim

I.e. every mediocre rider on the team.

Lars Bak ain't mediocre

He saved their Giro last year with a beautiful win

 

[JRanton]

Not a better TT rider either but for some reason many people see the Giro as a match race between Wiggins and Nibali. As defending champ in a race he loves, Ryder will be hard to beat. All three riders have improved a lot over the past season so it's going to be a great race and hopefully Gesink, Evans and co will also make a race of it.

I doubt Wiggins has improved despite the talk from himself and Kerrison. I think he looks like more like 2011 Wiggins rather than 2012 and that won't be good enough at the Giro.

 

[Flamin]

A solid top-25 with De Greef should be the goal

 

[roundabout]

He has been 19th, 20th, 21st and 23rd. So I predict a 22nd place.

 

[Eshnar]

Don't mess with the Dirk.

Found this one on procyclingstats:

HANSEN Adam
BELLEMAKERS Dirk
WILLEMS Frederik
DE GREEF Francis
BAK Lars Ytting
BILLE Gaetan
BULGAC Brian
DEHAES Kenny
DOCKX Gert
KAISEN Olivier
REYNES Vicente
VAN DER SANDE Tosh
WELLENS Tim

I.e. every mediocre rider on the team.

indeed thx

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Not a better TT rider either but for some reason many people see the Giro as a match race between Wiggins and Nibali. As defending champ in a race he loves, Ryder will be hard to beat. All three riders have improved a lot over the past season so it's going to be a great race and hopefully Gesink, Evans and co will also make a race of it.

Astana got a much better team than Garmin though (so does Sky obviously)

 

[ILovecycling]

Lars Bak ain't mediocre

He saved their Giro last year with a beautiful win

Yeah,it was one of the best moment of the Giro12.I hope he has good engine for this year too

 

[theyoungest]

Astana got a much better team than Garmin though (so does Sky obviously)

Yeah, Hesjedal got a bit lucky last year that he didn't wear the maglia rosa for very long. Still, Stetina and Vande Velde are useful guys to have with you.

BTW, whatever happened to Navardauskas? I expected a lot from him this spring, haven't seen him at all.

 

[Pentacycle]

Yeah, Hesjedal got a bit lucky last year that he didn't wear the maglia rosa for very long. Still, Stetina and Vande Velde are useful guys to have with you.

BTW, whatever happened to Navardauskas? I expected a lot from him this spring, haven't seen him at all.

He raced until Gent-Wevelgem, but it seems he totally lacked shape after Tirreno/MSR.

 

[movingtarget]

Yeah, Hesjedal got a bit lucky last year that he didn't wear the maglia rosa for very long. Still, Stetina and Vande Velde are useful guys to have with you.

BTW, whatever happened to Navardauskas? I expected a lot from him this spring, haven't seen him at all.

You can only beat whoever you are riding against at the time and Rodriguez and De Gendt put in surprising rides. Basso showed that he was not the rider he used to be. Yes Garmin have the weakest of the three teams but when Ryder has to respond it's usually only team leaders and three or four Sky riders left ! Stetina has done well this year and VDV did well in the Giro last year as a domestique. Sky showed that they are not unbeatable in the shorter stage races this year but of course a grand tour is a totally different proposition.

 

[Ferminal]

No Juanjo in Romandie

So he will not have raced for 1 month by the time the Giro starts. Will be lucky just to finish at this rate.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

No Juanjo in Romandie

So he will not have raced for 1 month by the time the Giro starts. Will be lucky just to finish at this rate.

You were hoping he will do well @ the Giro ?

 

[Ferminal]

Well he's the only one capable of beating Basso.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

i understand...yea, it's not a good race when one rider is very dominant but evans is there

 

[Ruudz0r]

Why isnt Cobo riding romandie?

 

[airstream]

control shot from Wiggins at the 14th stage... After Trentino I sincerely think he'll win one of MTF's. Galibier win is quite likely. I'd prefer Trecime, though.

Wiggins-Hesjedal-Nibali. The difference between 1 and 2 is 4+ minutes.

Gonna root for Gesink. If he doesn't top-3/top-5 again, it'll be the end of his GT ambitions.

 

[The Hitch]

You got to worry for cycling when airstream is the one making sense in a thread.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Why isnt Cobo riding romandie?

don't think hes a member of the 5,9 w/kg club anymore.
Probably replaceable by about 500 other riders at this point.

 

[airstream]

You got to worry for cycling when airstream is the one making sense in a thread.

Is it a counter arguement?

 

[Eshnar]

Is it a counter arguement?

no, I suspect Hitch sincerely agrees with you this time (this is not sarcasm).

 

[Eshnar]

Ag2r:
Davide Appollonio, Manuel Belletti, Julien Berard, Carlos Alberto Betancur, Guillaume Bonnafond, Hubert Dupont, Ben Gastauer, Sylvain Georges, Domenico Pozzovivo (hoping he recovers).
http://www.biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=61364

 

[airstream]

Nibali is not overrated. Yes, he never showed himself a super climber in a GT. Very good climber yes, but not super. People seemingly vote for Vincenzo because they find Wiggins' racing style unattractive. Though, I hope he'll be able to break down this stereotype. Hesjedal anyways deserves at least 1/4 of the votes given to Nibali I guess.

As to steepness of the climbs, I don't know any climber who could be superb at 6-7% but suddenly starts suffering at 9-10% sections. Apparently it is a prejudice based on Wiggins' height primarily.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Ag2r:
Davide Appollonio, Manuel Belletti, Julien Berard, Carlos Alberto Betancur, Guillaume Bonnafond, Hubert Dupont, Ben Gastauer, Sylvain Georges, Domenico Pozzovivo (hoping he recovers).
http://www.biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=61364

without injuries etc, this is a very strong team. Just below the tier one teams.

 

[theyoungest]

Nibali is not overrated. Yes, he never showed himself a super climber in a GT. Very good climber yes, but not super. People seemingly vote for Vincenzo because they find Wiggins' racing style unattractive. Though, I hope he'll be able to break down this stereotype. Hesjedal anyways deserves at least 1/4 of the votes given to Nibali I guess.

As to steepness of the climbs, I don't know any climber who could be superb at 6-7% but suddenly starts suffering at 9-10% sections. Apparently it is a prejudice based on Wiggins' height primarily.

The guys who always stay in the saddle tend to have that problem. Basso is the exception that proves the rule.

 

[taiwan]

Pellizotti was a bit dissapointing in Trentino, his last race before the Giro.

Hesjedal I don't think will podium. Not sure Wiggins will win either.