2013 Tour of Romandie, Stage 4:Marly - Les Diablerets 188.5 Km

[movingtarget]

Much better...

It doesn't matter anyway in Tour, Rodriguez is much better climber and proven in GT's. Spilak is not.

Of course I understand the climbing but if he rides the Tour which is debatable, he should be a good domestique for Rodriguez.

 

[movingtarget]

This MTF didn´t bring really new conclusions about the shape of anyone, except Gesink and Basso and some others who did badly.

Froome was probably riding with 80 per cent of his best today.

Spilak likes this weather, likes Romandie, likes this kind of climb.

With Quintana and Contador in the race, it would have been a winning break of Spilak-Froome-Contador-Quintana.

Surprised Betancur didn´t make it to the finish with the two up front.

Tony Martin wanted to end this race on the podium, he said last weekend, so I´m surprised he attacked this early. Podium places 2 and 3 remain unknown, will be exciting tomorrow.

Basso hates the cold.

 

[Parrulo]

Spilak has his second place in the bag imo.

Third place is indeed up for grabs between Costa, Danielson and Kelderman

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

At this point there is almost no excuse for Gesink unless that leg accident was more serious than we thought.

how can it be an excuse when he was still top 10 in the vuelta and won california last year.

He simply completely ****ed up his preparation again. The reason Kelderman is good is because Kelderman took it easy the last few days because he felt tired. Gesink trained like an idiot and again and is now already exhausted before the Giro starts

 

[movingtarget]

Spilak has his second place in the bag imo.

Third place is indeed up for grabs

Is Martin close enough ?

 

[RHRH19861986]

Basso hates the cold.

Not, when he´s in good shape (2006 Giro stage he finished with Piepoli). I fear it´s the same problem as with Menchov: they are on the decline due to age factors.

 

[movingtarget]

Not, when he´s in good shape (2006 Giro stage he finished with Piepoli). I fear it´s the same problem as with Menchov: they are on the decline due to age factors.

Well I meant in addition to that !

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

64 GESINK Robert Blanco Pro Cycling Team 13:48
72 BASSO Ivan Cannondale Pro Cycling Team 19:25

they are doing the same as the wiggins/nibali pre-giro battle, only the other way around. Who can finish the worst?

 

[Parrulo]

Is Martin close enough ?

Nope, he finished 2:40 down today

 

[Pentacycle]

how can it be an excuse when he was still top 10 in the vuelta and won california last year.

He simply completely ****ed up his preparation again. The reason Kelderman is good is because Kelderman took it easy the last few days because he felt tired. Gesink trained like an idiot and again and is now already exhausted before the Giro starts

Just read the same story on Wielerflits in the comments, it's just unbelievable.

You'd think when they sign a Sky rider like Nordhaug he'd tell them how Sky handle the preparation, but they're still as stupid as ever.

 

[movingtarget]

how can it be an excuse when he was still top 10 in the vuelta and won california last year.

He simply completely ****ed up his preparation again. The reason Kelderman is good is because Kelderman took it easy the last few days because he felt tired. Gesink trained like an idiot and again and is now already exhausted before the Giro starts

So does this mean Gesink will fade in the first week ?

 

[movingtarget]

Nope, he finished 2:40 down today

Oh well, I though he might have been close enough to aim for third place.

 

[Ferminal]

Not, when he´s in good shape (2006 Giro stage he finished with Piepoli). I fear it´s the same problem as with Menchov: they are on the decline due to age factors.

Basso never aims to be anywhere in Romandie, how can you judge him?

2010 he dropped 10 minutes on the Sion stage.
Last year he was 55th in the MTT and went on to do a strong prologue 6 days later.

 

[RHRH19861986]

Well I meant in addition to that !

OK

Anyways, 20 minutes is a lot.

Somehow, life is strange... Basso loses 20 minutes on a mediocre hard MTF one week prior to the Giro, while Di Luca comes back with 10th place in a hard fought Italian 1.1 race the same day, after months without racing.
Di Luca´s race doesn´t mean a lot, but with Basso, numbers don´t lie. I´d say Top10 might be his maximum in this Giro.

 

[Gloin22]

64 GESINK Robert Blanco Pro Cycling Team 13:48
72 BASSO Ivan Cannondale Pro Cycling Team 19:25

they are doing the same as the wiggins/nibali pre-giro battle, only the other way around. Who can finish the worst?

50. RUJANO GUILLEN Jose Humberto VCD 05'49"

WE have found our Giro winner. He didn't abandon as the rumours said

 

[jens_attacks]

50. RUJANO GUILLEN Jose Humberto VCD 05'49"

WE have found our Giro winner. He didn't abandon as the rumours said

indeed in normal conditions, he will be now in some agent's car heading to another team
glad he finished it, good training for later on

 

[movingtarget]

OK

Anyways, 20 minutes is a lot.

Somehow, life is strange... Basso loses 20 minutes on a mediocre hard MTF one week prior to the Giro, while Di Luca comes back with 10th place in a hard fought Italian 1.1 race the same day, after months without racing.
Di Luca´s race doesn´t mean a lot, but with Basso, numbers don´t lie. I´d say Top10 might be his maximum in this Giro.

I think top 10 would be his best. Top 5, I just cant see it happening. Evans could be the same but it will depend on how Gesink and others go as well.

 

[JRanton]

Froome like a boss. I thought he'd struggle a bit in the cold weather so this is another box ticked. Also good mentality to stay calm when Porte was done. Well, when I say keep clam, he rode them all off his wheel without getting out of the saddle, but you know what I mean!

 

[RHRH19861986]

Basso never aims to be anywhere in Romandie, how can you judge him?

2010 he dropped 10 minutes on the Sion stage.
Last year he was 55th in the MTT and went on to do a strong prologue 6 days later.

He has already been Top10 in GC. And when he was not amongst the best, he lost between 2 and (as you mentioned) 10 minutes on the hardest stage.

20 minutes is a lot, also psychologically - though he´s experienced enough to have other indicators than these 20 minutes. At least, public expectation is low now, for him. On the other hand, people tend to race for the win whenever they can, nowadays, and start to so already in January. For Basso, now, if he has a bad Giro, he will be obliged to ride the Tour.

 

[Pentacycle]

indeed in normal conditions, he will be now in some agent's car heading to another team
glad he finished it, good training for later on

You'd almost believe it, just too good to be true. He's ready for Il Giro!

But his form is already much better than expected, so a stage win is possible. That is, if the weather's not like today in Romandie.

 

[Ferminal]

Of course expectations are low, he hasn't podiumed a GT for 3 years. But it's impossible to say where he will finish next month based on a day of horrible weather in a race he has no intentions of performing well in.

 

[Pippo_San]

64 GESINK Robert Blanco Pro Cycling Team 13:48

Don't worry, Bobby G. will salvage RaboBlancoFail season by winning the fourth GT, le magnifique Tour of California

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Don't worry, Bobby G. will salvage RaboBlancoFail season by winning the fourth GT, le magnifique Tour of California

then he has to abandon the giro

 

[Netserk]

Don't worry, Bobby G. will salvage RaboBlancoFail season by winning the fourth GT, le magnifique Tour of California

He won't ride it....

 

[RHRH19861986]

Of course expectations are low, he hasn't podiumed a GT for 3 years. But it's impossible to say where he will finish next month based on a day of horrible weather in a race he has no intentions of performing well in.

I hope so, because I like Basso and actually would love a Top5 in this Giro containing of Nibali, Basso, Di Luca, Pellizotti and Garzelli.