2014 Giro d'Italia, stage 9: Lugo-Sestola (172 Km's)

[Vino attacks everyone]

I thought that too. But then as has been pointed out Possovivo's strong result at last years Vuelta ITT - ahead of Horner and Nibali. That suggests to me he is a little more than a 1 trick pony (going up steep climbs). Also the latter km of yesterdays climb was shallow gradients - 3 or 4% yet he still made time. Then you must remember he is young. In theory Posso could be stronger now than when he did the Vuelta. I am impressed by him.

he is 31 years old, I know that over the last couple of years a riders "prime" has had an increasing average age, but that aint "young"

 

[The Hitch]

People want a parallel for pozzo? How about the last gt? Last stage before the first rest day. All the favs let a guy go. - he ain't gonna compete in the mountains. Let's not worry about giving him time.

Oops.

You can't just project peoples past performances on today in cycling anymore. 5 of the last 7 gt winners have had more gruppeto finishes than the average sprinter. And yet when their time came they were all time level climbers. Pozzovivo spent most of his career part time while he was studying how to cook the books for csf. Now he's all in. 2nd year on a Wt team, as their leader, settling in. He's shown the ability to climb with the best on mountain stages. Just not the consistency. Kinda reminds me of a previous ag2r giro great who spent a few years showing sporadic climbing god ability, then in 2011 found the consistency too.

I've seen a lot less favoured riders than Pozzovivo win grand tours.

Yes he probably loses 3 times the time he won today the next flat stage. But what if he doesn't?