2016 Giro Field Discussion

[GP Blanco]

Re:

FDJ

Arnaud Démare (FRA)
Mickaël Delage (FRA)
Murilo Fischer (BRA)
Olivier Le Gac (FRA)
Marc Sarreau (FRA)
Benoît Vaugrenard (FRA)
Arnaud Courteille (FRA)
Ignatas Konovalovas (LTU)
Alexandre Geniez (FRA)

Clearly build around Démare and a free role for Geniez.

 

[Angliru]

Re:

Has a sprinter ever been so marginalised within a GT team as Viviani in that team?

The guy in my avatar maybe?

 

[Alexandre B.]

Dimension Data

Merhawi Kudus (ERI)
Kanstantsin Siutsou (BLR)
Igor Anton (ESP)
Omar Fraile (ESP)
Kristian Sbaragli (ITA)
Jaco Venter (RSA)
Johann van Zyl (RSA)
Jay Thomson (RSA)
Songezo Jim (RSA)

 

[rick james]

really thought kennaugh would have been in the sky team

 

[rick james]

Sky roster just confirmed on Twitter:

Landa
Nieve
Lopez
Roche
Seb. Henao
Knees
Deignan
Viviani
Boswell

Not too bad a team actually, and at least Landa will have Nieve now as his last man in the mountains.

for the second year in a row, Nieve gets the last minute call for the Giro

he must have knew the call was coming when Henao was pulled from racing

 

[JRanton]

Re:

really thought kennaugh would have been in the sky team

He was out with illness for a long time after San Remo and only just returned at Yorkshire so it's not a surprise. I can't see him making the Tour team either after he DNF'd last year so he'll probably try and target some of the smaller stage races for the rest of the year.

I've just noticed that there will be no British riders for the 2nd year running at the Giro.

 

[CTQ]

As @rick james i was hoping to see Kennaugh in the Giro especially after He said that he wanted to do something different in 2016 : Ardennes and Giro and no TDF.

(from the Telegrah) Peter Kennaugh, the British national road champion, has said he will skip next year's Tour de France as he turns his focus to the Ardennes classics, Giro d'Italia and making the selection for next summer's Olympic road race.

 

[Ricco']

As usual, Cannondale is the last team to reveal their line-up.

 

[yaco]

Re: Re:

I'm not sure if this has been posted, came up on my facebook feed about an hour ago.

Orica GreenEDGE:
Sam Bewley(NZL)
Esteban Chaves(COL)
Caleb Ewan(AUS)
Michael Hepburn(AUS)
Damien Howson(AUS)
Luka Mezgec(SLO)
Ruben Plaza(ESP)
Svein Tuft(CAN)
Amets Txurruka(ESP)

I'm interested to see how much Howson developed. Unlike Hepburn and Durbridge, he has been posting some quiet but solid results in some climbs.

Howson is a different type than both Hepburn and Durbridge, Howson certainly has the capabilities to become a capable/dependable climber unlike Hepburn who looks like he can handle hills but nothing more and Durbridge was never going to be a rider for the climbs but is much more suited to the cobbled races and TT/workhorse

The absence of a TTT certainly means that one of their usual Giro stage opportunities is out the window. Not real sure they'll be going "all out" with Chaves as there's too much ITT for him. Suspect he'll be more a factor at the Vuelta so I suspect they'll see whether he loses too much time then just look at stage hunting. With Ewan it will most likely be a case of see if he can snag a stage early then drag him after Stage 8 as he'll almost certainly be HD'd on the first reasonable mountain stage.

Agree the parcours doesn't suit Chavez but its about developing him as a GC rider - Agree the Vuelta is a more suitable race -Actually Ewan was in the last 25 to 30 riders going over the last or second last Cat 1 climbs in stage 3 of the Tour of Yorkshire - Ewan is showing a bit on some climbs and on cobbles - Think they are trying to develop him as a clssics rider - The OGE team is very much focused on GC, though Ewan can win a stage.

The TDF is when OGE will go stage hunting.

 

[yaco]

Re:

Has a sprinter ever been so marginalised within a GT team as Viviani in that team?

My type of sprinter - One that can ride independently and still win stages - And of course its essential to have an Italian at the Giro.

 

[Alexandre B.]

http://www.slipstreamsports.com/2016/05/03/uran-leads-gc-minded-cannondale-pro-cycling-into-giro-2/

Alberto Bettiol (ITA)
Nathan Brown (AUS)
Andre Cardoso (POR)
Simon Clarke (AUS)
Joe Dombrowski (USA)
Davide Formolo (ITA)
Moreno Moser (ITA)
Ramūnas Navardauskas (LTU)
Rigoberto Uran (COL)

 

[carolina]

is cancellara doing the whole giro or just the first ~10 days?

 

[Alexandre B.]

Re:

is cancellara doing the whole giro or just the first ~10 days?

He is doing Tour de Suisse.
If he does the Tour, he will abandon soon enough.

 

[Jancouver]

Fatancur is doing Giro, its now official!

Alejandro Valverde,
Giovanni Visconti,
Andre Amador,
Carlos Betancur,
Rory Sutherland,
Jasha Sutterlin,
Javi Moreno,
Jose Joaquin Rojas,
Jose Herrada.

 

[Anderis]

Re:

http://www.slipstreamsports.com/2016/05/03/uran-leads-gc-minded-cannondale-pro-cycling-into-giro-2/

Alberto Bettiol (ITA)
Nathan Brown (AUS)
Andre Cardoso (POR)
Simon Clarke (AUS)
Joe Dombrowski (USA)
Davide Formolo (ITA)
Moreno Moser (ITA)
Ramūnas Navardauskas (LTU)
Rigoberto Uran (COL)

As I thought, Brown would be the most likely replacement for Woods, but Bettiol for Villella does limit climbing depth in this team a bit.

Still that's 5 climbers and another 2 riders who should do well in medium mountains so I think it's well balanced team. They better hope Rigo can ride better TTs than during the Romandie. They also have some options for reduced bunch sprints. They only have one stage win at WT level during the last 1,5 seasons. Would be nice and much needed if they can add another during this Giro.

 

[pastronef]

Sky roster just confirmed on Twitter:

Landa
Nieve
Lopez
Roche
Seb. Henao
Knees
Deignan
Viviani
Boswell

Not too bad a team actually, and at least Landa will have Nieve now as his last man in the mountains.

for the second year in a row, Nieve gets the last minute call for the Giro

he must have knew the call was coming when Henao was pulled from racing

yep, they didnt tell him just today
I mean the Giro was not in the cards for Nieve (as last year) and he got again a schedule change

 

[JRanton]

Sky roster just confirmed on Twitter:

Landa
Nieve
Lopez
Roche
Seb. Henao
Knees
Deignan
Viviani
Boswell

Not too bad a team actually, and at least Landa will have Nieve now as his last man in the mountains.

Kiryienka is a curious omission. Hasn't raced since Pais-Vasco and normally he would definitely ride the Ardennes so I guess either illness or the vampires got him.

Further to this, I think that Sky team does lack a bit of power on the flat. Puccio or Kiryienka would have been nice (probably in place of Lopez who was MIA at Trentino). Reading Sky's press release apparently Knees on the flat days is supposed to protect Landa and help position Viviani for the sprints so he's going to have his work cut out and I can see it not working out very well at all.

 

[HelloDolly]

Hope Nieve gets to ride the Tour but will depend on the form and availabily of other SKY riders I imagine

Also surprised Kiry is not riding the Giro ...its got loads of TT miles fgs...he could win stages
If he doesn't do the Tour then that will be a big surprise

Also still no mention of Koneig ....very strange ...

 

[HelloDolly]

Sky roster just confirmed on Twitter:

Landa
Nieve
Lopez
Roche
Seb. Henao
Knees
Deignan
Viviani
Boswell

Not too bad a team actually, and at least Landa will have Nieve now as his last man in the mountains.

Kiryienka is a curious omission. Hasn't raced since Pais-Vasco and normally he would definitely ride the Ardennes so I guess either illness or the vampires got him.

Further to this, I think that Sky team does lack a bit of power on the flat. Puccio or Kiryienka would have been nice (probably in place of Lopez who was MIA at Trentino). Reading Sky's press release apparently Knees on the flat days is supposed to protect Landa and help position Viviani for the sprints so he's going to have his work cut out and I can see it not working out very well at all.

I agree so wholeheartedly with this....what Landa really needs is protection and positioning just as much if not more than he needs help in the mountains. IF you are in the wrong place or badly positioned then your tour can be over in a flash
we have seen how dangerous the Giro can be

I would have left Seb Heano or Lopez at home and brought a strong guy....

 

[rick james]

Agree whats getting said about Kiryienka not being there.....they could do with his power

 

[carolina]

poor viviani. are they really expecting for him to win anything without any support?

 

[Taxus4a]

Nobody count again with Hesjedal, but last year he was as strong as Landa or Contador, he just had a mistake one day at the begining, a hot day when Astana attacked and he was bad placed... he almost chased, but.. it was similar to Froome now in Romandie...Just the opower of Saxo and Astana avoided him to be in the fight for the Giro. he did very strong attacks from far, but it was useless againts that teams potential.

He showed stronger than Contador in two days, Sestrieres and Monte Ologno, and what he did in the Mortirolo stage was amazing, difficult to measure. he was almost all the second part of Giro in a break.

 

[TMP402]

Re:

poor viviani. are they really expecting for him to win anything without any support?

Well other than at the Arab races, that's his modus operandi for all his wins at Sky. Fenn drops him off in the last 2-3km and then he fights for the right wheel. Modolo was right that an Italian sprinter(s) might be very prolific if given a proper train. I hope Viviani leaves Sky after this Olympic year in search of such a train.

 

[Anderis]

Re:

Nobody count again with Hesjedal, but last year he was as strong as Landa or Contador, he just had a mistake one day at the begining, a hot day when Astana attacked and he was bad placed... he almost chased, but.. it was similar to Froome now in Romandie...Just the opower of Saxo and Astana avoided him to be in the fight for the Giro. he did very strong attacks from far, but it was useless againts that teams potential.

He showed stronger than Contador in two days, Sestrieres and Monte Ologno, and what he did in the Mortirolo stage was amazing, difficult to measure. he was almost all the second part of Giro in a break.

If Hesjedal is in position to be anywhere near the Giro win, he will be in real trouble in mountains with this team. On the other hand, in 2012 he also had only 2 guys in the team who could climb well. But I would take 2012 Vande Velde and Stetina over current Zoidl and Didier any day of the week.

 

[Taxus4a]

Re: Re:

Nobody count again with Hesjedal, but last year he was as strong as Landa or Contador, he just had a mistake one day at the begining, a hot day when Astana attacked and he was bad placed... he almost chased, but.. it was similar to Froome now in Romandie...Just the opower of Saxo and Astana avoided him to be in the fight for the Giro. he did very strong attacks from far, but it was useless againts that teams potential.

He showed stronger than Contador in two days, Sestrieres and Monte Ologno, and what he did in the Mortirolo stage was amazing, difficult to measure. he was almost all the second part of Giro in a break.

If Hesjedal is in position to be anywhere near the Giro win, he will be in real trouble in mountains with this team. On the other hand, in 2012 he also had only 2 guys in the team who could climb well. But I would take 2012 Vande Velde and Stetina over current Zoidl and Didier any day of the week.

Well, of course, but in an spanish page they named 10 riders to win the Giro and he wanst there. You at least give him the posivility.

team i important, but other teams can make the race for you. domoulin wanst in a worse position lat Vuelta and just a domestique as Landa make him to lose the Vuelta. In the Giro there are domestiques as the big level of Fulgsang, but I think he cant climb so well as Landa at his best, as we watched in Trentino.

What you said mean he must be lucky, a punture in a bad moment with that team could be a problem, the luck he didnt have last year. For me me there are several riders with more options to win, of course, the only thing I said is that he is very good payed in the bets and nobody talk about his posibilties.

Cancellara is not here to work, but he can do in some points if it is necesary a very important help.

If Zoild is ok, he can be over there in the mountains. Dumoulin just needed a man of his team in the break in that stage in Madrid, They did a big mistake.