94th Giro d'Italia May 7 - 29

[c&cfan]

Menchov has been absolutely crappy so far. So based on what we know now, I doubt it. Menchov isn't going to beat anyone on this course. Not enough time trials.

It's an odd year(2011), so he'll win the Vuelta.

The second favorite is Michele Scarponi.

andy was crappy last year before the tour.
and menchov is a 3 time GT winner and tour podium finisher. he has what is needed. especially for la vuelta.

scarponi is close to him. no doubt.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

If someone exclaims each and every rider in the Giro will win it, he'll be right at least once...

the acf theory.

acf used to predict cadel for every race. Eventually he was right

----

I have my ratings

***** AC
**** Menchov, Scarponi
*** Anton, jrod, rujano, Nibali
** Pozzivivo, Machado, Sella, Kreuziger
* Everyone else (i.e duarte)

I didn't really wanna give kreuziger that, but whatever. Nibali too I was meh about, but he deserves at least to be a contendor.

 

[luckyboy]

I have my ratings

***** AC
**** Menchov, Scarponi
*** Anton, jrod, rujano, Nibali
** Pozzivivo, Machado, Sella, Kreuziger
* Everyone else (i.e duarte)

I didn't really wanna give kreuziger that, but whatever. Nibali too I was meh about, but he deserves at least to be a contendor.

I think I would go with this too. I think Kreuziger will do better than most people are expecting, by his own admission he stagnated at Liquigas.
Also he won Madonna di Campiglio at Trentino. Not the hardest mountain, but that + Liege shows he's doing well form-wise.

I would maybe add Sastre to the ** group going on what he's done in the past, but he hasn't really done anything this year.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I think I would go with this too. I think Kreuziger will do better than most people are expecting, by his own admission he stagnated at Liquigas.
Also he won Madonna di Campiglio at Trentino. Not the hardest mountain, but that + Liege shows he's doing well form-wise.

I would maybe add Sastre to the ** group going on what he's done in the past, but he hasn't really done anything this year.

yeah I think he might crack the top 10 yet, not 5, but he seems on form. I still think this course is not suited to his abilities, but time will tell.

As for sastre, I think he is past it, but you're right he probably deserves 2 stars.

 

[Jan the Man]

***** Contador
**** Menchov
*** Nibali, Scarponi
** Anton, Rodriguez, Rujano, Sastre
* Pozzivivo, Sella, Kreuziger, Arroyo

 

[Archibald]

As for sastre, I think he is past it, but you're right he probably deserves 2 stars.

agree, but you never know, he may just sneak another break (although unlikely to gain 12 minutes from it again!)

 

[metaCYCLE]

agree, but you never know, he may just sneak another break (although unlikely to gain 12 minutes from it again!)

...and spend the rest of the Giro loosing just enough of that gap to finish outside top15.

 

[PedalCastro]

Who do people think will get the sprint wins? Cavendish probably the most in form of the big names? (God help us), Farrar dissapointing so far.. Any sprinters in the field who can make it over the mountains decently??

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Who do people think will get the sprint wins? Cavendish probably the most in form of the big names? (God help us), Farrar dissapointing so far.. Any sprinters in the field who can make it over the mountains decently??

I like pettachi and ventoso to be up there fore the more difficult finishes.
cav should win at least 2 of the more "pancake" stages. They are limited tho.
Hoping Bos can get amongst those stages also.

 

[will10]

i know what contador did. well, we all know. still, to me, he is the other C.

for me, the perfect giro, is the giro that as a contador full with rage, with the will to attack in every stage where he can win, even if he is already in pink.

i would love to see him win the double this year.. really. in modern cycling, doing that, it's a new chapter in history, a feat unmatched in the sport.

just like others have already said, the most talented guy that ever put his feet on a bike.

its obvious that i expect some fighting in heroic moments, especially from menchov, the second favorite from everyone that really watches this sport, scarponi (number three), and then anton (he has the potential to deliver right know).

based in what we know as facts, nibali is unlikely to reach top 4.

We all said that last year, and that he wouldn't win the Vuelta.

 

[The Hitch]

We all said that last year, and that he wouldn't win the Vuelta.

Not all of us

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/poll.php?do=showresults&pollid=240

 

[PedalCastro]

Do any of the likes of Kristoff, Modolo, Ferrari have any hope against Cav et al?

 

[taiwan]

Do any of the likes of Kristoff, Modolo, Ferrari have any hope against Cav et al?

Nope.

Belletti>Modolo, by the way.

The outsider people will really be watching is Guardini if he goes.

 

[Archibald]

Who do people think will get the sprint wins? Cavendish probably the most in form of the big names? (God help us), Farrar dissapointing so far.. Any sprinters in the field who can make it over the mountains decently??

has its own discussion and thread already...
http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=13248

 

[Ferminal]

nvm.........

 

[Christian]

LEOPARD TREK squad offcially announced:

http://www.leopardtrek.lu/calendar/giro-ditalia

As expected they chose to replace Bennati by Weylandt so not a very strong team even though they claim so on their website.

Instead of working to pull breaks back I hope they will be in the breaks now since they don't really have a top sprinter anymore. Hopefully they will be able to animate the race a bit that way. I'm also looking forward to seeing Dominic Klemme in his first GT, it'll be interesting to see what he can do. Oliver Zaugg might be able to pull off a nice result since the parcours plays to his strengths and he doesn't have to work for anyone.

Pires, Vigano, Klemme, Wegmann, Zaugg, Rohregger, Stamsnijder, Weylandt

 

[roundabout]

That's just 8 riders, shouldn't there be someone else?

 

[Christian]

Oh yeah didn't notice that, last man probably not decided yet!

 

[jaylew]

***** Contador
**** Menchov
*** Nibali, Scarponi
** Anton, Rodriguez, Rujano, Sastre
* Pozzivivo, Sella, Kreuziger, Arroyo

Agree with this completely, adding Machado to the 1 star group.

 

[Parrulo]

pires is the obvious team leader for leopard

Agree with this completely, adding Machado to the 1 star group.

oh he is at least 2 stars <_< certainly stronger then arroyo and sella and sastre

 

[c&cfan]

pires is the obvious team leader for leopard



oh he is at least 2 stars <_< certainly stronger then arroyo and sella and sastre

i don't mind if he ends out of the top 10, as long as he wins something.
is pires on the start list? i always thought that he was pretty good, still not at andre cardoso's level.

 

[Parrulo]

i don't mind if he ends out of the top 10, as long as he wins something.
is pires on the start list? i always thought that he was pretty good, still not at andre cardoso's level.

ya pires is a few levels below cardoso. maybe he can get into a breakaway with a few andronis xD

 

[c&cfan]

ya pires is a few levels below cardoso. maybe he can get into a breakaway with a few andronis xD

i still can't understand why we have just a few guys in the protour.

merckx biggest fear: agostinho.
we had acacio da silva, azevedo etc. we have lots of talent!

how is it possible that no big team saw cardoso at the worlds in the last few years?

not only that, if colombians have the biggest stamina because they live at 2000m, we have the most powerful engines because we are at sea level lol

still it's funny that machado is now a GT hope because he was some sort of classics\TTs specialist and never manage to threat a win in volta a portugal.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

the only reason machado was never a threat in volta portugal was because he was too young, rode like an idiot and rode against the biggest epo-users in modern history.

I'm a huge fan of portugese cycling and know a lot about it but portugal is no spain. andre cardoso is incredible but he wouldn't be in the 10 best climbers in the giro or better than machado yet, maybe in future but it remains to be seen and if you really wonder why european teams don't take portugese riders you should perhaps learn why and what portugese cycling went through, it's clean now but most european teams don't trust a thing there.

 

[c&cfan]

the only reason machado was never a threat in volta portugal was because he was too young, rode like an idiot and rode against the biggest epo-users in modern history.

I'm a huge fan of portugese cycling and know a lot about it but portugal is no spain. andre cardoso is incredible but he wouldn't be in the 10 best climbers in the giro or better than machado yet, maybe in future but it remains to be seen and if you really wonder why european teams don't take portugese riders you should perhaps learn why and what portugese cycling went through, it's clean now but most european teams don't trust a thing there.

yes. it happened just here, right?

since when someone has to be in the top 10 in GTs in order to deserve to be in the protour ryo? look at the colombians...