94th Giro d'Italia May 7 - 29

[The Hitch]

Interesting that Garzeli has been awarded no.1 again. I would have given it to Arroyo - not going to get another chance, just like they let Cuddles get the experience of wearing a gt no.1 last year

And I like the - give Visconti no.150 to commemorate Italian independence. Cycling isnt just a sport. Its about geography history and culture.

Anyway, Scarponi looks dangerous for il Giro though I think the ttt will be more important than some realise.

In whose favour. Most of the favourites have weakish teams for that.

Nibali does not have the super team that got him 2 minutes on Scarponi last time round, and Michelles team has improved greatly.

Moreover the ttt is 10k shorter and not uphill.

Androni dont look like a ttt squad but won that ttt at (bartali was it?)

After that Geox look ok but nothing special, same about Katusha, (though Purito will lose less time then an itt), Contador looks likely to lose time to most challengers, and Anton even more.

Sky Garmin and Htc should own the ttt and neither of those is going to challenge.

 

[El Pistolero]

Interesting that Garzeli has been awarded no.1 again. I would have given it to Arroyo - not going to get another chance, just like they let Cuddles get the experience of wearing a gt no.1 last year

And I like the - give Visconti no.150 to commemorate Italian independence. Cycling isnt just a sport. Its about geography history and culture.



In whose favour. Most of the favourites have weakish teams for that.

Nibali does not have the super team that got him 2 minutes on Scarponi last time round, and Michelles team has improved greatly.

Moreover the ttt is 10k shorter and not uphill.

Androni dont look like a ttt squad but won that ttt at (bartali was it?)

After that Geox look ok but nothing special, same about Katusha, (though Purito will lose less time then an itt), Contador looks likely to lose time to most challengers, and Anton even more.

Sky Garmin and Htc should own the ttt and neither of those is going to challenge.

Team Saxobank Sungard.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Riders of note is different to riders who might win a stage. If Sella wasn't in a breakaway he would of not featured in the finishes with the big boys in the mountain stages. Schumacher and Garzelli are more of 'note' because what they have done in the past.

Garzelli, fine. But is what Schumacher's done in the past really more 'of note' than Sella's ballistic 2008 performances?

Also, it doesn't matter whether Sella was in a breakaway or not, the point is where you finish not how you get there. Androni have got a LOT of men that the GC men will have to worry about - plenty that may not be the best out there, but are too dangerous to give a headstart to, like Arroyo last year - maybe not quite good enough to hold on and win the Giro, but just good enough to make the big guys really have to sweat it. And if Sella's up the road and Rujano's on form, the big guns may have to worry about giving the Venezuelan a free ride. If Monsalve, Serpa, Rodríguez or Rujano are up the road, then Sella gets the free ride, which makes it easier for him to stay with the group.

Androni's being able to play the numbers game will perhaps artificially inflate the GC positions of some of their men. It could be CSF-Navigare '08 all over again, when Sella, Baliani, and Pérez Cuapio were disappearing up the road left right and centre and giving Pozzovivo a free ride within the favourites bunch. They 1-2ed the queen stage.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Interesting that Garzeli has been awarded no.1 again. I would have given it to Arroyo - not going to get another chance, just like they let Cuddles get the experience of wearing a gt no.1 last year

And I like the - give Visconti no.150 to commemorate Italian independ

I think with Garzelli it's that he's the leader of Acqua e Sapone, who are the first team alphabetically. I agree it would have been nice to see Arroyo wear it. Especially as Evans has now worn #1 twice in a GT without ever winning one.

 

[hrotha]

Trust me if Contador is in top form he'll rape them. Now I don't know if he'll reach that, but if he does he will do just that.

Just look at his strongest opponent. Michele Scarponi.... Contador is going to turn him into Italian cheese.

Contador is not the most tactically astute chap. He might blow himself up trying to follow the Andronis or whatever.

 

[jens_attacks]

i would give the number 1 to andrea noe,he's like 54 years old.

 

[The Hitch]

I think with Garzelli it's that he's the leader of Acqua e Sapone, who are the first team alphabetically. I agree it would have been nice to see Arroyo wear it. Especially as Evans has now worn #1 twice in a GT without ever winning one.

Negative. Its that hes the oldest former winner of the race. Theyve done it that way before.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Contador is not the most tactically astute chap. He might blow himself up trying to follow the Andronis or whatever.

let's hope althouhg I;m sure riis will try to manipulate his mind as far as he can to make him one of his androids

 

[El Pistolero]

Contador is not the most tactically astute chap. He might blow himself up trying to follow the Andronis or whatever.

Androni is overhyped. Couldn't even beat Damiano Cunego with 4 against 1.

 

[El Pistolero]

Negative. Its that hes the oldest former winner of the race. Theyve done it that way before.

He was the oldest winner in 2000? Really(or whatever year he won)?

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Androni is overhyped. Couldn't even beat Damiano Cunego with 4 against 1.

lol, you sure didn't see that climb then

 

[hrotha]

Androni is overhyped. Couldn't even beat Damiano Cunego with 4 against 1.

They don't need to beat anyone, they just need to attack and be all over the place, and Contador might decide he has to follow them, just like on Morzine-Avoriaz he decided he had to counter every attack.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

He was the oldest winner in 2000? Really(or whatever year he won)?

he's the rider that has won the oldest edition, namely 2000, other winners are from more recent years. that's why they chose him. he won the race 11 years ago, di luca only 4.

 

[Eshnar]

by the way...
only two weeks to go!

 

[The Hitch]

gesink also beat ebh.

therefore gesink > ebh @ tt.

see what i did there

Yeah. something very stupid.

Apparently by your logic if I were to point to the fact that John Gadret beat Basso in a mountain tt as a way of pointing out that Gadret is a good climber, according to you what I would actually be trying to argue is that Gadret is a better climber than Basso


It could just be that by pointing to Samu beating Menchov in a gt tt once I was arguing that hes a pretty good time trialist. And that by coming 2nd in a gt tt 2 years later he confirmed it.

 

[hrotha]

Samu hasn't done a really good TT for a couple of years though.

 

[Nastyy]

Many seem to be expecting a lot from Gadret. He's had a poor spring and probably won't be in form for the Giro. I think he's just riding Giro to get in shape for Le Tour.

Or he's been hiding his form extremely well and when the Giro comes he follows Contador in the mountains.

 

[The Hitch]

He was the oldest winner in 2000? Really(or whatever year he won)?

No.

If you take a listr of all the winners of the race who are competing - Contador, Menchov, Garzeli ( i think thats it) hes the oldest- at 37 going on 38 years old.

Last year that would have been Gibo but they gave it to Cuddles.

Anyway Garzeli deserves it because with the exception of 1 or 2 seasons, he seems to do the Giro year after year after year.

 

[Eshnar]

Many seem to be expecting a lot from Gadret. He's had a poor spring and probably won't be in form for the Giro.

Well, also Nibali hadn't a good spring, but he's still in the favourites... whoever is preparing himself specifically for the Giro is not in shape yet.

 

[Eshnar]

No.

If you take a listr of all the winners of the race who are competing - Contador, Menchov, Garzeli ( i think thats it)

Di Luca forgotten

 

[The Hitch]

Di Luca forgotten

Yeah. Silly me.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

Yeah. Silly me.

I see what you did there

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Considering Sella and Riccò were barred from entry in last year's race because Zomegnan said they needed to be quarantined as they hadn't had enough of a ban (the race being less than 2 years on from their ban) it's a shame he didn't wave an exclusion in Katyusha's face for including di Luca like the ASO did for Caisse d'Epargne in 2009 until they dropped Valverde.

Just inhaling in his presence can make you test positive.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Yeah. something very stupid.

Apparently by your logic if I were to point to the fact that John Gadret beat Basso in a mountain tt as a way of pointing out that Gadret is a good climber, according to you what I would actually be trying to argue is that Gadret is a better climber than Basso


It could just be that by pointing to Samu beating Menchov in a gt tt once I was arguing that hes a pretty good time trialist. And that by coming 2nd in a gt tt 2 years later he confirmed it.

Lol and I thought it was obvious I was kidding with the last line. Well done sir.

Anyway, Samu is to inconsistent with Tt to expect something . You can post examples of good rides and I can post example of bad ones. I for one can't say I'd expect a good ride or a bad ride on any given day with him. Bit random.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Garzelli, fine. But is what Schumacher's done in the past really more 'of note' than Sella's ballistic 2008 performances?

Also, it doesn't matter whether Sella was in a breakaway or not, the point is where you finish not how you get there. Androni have got a LOT of men that the GC men will have to worry about - plenty that may not be the best out there, but are too dangerous to give a headstart to, like Arroyo last year - maybe not quite good enough to hold on and win the Giro, but just good enough to make the big guys really have to sweat it. And if Sella's up the road and Rujano's on form, the big guns may have to worry about giving the Venezuelan a free ride. If Monsalve, Serpa, Rodríguez or Rujano are up the road, then Sella gets the free ride, which makes it easier for him to stay with the group.

Androni's being able to play the numbers game will perhaps artificially inflate the GC positions of some of their men. It could be CSF-Navigare '08 all over again, when Sella, Baliani, and Pérez Cuapio were disappearing up the road left right and centre and giving Pozzovivo a free ride within the favourites bunch. They 1-2ed the queen stage.

I meant that with Schumacher because of his history a bit further back therefore he is a rider of note or of interest. I think Schumacher is a bit more of note than Sella because of his wins in the tdf and wearing the yellow jersey. Anyway, why are we talking about a stupid little thing such as who is a rider of note in a race that has finished 24 hours ago? Strange...


Contador is the favourite here, but lets hope Scarponi, Nibbles and Rodriguez challenge him.