Basso totally out of form, will he be able do something in the tour?

[TimChristy]

Given he's being talked about the least of the remaining favorites, I hope he can make a statement this coming week. I don't know how they classified his group as 8 seconds back today though. It looked like 2 seconds, if not a gap at all.

 

[theyoungest]

Given he's being talked about the least of the remaining favorites, I hope he can make a statement this coming week. I don't know how they classified his group as 8 seconds back today though. It looked like 2 seconds, if not a gap at all.

The gap has to be at least one second, and then obviously the time difference is with the first finisher of the group in front. So he had an 8 second gap to Gilbert, not to the last man of the Gilbert group.

 

[TimChristy]

Ahhh! Thanks for the clarification. Just saw it again

 

[maxmartin]

Basso is making a statement LOL

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/9038/Ivan-Basso-Weve-only-had-one-off-day.aspx

 

[Parrulo]

please basso drop those brothers with a smile

 

[sagard]

Basso and Cadel need to ride to together as long as possible to limit their losses to the others.

 

[Parrulo]

Basso and Cadel need to ride to together as long as possible to limit their losses to the others.

lolololololol

like if evans could keep up with basso. you mean basso and samu need to ride together.

 

[Maxiton]

As Lance Armstrong showed time and again, the best luck goes to the rider who is on best form and is best prepared. While bad luck can hit anyone, it's no coincidence that Basso has remained upright in this Tour.

Contador has looked a little ragged, it's true, but it's still too early to say definitively, or with any assurance at all, really, that he is not on winning form (since, for him, he can be at less than 100% and still win). So, for now, anyway, I'm sticking with him as my pick to win.

That leaves the second step for Basso. If Contador fails or withdraws, Basso will win the Tour. He is tranquillo.

 

[Boeing]

Can we get a pic of elisa basso at this tour already? damn

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

lolololololol

like if evans could keep up with basso. you mean basso and samu need to ride together.

samu and basso are for me two really big dark horses. they haven't crash a single time and that's saying a lot.

 

[Anonymous]

Forza Ivan!! ...he hasnt crash yet so my hopes of a top 5 are getting higher.

 

[Archibald]

Forza Ivan!! ...he hasnt crash yet so my hopes of a top 5 are getting higher.

definately the dark horse of this tour right now
schlecks won't be keeping an eye on him

 

[Parrulo]

man ivan winning the tour would make me sooooo happy, even happier then if contador won!!!!

 

[PedalCastro]

I think the real mountains will destroy him to be honest.. which is bad cause I love the guy!

 

[thirteen]

definately the dark horse of this tour right now
schlecks won't be keeping an eye on him

from january (if Contador wasn't in the race):

Luxembourger Andy Schleck fears Italian Ivan Basso the most for the Tour de France this July.
"The most difficult opponent will be Basso," Schleck told Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper. "He has the head, the legs, the experience. And this time, he's decided only to race the Tour."

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news...t-contador-fears-basso-at-tour-de-france.html

 

[Jan the Man]

samu and basso are for me two really big dark horses. they haven't crash a single time and that's saying a lot.

Not sure re Samu because he is already circa three minutes behind the Schlecks and although he hasn't crashed he couldn't follow Andy last year so I think he will have a hard time to make up any time on him in the mountains.

I agree re Basso of the favourites I think other than Contador he would be the only one Schleck would fear in the mountains. He will also not be afraid to attack Schleck. I think we could see Szmyd doing some serious damage on the Tourmalet on Thursday! I don't think Basso has shown much this year but this follows an identical pattern to his form leading up to his Giro win last year. He does not have the acceleration in the mountains but has the diesel to cause some serious hurting amongst the other non pure climbing GC candidates remaining in the race i.e. Evans, Kloden/Leipheimer, Danielson/Vandevelde.

I am also intrigued by what Cunego will do this Tour. While I accept Suisse is Suisse, he managed to out climb Frank on most climbs in Suisse and he also seems to have emerged unscathed from the opening week carnage.

 

[theyoungest]

If Contador fails, I really hope Basso has what it takes, although I don't think so. But I'm glad we'll get to see him in top form, or at least better form than most of the crash-ridden peloton.

 

[Parrulo]

Not sure re Samu because he is already circa three minutes behind the Schlecks and although he hasn't crashed he couldn't follow Andy last year so I think he will have a hard time to make up any time on him in the mountains.

I agree re Basso of the favourites I think other than Contador he would be the only one Schleck would fear in the mountains. He will also not be afraid to attack Schleck. I think we could see Szmyd doing some serious damage on the Tourmalet on Thursday! I don't think Basso has shown much this year but this follows an identical pattern to his form leading up to his Giro win last year. He does not have the acceleration in the mountains but has the diesel to cause some serious hurting amongst the other non pure climbing GC candidates remaining in the race i.e. Evans, Kloden/Leipheimer, Danielson/Vandevelde.

I am also intrigued by what Cunego will do this Tour. While I accept Suisse is Suisse, he managed to out climb Frank on most climbs in Suisse and he also seems to have emerged unscathed from the opening week carnage.

thats the only problem i see in basso. on the giro super steep climbs where the is little to no drafting when he is at his best he can ride almost any1 off his wheel, but the tour climbs are much less steeper so drafting does matter a bit more and he will have a harder time riding people off his wheel like he did to pretty much every1 on the zoncolan. hopefully tho he will be able to do it to the shlecks and evans.

what would be the best tactic for him in stage 12? a szmyd pace from the bottom of the tourmalet so at the top of the climb only the real top climbers remain and then he following it up with his pace up luz ardiden?

 

[Anonymous]

man ivan winning the tour would make me sooooo happy, even happier then if contador won!!!!

Him winning and Il principe in the top ten would be super exciting.

 

[theyoungest]

thats the only problem i see in basso. on the giro super steep climbs where the is little to no drafting when he is at his best he can ride almost any1 off his wheel, but the tour climbs are much less steeper so drafting does matter a bit more and he will have a harder time riding people off his wheel like he did to pretty much every1 on the zoncolan. hopefully tho he will be able to do it to the shlecks and evans.

I hope so too, but really, Basso riding Andy Schleck off his wheel... ain't gonna happen. Evans is a different story, although it will be difficult as well.

 

[Parrulo]

I hope so too, but really, Basso riding Andy Schleck off his wheel... ain't gonna happen. Evans is a different story, although it will be difficult as well.

wishful thinking never hurt any1

 

[R.0.t.O]

Basso is the guy that can bring something different so he's the only one that has a chance to beat Contador/Schleck. There are a few stages here, especially the Tourmalet and Izoard stages, that will suit the Liquigas style of long sustained pressure. Szmyd will need to be phenomenal to put everybody under enough pressure for Basso to have a chance to pull it off though.

 

[Jan the Man]

thats the only problem i see in basso. on the giro super steep climbs where the is little to no drafting when he is at his best he can ride almost any1 off his wheel, but the tour climbs are much less steeper so drafting does matter a bit more and he will have a harder time riding people off his wheel like he did to pretty much every1 on the zoncolan. hopefully tho he will be able to do it to the shlecks and evans.

what would be the best tactic for him in stage 12? a szmyd pace from the bottom of the tourmalet so at the top of the climb only the real top climbers remain and then he following it up with his pace up luz ardiden?

Probably- given the lack of depth in Liquigas we can only expect Szmyd to go to the front after maybe 7/8km of the Tourmalet (from memory i think the first kilometers are easier maybe 4/5%) and make the main group of favourites very small at the top. So that Basso only has to attack 10-15 at most on the finale.

Maybe one option would be to try and send 1/2 riders up in the breakaway so that they could wait to pace Basso/Szmyd group from the top of the Tourmalet to the foot of Luiz Ardiden.

If Liquigas had more strength I would suggest even riding a fast tempo up the first climb, which itself is pretty nasty (10km at 8%). I think Basso thrives on fast tempo climbing. However I think Liquigas will burn too many matches if the try and set a tempo too early.

 

[Angliru]

definately the dark horse of this tour right now
schlecks won't be keeping an eye on him

Andy rode with Basso in his early years with CSC and is well aware of his abilities. He's made it clear, with likely an annoying tone of voice, that there are more riders to pay attention to than just Contador, naming Evans and Basso especially.

 

[iZnoGouD]

from january (if Contador wasn't in the race):

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news...t-contador-fears-basso-at-tour-de-france.html

he said that before Basso had a training crash which seriously affected his preparation...