Damiano Cunego

[Orinda8]

My point was that he wasn't the strongest rider in the race. As I stated he had great success in the races leading up to the Giro and this appeared to be the justification the team management had in allowing him to have the team's support at the expense of Simoni. Maybe Cunego was in the last year of his contract with Saeco and they were fearful of losing him if they didn't allow him the latitude that he ended up being given. Yes he was strong that year, but as I stated the one time that Simoni decided to go against the traditions of the sport and neutralize one of Cunego's attacks, he left him gasping for air and watching as Simoni drifted away up the road. Simoni's hands were tied, unable to rightfully fight in the defense of his Giro title.

I'm a bit biased being an admirer of Simoni and at the time I was pretty fired up that he was being treated the way he was especially as the defending champion. Obviously I'm still a bit disappointed in how he was treated AND how he was denied a 3rd Giro title.

No one has mentioned the finding of a very high hematocrit that year in Cunego; he claimed that he had a "naturally high" hematocrit that was a family trait and was given a medical exemption. That was when I started to doubt this rider. What is his current blood profile,anyone know?

 

[Ryaguas]

No one has mentioned the finding of a very high hematocrit that year in Cunego; he claimed that he had a "naturally high" hematocrit that was a family trait and was given a medical exemption. That was when I started to doubt this rider. What is his current blood profile,anyone know?

I don't know but Il Principe is the cleanest rider in the bunch!!! so take care about what you are saying...

 

[ergmonkey]

We're actually in agreement here, i'm just being somewhat ironic with the quotation marks.

Right on--on all counts. I was referring to the Angliru incident, and I was using the term 'thief' facetiously, too. My real view is that it's nearly impossible to BS your way through a grand tour, and I think the notion of anyone stealing a gt is a little silly. Invoking Aitor Gonzales & Oscar Sevilla (not exactly titans of gt riding) was meant to hammer the silliness home...

 

[ergmonkey]

By the way, I hope that the irony of a poster using the self-fashioned alias "Angliru" failing to pick up on a reference to the most notorious Angliru stage in recent history wasn't lost on anyone.

 

[Angliru]

By the way, I hope that the irony of a poster using the self-fashioned alias "Angliru" failing to pick up on a reference to the most notorious Angliru stage in recent history wasn't lost on anyone.

We are not all fortunate enough to have viewed each and every major cycling event. I didn't have access to viewing the Vuelta during that period so would have no idea what was implied by your/the Angliru reference. My choosing Angliru as my forum name is a reflection of my passion for Spanish climbers, teams and major Spanish cycling events.

Additionally there have been only 3 or 4 actual Angliru stages in the Vuelta with one of them being virtually unviewable due to the weather conditions.

I'm uncertain as to what this has to do with Cunego and the 2004 Giro though.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

except that cunego doesnt stamp his authority in the race. his moves don't determine the outcome. sadly now everytime cunego attacks, the field just consider him as just another breakaway (in GT races). not like when vino attacks, the field'll be shattered, or at least opposing teams need to work extra load just to catch him back, while vino's GT leader sucks wheel happily.

Cunego is trapped in quite a difficult situation, where he's not good enough to compete for the GC for real, but he's far too dangerous to allow up the road until he's lost proper time, because he is a former GT winner. They know he has ability so they can't possibly let him go. That's why he could attack the bunch with a kilometre to go on Alto de Aitana in the Vuelta (lost time in TTs) but when he wanted to go from further out later in the race he had to drop 20 minutes to get the leeway he needed.

No one has mentioned the finding of a very high hematocrit that year in Cunego; he claimed that he had a "naturally high" hematocrit that was a family trait and was given a medical exemption. That was when I started to doubt this rider. What is his current blood profile,anyone know?

Just like how the UCI offered a different hematocrit value as the cutoff for the Vuelta a Colombia for a long time, Cunego's family have lived at high altitude for generations, which is the reason for the 'naturally high' hematocrit.

 

[ergmonkey]

We are not all fortunate enough to have viewed each and every major cycling event. I didn't have access to viewing the Vuelta during that period so would have no idea what was implied by your/the Angliru reference. My choosing Angliru as my forum name is a reflection of my passion for Spanish climbers, teams and major Spanish cycling events.

Additionally there have been only 3 or 4 actual Angliru stages in the Vuelta with one of them being virtually unviewable due to the weather conditions.

I'm uncertain as to what this has to do with Cunego and the 2004 Giro though.

I apologize for the non-sequitur.

Also, it is, of course, very difficult to correctly assume one's tone of voice from an internet posting. So, I apologize for upsetting you. I will be sure to add "lack of self-deprecating sense of humor" to your profile and to proceed with appropriate caution in the future.

As for an unnecessarily earnest Damiano Cunego comment, per your request, the guy says he's committed to riding clean and seems to be getting much better results in the Classics than in the Grand Tours these days. Where to go from here seems pretty clear. Hopefully he can win a hilly Worlds some day, in addition to racking up some more Lombardia & Amstel wins; Liege could suit him, too. Yawn...