Emma Pooley

[BBRoberts]

I read an article in British Cycling and was blown away.
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news...o-do-national-jersey-proud-at-giro-donne.html


Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew there might be some problems since Claudio won the tour last year, but I never would of thought that Celvelo would allow Emma Pooley to throw away the greatest climbing tour in the history of the Giro because of a payback to Claudia. I mean for crying out loud, couldn't Emma pay Claudia back in some other tour, but not this one!! I know Emma is nice, Mara is nice as she held back for Arndt last year on Mount Serra, but please don't ruin the greatest climbing tour in the history of the Giro!!

I would Emma and Celvelo would reconsider this, however I guess the upside is that if Emma plays domo for Claudio, that might play into Mara's hands! If Emma is not fully committed to win this tour as the team captain or race leader, then the ball could swing more into Mara's court. True, I am blown away at the idea that Emma will hold back on the Stelvio and other climbs in order to play domo and drag Claudia up those climbs, but what a shame if the two greatest climbers the world has ever seen in decades since Luperini and Brandli first set foot on the scene, that coming into their prime, they can't go full out in this great climbing tour with the complete blessing and support of both their teams and their riders.

I guess if anything, the best we can do as fans is try to hope for and read between the lines like some novelty serendipitous adventure, that perhaps all of this will get sorted out on the climbs where the real climbers of this tour will have no choice but to take center stage. I guess what we really want to see as fans, is some great action on the Stelvio between Emma and Mara, and if we get that, perhaps we can overlook the rest. I like Claudia a lot, she is a great talent, but this Tour belongs to the climbers and you would of thought very early on since this tour was announced at the first of the year that clearly they could of sorted this one out. This is very indicative of why as a team sport it might work for the team and the riders but doesn't work for the fans. For most fans cycling will always be an individual sport where their heroes take center stage.

Well, let the cards fall where they fall and hope for the best!

BBRoberts

 

[Libertine Seguros]

well, to be fair, Claudia IS a climber. It's just that Emma's a bit more of one. Claudia did a lot of work for Emma at the Tour de l'Aude, so I imagine a pact was reached. It could well play into Abbott's hands. Or it could just be a bit of PR, keeping the sponsors happy. Given that Claudia is also an excellent climber, I can imagine that if she's in form, she and Pooley could double team the other team leaders and eventually Abbott. Then, if it's Pooley that is the one to get away, so be it.

Don't expect a Giro 2004 scenario out of this.

 

[BBRoberts]

Claudia, duh

Sorry on the typos. Claudia, but when it comes to climbing, Mara Abbott will blow Hausler doors off anyday. Mara will ride away like Claudia is standing still and that's a fact. However, what you say is sort of true. That interview was PR or sugar for the press. While Emma says that, I think she knows as well as everyone else that Claudia gig will be up when they reach stage 7. If Emma tries to drag Claudia up those climbs, Abbott is going to eat them both alive! I don't believe for one second that this tour is going to be about Claudia Hausler. It's got to be the Emma and Mara show, but the tour organizers sure didn't help the climbers any when they took the Cima De Sormano out of stage 7. They also removed Aldena from stage 6, and the more they whitle the mountains down, it will lose it's prestige. However I still think there is enough climbing left to leave Hausler in the dust. My favorite is Mara to win, so I guess I shouldn't be unhappy about this except the fact I wanted to see the two great climbers go at it tooth and nail on the Stelvio.

 

[Thee_chisa]

is there any race coverage of this on any channels? i would love to watch, you never get to see women's cycling except for the Olympics and world champs.

 

[BBRoberts]

40-50 minutes coverage on RAI-3

According to one website in Italy, there will be 40-50 minute daily coverage on Italy RAI-3. I believe you can watch this channel on DISH TV with it's International sports package. Once confirmed by checking, you could subscribe for one month to get it, and then cancel, depending on your interest, but otheriwise I know of no other coverage then RAI-3, which is like one of the premiere cycling networks in Italy for cycling.

 

[180mmCrank]

As an interesting aside...

The Sharon she mentions in the article in the same sentence as Claudia I guess is Sharon Laws who was 4th in the Nat RR.

There is a fun story about Sharon not many will know. A good buddy of mine was out riding around surrey hills and came across this girl riding strongly in the hills. DJ never being shy struck up a conversation and before long he'd invited her to join our little amateur chain gang that rides most Saturdays from the Bear in Esher.

Sharon rode with us for the best part of a year then heads out to Australia for work - she worked for Rio Tinto as an Environmental something or other. She starts racing in Aus - and wins a couple of races places high in their Nationals (2nd?) and suddenly they are trying to recruit her for the AUS Olympic team.

She sends DJ an email all excited about possibly going to the Games. At which point DJ goes into overdrive - phones up David Brailsford (HPD for GB Cycling) "Hi you don't know me but I met this girl..." next thing she's riding for GBR in Beijing!

Pretty cool eh!

 

[BBRoberts]

TV for Giro Ladies

RAI 2 and 3.

http://www.cicloweb.it/programmazione-televisiva

Sharon Laws I don't really know much about, however I don't think she's capable of winning the Giro. I see Nicole Cooke is not in the Giro.

 

[Thee_chisa]

looking forward to this, hope emma ends up riding for herself.

 

[Skip Madness]

the tour organizers sure didn't help the climbers any when they took the Cima De Sormano out of stage 7. They also removed Aldena from stage 6, and the more they whitle the mountains down, it will lose it's prestige.

Where did you hear that the Sormano is being taken out?

Unless I've been looking at completely different graphics all this time, I don't remember there being any significant climbs on stage six since the route presentation.

 

[BBRoberts]

Sormano

Where did you hear that the Sormano is being taken out?

Unless I've been looking at completely different graphics all this time, I don't remember there being any significant climbs on stage six since the route presentation.

From the horses mouth, Mario Minervino. Sormano is a big deal, Aldena not a big deal.

 

[Skip Madness]

From the horses mouth, Mario Minervino. Sormano is a big deal, Aldena not a big deal.

That would be a huge shame. What's the alternative route? Go straight to Albese and then run round and do the Ghisallo as planned? Will they publish the route online?

 

[BBRoberts]

Sormano

Well, I don't see a problem. They don't have to change anything special, at least not the main route anyway from what I can see. I studied those roads at close range and Surmano seems like a diversion to start with, sort of a out of the way loop. IIRC, they can basically following the main road of the race route and just not turn off to go to the Surmano. That area has a lot of roads cause its a community area, so there are many options, but from what I saw from the maps, they can just skip by it without any problems. I don't believe the main route or course will change any on stage 7, unless that's what they want to do. They can do anything they want I guess, and I was not told anything about radically changing the main course, except to skip the Surmano. And yes, it ****es me off as a fan cause the Surmano would add extra insurance that this would clearly be an historical climbers tour. The Surmano is famous as you know.

 

[BBRoberts]

Ghisallo

Ghisallo is still on AFAIK.

Some Giro Femmes stage 1 pics here...
http://picasaweb.google.com/CiclowebFemminile/GiroDonne20101aTappa#