Garmin's top GC men headed to Giro

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Good. I'm kinda hopeful about Hesjedal's chances, actually.

Whoa, I didn't know he was rated so highly.

He finished 4th on the Tourmalet, but that stage wasn't raced hard until just before the Tourmalet itself. In other mountain stages he was just good, or okay. He hasn't really impressed me as a climber up until now.

 

[meat puppet]

Whoa, I didn't know he was rated so highly.

He finished 4th on the Tourmalet, but that stage wasn't raced hard until just before the Tourmalet itself. In other mountain stages he was just good, or okay. He hasn't really impressed me as a climber up until now.

Well, I probably should have written "chances to do well". That said, I still think he can podium if everything goes right and he has a little luck. Also I think he was really good on the Tourmalet.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Vande Velde will just crash out on stage 4 anyway. Danielson is likely to be better at a race with less pressure, the Giro could be good for him actually, with American eyes half-distracted by the Tour of California. Hesjedal will likely fade in week 3 since he will no doubt have half an eye on the Ardennes, where he has a pretty good record, too.

 

[La Pandera]

way higher.
one of the biggest shocks of the year for me was basso's performance in le tour.i was hyping him to win it all the last year.but the thing is that wasn't the real basso,something pretty bad happened with his preparation,medical mostly after that crash on etna.
he will be strong as nails in may barring other accidents

I agree. After his Giro performance in 2010, I'd say his Tour performance was not an example of what we can expect in 2012. He'll be a force to reckon with.

 

[RedheadDane]

Vande Velde will just crash out on stage 4 anyway. Danielson is likely to be better at a race with less pressure, the Giro could be good for him actually, with American eyes half-distracted by the Tour of California. Hesjedal will likely fade in week 3 since he will no doubt have half an eye on the Ardennes, where he has a pretty good record, too.

Well... that would still be a step forward from the 2010 Giro and Tour. When he, as previously mentioned, didn't even make it to the actual countries of the races!

I'm sorry I keep mentioning it. I just think it's funny!

 

[Wigwan]

Vande Velde will just crash out on stage 4 anyway. Danielson is likely to be better at a race with less pressure, the Giro could be good for him actually, with American eyes half-distracted by the Tour of California. Hesjedal will likely fade in week 3 since he will no doubt have half an eye on the Ardennes, where he has a pretty good record, too.

Hesjedal is always at is best on the 3rd week of Grand Tour.

 

[meat puppet]

I thought Libertine's implication was that Hesjedal will struggle with maintaining peak form from the Ardennes to the Giro.

Twin peaks is the answer. He's from the northwest anyway.

 

[Eric8-A]

I'm glad to see CVV gunnin' for the Giro again (bang bang ).
I hate the fact that the ToC is now overlapped with a Grand Tour of such magnitude. Obviously that can put pressure on teams with American sponsors to choose Cali over one of the greatest events that cycling has to offer.

I'd like to think that Vande Velde is still tempted by the form he had in 2008 after successfully finishing the Giro. Even at his age, I still don't think we've seen him at his very best.

Don't crash...don't crash...don't crash...don't crash...don't crash...don't crash...

Yeah. He says he likes the form he gets going into a GT by doing a GT

 

[greenedge]

Le Mevel was really good at this year's Giro and he's French so he's sure to make either the Giro or Tour team.

Oh yes i forgot about him. I thought i was missing someone.

Glad that Garmin are utilising their options ( with their team depth ) to send good teams to races and not just focus on the TDF.

Is it confirmed Zabriskie would do the ToC? I suppose he would since he does it every year practically. Also i had 3 other viable options in case i forgot about something, which i did.

 

[Eric8-A]

Is it confirmed Zabriskie would do the ToC? I suppose he would since he does it every year practically. Also i had 3 other viable options in case i forgot about something, which i did.

Most likely since he says it's his favorite race.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Well, I probably should have written "chances to do well". That said, I still think he can podium if everything goes right and he has a little luck. Also I think he was really good on the Tourmalet.

Yes, he was. He wasn't very consistent in the mountains, though. He took time on Kreuziger and Rodriguez in the cobbles stage, which partly explains his 7th place. Kreuziger didn't come close to a Giro podium, for what it's worth.

Sure, the Giro field may be weak, although just how weak remains to be seen. The TTT is in Hesjedal's advantage, too, but I'd be pleasantly surprised if that was enough to top 3.

 

[theyoungest]

Yes, he was. He wasn't very consistent in the mountains, though. He took time on Kreuziger and Rodriguez in the cobbles stage, which partly explains his 7th place. Kreuziger didn't come close to a Giro podium, for what it's worth.

Sure, the Giro field may be weak, although just how weak remains to be seen. The TTT is in Hesjedal's advantage, too, but I'd be pleasantly surprised if that was enough to top 3.

He had been in the breakaway in multiple stages (one of which was the cobbled stage, where he was the strongest in the break and was caught 5 k from the finish). And yet he was still very strong on Tourmalet, maybe the strongest he'd been in all of the Tour, which speaks volumes about his recovery.

This year he sucked pretty much everywhere except in Pais Vasco, but I'm sure he has reasons for that. If he's at his Tour 2010 best, who other than maybe Basso or Scarponi is clearly stronger than him?

 

[CheeseHead]

The way I understood it Rasmussen is pretty much secured a spot

Oh? I'd be very surprised. With the absense of a TTT, what's Rasmussen's added value? Pulling for Farrar? I'd appreciate a source for this

 

[CheeseHead]

Le Mevel was really good at this year's Giro and he's French so he's sure to make either the Giro or Tour team.

Le Mevel recently revealed his program and the Giro is definitly not on it. He is on the short list for the Tour, but that's not certain yet. But no Giro for Christophe.

 

[RedheadDane]

Oh? I'd be very surprised. With the absense of a TTT, what's Rasmussen's added value? Pulling for Farrar? I'd appreciate a source for this

http://feltet.dk/nyheder/alex_rasmussen_braender_for_roubaix_og_giro-start/

While it doesn't say directly that he's been picked for the Giro I'd say it's pretty much underlying.

(The following contains examples of my own, maybe not accurate, translation)

"I will prepare for the prologue. I will go through the route a million time so I know every corner, in order to be able to ride it optimately. It's one of those chances that doesn't come everyday. I will prepare extraordinarily for it."

I might be reading to much into it. But the way I see it it appears as if he already know he's going to ride. The following make me even more likely to think so:

In the Giro he will also be giving a chance to show himself in a role of helping to collect victories to the team: Bring Tyler Farrar forward in the sprints.

"It will be determining in relation to getting on the Tour team how well I can help Tyler Farrar. I'll surely be given the chance in the Giro and maybe also some other races. But I expect I'll be riding the Giro, and maybe he will as well."

---

This article contains a quote by Garmin DS Johnny Weltz.

http://sporten-dyn.tv2.dk/cykling/article.php/id-45754857:garmin-klar-til-alex-rasmussen.html

"We have a rather large role in mind for him. Therefore it [Alex not being sanctioned for his whereabout problems] absolutely good. We had counted on him in the Giro but weren't sure he'd be able to ride."

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

He had been in the breakaway in multiple stages (one of which was the cobbled stage, where he was the strongest in the break and was caught 5 k from the finish). And yet he was still very strong on Tourmalet, maybe the strongest he'd been in all of the Tour, which speaks volumes about his recovery.

This year he sucked pretty much everywhere except in Pais Vasco, but I'm sure he has reasons for that. If he's at his Tour 2010 best, who other than maybe Basso or Scarponi is clearly stronger than him?

I'd agree if this was about the Tour with a weak field, but it's not. The (2012) Giro is a different beast.

Big assumption, though. Other than that 2010 Tour, he has no GT record to speak of.

If he's at his Tour 2010 best, who other than maybe Basso or Scarponi is clearly stronger than him?

Rujano, obviously. The route suits him better than last year's edition. Save for the high mountain stages, it's doable. Perfect for him.

Cunego for sure. Has really focused on his climbing skills and it sure paid off. The Giro may suit him better than the Tour, so yeah. He was much more consistent as a climber in 2011 than Hesjedal in 2010.

Rodriguez; didn't lose much time to Hesjedal at the 2010 Tour despite a long time trial and a cobbles stage. Was clearly the better overall climber in that Tour, between the two of them. If you think Rodriguez is too inconsistent, then what about Hesjedal? Their GT records speak for themselves.

Edit: replace Cunego with Kreuziger

(You can add Nibali to that list if what jens_attacks says is true. The last time he was a domestique for Basso he came in 3rd.)

The rest depends on who is selected.

 

[CheeseHead]

http://feltet.dk/nyheder/alex_rasmussen_braender_for_roubaix_og_giro-start/

While it doesn't say directly that he's been picked for the Giro I'd say it's pretty much underlying.

Ah, you meant the Giro! Ok, I can see that.. thought you referred to the Tour.
Will be interesting too see how he performs

 

[theyoungest]

Rujano, obviously. The route suits him better than last year's edition. Save for the high mountain stages, it's doable. Perfect for him.

Cunego for sure. Has really focused on his climbing skills and it sure paid off. The Giro may suit him better than the Tour, so yeah. He was much more consistent as a climber in 2011 than Hesjedal in 2010.

Rodriguez; didn't lose much time to Hesjedal at the 2010 Tour despite a long time trial and a cobbles stage. Was clearly the better overall climber in that Tour, between the two of them. If you think Rodriguez is too inconsistent, then what about Hesjedal? Their GT records speak for themselves.

(You can add Nibali to that list if what jens_attacks says is true. The last time he was a domestique for Basso he came in 3rd.)

The rest depends on who is selected.

To go by GT records is useless. Hesjedal had never tried to go for GC in a grand tour, the first time he did so he got 7th in the Tour. Not bad, ey? Certainly because he didn't really go for it in the first two weeks, wasting a lot of energy.

 

[ansimi]

Le Mevel recently revealed his program and the Giro is definitly not on it. He is on the short list for the Tour, but that's not certain yet. But no Giro for Christophe.

Thanks, I haven't seen anything about him. I assume he'll be peaking for Ardennes week which suits him and then vying for a Tour spot which I hope he gets. I remember he was good in Ardennes this year too. If Ryder is truly focused on the Giro then he can do well there but he might have to make a bit of compromise in peaking for Ardennes. It's too bad about Dan Martin's allergies because I'd love to see him in the mix in the Spring.

 

[greenedge]

Oh? I'd be very surprised. With the absense of a TTT, what's Rasmussen's added value? Pulling for Farrar? I'd appreciate a source for this

In the Giro not the TDF.

 

[greenedge]

Dan Martin tried to compete in the Ardennes this year, he just crashed out with Roche.

I would like for Le Mevel to do P-N. He could maybe win it with riders like Contador not doing it and no long ITT's for Tony Martin.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

To go by GT records is useless. Hesjedal had never tried to go for GC in a grand tour, the first time he did so he got 7th in the Tour. Not bad, ey? Certainly because he didn't really go for it in the first two weeks, wasting a lot of energy.

That's factually incorrect. He did so back in the 2006 Vuelta already. I disagree with the rest of your post, besides the fact that a 7th place is pretty damn good, obviously. The Giro is a different race, though. You seem to treat it as a TDF route that is raced as a TDF, but with a weak field. If that's not the case then I don't understand your reasoning. After all, one 7th place in a Tour doesn't necessarily mean that you are one of the key contenders for a podium spot in the Giro. His climbing was too inconsistent for that, IMO.

 

[42x16ss]

Thanks, I haven't seen anything about him. I assume he'll be peaking for Ardennes week which suits him and then vying for a Tour spot which I hope he gets. I remember he was good in Ardennes this year too. If Ryder is truly focused on the Giro then he can do well there but he might have to make a bit of compromise in peaking for Ardennes. It's too bad about Dan Martin's allergies because I'd love to see him in the mix in the Spring.

It's not unheard of to carry good form through the Giro and the Ardennes, Evans managed it in 2010 so I doubt it's impossible for Hesjedal.

With the relatively light load in the first two weeks (for the Giro) I can see Hesjedal being a genuine competitor for the top-5 in the 2011 Giro after the form he showed in the last two TdF's.

While Hesjedal didn't set the world on fire GC-Wise last year, he still made top-20 at the Tour despite losing time in the craziness of the first week and doing some very effective work for Thor and Danielson in the second and third weeks.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I find hesj. overrated. I believe he over achieved in 2010 rather then under achieved in 2011.

 

[greenedge]

I hope you are wrong Timmy because otherwise i am screwed. I think he could challenge at the Ardennes and also win one of Quebec/ Montreal. I think he is solid and smart enough to maybe get a top 5. I also expect him to go well on hilly finishes and get a major advantage over some rivals in the TT.

He however will probably be left isolated as Rujano might have Serpa/ Sella, Scarponi/ Cunego will have Lloyd, Basso will probably have Syzmd and maybe even Nibali, Kreuziger probably Kessiakoff and JROD will have Moreno.

With such a group of good climbers there i do not expect CVV to be there the whole time to support Hesjedal