Giro 2012 Field Discussion/Rumours

[therealtimshady]

I read on cn a few months ago that cunego and pettachi stated they will ride the tour and not the giro. Cunego stating he would ride the same program as last year but not the Olympics as the course does not suit him. Pettachi said no giro ad he wanted to target the green jersey again

 

[The Hitch]

He can win the Giro, but can't win the Tour. Makes perfect sense.

Nope, it doesn't.
I want to see him against the best riders, at the best race there is!

It doesn't make sense that he would ride a Grand Tour he can win over one he will struggle to podium, because you want him to ride the Tour

Umm that makes no sense.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

He can win the Giro, but can't win the Tour. Makes perfect sense.

he can't win the giro either. not even podium probably

 

[Zam_Olyas]

All speculation..nobody knows nothing.

 

[El Pistolero]

I know Petacchi is riding the Tour of Belgium and that takes place during the Giro, so...

 

[El Pistolero]

he can't win the giro either. not even podium probably

I only have so much room left in my sig lol. He podiumed twice already. I'm not a fan of the shark, but he can definitely win the Giro.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

where is he going to take time on the climbers then? :L

 

[El Pistolero]

where is he going to take time on the climbers then? :L

Are you saying 2011 wasn't mountainous?

 

[Escarabajo]

So every year we go over how Nibali is not GT proven material for the win or podium and yet he proves everybody wrong. Then we make up excuses for each Tour or race where he performs well.

Honestly, I am not a fan of Nibali, but because he has proven to have a good pedigree for GT's I want to see him ride the Tour.

 

[Peccio89]

I guess liqui will wait to see Basso shape and feelings after the Trentino, and then they will decide. If the team thinks that Basso won't be able to win in may, they will send also Nibali to the giro.

For what concern Petacchi he said at the start of the season that he will not ride the giro and will focus instead on the green jersey in the tour.

 

[karlboss]

where is he going to take time on the climbers then? :L

Which climbers?

 

[DominicDecoco]

Despite hand injury Birdsong is determined to deliver. Showed up at the Giro headquarter today

Can't really see how he should have developed that much since last year though. Top 10 would be the target to reach - especially with that warm up.

Btw: Is Frank still doing the Giro or did Johan just laugh at the idea stating it's not the Tour De France..?

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Are you saying 2011 wasn't mountainous?

the 2011 course was a lot easier for him then this years. no downhils, no sterrato, no hilly stages and the mountainstages are a lot harder as well.

 

[DominicDecoco]

I only have so much room left in my sig lol. He podiumed twice already. I'm not a fan of the shark, but he can definitely win the Giro.

What are the odds on Ryo jinxing it more than dlwssonic in the rest of season?

 

[The Hitch]

the 2011 course was a lot easier for him then this years. no downhils, no sterrato, no hilly stages and the mountainstages are a lot harder as well.

What downhills were there last year?

This year the ttt is 10k longer, the climbs arent quite as steep as Zoncolan and Finnestre even though Crostis was taken out, and there are less of them.

The mountain stages may be harder but then who is going to race them? Nibali is on the team that can blow the race up. Lampre if they take Ulissi and Niemiec have a good team to take the race on in the earlier climbs so maybe they will do it but maybe not.

All Nibali has to do is follow wheels up those earlier climbs and limit his losses on the what is it 4 mtfs compared to like 9 last year.

 

[c&cfan]

where is he going to take time on the climbers then? :L

on pretty much every single mountain stage. TTs, descends, "tough" hilly stages like 2011 and 2010?

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

Ok guys, since a lot of you make predictions here, let me invite those of you who want to make some profit of their cycling knowlege.

"The Great Grand Tour Game" goes into the 2nd season.

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=16625

Since the predictions are now in the other thread, there is less action over there than last year. Still 40 players can join.

@ Mods: Please don´t delete this post, since i know lots of guys from the "Pro Racing Thread" had lots of fun in the game last year... Thanks in advance.

 

[cineteq]

It doesn't make sense that he would ride a Grand Tour he can win over one he will struggle to podium, because you want him to ride the Tour .

Yes, exactly I was joking with Pistolero.

Seriously, that's a terrible mistake that they send him to the Giro, especially in this year Tour, where he has a chance of winning it.
Par contre, RadiosSchlecks should go to the Giro, they have zero chance in the Tour.

 

[Eshnar]

the 2011 course was a lot easier for him then this years. no downhils, no sterrato, no hilly stages and the mountainstages are a lot harder as well.

Maybe you should take a closer look at the route and spot stages 12 and 17...

 

[airstream]

regarding liquigas,i'm a big basso fan but giro should be won by some other guys now(rujanoooo).nibali probably can podium again in il giro but i'm pretty sure he can't do a top 5 in le tour

I understand you are very enthusiastic about pure climbers, but how can Rujano take it with 30k TT (2+min loss guaranteed)? It will be a fully Liquigas/Lampre hassle.

 

[theyoungest]

I understand you are very enthusiastic about pure climbers, but how can Rujano take it with 30k TT (2+min loss guaranteed)? It will be a fully Liquigas/Lampre hassle.

No way will this race be decided in the TT. It's a very hard last week, if Rujano can consistenly show the form he had in a few Giro stages last year (big 'if') then he should take more than enough time on Nibali et al. to make the TT pretty much redundant.

 

[airstream]

No way will this race be decided in the TT. It's a very hard last week, if Rujano can consistenly show the form he had in a few Giro stages last year (big 'if') then he should take more than enough time on Nibali et al. to make the TT pretty much redundant.

Nobody but maybe Contador [in the Giro] can have an overwhelming edge on all of key mountain stages. Yeah, Rujano is able to show 1-2 bright attacks, but he needs much more. it's impossbile.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Maybe you should take a closer look at the route and spot stages 12 and 17...

in the 17th stage nibali will be long dropped, before that final downhil. stage 12 that downhil is an easy and short one. you can't really take time there.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

I understand you are very enthusiastic about pure climbers, but how can Rujano take it with 30k TT (2+min loss guaranteed)? It will be a fully Liquigas/Lampre hassle.

2 minutes is what rujano takes on nibali in every serious climb alone. and it woudl doubt me if rujano really lost 2 minutes in that timetrial. maybe one minute. rujano is a very good timetrialer for his size and especially after 3 weeks.

 

[Eshnar]

in the 17th stage nibali will be long dropped,

By who?
As for stage 12, it's a hilly stage ending with a descent. Can't find a better stage for him.