Giro 2012 Field Discussion/Rumours

[Altitude]

What about Anton. I don't see any good reason why he shouldn't try for GC at the Giro. What, he won't be able to recover for the Vuelta? That's a bit of a joke.

 

[The Hitch]

What about Anton. I don't see any good reason why he shouldn't try for GC at the Giro. What, he won't be able to recover for the Vuelta? That's a bit of a joke.

Especially since his chances of winning the Vuelta look kind of dead atm.

Though I admire the love Anton has for La Vuelta, top character.

 

[Peccio89]

I think Cunego should go for the Giro too: another top 10 at the Tour won't add anything to his career, while at Giro he might be essential for Lampre against Liquigas.
Personally i think that Basso is still ahead of Scarponi in a one on one showdown, while with Cunego the edge will go to Lampre, with a great tactical advantage.

 

[Zoncolan]

I think Cunego should go for the Giro too: another top 10 at the Tour won't add anything to his career, while at Giro he might be essential for Lampre against Liquigas.
Personally i think that Basso is still ahead of Scarponi in a one on one showdown, while with Cunego the edge will go to Lampre, with a great tactical advantage.

Especially going downhill, which we know Basso is rubbish at.

 

[uphillstruggle]

I think Cunego should go for the Giro too: another top 10 at the Tour won't add anything to his career, while at Giro he might be essential for Lampre against Liquigas.

Problem is Cunego will peak for the Ardennes so if he is going to competitive in a GT is really has to be the tour or vuelta.

 

[Arnout]

Especially since his chances of winning the Vuelta look kind of dead atm.

Though I admire the love Anton has for La Vuelta, top character.

Anton is really passionate and thoughtful about everything he does, it's really amazing to watch. If you read his comments on past seasons, where a fall in the leaders jersey is nothing more than a learning experience, I can only admire him, even though it might set back his performance.

 

[El Pistolero]

Problem is Cunego will peak for the Ardennes so if he is going to competitive in a GT is really has to be the tour or vuelta.

Cunego will not be competitive at Ardennes. How low has he fallen. I don't even understand how this is possible for someone of his age unless clinic related.

 

[Panda Claws]

Cunego will not be competitive at Ardennes. How low has he fallen. I don't even understand how this is possible for someone of his age unless clinic related.

His age? He's only 30.

 

[El Pistolero]

His age? He's only 30.

Yeah, have you ever seen a cyclist regress so much at age 30 already?

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Yeah, have you ever seen a cyclist regress so much at age 30 already?

Stop playing dumb - he was clinic'd up to the eyeballs and is now working within a new paradigm. He's just lucky the transition between career stage 1 & 2 didn't involve 2 years on the beach.

 

[El Pistolero]

Stop playing dumb - he was clinic'd up to the eyeballs and is now working within a new paradigm. He's just lucky the transition between career stage 1 & 2 didn't involve 2 years on the beach.

I know that, but this isn't the clinic

Cunego has hinted at it him self in interviews.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

I know that, but this isn't the clinic

Cunego has hinted at it him self in interviews.

I just don't see the point in trying to find alternative explanations when we already have one.

It would be like starting a "Why was Lance so Great?" thread in here, and insisting clinic issues can't even be hinted at, but we must reach a compelling conclusion.

 

[Zoncolan]

Cunego will not be competitive at Ardennes. How low has he fallen. I don't even understand how this is possible for someone of his age unless clinic related.

It is clinic related. He "admitted" it himself 2 years back, saying he's once again competitive on the big climbs, as the sport has cleaned up.
When asked was he doping in '04, he said it was a different time back then.
There was a thread somewhere, i just can't find it (and an article on CN).

 

[greenedge]

I was going to say that Roman could with a good prologue get pink after the first mtf but then i realised there's a 30k ttt where he will lose a minute +.
Another innocent rider robbed by the ttt

Astana are not that bad in TTT's their team is just not the strongest.

 

[greenedge]

I just don't think Kreuziger can make the podium. Scarponi, Basso, Rodriguez, Rujano, Gadret are all better climbers than him, and that's basically what it's about in this Giro. That final TT shouldn't shake things up too much, plus Kreuziger isn't awfully strong in longer TTs anyway.

We shall see.

 

[Eshnar]

Cunego will not be competitive at Ardennes.

Apart from clinic issues (which I'm not interested in) I do think Cunego is not a classic rider anymore. He chose to target stage races in the last few years and last Tour showed he's on the right track. It's a long time since he hasn't win a proper sprint. When he was young he won even small bunch sprints, last year he never won a single sprint in all the stages he arrived with the gc guys.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Apart from clinic issues (which I'm not interested in) I do think Cunego is not a classic rider anymore. He chose to target stage races in the last few years and last Tour showed he's on the right track. It's a long time since he hasn't win a proper sprint. When he was young he won even small bunch sprints, last year he never won a single sprint in all the stages he arrived with the gc guys.

Agreed. Last year he finished 7th in the Tour and almost won the Tour de Suisse. He's no Popovych.

 

[theyoungest]

Apart from clinic issues (which I'm not interested in) I do think Cunego is not a classic rider anymore. He chose to target stage races in the last few years and last Tour showed he's on the right track. It's a long time since he hasn't win a proper sprint. When he was young he won even small bunch sprints, last year he never won a single sprint in all the stages he arrived with the gc guys.

Exactly. The guy who has fallen so low (courtesy El Pisti) just almost won the Tour de Suisse, and got 7th (6th) in the Tour

And I believe around the time of the classics he was ill? He quit Pais Vasco, in any case.

 

[El Pistolero]

Exactly. The guy who has fallen so low (courtesy El Pisti) just almost won the Tour de Suisse, and got 7th (6th) in the Tour

And I believe around the time of the classics he was ill? He quit Pais Vasco, in any case.

Considering he won a GT, multiple Grand Tour stages, the white jersey in the Tour, 3 Monuments, a classic, podiumed LBL and FW, got silver in the WC(which he should've won)... Yeah getting 7th in a Tour where almost everyone crashed out isn't that spectacular in comparison

 

[El Pistolero]

Apart from clinic issues (which I'm not interested in) I do think Cunego is not a classic rider anymore. He chose to target stage races in the last few years and last Tour showed he's on the right track. It's a long time since he hasn't win a proper sprint. When he was young he won even small bunch sprints, last year he never won a single sprint in all the stages he arrived with the gc guys.

Actually he chose to be competitive at the classics instead of stage races.

 

[Eshnar]

Actually he chose to be competitive at the classics instead of stage races.

Actually he did years ago. But lately he targeted stage races.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

This will make the hitch love mark cavendish more than ever http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BcbRC24nc0&feature=youtu.be

 

[El Pistolero]

Most sprinters do both the Giro and Tour. Why is Cav given so much special attention? This isn't anything new. If Cav really wants to prove the Giro is special for him, he'd finish the race. Perhaps next year, this is an Olympic year after all

 

[uphillstruggle]

Cunego will not be competitive at Ardennes. How low has he fallen. I don't even understand how this is possible for someone of his age unless clinic related.

He got top 10's in 2009 and 2010. This may not be the level he once was at, for whatever reason but he can be up there and will most like aim to be so.

@ Greenedge: Astana have a great team to support a leader in a GT. Just no leader capable of winning.

 

[greenedge]

He got top 10's in 2009 and 2010. This may not be the level he once was at, for whatever reason but he can be up there and will most like aim to be so.

@ Greenedge: Astana have a great team to support a leader in a GT. Just no leader capable of winning.

I know. I said podium for Kreuziger at Giro. For Brajkovic it would be good to finish in say the top 7 at the TDF.