Giro 2012: Route Rumours / Our wishes

[gregrowlerson]

Conclusions to stages 12 and 16 look promising. An outstanding second half of the Giro lays ahead of us.

 

[Anonymous]

Route Presentation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFENG02czSY

 

[Eshnar]

Here's the profile of Madonnella Di Pitino, the first climb on sterrato in stage 6.

PS: Taken from a spanish forum.

 

[Ferminal]

Would be great in the last 20km of a stage.

Imagine if they finished at Montelupone or Macerata.

 

[Eshnar]

Would be great in the last 20km of a stage.

Imagine if they finished at Montelupone or Macerata.

Indeed. Shame they aren't

 

[auscyclefan94]

Evans director not surprised by Contador's decision to cut Giro d'Italia - Sunday Morning Herald

Interestiing read and is interesting to read how BMC views their season goals for 2012.

 

[Eshnar]

Giro 2012 Promo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5x-YYa0LYHg

 

[The Hitch]

Giro 2012 Promo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5x-YYa0LYHg

Thats going to be putting me to sleep for the next 3 months

 

[El Pistolero]

Thats going to be putting me to sleep for the next 3 months

Sounded more like a promo for God of Wars to me

 

[Eshnar]

Thats going to be putting me to sleep for the next 3 months

Who's gonna make the polls like "race of the year"(especially this one)..."ride of the year"..."quote of the year"..."poll of the year"...? We need something to do these days

 

[The Hitch]

Who's gonna make the polls like "race of the year"(especially this one)..."ride of the year"..."quote of the year"..."poll of the year"...? We need something to do these days

I mean, as in that promo is so good, I am going to watch it every night before I go to sleep, for the next 3 months, in order that I can have good dreams. Or as they say in spain, so that I can sleep with the angels.

 

[Eshnar]

I mean, as in that promo is so good, I am going to watch it every night before I go to sleep, for the next 3 months, in order that I can have good dreams. Or as they say in spain, so that I can sleep with the angels.

I understood that (though I wasn't sure)
My question was consistent anyway.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Right now it appears Basso, Scarponi and Rujano will be the main favorites. Cunego possibly also.

With Rujano being the clear #1 favorite IF he can put in a consistent performance.



Did I forget a big name GC threat who is likely to ride?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Gadret - there might be too much time trialling for him though.

 

[Zoncolan]

Gadret - there might be too much time trialling for him though.

Even in a race with just a prologue, there is too much ITT
Just like Purito

BTW, I'd say Basso would be the No. 1 favorite, not Rujano.

 

[airstream]

Is Rujano a sacred cow on this forum? It depends on chances for what we are talking about. Gadret is unlikely to ride a TT worse than Rujano. Moreover Rujano will inevitably catch very much time in the TTT.

 

[The Hitch]

Basso is the favorite. Scarponi 2nd.

Rujano is behind these guys.

The hardest stages where this race will be won are similar to Gardeccia. There Scarponi put himself back into the race after losing time on Etna and being totaly outclimbed by the Shark on Zoncolan.

Scarponi surprised everyone by coming just behind Contador, even though it seemed like Contador had launched his most devastating attack since Verbier.

Gadret finished just behind. This guy is the real deal. He perhaps wasted some energy earlier in the Giro, trying to get in a break on stage 5, attacking for the win on 11. Dropped everyone on Grossglockner too. I can see him finishing with the heads of state on every stage.

But Basso is the favourite because he won in 2010 in good fashion and because more importantly, Basso also has a unfair headstart of maybe 1-2 minutes over Scarponi, and 2-3 minutes over Rujano and Gadret.

I dont see Gadret or Rujano getting 3 minutes back on Basso in the mountains. I dont want to hear this crap about how its even because they have mountains in the 3rde week. To get a minute back on an opponent, even if you are stronger, especially if they are in a group, and have Szmyd, takes a lot of energy and at the end of the day, your opponent is fresher and still has 2 minutes.

So please, spare me the crap I had to hear after Mont Allesouts screwjob, about how its ok for Gadret and Rujano because they can make it up on 2 stages.

Runano may have a weapon in Sella if hes fit though.

But I think he will lose time in the itt and ttt and make it back on some mountains but lose it on others.

Other names to consider are Purito, Nieve, Di Luca, Moreno, Delfino? (yes I know first year back probably sucks), Woet Poels, Mollema, Kriuswick, Dupont, Henao? Uran? ,Oliver Zaugg (you never know how long it might last), Fuglsang.

1 Basso
2 Scarponi
3 Rujano
4 Gadret + 2 stage wins.

 

[jens_attacks]

basso is the number 1 favourite

rujano if he won't get sick and he will have the 2011 form,will beat everyone by far.his problem will be the weather again.

scarponi to make again the podium

 

[The Hitch]

Is Rujano a sacred cow on this forum?

Well before the Giro 2011 one of the few places where you would see Rujano being mentioned would be this forum.

He wasnt mentioned in a CN article naming 10 favourites.
Sirpa was called the Androni leader.
He wasnt mentioned on wikipedia by some idiot who thought that Nibali was for some reason named the "overwhelming favourite".

The commentators only nod to Rujano was when going through the Androni startlist as they departed the ttt, saying that Sella and Sirpa were their leaders and then realising that Rujano was there saying that he might do well.

And here we were naming him a favourite since November.

And he dropped the heads of state on 2 mtfs, won a stage, came 4th in the Nevegal tt, and dropped evryone on Sestrieres too.

So we do like him here yes.

 

[airstream]

I believe, Scarponi can win. This year he has done many tactical mistakes, not wanting to surrender against Contador at once. It cost him time and reduntant efforts. Alpe di Pampeago and Stelvio suit Scarponi not less than Basso as well as Michele is able to attack, without waiting for the gradient to get 10% as Basso does. The only problem is TTT.

 

[roundabout]

With Rujano there's always a possibility that a 2006 version of him will show up. The one that attacks on the final climb but abandons before the finish of the stage.

 

[airstream]

Well before the Giro 2011 one of the few places where you would see Rujano being mentioned would be this forum.
He wasnt mentioned in a CN article naming 10 favourites.
Sirpa was called the Androni leader.
He wasnt mentioned on wikipedia by some idiot who thought that Nibali was for some reason named the "overwhelming favourite".
And here we were naming him a favourite since November.
And he dropped the heads of state on 2 mtfs, won a stage, came 4th in the Nevegal tt, and dropped evryone on Sestrieres too.

So we do like him here yes.

Okay. Thanks for such a detailed explanation. But it seems you were rather joking. On the Sistrieres the bigs let him go away very easily because he wasnt a threat. Rujano introduces an indescribable coloring into the Giro for sure, but in order to fight for the victory he must cut everyone into halves in the mountains. Thats impossible, but still funny to dream about it. Besides, he is Very unstable. I consider him to be a favourite for top-5 though.

With Rujano there's always a possibility that a 2006 version of him will show up. The one that attacks on the final climb but abandons before the finish of the stage.

Hopefully, there will not come in sight another QuickStep and say to Rujano that he would have to ride the TdF and the Vuelta for GC.

 

[Kvinto]

I'm pretty sure Rujano will lose time on medium mountain stages, up n down on short climbs is the terrain where he gonna lose. I think the possibility of the situation when Rujano in not among the main contenders at the start of third week is highly possible.

 

[The Hitch]

Okay. Thanks for such a detailed explanation. But it seems you were rather joking. On the Sistrieres the bigs let him go away very easily because he wasnt a threat. Rujano introduces an indescribable coloring into the Giro for sure, but in order to fight for the victory he must cut everyone into halves in the mountains. Thats impossible, but still funny to dream about it. Besides, he is Very unstable. I consider him to be a favourite for top-5 though.

The pace on Finnestre was not slack. Nibali was dropped afterall, so Rujano went 1 min faster than a pace sufficient to drop Nibali.

 

[airstream]

The pace on Finnestre was not slack. Nibali was dropped afterall, so Rujano went 1 min faster than a pace sufficient to drop Nibali.

I dont agree. Nibali was weak and Liquigas were likely to know about it. Kiri was riding faster than the main pack. Its kind of the tactics they used on the Alto de Cotobello. If not to stay in the front, the rivals could attack you immediately. That's a restraint tactics. Plus the peloton realized Rujano cant go descent well and gain a significant time on the sloping Sistrieres, being alone.