Giro 2014 Field Speculation

[jens_attacks]

2009...the best because the big boss from texas came back..it was an orgasmic giro. the audience was huge

classy mobsters in a boat! luv it!

plus il killer di spoltore A TOPEEEEE!!!

[/IMG]


_O_

very hard for the 2014 actors to reach such awesomeness.

 

[pablocastellanosarejola]

I´m totally agree with you!

I don't think that 2011 comprehension is fair, too. In 2011 Contador clearly was a huge step above all other contenders already before the start of the Giro. Menchov was uncertain to be in good form and the drop to Scarponi and Nibali was big unless Nibali's lucky Vuelta win. Anton was a man to watch out for back then, but wasn't focused on a possible overall victory.

This year you've got the runner up, white jersey and mountains jersey winner of Le Tour and okay there's a high chance, Quintana will step up into a dominating role this Giro. But on paper, you also have last years Giro runner up Uran, plus 2012 Giro/Vuelta runner up Purito, plus 2011 TdF winner and 2013 Giro 3rd Evans , plus upcoming grand tour contender Porte. Maybe Horner as current Vuelta champ will join too .... That are 5 or 6 on paper equal top guys fighting for the victory!

Of the top stars there are just Froome & Nibali missing, as Schleck and VdB have to proof their shape again, yet.

The last time the giro had such a strong field in the top was 2009 with Sastre-Pellizotti-Menchov-Di Luca plus Basso and Armstrong comeback. And 2005 with Cunego-Honchar-Simoni-Basso-Cioni/Garzelli, Savoldelli and later on Di Luca and Rujano taking over.

 

[movingtarget]

Evans 2014 = Sastre 2011

Not that bad you would hope. Where did Sastre finish ? Evans has definitely dropped off but not as much as Menchov and Sastre did after their last successful seasons.

 

[Marco Pantani]

Porte must be over the moon with Nairo coming.

 

[movingtarget]

I'm much more confident about Froome winning the Tour again than I am about Quintana winning the Giro. Still the Giro could turn out to be the better race especially if Contador does not find good form in the Tour. The two placed riders from the Tour are racing the Giro. Could be a very one sided Tour but I hope not. Had enough of that in 2012. 2013 was one sided enough. Will be a dull race if that happens except for Sky fans of course.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Porte must be over the moon with Nairo coming.

The biggest issue for Porte is team support imo, but strangely that might actually make the Giro really exciting.

 

[JRanton]

I think we're going to need Richieborg to be in almost Froome Tour 2013 form to make the Giro into a great battle with Nairo.

 

[Arredondo]

I think we're going to need Richieborg to be in almost Froome Tour 2013 form to make the Giro into a great battle with Nairo.

And if Porte isn't that good, we still have Purito who will be trilled to take it.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

purito will never outclimb quintana anywhere and his itt is a lot worse too.

 

[Arredondo]

purito will never outclimb quintana anywhere and his itt is a lot worse too.

Yeah, lot worse indeed.

Tour 2013 ITT stage 11

54. Nairo Quintana + 3.28
56. Joaquim Rodriguez + 3.29

Lol

 

[Pentacycle]

purito will never outclimb quintana anywhere and his itt is a lot worse too.

How is Quintana's track record in cold weather compared to Purito's?

Yeah, lot worse indeed.

Tour 2013 ITT stage 11

54. Nairo Quintana + 3.28
56. Joaquim Rodriguez + 3.29

Lol

Quintana will have improved his TT over the winter, no doubt about that. I hope Purito realizes he's probably fighting for second place max. The Vuelta is his terrain as Quintana is vulnerable on the shorter climbs.

 

[Arredondo]

How is Quintana's track record in cold weather compared to Purito's?



Quintana will have improved his TT over the winter, no doubt about that. I hope Purito realizes he's probably fighting for second place max. The Vuelta is his terrain as Quintana is vulnerable on the shorter climbs.

Quintana is of course the big favorite, but the race still has to be ridden. I mean, the only way Purito can win this Giro, is to get as much time on the steep finishes like Viggiano and Montecassino in stage 2 and 3, and on climbs like Oropa.

Or perhaps Katusha can surprise Quintana in a windy stage, but Movistar has a strong team for that too.

 

[webbie146]

Quintana is of course the big favorite, but the race still has to be ridden. I mean, the only way Purito can win this Giro, is to get as much time on the steep finishes like Viggiano and Montecassino in stage 2 and 3, and on climbs like Oropa.

Or perhaps Katusha can surprise Quintana in a windy stage, but Movistar has a strong team for that too.

True anything can happen. Last year around this time people where saying Wiggo would win the giro for sure and take minutes in the TT's

 

[Arredondo]

True anything can happen. Last year around this time people where saying Wiggo would win the giro for sure and take minutes in the TT's

I was one of them

 

[Netserk]

True anything can happen. Last year around this time people where saying Nibbles would win the giro for sure and take minutes in the mountains

Fixed

 

[staubsauger]

In the end we'll just know afterwards. To get back to my earlier comprehensions:

2009th greatness was a bit killed due to the extremely long time trail that favored Menchov,

In 2005 Cunego was the huge favorite with Basso. The storyboard on the road became a cycling-thriller.

2012 was very close gaps, but nothing happened. Unless Rabottini and De Gendt it was boring.

If Quintana will fly away on every hill like Pantani 99, a second flat time trail could've been better for the excitement.

We will just find out.

 

[CycloAndy]

Giro top 10
Quintana-
Uran-
Porte-
Rodriguez-
Majka-
Aru-
D Martin-
Pozzovivo-
Evans-
Scarponi

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Fixed

then your memory is really bad
Not too many people here thought Nibali would win the giro last year (when I say not to many I mean, fever than the number of people that thought Wiggo would win easily)

 

[Pentacycle]

then your memory is really bad
Not too many people here thought Nibali would win the giro last year (when I say not to many I mean, fever than the number of people that thought Wiggo would win easily)

Great way to talk about yourself as the underdog IIRC the general consensus was that it would be close, I don't think one of them had the clear advantage beforehand. This also meant people were expecting an exciting race, which didn't turn out well.

 

[Arredondo]

Great way to talk about yourself as the underdog IIRC the general consensus was that it would be close, I don't think one of them had the clear advantage beforehand. This also meant people were expecting an exciting race, which didn't turn out well.

Why would it be close? I mean, Wiggo beated Nibbles easy at the Tour, and i think many people did saw a similiar outcome at the Giro.

 

[Afrank]

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=20514&highlight=2013+giro

It was pretty equal, the two separated by only a couple votes.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=20514&highlight=2013+giro

It was pretty equal, the two separated by only a couple votes.

when we went into the giro Wiggo was leading with a nice margin, but as the Giro went on, the slackers came on and voted NIbbles

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

How is Quintana's track record in cold weather compared to Purito's?



Quintana will have improved his TT over the winter, no doubt about that. I hope Purito realizes he's probably fighting for second place max. The Vuelta is his terrain as Quintana is vulnerable on the shorter climbs.

quintana is very good in the cold. just go back to pias vasco that he won...

 

[movingtarget]

If Porte climbs well, some are not sure he will for three weeks, Quintana and Rodriguez will still have to make decent time on him in the mountains. Porte will make up big time in the TT. Not many are talking about the chances of Uran but the TT will also be critical for him. This should be a very good race. Be interesting to see how the 2012 winner goes as well.

 

[Eshnar]

Poll added.
I knew you were waiting for this

EDIT: yeah, forgot Horner Added to the Other option.