Giro 2014 Field Speculation

[Ryo Hazuki]

Now he realizes that!!! during the sunset of his career (not that he had the opportunity before but for a rider of his quality he could have gone to a World Tour before).

I am happy for him.

serpa is not in his sunset imo. he started cycling seriously very late. and at leats his itt still seems improving. he famously appeared at a cycling track in santander as an completely out of shape track rider. being well over 80 kg's. his first years as a pro cyclist he was also a track cyclist and very heavy. so he suffered in colombia, but did well in itt. when going to venezuela he changed himself and lost a lot of weight.

 

[SafeBet]

Poll added.
I knew you were waiting for this

Fabio Aru gonna steal the show.

 

[jens_attacks]

papy horner maglia rosaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!! vai papy!

 

[Escarabajo]

papy horner maglia rosaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!! vai papy!

If Horner wins the Giro he should be banned from cycling!!

 

[VeloHuman]

If Nic Roche can pull 5th in the Vuelta, he at least deserves to be in the discussion for a Giro top 10; it will be a hard race but he'll be extra motivated with the Irish start, and he'll have a strong team as well.

 

[greenedge]

True but his team did catch out Pozzovivo and Pinot on a flat stage. Also he still has the TDF to ride for Contador.

 

[Netserk]

And Majka will probably be stronger than him.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

If Nic Roche can pull 5th in the Vuelta, he at least deserves to be in the discussion for a Giro top 10; it will be a hard race but he'll be extra motivated with the Irish start, and he'll have a strong team as well.

no, no and no

 

[Arredondo]

no, no and no

no, yes and yes

 

[hayzer114]

I think a stage win will be the most that Roche will be looking, maybe a strong ride in the top 20 but Im not too sure he will make the top ten given that it is an earlier start to the year than usual. I think he's using the Giro in order to peak at the Tour in the same way as the Vuelta last year. He was disappointed by his Tour performance last year and I can see him having a larger role to play for Alberto this year as Kreuziger focuses on the classics/tour de Suisse. I think Roche will actually have a very strong tour and could make top ten there as the field doesn't seem to be as heavy on top climbers as the Giro at the moment. His knee injury has also to be taken into consideration.

My Giro Predictions:
1: Quintana
2: Uran
3: Rodriquez

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

he is riding the giro in order to help majka there. nothing else

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

he is riding the giro in order to help majka there. nothing else

He may well end up helping Majka if Majka has the better form, and given Roche's injury I suspect that's very likely. But Saxo are not arranging his season so as to provide Majka with a super-dom. Their goal will be to have him in top shape for the Tour, to work for Contador, because Contador's Tour is orders of magnitude more important to the team then Majka's Giro or Roche's Giro or Vuelta.

If Roche is in form, he will have co-leader status with Majka. If he isn't he will soon lose that status - as Majka did at the Vuelta last year. Moving him to a Giro - Tour schedule from his preferred Tour - Vuelta one is about the Giro starting in Ireland and about Contador.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

any sources of him having co-leadership with majka? also if they want him to be in perfect form for the tour he'd better not ride any gt before that.

 

[Arredondo]

any sources of him having co-leadership with majka? also if they want him to be in perfect form for the tour he'd better not ride any gt before that.

You heaven't heard of developments during a race? If Roche is good during the Giro, perhaps they will change his role.

I say, perhaps. Can't see it happen though.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

any sources of him having co-leadership with majka? also if they want him to be in perfect form for the tour he'd better not ride any gt before that.

There hasn't yet been any official word on team roles, and there is obviously much to be determined between now and May. However, in GTs without Contador whichever of Majka, Roche and Kreuziger have been in the race have all started with nominal co leader status. Even when one of them was clearly not in form. In practice, form tells and everyone ends up working for the strongest, but Saxo don't seem to want to upset their key second tier riders by establishing a hierarchy. They all get told they can ride for themselves up to the point where they are out of it and a team mate has something to fight for.

This is all somewhat nominal though as in practice Majka is likely to end up as leader, because I don't think Roche will have good enough form after his injury.

As for form, Roche has usually been stronger in his second GT of the season, which is unusual but not unheard of.

 

[CycloAndy]

There hasn't yet been any official word on team roles, and there is obviously much to be determined between now and May. However, in GTs without Contador whichever of Majka, Roche and Kreuziger have been in the race have all started with nominal co leader status. Even when one of them was clearly not in form. In practice, form tells and everyone ends up working for the strongest, but Saxo don't seem to want to upset their key second tier riders by establishing a hierarchy. They all get told they can ride for themselves up to the point where they are out of it and a team mate has something to fight for.

This is all somewhat nominal though as in practice Majka is likely to end up as leader, because I don't think Roche will have good enough form after his injury.

As for form, Roche has usually been stronger in his second GT of the season, which is unusual but not unheard of.

This pretty much sums it up!

 

[Flamin]

Movistar pre-selection according to biciciclismo:

Quintana, Antón, Gadret, Szmyd, Castroviejo, Malori, Amador, Gorka Izagirre, Ventoso, Javi Moreno and Lastras.

 

[Netserk]

Drop Gadret and Ventoso, and Quintana will have an almost perfect team.

 

[jens_attacks]

gadret will bury himself for nairito

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

gadret will bury himself for nairito

yea, team Gadret finally found a rider that is worthy of sitting on his wheel

 

[the sceptic]

gadret will bury himself for nairito

Jens, your thoughts about the 3rd week? is it going to be as epic as I hope?

 

[alessandrocheti]

Rider for the Giro d'Italia

http://www.giroditaliaciclismo.com/giro-ditalia-2014/squadre-giro-ditalia-2014/

 

[durtyfat]

Rider for the Giro d'Italia

http://www.giroditaliaciclismo.com/giro-ditalia-2014/squadre-giro-ditalia-2014/

Hesjedal in the Giro? I dont think he will participate in the Giro this year because the leader will be Dan Martin, unless he will help him, but i see him at the Tour with Talansky.

 

[Afrank]

Maybe co-leader with Martin (see who has better legs through the first week) and then leader for Vuelta.

 

[movingtarget]

gadret will bury himself for nairito

Based on what ? I always had the impression he was more for himself than the team.