Giro 2019 Field Discussion/Speculation

[rick james]

Re:

I don't really doubt Nibali recovered fully from his back injury. I think he's a question mark more because it will be 3 years since he last really had a top performance in a GT.

If only something silly like the Cordal crash wouldn't have happened, then I think we'd have a better idea now.

now that's a decline

 

[Escarabajo]

So now Mollema. All contenders are complete for the Giro. So without Mollema the Tour is wide open now.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/mollema-to-target-giro-ditalia-in-2019/

 

[Valv.Piti]

Mochema 9th inc

 

[Red Rick]

I think Mollema will drop out of contention early before winning a flat stage from a miracle breakaway, twice

 

[yaco]

Surely it should be Porte for the Giro and Mollema for the TDF - Then again, Porte is obsessed with the TDF.

Thinking about the UAE scenario - Why not get Gaviria to ride half the Giro, then he and Martin ride the TDF and Aru rides the Vuelta - This gives you a leader for each GT.

 

[Bot. Sky_Bot]

I'm quite sure there would be one more real contender, Geraint Thomas. I think he will be "convinced" to focus on Giro.

 

[May0maniac]

Re:

I'm quite sure there would be one more real contender, Geraint Thomas. I think he will be "convinced" to focus on Giro.

The thing is, the guy was at least 10kg over his Tour weight a few weeks ago, before the holidays.
Getting back into shape will take some time and I don't know if he'll be ready for the Giro.
Let's be real, Bernal, Sosa and Moscon with a solid team with guys like Sebastian Henao and Kenny (and maybe a few more young guys) is already a strong team and Thomas has been with the team from the start, has always been a teamplayer and is the defending winner, so I don't know if they'll really try to cinvince him to ride the Giro.

 

[Red Rick]

Isn't Thomas really thick with DB? Can't really imagine they'll screw him over that badly

 

[Escarabajo]

Thomas has a chance to smell more beers near the podium of the Tour de France.

He will do follow the same steps as Wiggins!!!!

Maybe I should lay down my wine!

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

Surely it should be Porte for the Giro and Mollema for the TDF - Then again, Porte is obsessed with the TDF.

Thinking about the UAE scenario - Why not get Gaviria to ride half the Giro, then he and Martin ride the TDF and Aru rides the Vuelta - This gives you a leader for each GT.

With Porte going into the latter years of his career, does it really matter ? His best opportunities have been lost. Would he have a more realistic chance at the Giro against Dumoulin ? Probably not. And the Giro field is stacked anyway.

The reason Evans was mostly Tour oriented was because he had already podiumed twice and knew he had a good shot at winning it especially if he caught Contador at the right time which he did. Post Giro. But Evans also had four attempts at the Giro in his career and oddly his first attempt at a young age might have been his best chance if not for his infamous bonk late in the race. He was never going to beat Robo Basso in 2010 even though his Montacino stage win was great and Nibali was too dominant for an older Evans in 2013.

I would still like to see Porte make a grand tour podium at least once. Can't see Thomas not doing the Tour. It's the race that suits him and he won it last year so he has some bragging rights even if Froome may not completely like it.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Now Mollema is here there is no reason to watch TDF anymore (as if there was any)

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

Now Mollema is here there is no reason to watch TDF anymore (as if there was any)

And yet we will spend most of our July indoors.

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

Now Mollema is here there is no reason to watch TDF anymore (as if there was any)

And yet we will spend most of our July indoors.

Gotta watch those ATP 250s after Wimbledon somehow

 

[roundabout]

Re:

Now Mollema is here there is no reason to watch TDF anymore (as if there was any)

Mollema was a reason to watch TDF?

Good one.

 

[bassano]

Re: Re:

Now Mollema is here there is no reason to watch TDF anymore (as if there was any)

Mollema was a reason to watch TDF?

Good one.

For dutch people, why not? I usually even didnt noticed he Is racing but he sometime does top 10 in GC.

 

[Valv.Piti]

They were obviously being sarcastic, but let me say it this way: If you are from the NL and are following TdF because of Mollema you really arent that much into cycling to begin with.

 

[Eshnar]

https://cyclingpro.net/spaziociclismo/giro-2019/giro-ditalia-2019-la-ag2r-schiera-anche-dupont/

AG2R:
Dupont, Gallopin, Gastauer, Vuillermoz

 

[Kyllingen86]

I know this is slightly offtopic but when is the announcement of the wild cards?

And what can we expect from Androni? (I assume they are in)

 

[Bot. Sky_Bot]

So TdF in Nibali's schedule?
I think there would be more Giro&TdF attempts (also Dumo double will not be a surprise) + CF + GT+ NQ + Bardet + Pinot and finally the best field in TdF as usually.

 

[Red Rick]

Yeah cause a rider riding the Tour after the Giro is on full peak obviously.

 

[Bot. Sky_Bot]

Last year we had two successful doubles of real champions.
And the sponsors will tell DS which peak is more important.

 

[Koronin]

There's still a difference in last year with the extra week between the Giro and Tour and normal years with that one less week between them.

 

[movingtarget]

I'm not any closer to being convinced that the Giro/Tour double is possible today. Dumoulin himself mentioned the fatigue factor in the last week of the Tour and that was with the extra week in between. I was even surprised that Froome managed the Tour/Vuelta double. Oddly the Giro/Vuelta double seems to be the one with the most chance of success but even that one is rare in the modern era.

 

[Red Rick]

Dumoulin's power output was significantly lower in the Tour than in the Giro.

He and Froome were definitely fading in the end.

 

[Alexandre B.]

Het Nieuwsblad says that Elia Viviani and Bob Jungels could do the double.