Giro Di Lombardia - 16th October

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Purito is end of season, doesn't participate.

You are missing Fuglsang as well.

 

[The Hitch]

Purito is end of season, doesn't participate.

You are missing Fuglsang as well.

Yeah i thought so. Wasnt sure so left him out. But there are 2 more spaces yet. Who should fill them DT?

Kreuziger?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Definately Scarponi. And then there's plenty of choice, hard to tell. Martens or Cataldo maybe?

 

[The Hitch]

Definately Scarponi. And then there's plenty of choice, hard to tell. Martens or Cataldo maybe?

Ah yes Scarponi. I picked him earlier, how did i forget

Not Roman though? Hes got a chance as liqui will probably play the Kreuziger Nibali 1 2.

 

[togo95]

Ah yes Scarponi. I picked him earlier, how did i forget

Not Roman though? Hes got a chance as liqui will probably play the Kreuziger Nibali 1 2.

Roman isn't going. He closed season a few weeks ago.

 

[The Hitch]

Roman isn't going. He closed season a few weeks ago.

He is according to the startlist tsf linked.

 

[screaming fist]

http://twitter.com/Roman86_K/status/27116029933

google translate: no no, today and tomorrow I go by bike and then three cheers for the holidays! lombardy but to be there as a spectator

 

[El Pistolero]

No one tipping Schleck here?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Andy? Nah, if he finished Emilia, even if it was as 102th, I would have given him a chance. But he didn't. And he is constantly complaining about how tired he is.

Fränk? Maybe.. but, it's been a while since Fränk was really convincing.

 

[The Hitch]

Andy? Nah, if he finished Emilia, even if it was as 102th, I would have given him a chance. But he didn't. And he is constantly complaining about how tired he is.

Fränk? Maybe.. but, it's been a while since Fränk was really convincing.

DekkerT tipping Frank schleck. Has the world turned on its head.

PS Before you reply, yes i do get it. Frank Schleck wont win a gt because he isnt good enough on the climbs but he can win a classic and those are different things.

 

[steelciocc]

Piemonte / Lombardia

I'll be at the top of the Madonna del Ghisallo on Saturday and see the start/finish of Piemonte tomorrow. Paradise!

 

[ultimobici]

I'll be at the top of the Madonna del Ghisallo on Saturday and see the start/finish of Piemonte tomorrow. Paradise!

Me too!

I'm staying in Como for a week or so with a mate from Switzerland. Are you riding on Saturday?

Planning on riding the Sormano and Ghisallo, stopping to watch the race pass just below the chapel at Hotel Mirabeau. With a little luck the change to the route might allow us to get back to Como and see the finish.

 

[theyoungest]

Rabobank are bringing Oscar Freire. I have no idea what the course change will do to the race dynamic, but I'd say this is too hard for him.

 

[ultimobici]

Rabobank are bringing Oscar Freire. I have no idea what the course change will do to the race dynamic, but I'd say this is too hard for him.

Friere is a great rider but, given that Lombardia had 2000m of climbing before the course change, he has no chance of a placing let alone the win.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

The world championships in Lissabon and Verona had more height meters than Lombardia in total (3000+), so that doesn't say much.
But yeah, it's unlikely Freire will survive.

 

[ultimobici]

The world championships in Lissabon and Verona had more height meters than Lombardia in total (3000+), so that doesn't say much.
But yeah, it's unlikely Freire will survive.

Yes but Lisbon & Verona were circuits. Verona topped out at 283m from 60m, Lisbon was similarly low at under 200m. Lombardia has Intelvi at 779m, Balisio at 723m, Ghisallo at 754m, Sormano at 1124m & San Fermo at 397m. So although the total number of metres gained is similar there is a big difference in the nature of the course.

Look at the top 5 from the last few years, they are all riders who are GT or Ardennes type riders.

2009
Gilbert
Sanchez Gonzalez
Kolobnev
Paolini
Hoogerland

2008
Cunego
Brajkovic
Uran
Visconti
Kroon

2007
Cunego
Ricco
Sanchez Gonzalez
Schleck
Rebellin

Sanchez might be the one to sneak away on the descent of the Sormano and hold off the field on the run in to Como.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I know he has a slim chance at winning at best.
But hey, they have to do something without Gesink there.

With a bit of luck he'll end top 5 like Paolini last year

 

[Ferminal]

I've worked out the Ghisallo - Sormano section.

In 24.4km there is:

3.9km @ 8.9%
(Short Downhill)
2.0km @ 6.5%
(6km or so descent)
9.4km @ 6.7%

So that's 15.3km in 24.4km which is uphill, most of it at very reasonable gradients.

 

[ultimobici]

I've worked out the Ghisallo - Sormano section.

In 24.4km there is:

3.9km @ 8.9%
(Short Downhill)
2.0km @ 6.5%
(6km or so descent)
9.4km @ 6.7%

So that's 15.3km in 24.4km which is uphill, most of it at very reasonable gradients.

Not sure what you mean by "reasonable gradients". The first section of the Ghisallo is 14% for about 800m!

 

[jaylew]

Ah yes Scarponi. I picked him earlier, how did i forget

Not Roman though? Hes got a chance as liqui will probably play the Kreuziger Nibali 1 2.

Visconti? He was a bit off at Emilia, but was right there at Coppa Sabatini.

 

[mr. tibbs]

1 - Nibali
2 - Martin
3 - Fuglsang

Not actually that confident in Martin, but we'll see. Gilbert will trail off after Nibali gets away and it becomes obvious that he's not coming back.

 

[royalpig180]

I see Peter Sagan winning lots of races like this in the future what with the lots of climbing to make it selective and a flat enough finish for a sprint to come in to play.

Just can't see him surviving a tough 260km race yet... maybe in a year or 2.
Nibali's liquigas's leader anyway

 

[Ruxen1989]

No one tipping Schleck here?

Frank Schleck has ended his season so he is not even at the start on saturday. Andy Schleck has now abonded two races in this week in Italy. The second race because he had problems with his stomach. No words on why he abonded the first race. I don't really think he is going to make any big results.

From SaxoBank I think we gotta look out for Fuglsang and Porte. Fuglsang is in really good shape at the moment and has done well in the fall.

 

[search]

I know he has a slim chance at winning at best.
But hey, they have to do something without Gesink there.

I think Martens should be their first choice

From SaxoBank I think we gotta look out for Fuglsang and Porte. Fuglsang is in really good shape at the moment and has done well in the fall.

Porte was forced to come back to Europe and do Lombardia by his team, he initially wanted to do the commonwealth games. So SaxoBank seems to have high expectations, but I don't know if it's that good for his moral

 

[Ferminal]

Porte was forced to come back to Europe and do Lombardia by his team, he initially wanted to do the commonwealth games. So SaxoBank seems to have high expectations, but I don't know if it's that good for his moral

Now that he's staying for 2011 there's no reason why it should bother him. Just a matter of whether or not he cares enough about the final race to have kept his form from the worlds.