Re: Re:
brambilla isn't riding the giroTaxus4a said:carton said:Really? I like Ettix. I enjoy seeing Terpstra, Stybar, Kwiatkowski, Lampaert, Alaphilippe and Co. going off the front. I know they're saving most of those guys for the Tour and that their budget is limited. But if they want Uran to contend for another podium they should at least give him a GC focused team like last year, when he wore the pink for several days and came one stage away from keeping it: Brambilla, De Gendt, Keisse, Pauwels, Petacchi, Poels, Sierry, Vermote.Jagartrott said:Boy is that a terrible remark.
Three of the six riders of that TTT are no longer with Quickstep (Velits, Vandewalle and Chavanel) and one of the squad that won the TTT in 2012 (Boonen) is present now. Moreover, at the world championships, the distance is totally different (50+ km). This one is less than 20 km. Several of the others should be able to do a good short TTT (Boonen, Sabatini, Keisse, Serry, Uran, Vakoc). I'm pretty sure they'll end up in the top-3. I'll agree with you that they could've used one more talented climber.
De Gendt did anything to help Rigo last year, Poels yes, but not too much. Branbrilla is a super domestique and he is again there.
Rigo is the only favourite without any other rider to play in GC as could have Contador, Porte or Aru, but he has a strong team to suport him in the plain, they coud do a decent TTT, and he has Bambrilla, De la Cruz and Bouet to work in the mountains if he get the pink in the ITT, but I would like Porte got.And I think that in the mountains Saxo will put his step.
Anyway Rigo was best young rider climbing with the best most of the stages working for Cavendish on the sprints, he was second working for Wiggins at the begining of the Giro, he was 5 last Romandie (he was just preparing the Giro) working for Allaphiliphe, so I just ask for Rigo dont Work. if he has people to protect him on the flat and hilly stages, it is not the same that other teams, but it is enough.
About Zakarin. If he is, as a lot of people say and as he look, a big promise and a talented rider to built and to learn about the big races, the only thing we need to know is how he managed in 3 weaks. if he is a rider with a genetic for three weeks, he should be one of the most important riders in next years. But we dont know that, even we dont know that about Porte, but he was 7 in his first Giro, and later 19 in the Tour working, so he is not bad. how good?, we will see.