Giro d'Italia - Stage 7 - Maddaloni → Montevergine di Mercogliano - 110km

[roundabout]

Compared to Anton's team Contador has U.S. Postal.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Looking at all these profiles, Gilbert could win the lot of them lol.

Yup

Think he could have won 3/4 stages by now, including today.

 

[El Pistolero]

Ah right. So having to get back on the wheel of your rivals in a sprint is less tiring than staying on the wheel.


Is it your goal to mention the name Gilbert at least 10 times in every thread?

If so, you have succeeded.

I haven't even posted here 10 times. Just making a valid observation.

Don't worry, you'll get enough time to talk about Gesink at the Tour.

 

[maltiv]

Have you seen Contador's team do anything so far?

And he's not making it a secret he wants to win this.

Yes, they have. Mostly in the early parts.

 

[Sophistic]

When Contador couldnt hold Scarponis wheel on stage 5 i also thought he was playing it cool but after the same thing has happened again today i really wonder bout Berties shape.

 

[El Pistolero]

That's because he's saving up for the real mountain stages and not the hills.

When Contador wins, it's solo. Not from sprinting out of an elite group.

Besides, his last race was Fleche Wallonne and didn't ride Trentino or Romandie. He'll be aiming to peak at the third week.

 

[No_Balls]

When Contador couldnt hold Scarponis wheel on stage 5 i also thought he was playing it cool but after the same thing has happened again today i really wonder bout Berties shape.

You should be more worried about Scarponis shape in less then three weeks from now. If i was fan of a rider this blazing early on (and my hopes was for the overall) then i would be really doubtful. Especially given the route this year.

It is pretty obvious which one riding with brain and the other for one-day glory.

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

When Contador couldnt hold Scarponis wheel on stage 5 i also thought he was playing it cool but after the same thing has happened again today i really wonder bout Berties shape.

He'll need his best shape a week from now on.
Also: this was a very short stage, those might just not suit him well.
Today btw. we saw an uphill sprint. That has never been something Contador was great in, I actually think he did quite well to hang on and not loose time.
What we have seen so far doesn't really tell us very much, rather nothing about the real shape of the GC contenders. There wasn't any test yet.
Even Sastres loss of 20s or so can't really be judged as has always been a rider who needs long and hard stages to really shine. And today was pretty much the opposite of that (atleast from a climbers point of view).
Before Sunday, everything we say is near to pure speculation.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

That's because he's saving up for the real mountain stages and not the hills.

When Contador wins, it's solo. Not from sprinting out of an elite group.

Besides, his last race was Fleche Wallonne and didn't ride Trentino or Romandie. He'll be aiming to peak at the third week.

Your second and third points are spot on. Contador getting "dropped" for a couple of seconds in a sprint doesn't tell us anything about how well he'll go when they are seriously racing up a mountain. It doesn't tell us if his form is weaker than expected and it doesn't tell us if he's trying or not. There are plenty of riders who can beat Contandor in a short sprint, including a steep one. That doesn't mean that they can beat him at climbing.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Yeah on the steep gradients of Zoncolan he'll show them. The others will finish when Contador is already putting on the pink jersey

 

[jens_attacks]

everything what you say is true.it's just that we all(or most of us) want alberto to have a hard giro to win,not something like tour 2009.so seeing him dropped two meters before an uphill sprint...there is hope.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

everything what you say is true.it's just that we all(or most of us) want alberto to have a hard giro to win,not something like tour 2009.so seeing him dropped two meters before an uphill sprint...there is hope.

I completely agree about wanting things to be difficult for Contador. He's quite likely to throttle the life out of the race by just being better than everyone else.

I just don't think a few riders opening a gap of a few meters on him in a sprint really qualifies as hope.

 

[No_Balls]

everything what you say is true.it's just that we all(or most of us) want alberto to have a hard giro to win,not something like tour 2009.so seeing him dropped two meters before an uphill sprint...there is hope.

This is hardly what i call "dropped":

1 Bart De Clercq (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto 2:54:47
2 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre - ISD
3 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Pro Team Astana
4 Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone
5 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
6 Joaquím Rodríguez Oliver (Spa) Katusha Team
7 José Rujano Guillen (Ven) Androni Giocattoli
8 Dario Cataldo (Ita) Quickstep Cycling Team
9 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Saxo Bank Sungard
10 Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Team Garmin-Cervelo

But, ah, i guess you mean that little gap during the sprint that was closed in a second.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

This is hardly what i call "dropped":

1 Bart De Clercq (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto 2:54:47
2 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre - ISD
3 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Pro Team Astana
4 Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone
5 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
6 Joaquím Rodríguez Oliver (Spa) Katusha Team
7 José Rujano Guillen (Ven) Androni Giocattoli
8 Dario Cataldo (Ita) Quickstep Cycling Team
9 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Saxo Bank Sungard
10 Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Team Garmin-Cervelo

But, ah, i guess you mean that little gap before the sprint that was closed in a second.

it wasn't closed by him, it was closed by quim and rujano, contador was falling through but the finish was there

 

[No_Balls]

it wasn't closed by him, it was closed by quim and rujano, contador was falling through but the finish was there

I know that, but he also looked behind offering space to the riders as if he wouldn´t vaste energy on closing the "gap".

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

he didn't think at that point at all about wasting energy. he just couldn't follow and looked behind to see if others could.

 

[Duartista]

Duarte update:

Knee injury

http://www.eltiempo.com/deportes/ciclismo/no-hemos-pensado-en-que-fabio-duarte-se-retire-del-giro_9343870-4

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

he didn't think at that point at all about wasting energy. he just couldn't follow and looked behind to see if others could.

AC didn't look great I agree.
But hard to make judgements from this. Bring on etna.

Id like to think my prediction was at least partially right

pretty sure everyone knew this.

Decent ride by Kruijswijk. Am very interested to see how he handles the final week.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

AC didn't look great I agree.
But hard to make judgements from this. Bring on etna.



pretty sure everyone knew this.

Decent ride by Kruijswijk. Am very interested to see how he handles the final week.

in '10 the 3rd week was his best week. So that's promising. I think he'll finish somewhere around Mollema's level of last year, close to the top 10

 

[Escarabajo]

I completely agree about wanting things to be difficult for Contador. He's quite likely to throttle the life out of the race by just being better than everyone else.

I just don't think a few riders opening a gap of a few meters on him in a sprint really qualifies as hope.

+1.

Agreed. I am not sure what the deal is with worrying about Contador loosing the sprints (???). I really don't see much here.

 

[Escarabajo]

Duarte update:

Knee injury

http://www.eltiempo.com/deportes/ciclismo/no-hemos-pensado-en-que-fabio-duarte-se-retire-del-giro_9343870-4

He visited two times the race Doctor in yesterday's stage. Somehow I missed that on the TV. I guess they don't show it unless you are a big name.

He has very little time to recuperate. Let's hope for the best.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

in '10 the 3rd week was his best week. So that's promising. I think he'll finish somewhere around Mollema's level of last year, close to the top 10

Problem is I think the field is a bit harder this year... BUT GTs are very unpredictable. I'd be happy with another top 20. Top 15 would be great.

His progress is promising anyway.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

The top 5/6 are stronger than the top 5/6 last year. But the rest is the same...

There aren't suddenlt 10 top contenders instead of 5/6 Timmy. So that isn't going to make the difference. It's still the Le Mevels, Pinotti's and other Sella's he is going to have to fight for top 10

 

[Lanark]

AC didn't look great I agree.
But hard to make judgements from this. Bring on etna.



pretty sure everyone knew this.

Decent ride by Kruijswijk. Am very interested to see how he handles the final week.

People keep talking about the final week, but that one isn't really that difficult. You have a quite easy mountain time trial, the difficult Finestre stage, and a short ITT. It's the end of the second week that is by far the most difficult in this Giro, with the Trio of Hell starting next friday. I dont think there is much danger of guys like Scarponi peaking too early, you have to reach your peak in exactly one week.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

The top 5/6 are stronger than the top 5/6 last year. But the rest is the same...

There aren't suddenlt 10 top contenders instead of 5/6 Timmy. So that isn't going to make the difference. It's still the Le Mevels, Pinotti's and other Sella's he is going to have to fight for top 10

Pozzivivo, Kreuziger, Nibali, Anton (depends if he really doesn't care about GC tho) Sella, Rujano, AC, Scarponi, Menchov, Rodriguez - I'm not convinced he will beat any of these guys... Arroyo I think would do a better overall also. Machado is a better climber also, but who knows how he handles the 3 weeks. He certainly did poor today. Think it is more then the 5/6 whom are stronger then him.

le Mevel, Lovkist, Pinotti, Gadret etc are guys who he could win or lose to, I'm not convinced of either. At this point Roughly 15th seems like a reasonable prediction imo. If he does better, I'll be thrilled.