Giro Rest day 1 - Round up

[just some guy]

Whats your thoughts so far ?

mine.....

Contadorrrrrrrr will try and win this by as many minutes as he can, wear the pink all the way. He will want to show people he is a rider of a generation or 2. he may have a forced holiday soon but most will remember the dominance.

My man Le Mével riding well.

Mark "cry baby" Cavendish is now officially the biggest cry baby of the cycling world.

The boys of Omega Pharma-Lotto having no leader and maybe no team next year are riding well - very well.

Was on my worst buys of the year so far list but Roman Kreuziger may end up 2nd on GC if he keeps riding well. Smart and Impressive so far.

Michele Scarponi Finially had a bad day on the bike since his return to racing.

How poorly Geox has started thought they especially Menchov would I thought would have preformed much better.

 

[L'arriviste]

Whats your thoughts so far ?

mine.....

Contadorrrrrrrr will try and win this by as many minutes as he can, wear the pink all the way. He will want to show people he is a rider of a generation or 2. he may have a forced holiday soon but most will remember the dominance.

My man Le Mével riding well.

Mark "cry baby" Cavendish is now officially the biggest cry baby of the cycling world.

The boys of Omega Pharma-Lotto having no leader and maybe no team next year are riding well - very well.

Was on my worst buys of the year so far list but Roman Kreuziger may end up 2nd on GC if he keeps riding well. Smart and Impressive so far.

Michele Scarponi Finially had a bad day on the bike since his return to racing.

How poorly Geox has started thought they especially Menchov would I thought would have preformed much better.

I think that all we can say for the moment is that there might be two teams next year. Still though, big contrast from last year, Matt Lloyd notwithstanding. Bakelants' response to losing the "next big thing at Lotto" title yesterday was commendable.

Geox. Cheula pulled for a few km yesterday and that was pretty much it. Team status doesn't help but they've just been invisible all year and, it's still early yet, but I don't see much change coming their way.

Disappointed that it's a rest day. I'd forgotten that.

 

[Astana1]

My only two questions are: Can Contador finish the race without incident? And who is strongest after Contador?

The par course may be "epic" and all, but the only thing epic that will be happening is Contador making everyone else look silly.

Next.

 

[Marcus135]

Nibali has got to be the second strongest, looks to be climbing well both physically and mentally using good tactics as shown yesterday he is also strong at TTs so i will have to tip him to be on the second step of the podium from his performance so far. Unless something goes very wrong for Alberto he should make up many minutes. Seems Astana1 is right about Contador making everyone else look silly so far

 

[No_Balls]

Agree about everything except Scarponi. I don´t think he had a usually bad day yesterday, he tried to go with Contador and that was his mistake.

 

[El Pistolero]

If Rujano keeps climbing like this he can catch Nibali. 5 minutes is nothing when stage 13, 14 and 15 come up.

Though like I said, Rujano is unpredictable and I'm more afraid of him losing time on the other stages that aren't mountain stages lol.

I don't know why you people think Contador will make this boring? Would you rather have no attacks at all except the one from Nibali in the last km... Wooh, interesting...

Rujano can be what Beloki was for Armstrong.

 

[Eric8-A]

Whats your thoughts so far ?

mine.....

Contadorrrrrrrr will try and win this by as many minutes as he can, wear the pink all the way. He will want to show people he is a rider of a generation or 2. he may have a forced holiday soon but most will remember the dominance.

My man Le Mével riding well.

Mark "cry baby" Cavendish is now officially the biggest cry baby of the cycling world.

The boys of Omega Pharma-Lotto having no leader and maybe no team next year are riding well - very well.

Was on my worst buys of the year so far list but Roman Kreuziger may end up 2nd on GC if he keeps riding well. Smart and Impressive so far.

Michele Scarponi Finially had a bad day on the bike since his return to racing.

How poorly Geox has started thought they especially Menchov would I thought would have preformed much better.

That's pretty much what I would say.

Yeah, with Contador now in pink, he's going to be pretty much untouchable. He has a lead of 59 seconds I believe over Kanstantin, that's only going to get bigger and bigger once the race goes on. Of course, unless something bad happens like a crash or mechanical.

Le Mevel's my guy as well. I have been rooting for the guy since day one of the Giro and so far he's been going good. I just hope that his current overall spot doesn't get the best of him and he doesn't get too comfortable thinking that it's going to stay like that. Pink's off the list for him, so it's best he goes for a stage win. But for that, he needs to attack, and it needs to stick.

It's really really great to see Cavendish not winning. How many more sprint opportunities are there left? One or two? Regardless, Ale Jet can get the best of him.

It's a shame to see Duarte leave. I felt like he could have had a good Giro.

Menchov, Rodriguez, and Rujano losing time. What's up with that? It was pretty cool seeing Rujano riding it out with Contador in stage 9.

Visconti seems to not be having the Giro he wanted. I was expecting him to come away with a stage or two.

Lampre seems extremely good. It really seems like they want Scarponi to win this Giro.

Pieter, I have to give him some praise for keeping the maglia rosa as long as he did.

 

[Ferminal]

Not too many complaints so far.

A bit surprised by Purito's failure yesterday, but think he might bounce back. Menchov is just bewildering - this is his major target for the year, and it almost seems like he doesn't have the form. In theory he is the second best climber in the race, so I hope he can be better in a week's time.

I hope that if no one else is brave enough to attack, that Bertie continues to embarrass them. I will have no problem watching him win another 5 stages if that's what they let him do.

 

[Astana1]

Contador will make this race boring because he has already put his stamp on it. The only thing left to do is watch him mark his rivals after he puts a few more minutes into them.

 

[Bye Bye Bicycle]

I miss those good old bunch sprints.

 

[Fus087]

Visconti seems to not be having the Giro he wanted. I was expecting him to come away with a stage or two.

Knee injuries tend to do that to you.
Still, good that he's continuing, first helping Gatto to a stage win and then going in the break yesterday.
If he can rest today and tomorrow (and his injury gets a bit better) he could go for the Castelfidardo stage.

 

[greenedge]

Cav not happy about the route up Etna Twice. Expect hm to win 10 or 12. I think everyone wants Kreuziger to win. Rujano and Garzelli should not have lost time earlier it's coming back to hurt them. Both quite strong. Wonder if Contador will blow after the rest days like Cadel does.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

If Rujano keeps climbing like this he can catch Nibali. 5 minutes is nothing when stage 13, 14 and 15 come up.

More like stages 13, 14, 15, 16 and 20. (I think he'll do better than Nibali and the other favorites for 2nd place in the first ITT)

Though like I said, Rujano is unpredictable and I'm more afraid of him losing time on the other stages that aren't mountain stages lol.

Yes, exactly.

 

[just some guy]

If Rujano keeps climbing like this he can catch Nibali. 5 minutes is nothing when stage 13, 14 and 15 come up.

Though like I said, Rujano is unpredictable and I'm more afraid of him losing time on the other stages that aren't mountain stages lol.

I don't know why you people think Contador will make this boring? Would you rather have no attacks at all except the one from Nibali in the last km... Wooh, interesting...

Rujano can be what Beloki was for Armstrong.

I don´t think it will be boring and have never said - I don´t beleive this will be Contador get a minute lead and just following wheels - I think he will attach and attach and attach and smash everyone by minutes. It will be fun to watch and not boring.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

contador has never won a gt with minutes lead and it won't happen this year either.

 

[greenedge]

How did Contador become so good at ITT. He sucked in 07 though of course he was young and not GT leader at the time.

 

[Publicus]

contador has never won a gt with minutes lead and it won't happen this year either.

Other than when he did in 2009 winning by 4'11.

 

[El Pistolero]

How did Contador become so good at ITT. He sucked in 07 though of course he was young and not GT leader at the time.

1 Cadel Evans (AUS) Predictor-Lotto 1h 07' 48"
2 Andreas Klöden (GER) Astana + 25"
3 Andrey Kashechkin (KAZ) Astana + 30"
4 Bradley Wiggins (GBR) Cofidis + 1' 00"
5 Yaroslav Popovych (UKR) Discovery Channel + 1' 02"
6 Alberto Contador (ESP) Discovery Channel + 1' 04"
7 Sylvain Chavanel (FRA) Cofidis + 1' 24"
8 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Discovery Channel + 1' 25"
9 Mikel Astarloza (ESP) Euskaltel-Euskadi + 1' 28"
10 Michael Rasmussen (DEN) Rabobank + 1' 4
----

1 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Discovery Channel 1h 02' 44"
2 Cadel Evans (AUS) Predictor-Lotto + 51"
3 Vladimir Karpets (RUS) Caisse d'Epargne + 1' 56"
4 Yaroslav Popovych (UKR) Discovery Channel + 2' 01"
5 Alberto Contador (ESP) Discovery Channel + 2' 18"
6 Iván Gutiérrez (ESP) Caisse d'Epargne + 2' 27"
7 George Hincapie (USA) Discovery Channel + 2' 33"
8 Óscar Pereiro (ESP) Caisse d'Epargne + 2' 36"
9 Leif Hoste (BEL) Predictor-Lotto + 2' 48"
10 Mikel Astarloza (ESP) Euskaltel-Euskadi + 2' 5


---

He never was bad.

 

[taiwan]

contador has never won a gt with minutes lead and it won't happen this year either.

1.CONTADOR VELASCO Alberto AST
2.SCHLECK Andy SAX +04'11"

 

[Astana1]

Other than when he did in 2009 winning by 4'11.

Owned. Beat me to it ,damn you.

Contador can win this by many minutes only racing at a fraction of his capabilities. He's making a mockery of things.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Other than when he did in 2009 winning by 4'11.

I completely forgot that one yes. I always have memory how close it is lik giro and vuelta 008 and tour 2007 with rasmussen and tour 2010.

 

[hughmoore]

If Rujano keeps climbing like this he can catch Nibali. 5 minutes is nothing when stage 13, 14 and 15 come up.

Though like I said, Rujano is unpredictable and I'm more afraid of him losing time on the other stages that aren't mountain stages lol.

.

Where did/what caused Rujano to loose so much time before yesterday?





Hugh

 

[El Pistolero]

Where did/what caused Rujano to loose so much time before yesterday?





Hugh

I really don't know. You'd think mechanicals, but 5 minutes is a lot. Perhaps Ryo knows.

But Rujano is a pure climber, Contador is much more complete. Perhaps that's the reason.

 

[auscyclefan94]

How did Contador become so good at ITT. He sucked in 07 though of course he was young and not GT leader at the time.

He never sucked, that's the thing. You've been listening too much to Liggett and Sherwen.

 

[will10]

I really don't know. You'd think mechanicals, but 5 minutes is a lot. Perhaps Ryo knows.

But Rujano is a pure climber, Contador is much more complete. Perhaps that's the reason.

He only lost time on the Strade Bianche, but we don't know if it was mechanical, crash etc.