Liquigas-Doimo

[Altitude]

With Pellizotti back in the team they now have three legitimate grand tour contenders-- Basso, Nibali, Pellizotti.

Two questions:

Who goes to which grand tour as Liquigas team leader?

Who will have the most succesful grand tour season of the three? (predict results)

 

[The Hitch]

With Pellizotti back in the team they now have three legitimate grand tour contenders-- Basso, Nibali, Pellizotti.

Two questions:

Who goes to which grand tour as Liquigas team leader?

Who will have the most succesful grand tour season of the three? (predict results)

Basso obviously to the Tour.

Nibali for the Vuelta again. Maybe with Pellizoti as well.

mmm the Giro is an interesting one. Last year they were going to send Pellizoti and Basso to the Giro. Everyone here thought Pellizoti was the main gc shot. Pellizoti out, Nibali in, most here thought (after a few stages) that Nibali should be the GC shot. Liquigas surprised us with Basso. They had him as the leader the whole time and knew he was in victorious form. But had Pellizoti not been pulled out, would Basso still have been the leader?

Liquigas say Nibali is the leader for the Giro, and coming in as a GT winner they will probably want to. But i think they should go for Franco. THis is because he is better in the mountains and the Giro has huge mountians. Nibali might lose time on Finestre etc.

the only problem is Pellizoti, this. Pre giro, I doubt hell do too much other than Trentino. That will mean his first race since Tour 2009. Thats 2 months short of 2 years. Surely it will feel like coming back from a ban in many ways. And how do guys do coming back from bans. Basso giro 09, Vino Vuelta 09, Kasheckin Vuelta 10. Not top form in any of those.

 

[dolophonic]

Col De Finestre.. aaah what a climb!

 

[whittashau]

My guess would be Nibali for the giro with Pellizotti as his super domestique who will go for the mountains classification. Basso for the tour with Nibali helping him out, and Pellizotti for the vuelta.

 

[Marcus135]

Basso will be tour for sure but as Pellizotti has not raced in a wile i dont think he will lead in the gero so that will be Nibali with Pellizotti helping. I would say the vuelta will be Nibali again as he will want to defend his title...

 

[Altitude]

Basso doesn't plan to ride the Giro then? I like his chances in the Tour if he shows up in top form.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Basso obviously to the Tour.

Nibali for the Vuelta again. Maybe with Pellizoti as well.

mmm the Giro is an interesting one. Last year they were going to send Pellizoti and Basso to the Giro. Everyone here thought Pellizoti was the main gc shot. Pellizoti out, Nibali in, most here thought (after a few stages) that Nibali should be the GC shot. Liquigas surprised us with Basso. They had him as the leader the whole time and knew he was in victorious form. But had Pellizoti not been pulled out, would Basso still have been the leader?

Liquigas say Nibali is the leader for the Giro, and coming in as a GT winner they will probably want to. But i think they should go for Franco. THis is because he is better in the mountains and the Giro has huge mountians. Nibali might lose time on Finestre etc.

the only problem is Pellizoti, this. Pre giro, I doubt hell do too much other than Trentino. That will mean his first race since Tour 2009. Thats 2 months short of 2 years. Surely it will feel like coming back from a ban in many ways. And how do guys do coming back from bans. Basso giro 09, Vino Vuelta 09, Kasheckin Vuelta 10. Not top form in any of those.

Some good analysis there. Maybe Pellizotti should ride in support of nibali at the giro and then maybe have a go at la vuelta.

 

[who dat]

Obviously basso will target tour especially if contador can't race.

I think Nibali will ride as leader at Giro with Pelizotti as a super domestique. I can't see pelizotti being given team leadership as he will not have that much racing time in his legs to warrant team leadership.

The Vuelta is interesting as Nibali is the defending champ but the Vuelta is the only GT that I can pelizotti being given team leadership at. But if Nibali races the Giro then surelly he will ride more then 1 GT next year.

Who knows maybe we will see Nibali race the tour as a domestique for basso next year.

What we do know for sure is that Liquigas will have contenders in all 3 GT's next year.

 

[la.margna]

Nibali & Delfino will probably start giro as co-captains, similar to Nibal & Basso this year and then the course will decide... while Basso will fully target a Tour, that might better suit Pellizotti

 

[Vonn Brinkman]

I think Pelizotti will target the KoM jersey again, but in the Giro, and then go for the Vuelta.
Nibali for Giro and Tour (in tour domestique for Basso).
Basso to be one of the favourites for the Tour, but skip the Giro, maybe the Vuelta.
At least, that's how I would do it if I were in management of Liquigas.

 

[Moncoutie]

Nice problems for Liquigas to have.

 

[El Pistolero]

I can't see Basso beating Andy... That's like saying Basso is better then Contador =/

 

[ferryman]

My guess would be Nibali for the giro with Pellizotti as his super domestique who will go for the mountains classification. Basso for the tour with Nibali helping him out, and Pellizotti for the vuelta.

That would my guess also but I doubt Nibali will be of much help after that Giro route..

 

[jens_attacks]

I can't see Basso beating Andy... That's like saying Basso is better then Contador =/

so what's so funny about that?remember that this guy could follow armstrong almost anywhere in the mountains.that's something.

we still haven't seen a battle between a top form basso and a top form contador or schleck.trust me,a 2006 basso wouldn't be beaten by those two guys easily.we still have to wait for july and see.

 

[El Pistolero]

so what's so funny about that?remember that this guy could follow armstrong almost anywhere in the mountains.that's something.

we still haven't seen a battle between a top form basso and a top form contador or schleck.trust me,a 2006 basso wouldn't be beaten by those two guys easily.we still have to wait for july and see.

2006 Basso was doped beyond imagination. Oh, and 4 years younger.

Who says Armstrong of 2004/5 could handle Contador/AS anyway...

 

[auscyclefan94]

Glad Cam Wurf got a spot a liquigas. Hopefully he will get a go at the giro with them.

 

[whittashau]

That would my guess also but I doubt Nibali will be of much help after that Giro route..

Szmyd will be his main helper, but im sure Nibali will be able to give a hand in a stage or two and in the TTT.

 

[whittashau]

Glad Cam Wurf got a spot a liquigas. Hopefully he will get a go at the giro with them.

Will he be of use in the high mountains for liquigas or will his main use be on the flat stages?

 

[The Hitch]

Szmyd will be his main helper, but im sure Nibali will be able to give a hand in a stage or two and in the TTT.

I hope they dont make Szmyd do the Giro. Let him do the Tour as a super- super domestique, and then after the Tour he can still be on a peak for the Tour de Pologne.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Will he be of use in the high mountains for liquigas or will his main use be on the flat stages?

He can climb and he can tt alright. An all rounder.

 

[Christian]

so what's so funny about that?remember that this guy could follow armstrong almost anywhere in the mountains.that's something.

we still haven't seen a battle between a top form basso and a top form contador or schleck.trust me,a 2006 basso wouldn't be beaten by those two guys easily.we still have to wait for july and see.

I raised the very same question in my thread "Can IB beat AC/AS in TdF '11?" a couple months ago, and the general consensus seemed to be: no way in hell.

 

[whittashau]

I hope they dont make Szmyd do the Giro. Let him do the Tour as a super- super domestique, and then after the Tour he can still be on a peak for the Tour de Pologne.

Me too. He really lacked the punch this year in the tour. I doubt a pellizotti with a point to prove would be too much help for Nibali at the giro though. And apart from Zaugg I really don't see any one else in their squad who would really push the tempo in the high mountains. Perhaps they'll blood Sagan as a helper in the giro?

 

[Jan the Man]

I would be surprised if we saw many neo-pros/gt debutants at the Giro, especially young ones. Its too hard a parcours to introduce someone to three week racing, especially if you wanted them to last the distance and support the team throughout. I think Sagan will ride the Vuelta next year as a GT debut, I would be shoked if Liqui made him do the Giro

It's early but at a guess I think Liqui will have a squad similar to this at the Giro-

Nibali
Pellizotti
Capecchi
Agnoli
Vanotti
dall'Antonia
Borghini
Bodnar
Santaromita

Tour

Basso
Nibali
Szmyd
Zaugg
Oss
Kutchynski
Bellotti
Guerini
Bodnar

 

[auscyclefan94]

I would be surprised if we saw many neo-pros/gt debutants at the Giro, especially young ones. Its too hard a parcours to introduce someone to three week racing, especially if you wanted them to last the distance and support the team throughout. I think Sagan will ride the Vuelta next year as a GT debut, I would be shoked if Liqui made him do the Giro

It's early but at a guess I think Liqui will have a squad similar to this at the Giro-

Nibali
Pellizotti
Capecchi
Agnoli
Vanotti
dall'Antonia
Borghini
Bodnar
Santaromita

Tour

Basso
Nibali
Szmyd
Zaugg
Oss
Kutchynski
Bellotti
Guerini
Bodnar

Santoromita is going to BMC next year and I heard Zaugg is possibly leaving.

 

[royalpig180]

I would be surprised if we saw many neo-pros/gt debutants at the Giro, especially young ones. Its too hard a parcours to introduce someone to three week racing, especially if you wanted them to last the distance and support the team throughout. I think Sagan will ride the Vuelta next year as a GT debut, I would be shoked if Liqui made him do the Giro

It's early but at a guess I think Liqui will have a squad similar to this at the Giro-

Nibali
Pellizotti
Capecchi
Agnoli
Vanotti
dall'Antonia
Borghini
Bodnar
Santaromita

Tour

Basso
Nibali
Szmyd
Zaugg
Oss
Kutchynski
Bellotti
Guerini
Bodnar

Nibali to the Giro and the Tour? Unlikely.
For one, he's already hinted he'd like to defend his Vuelta title, and this wouldn't be feasible after going all out in the giro and riding the tour.
Second, he'd be little help in the tour and would ruin any chance of late season form by riding the tour after the ridiculously hard giro route...