Menchov to skip Giro

[Moondance]

http://nos.nl/artikel/127738-titelhouder-mentsjov-niet-in-giro.html

From the Dutch Public News Service. Will focus on the Tour and maybe the Vuelta.

I think its good for him, he clearly was too burned out by his pre-Tour efforts last year to compete. Although there goes the Dutch hopes that Gesink would be the #1 man for the Tour this year.

 

[Berzin]

This is a double-edged sword-

1) One the one hand, the Giro and the Tour are not spaced far enough apart to allow a balls-out effort by any particular rider and his domestiques who are also targeting the Tour.

2) But, it is almost impossible to take one's form from the Giro into the Tour because the races are spaced too far apart.


After the 1994 Giro D'Italia, Indurain realized the Giro/Tour double was becoming impossible.

At that point the modern-day Giro began to take shape. The course was no longer amenable to riders who were just looking for some solid training miles in preparation for the Tour.

The course was becoming just as hard if not harder than the Tour, so doing one was going to compromise your preparation for the other.

Tony Rominger found that out the hard way the following year, when he stated that holding the maglia rosa for most of the race was so incredibly hard that it ruined the careers of some of his Mapei domestiques.

He dominated the 1995 Giro but was a shell of his former self when he went to the Tour that same year.

This is a mistake many riders still make, but I'm glad Menchov has seen the light.

 

[mc_mountain]

Perhaps scared off by Rujano?!

 

[Francois the Postman]

Perhaps scared off by Rujano?!

Scared off by the last Giro week if the offcial reason is to be believed.

Shame, would have loved to see him actually target the Giro as the main goal.

On the upside, that's, by the sound of it, both Gesink and Menchov both putting the Tour centre stage then. I presume Menchov as the official leader, which might actually serve Gesink well. An interesting duo to take into the mountains. Hoping that for once Rabo will have 2 riders in that "15 last men on the climb" GC contender group that was mentioned in an earlier thread.

Who knows, Garate might be effective support too. I expect a far more visible orange blue presence this year.

So far Rabobank is hardly discussed here when we talk about upcoming Tour battles. If they are gearing up both Gesink and Menchov for a display in France, that's yet 1 more name than I expected to be a (near) top competitor there, in an already crowded field.

Sad to read that Pedro Horrillo is calling it quits. Thankfully Voigt pulled through, but Horrillo's off-camera crash was the truly horrific one last year, for me at least.

Kudos to Rabo for standing by him the way they did, and offering him another year regardless. Not the first time they have done that. Graces them.

Any news who is doing the Giro for Rabo then?

 

[red_flanders]

Tour just keeps looking better and better!

 

[BeachBum]

...but I'm glad Menchov has seen the light.

If Menchov sees a light in the Tour, it'll be a huge locomotive coming right at him driven by Contador and the Schlecks. Kudos for wanting to go up against the best on the biggest stage, but he will do worse at the Tour than he could do at the Giro.

He won the Giro because he was the biggest fish in the pond, if he goes to the Tour he will be a very small fish. Somebody in another thread pointed out that's why Silence wanted Cadel in the 09 Giro, he had a much better chance to win there than he did on the Tour.

My prediction-- no podium for Menchov in the Tour, and I'll go further, Gesink will finish higher up-- unless Gesink gets cagey and does the Giro vice the Tour. Remember that Baby Schleck finished 2nd in the Giro a few years back before he started targeting the Tour, Gesink would be wise to go that route as well.

 

[mc_mountain]

I'm sure Menchov is aware how tough it will be at the tour, but wants to give it his best shot. he's proved he can win the Giro and the Vuelta, a rabobank double headed monster would have the potential to be very dangerous at tdf.

i'm inclined to agree that Gesink will finish higher if they both ride the tour. I'd also be confident that either would ride for the higher placed/stronger rider, which might not be the case at say Radioshack. maybe he's being sent to ride for Gesink and then go for the Vuelta himself?

Does this leave the Giro wide open for Pelliozotti, Cadel or Sastre? It reinforces my view that Wiggins should ride hard at the Giro and see what he can do, as it looks like he is slipping further and further down the pecking order at the Tour.

 

[Francois the Postman]

I'd also be confident that either would ride for the higher placed/stronger rider, which might not be the case at say Radioshack. maybe he's being sent to ride for Gesink and then go for the Vuelta himself?

I also think Gesink has a great chance to finish ahead of Menchov this year, but I think that Rabobank is sending them both and then let form and actual race dynamics dictate resolve who is riding for who.

Menchov has shown in the past that he can set his own aspirations aside and ride for the team if the standings warrant it. I'm sure he'd figured out a different Tour for himself, the year Rasmussen came through the mountains on a high, but was part of some solid team work that year to keep Rasmussen safely ahead.

I guess that Gesink is dead keen to get a stage win this year, probably as his main ambition. With Menchov in the mix, that chance just got better. I wouldn't want to be stuck with those two around me, unless my first name started with an "A" and my last one didn't end in "ourov". It will be like being trapped in a Schleck sandwich, uphill, with 2 strong riders who can switch tactics and ambitions between them (stage and GC).

 

[hfer07]

good news for Sastre

 

[auscyclefan94]

If Menchov sees a light in the Tour, it'll be a huge locomotive coming right at him driven by Contador and the Schlecks. Kudos for wanting to go up against the best on the biggest stage, but he will do worse at the Tour than he could do at the Giro.

He won the Giro because he was the biggest fish in the pond, if he goes to the Tour he will be a very small fish. Somebody in another thread pointed out that's why Silence wanted Cadel in the 09 Giro, he had a much better chance to win there than he did on the Tour.
My prediction-- no podium for Menchov in the Tour, and I'll go further, Gesink will finish higher up-- unless Gesink gets cagey and does the Giro vice the Tour. Remember that Baby Schleck finished 2nd in the Giro a few years back before he started targeting the Tour, Gesink would be wise to go that route as well.

Silence wanted him to do it as training for the tour and not be competitive.

 

[palmerq]

Good work from menchov... I think he would be stupid if he didnt go 100% for the tour de france.. He´s at his best now(probably) and allreayd won the vuelta and giro. I think it would be a waste of his talents to not go for the tour. He´s a very strong rider if he can be on the same form as he was in the giro last year then he has a great chance at a podium and maybe better with some luck and bad performances from contador...

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

I'm with Beach Bum on this one.

Pass me a piña colada.

 

[issoisso]

Any news who is doing the Giro for Rabo then?

Freire. The Giro starts in the Netherlands, after all.

 

[craig1985]

I suppose you have to be in it to win it. Menchov won't win, even allowing for a Contador and Andy Schleck having a bad Tour, our Denis also manages to have a shocking day or two. A day in the mountains he will lose a lot of time, or like in the 2008 Tour, had a shocking desent of the Col de la Bonette, and lost his chance to win the Tour.

In other Rabo related news, what are their plans for Lars Boom for this season when it comes to riding a GT?

 

[the big ring]

...
Somebody in another thread pointed out that's why Silence wanted Cadel in the 09 Giro, he had a much better chance to win there than he did on the Tour.
...

Disagree.

IMO it was because Lance, the cycling singularity, was racing the Giro. Any rider doing a half decent job would be getting more coverage because the race was getting more coverage.

 

[eric_vv]

Any news who is doing the Giro for Rabo then?

Like issoisso mentioned Freire will be there, but they also confirmed Mollema for his GT debut in Italy. That's one I'm really looking forward to. Mollema could be the surprise in the Giro next year (not in the GC yet, but some mountain stages).

 

[Mellow Velo]

I hope Menchov and Gesink can form a better working relationship at the Tour, than that other lot. I wouldn't be surprised that young Robert is a bit disappointed by Menchov's presence.

Lotto wanted Cadel to ride the 2009 Giro because Lance was there, not because they thought he might have been able to win it?
Amazing how Saxo couldn't spare a decent rider, then.
You have to laugh at stuff like this. Comedy genius.

 

[Francois the Postman]

Like issoisso mentioned Freire will be there, but they also confirmed Mollema for his GT debut in Italy. That's one I'm really looking forward to. Mollema could be the surprise in the Giro next year (not in the GC yet, but some mountain stages).

I figured that Freire would be there, but he generally underwhelmes me, and I must admit I was hoping to see Menchov at the sharp end in a tete-a-tete with Sastre. With the Giro starting in the NL, I had hoped that Rabo would field a strong-ish team with one great GC rider at the helm. Not Freire.

I totally forgot about Mollema. So far he managed to race only races I haven't seen, so apart from comments that he is another good climber from the promising Gesink generation (are they really calling it like that in the NL?) I haven't got much to go on. Would be nice to see him in action then. Has he fully recovered from his Pfeiffer now? How does he compare to Gesink? Similar climbing style or not? Attacking and explosive rider or diesel? TT?

 

[eric_vv]

It used to be the Dekker, Boom, Gesink generation but now Dekker is hardly mentioned anymore for some reason. Mollema had even better results U23 then Gesink and is a pure climber. According to Rabo he's completely recovered (he did well in support of Gesink in the last weeks of the season).

I really can't compare climbing styles. I've seen him in races but mainly as a support rider in the bigger races like Germany 2008 and California (probably already suffering from Pfeiffer)/ Lombardy (fall at the base of the final climb) 2009.

I remember reading about a lot of attacking in the 2007 Avenir (which he won) but coudn't watch that one live, the worlds U23 2007 I did watch live but that wasn't really his kind of race.

The TT is really not his thing (yet) but he has plenty of room to improve considering his late start in cycling and his young age.

The raborider falling in the lead of the main group is Mollema (lombardy 2009)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40V644sMZIw

 

[Francois the Postman]

It used to be the Dekker, Boom, Gesink generation but now Dekker is hardly mentioned anymore for some reason. Mollema had even better results U23 then Gesink and is a pure climber. According to Rabo he's completely recovered (he did well in support of Gesink in the last weeks of the season).

I really can't compare climbing styles. I've seen him in races but mainly as a support rider in the bigger races like Germany 2008 and California (probably already suffering from Pfeiffer)/ Lombardy (fall at the base of the final climb) 2009.

I remember reading about a lot of attacking in the 2007 Avenir (which he won) but coudn't watch that one live, the worlds U23 2007 I did watch live but that wasn't really his kind of race.

The TT is really not his thing (yet) but he has plenty of room to improve considering his late start in cycling and his young age.

The raborider falling in the lead of the main group is Mollema (lombardy 2009)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40V644sMZIw

And after "TT?" I was gonna ask "Can he stay on his bike?" given how Rabo fared last year, but thought I'd better not mention that too often, before it becomes a cliche.

Thanks for those comments anyway, I'll have a hunt-around for some of the races you mentioned.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Scared off by the last Giro week if the offcial reason is to be believed.

Shame, would have loved to see him actually target the Giro as the main goal.

On the upside, that's, by the sound of it, both Gesink and Menchov both putting the Tour centre stage then. I presume Menchov as the official leader, which might actually serve Gesink well. An interesting duo to take into the mountains. Hoping that for once Rabo will have 2 riders in that "15 last men on the climb" GC contender group that was mentioned in an earlier thread.

Who knows, Garate might be effective support too. I expect a far more visible orange blue presence this year.

So far Rabobank is hardly discussed here when we talk about upcoming Tour battles. If they are gearing up both Gesink and Menchov for a display in France, that's yet 1 more name than I expected to be a (near) top competitor there, in an already crowded field.

Sad to read that Pedro Horrillo is calling it quits. Thankfully Voigt pulled through, but Horrillo's off-camera crash was the truly horrific one last year, for me at least.

Kudos to Rabo for standing by him the way they did, and offering him another year regardless. Not the first time they have done that. Graces them.

Any news who is doing the Giro for Rabo then?

To be fair LTD has been regular up there right till the end for menchov in the past couple years, he showed real strength at 09's giro too. Garate has his days where he can be up there, but he is inconsistent.
Mollema is devolping into a very strong climber too...

As for the Giro, I remember LTD saying he would like a go to lead a GT... seems like an open door for him at the giro. Personally I'm excited to see mollema at the giro too. Big things from him.

I'd also be confident that either would ride for the higher placed/stronger rider, which might not be the case at say Radioshack. maybe he's being sent to ride for Gesink and then go for the Vuelta himself?

.

T'is true. Tour 07 (The Chicken) -- Menchov despite being the original leader for rabo gave it all up for the in-form ras.

In other Rabo related news, what are their plans for Lars Boom for this season when it comes to riding a GT?

I suspect a tour spot for him.
He climbed very well at the vuelta, and proved to be a great helper to gesink. (tour squad prediction imo: gesink, menchov, garate, LTD, clement, Boom, Weening, Friere and Moerenhout or Niermann)

 

[Swingtop]

Menchov has shown in the past that he can set his own aspirations aside and ride for the team if the standings warrant it. I'm sure he'd figured out a different Tour for himself, the year Rasmussen came through the mountains on a high, but was part of some solid team work that year to keep Rasmussen safely ahead.
.

I don't remember Mensjov doing any work for Rasmussen that year. Imho he failed totally, fysically and mentally. Boogerd and Dekker did the work. I'm curious as to Mensjov's mental stability if Gesink proves to be the better of the two.

 

[mc_mountain]

My memory of Menchov at the 07 tour is the same as Francois, and that informed my comment he quoted, it was my feeling he did all that was asked/required of him with no disruptive comments to the press, (almost as important as the work itself).
(wouldn't stake my life on it though).

 

[Angliru]

If Menchov sees a light in the Tour, it'll be a huge locomotive coming right at him driven by Contador and the Schlecks. Kudos for wanting to go up against the best on the biggest stage, but he will do worse at the Tour than he could do at the Giro.

He won the Giro because he was the biggest fish in the pond, if he goes to the Tour he will be a very small fish. Somebody in another thread pointed out that's why Silence wanted Cadel in the 09 Giro, he had a much better chance to win there than he did on the Tour.

My prediction-- no podium for Menchov in the Tour, and I'll go further, Gesink will finish higher up-- unless Gesink gets cagey and does the Giro vice the Tour. Remember that Baby Schleck finished 2nd in the Giro a few years back before he started targeting the Tour, Gesink would be wise to go that route as well.

Menchov has already won the Giro and Vuelta. We all hopefully recognize that his effort in wining last year's Giro left him half the rider he had hoped to be come Tour time. If his intention is to have a strong performance at the Tour then he realizes that his focus must be on the Tour. He was operating under a questionable strategy having ridden the Tour competitively and then gone on to win the Vuelta (twice) that he could do the same with the Giro as his leadup to the Tour. It worked in 2008 but 2009 was too much of a battle royale for him to hope to be able to carry his form into the Tour. He'll likely have a heavy weeklong stage race schedule...shoot we may even see him in the ToC..

 

[Angliru]

Didn't I read somewhere that Lars Ten Damm (excuse the spelling ) was announced as being Rabo's leader or co-leader w/ Freire for the Giro? In the past year he was pretty impressive in the mountains which would explain him being given this opportunity.