Name your Giro and Tour top 5

[sky forever]

Yer sorry I did mean Descents

 

[sky forever]

Yer that was what i meant, if there was about 3 descent finishes then it could have been close between Contador and Nibali.

 

[Ryaguas]

Decided I wouldn't go the obvious way with so many naming the same 10-12 riders, so tried to compose a "stupid" top5 prediction of riders not yet mentioned (took a fast look through the thread):

Giro:
1. Pozzovivo (We know he can climb)
2. Tommy D (THIS is his year!)
3. Pellizotti (clear to race, Movistar takes him in)
4. TGBM (He's so great that even though the Dutch mafia says he won't participate, he'll place fourth)
5. Velits (There's two chances in this pick, but one is most obvious)

Tour:
1. Mosquera (When he's finally "cleared", he'll have to ride the tour as Vacansoleils captain - and Eze delivers!)
2. Vande Velde (THIS is his year! - of no serious crashes)
4. Navarro (With Contador re-sanctioned he better step up!)
3. Van Garderen (After Cav leaves the race, TJ is free to ride his own race)
5. Seeldraeyers (Vandebreakaway, get away! Here comes the real Belgian hope!)

Dont call it "Stupid" better call it Incredible
That would be something that I'd like to see... TJVG in the podium

 

[Parrulo]

and Samu if that is the case more against Samu tho... I think that He's way better descender than Il Squalo...

tbh i think nibles is better then samu. his bike handling skills are above samu's imo.

besides samu hasn't really delivered in a descent in a while. he even failed to bridge across to contador and schleck in the tour. while nibles destroyed scarponi and evans (evans also is a good descender)

 

[Angliru]

tbh i think nibles is better then samu. his bike handling skills are above samu's imo.

besides samu hasn't really delivered in a descent in a while. he even failed to bridge across to contador and schleck in the tour. while nibles destroyed scarponi and evans (evans also is a good descender)

It seems as Samu's climbing and overall grand tour performances have increased his descending has gone the opposite direction OR he finds himself less willing to take the risks involved in descending to gain time, which is quite understandable. He is still one of the best among the grand tour gc contenders with Nibali and Valverde.

I still recall one Paris-Nice years ago, where Samu was on a solo flier, descending with such skill and fearlessness that he kept overtaking the moto's in front of him. I believe it was on the final stage and he ended being overtaken on the windy flat after the descent by Vino. His descending on that stage was quite a thing to behold.

 

[Parrulo]

It seems as Samu's climbing and overall grand tour performances have increased his descending has gone the opposite direction OR he finds himself less willing to take the risks involved in descending to gain time, which is quite understandable. He is still one of the best among the grand tour gc contenders with Nibali and Valverde.

ya also time makes people(or at least some) wiser and he prolly has a family now and going all out on a risky descent may not only mean the end of your GT/carrier but also the end of your life. so after weighting the pros and cons he prolly doesn't risks as much anymore. nibali is young and prolly a bit insane he reminds me of il falco thats why i like him so much

 

[Ryaguas]

besides samu hasn't really delivered in a descent in a while. he even failed to bridge across to contador and schleck in the tour. while nibles destroyed scarponi and evans (evans also is a good descender)

He was coming closer but a cramp stopped him... but He smashed like 40 or 50 secs in the descent tho...

 

[The Hitch]

tbh i think nibles is better then samu. his bike handling skills are above samu's imo.

besides samu hasn't really delivered in a descent in a while. he even failed to bridge across to contador and schleck in the tour. while nibles destroyed scarponi and evans (evans also is a good descender)

Another way to look at it is that , Nibali put 23 seconds into Evans and Scarponi on the Grappa descet, whereas Samu took back 53 on Al and Andrew seconds on the Madeline descent.

 

[Parrulo]

Another way to look at it is that , Nibali put 23 seconds into Evans and Scarponi on the Grappa descet, whereas Samu took back 53 on Al and Andrew seconds on the Madeline descent.

yes but evans is a much better descender then contador and andrew

 

[El Pistolero]

yes but evans is a much better descender then contador and andrew

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yISN7pgfCtY

I still remain with my opinion that Gilbert is every bit as good in descending than Samu Sanchez, if not better.

 

[The Hitch]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yISN7pgfCtY

I still remain with my opinion that Gilbert is every bit as good in descending than Samu Sanchez, if not better.

I agree.

But Samu still has the title of "best descender in the world"

It was given to him by some Dutch muppets at the TDF presentation, who, due to lack of common language, asked him if your supposed to descend without hands.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I think Thor Hushovd won a péloton poll for best descender. He doesn't often get the chance to use that skill on screen though. Cancellara is also amazing, as we saw in the '09 Tour.

Of GC contenders, obviously Sánchez is going to be mentioned, but these days Valverde is just as good and Nibali is the coming man, the new Savoldelli is he. For drama, few can beat David Arroyo on the Mortirolo. That was such a career-defining moment. It wasn't the best descent from Evans, but he's still a more than reasonable descender and was left for dead. Though he's not really a GC contender. Linus Gerdemann is always one to watch - it was his crazy downhill attack that started all the chaos with the maglia rosa crashing en route to Montalcino, and he does love to go for it when conditions are poor.

Caisse d'Epargne's team descending, stringing out the péloton, in the 2009 Dauphiné and Vuelta, was something to behold. Lots of very talented downhillers there.

 

[Nikoloz]

you can call me an idiot, but I will name Cunego for Giro...

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