Off season. We need some Giro 2011 discussion.

[The Hitch]

Note. Based on many factors we can say with a high degree of certainty that Ivan Basso, Sammuel Sanchez, Cadel Evans, Andy Schleck, Frank Schleck, Alexander Vinokourov, and Alberto Contador will NOT ride the Giro.

Hence they are not in the poll.

I am also aware that Di Luca will probably not ride, but he might, so hes in.

Others to consider are

Xavier Tondo - Movistar magic
Jose Rujano - Colombian
Duarte - Colombian
Sella - not on list
Daniel Martin - not on list
Franco Pellizoti - not on list
Eze Mosquera - not on list
Damiano Cunego - not on list
Roman Kreuziger - not on list
Robert Gesink - not on list (probably tour)
Peter Velits - not on list
Kashechkin - not on list

My vote: Michele Scarponi. If Ricco

 

[jens_attacks]

good thread no doubt.until may 2011 we will start another 25 about it.

1.Danilo Di Luca
2.Jose Rujano
3.Riccardo Ricco
4.Igor Anton
5.Michele Scarponi

i wish something like this.but i won't be upset about the order.

 

[theyoungest]

Denis Menchov will also be there... he deserves a mention, no? As does Kreuziger, although I don't think he'll make the cut.

 

[Winterfold]

I put Nibali, but the real answer is Liquigas, if they are anywhere near as strong as this year, noone else will have a chance.

 

[Barrus]

Is it already confirmed that Di Luca will be able to ride the giro?

 

[Kvinto]

It will all be seen closer to the start but my early bet should be Scarponi.

1. Scarponi
2. Anton
3. Ricco
4. Nibali
5. Sastre

 

[The Hitch]

good thread no doubt.until may 2011 we will start another 25 about it.

1.Danilo Di Luca
2.Jose Rujano
3.Riccardo Ricco
4.Igor Anton
5.Michele Scarponi

i wish something like this.but i won't be upset about the order.

Nah. The classics seem to be bigger on this forum. By May we might have another 100 who will win PR threads and a Worlds 2012 thread.

Also we need this thread a lot more now in December, than we will once Paris Nice kicks off in March.

Denis Menchov will also be there... he deserves a mention, no? As does Kreuziger, although I don't think he'll make the cut.

See the Opening post.

well i thought Menchov wouldnt be there because he wants the tour so that he can have the grand slam, and with Contador absent, its a big chance.

Is it already confirmed that Di Luca will be able to ride the giro?

See the opening post.

I put Nibali, but the real answer is Liquigas, if they are anywhere near as strong as this year, noone else will have a chance.

By Liquigas strenght, what you mean is Sylvester Szmyd .
Hell probably be saving himself for Bassos assault on the Rhone Alpes, scheduled for July. They could have Franco to help Nibali though.

 

[Arnout]

Rujano is not Colombian.

Anyway, top 3:

Anton
Scarponi
Ricco

 

[The Hitch]

Rujano is not Colombian.

Woops. what a mistake. Lets treat him as such anyway

 

[Barrus]

I'm voting for Ricco. I don't know what it is about him, but I like him

 

[Archibald]

voted Nibali - I'm sure Liquigas will be well up for this as always
Scarponi will be right there with him though, and may not be under as many watchful eyes as Nibali will be...

 

[deValtos]

I think Domenico Pozzovivo should get a mention, while he was dissapointing this year in the giro (I think he had some crashes ?) I think I read on one of the cyclingnews articles that he will be targeting it this year since it's a favourable route for him.

I voted for Ricco though I am unsure how good his climbing will be.

 

[maltiv]

Igor Anton. Only an unpleasant meeting with the asphalt can stop him!

 

[Kvinto]

Yes, Pozzovivo is lost, but there's no 100% guarantee that Colnago will be invited

 

[Vonn Brinkman]

If Nibali is in form, I don't see how he could lose it.
Ricco will win about three stages, but lose too much time in the TT.
Scarponi will be second, I think, close to Nibali.
But the latter's TT skills will just prove the winning edge, with maybe a crazy TT though Milan that takes the pink from Scarponi's shoulders.
Pellizotti might also have a good chance though, depending on his new team.

 

[The Hitch]

voted Nibali - I'm sure Liquigas will be well up for this as always
Scarponi will be right there with him though, and may not be under as many watchful eyes as Nibali will be...

I think a lot of these eyes will be on the Vuelta dvd and where Nibali was weak. I feel a bit crappy diminishing his chances based on a gt which he won, but as much as i like eze, i think the opposition will be stronger in the Giro.

I mean specifically the stage into Andora where Mosquera cracked Nibali totaly, on sections which werent even that steep, and even more so on cotobello, where he looked really good, up until the flam rouge, from which point he lost 38 seconds to purito and 19 to Mosquera. In 1 km.

Then again, on Bola he way exceeded expectations. I can see that maybe he beat the others on Bola because he had more to fight for, but how did he get so close to Mosquera?

But i think one reason Nibali got off a bit was that in the Vuelta mountains it was only really Purito and Mosquera who could take Nibali.
In the stage Barredo won, Mosquera went and no one else went with him, while everyone stayed in the Kreuziger led Nibali group.

In the Giro, if someone like Ricco goes, Scarponi, Sella, Rujano, Anton, wont stay around in Nibalis group. They will go WITH ricco, and in this situation, Nibali cracks.

 

[The Hitch]

If Nibali is in form, I don't see how he could lose it.
Ricco will win about three stages, but lose too much time in the TT.
Scarponi will be second, I think, close to Nibali.
But the latter's TT skills will just prove the winning edge, with maybe a crazy TT though Milan that takes the pink from Scarponi's shoulders.
Pellizotti might also have a good chance though, depending on his new team.

Mate this is the Giro 2011 we are talking about.
What is this "tt" thing you keep mentioning

 

[Kvinto]

Mate this is the Giro 2011 we are talking about.
What is this "tt" thing you keep mentioning

I think you a bit underrate the importance of these tts. Nibali showed that he can overcome high mountain stages at Vuelta 2010 and you know what stage I mean first of all The specialty of Giro's mountain stages is cruel ascents like Zoncolan, Mortirolo or Grappa. But look at Zoncolan stage: Evans loses to Basso only 1:19, these stages are too hard even to the best climbers and they can't gain big gaps there. But Nibali will have strong team and 2 absolutely flat tts to gain time over his rivals. 21.5km TTT in Turin (Stage 1) and 32.8km ITT in Milan (stage 21). It doesn't make him the main favourite but we can't disregard this.

 

[El Pistolero]

I think you a bit underrate the importance of these tts. Nibali showed that he can overcome high mountain stages at Vuelta 2010 and you know what stage I mean first of all The specialty of Giro's mountain stages is cruel ascents like Zoncolan, Mortirolo or Grappa. But look at Zoncolan stage: Evans loses to Basso only 1:19, these stages are too hard even to the best climbers and they can't gain big gaps there. But Nibali will have strong team and 2 absolutely flat tts to gain time over his rivals. 21.5km TTT in Turin (Stage 1) and 32.8km ITT in Milan (stage 21). It doesn't make him the main favourite but we can't disregard this.

In 2008 Ricco came second in a Giro with more tt. In a Giro that had better competition than the Tour of that year.

 

[theyoungest]

In 2008 Ricco came second in a Giro with more tt. In a Giro that had better competition than the Tour of that year.

Apart from Contador... absolutely not.

 

[Kvinto]

In 2008 Ricco came second in a Giro with more tt. In a Giro that had better competition than the Tour of that year.

I didn't say Ricco or any other pure climber has no chance. I just disagree that Nibali can't be there only because of hard mountains and not enough tts

 

[Barrus]

Considering Ricco, how well or how bad do you guys think Vacansoleil will do in the TTT?

 

[Angliru]

I think a lot of these eyes will be on the Vuelta dvd and where Nibali was weak. I feel a bit crappy diminishing his chances based on a gt which he won, but as much as i like eze, i think the opposition will be stronger in the Giro.

I mean specifically the stage into Andora where Mosquera cracked Nibali totaly, on sections which werent even that steep, and even more so on cotobello, where he looked really good, up until the flam rouge, from which point he lost 38 seconds to purito and 19 to Mosquera. In 1 km.

Then again, on Bola he way exceeded expectations. I can see that maybe he beat the others on Bola because he had more to fight for, but how did he get so close to Mosquera?

But i think one reason Nibali got off a bit was that in the Vuelta mountains it was only really Purito and Mosquera who could take Nibali.
In the stage Barredo won, Mosquera went and no one else went with him, while everyone stayed in the Kreuziger led Nibali group.

In the Giro, if someone like Ricco goes, Scarponi, Sella, Rujano, Anton, wont stay around in Nibalis group. They will go WITH ricco, and in this situation, Nibali cracks.

Nibali was getting himself into trouble early in the Vuelta by trying to match the accelerations of some of his primary opponents and he was eventually blowing up. He later altered his strategy and let them go with the intention of slowly reeling them back in. It seemed to work quite well evidenced by his performances in the mountains in the final week.

 

[theswordsman]

Denis Menchov will also be there... he deserves a mention, no? As does Kreuziger, although I don't think he'll make the cut.

Menchov needs an invitation

 

[IlCobraFan]

Menchov is my favorite. He is getting stronger every year.

Both Menchov and Kreuziger should be on the list