Off season. We need some Giro 2011 discussion.

[hrotha]

Contador explained that he could not prepare for the season beyond May's Giro d'Italia, which he won in 2008, due to the likelihood of any appeals.

Hell yeah, hrotha scores. In your face.

 

[CraZyCaLL]

That's easy. Anton vs. Menchov for first 2 spots, Nibali 3-rd

 

[whittashau]

That's easy. Anton vs. Menchov for first 2 spots, Nibali 3-rd

Anton is going to lose over a minute in the TTT to Nibali and probably will lose over a minute in the ITT to Nibali, and Menchov. I just don't understand how he'd do any better than a podium spot.

 

[The Hitch]

Now, as the things stand: No 1. favorite Contador, and I think he will almost certainly win, No 2. Nibali, and 3hird. there are 2 on the same line: Kreuziger (Roman go on !!! )) with Menchov.

Umm Anton, Purito and Scarponi have all shown more in gts than Roman and Rujano, while a wild card is also a superior climber.

They are all better climbers than Nibali as well. I think people hype him up for the Giro because he has the title- gt winner next to his name.

And Nibali may have "come from the beach" (though i dont buy that) but as i have pointed out many times he got 2 minutes 36 on Scarponi in the ttt and ended up beating him by 9 seconds.

It shows clearly who the better rider was in that race. And nibali will lose some of his ttt advantage this year. He wont have
a as strong a team for the ttt
b as much distance to make time in the ttt
and c scarponi wont have such a weak team.

He also wont have Basso protecting him from attacks. Imagine if Basso wasnt there on the Grappa or Mortirolo. Would Scarponi, 30 secs or so back at the time have smiled to Nibali and just said "lets work together and let you take the podium on sunday". Of course not. Sure he lost about a minute shielding Basso in Strade Bianchi but overall he gained a lot more with the Basso teammate card.

Hell yeah, hrotha scores. In your face.

I dont get it

 

[jens_attacks]

anyone knows the program for kash?will he go full-gas in le tour or will help scarponi in il giro?

 

[roundabout]

Scarponi's superior climbing ability is best discussed in another section of this forum.

 

[rxgqgxnyfz]

Scarponi's superior climbing ability is best discussed in another section of this forum.

He does Mountain Bike too?

 

[roundabout]

No, but he has very similar training plans to your avatar.

 

[rxgqgxnyfz]

No, but he has very similar training plans to your avatar.

He also does ocean fishing?

 

[roundabout]

There's an ocean fishing section in this forum?

 

[rxgqgxnyfz]

There's an ocean fishing section in this forum?

There isn't?

They better add it ASAP, at least as placeholder for this awesome pic.

 

[taiwan]

There isn't?

They better add it ASAP, at least as placeholder for this awesome pic.

Is that the Schlecks, Kolobnev, Vino and Iglinsky posing with a big fish?

That is indeed awesome.

 

[whittashau]

And nibali will lose some of his ttt advantage this year.
He wont have as strong a team for the ttt

Why? Liquigas has every rider bar Kiserlovski in their squad still and Basso wont ride, but have Alan Marangoni and Wurf who are better than average Time trialists. Especially Marangoni who is probably one of italy's best in the discipline.

 

[Ryaguas]

Umm Anton, Purito and Scarponi have all shown more in gts than Roman and Rujano, while a wild card is also a superior climber.

wow wow wow... stop right there... Anton has shown more in a GT than Rujano??? now We have a problem... guns at dawn...

nah jokes aside... mmmm Well Rujano made 3rd against the likes of Il Falco, Simoni, Di Luca in a very hard Giro... also if you see other of his results like 1st in La Vuelta a Colombia, 2 times Winner of La Vuelta al Tachira, last year 3rd in La Vuelta a Colombia... Anton hasnt proved THAT much... I know that Anton is AWESOME in the mountains, in the very steep stuff and He could have won last year Vuelta but I think that Rujano has shown more than Anton...

 

[jaylew]

Umm Anton, Purito and Scarponi have all shown more in gts than Roman and Rujano, while a wild card is also a superior climber.

They are all better climbers than Nibali as well. I think people hype him up for the Giro because he has the title- gt winner next to his name.

And Nibali may have "come from the beach" (though i dont buy that) but as i have pointed out many times he got 2 minutes 36 on Scarponi in the ttt and ended up beating him by 9 seconds.

It shows clearly who the better rider was in that race. And nibali will lose some of his ttt advantage this year. He wont have
a as strong a team for the ttt
b as much distance to make time in the ttt
and c scarponi wont have such a weak team.

He also wont have Basso protecting him from attacks. Imagine if Basso wasnt there on the Grappa or Mortirolo. Would Scarponi, 30 secs or so back at the time have smiled to Nibali and just said "lets work together and let you take the podium on sunday". Of course not. Sure he lost about a minute shielding Basso in Strade Bianchi but overall he gained a lot more with the Basso teammate card.

Wow, Hitch. I disagree with almost everything you wrote.

 

[c&cfan]

well..

some guy here posted that nibali (1 gt against no real strong gt guys) has more chances than menchov (3 gts, against well.. top fuelled guns xD)!! i believe in everything now..

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I agree with almost everything the Hitch says.

But yeah, many people here like to believe that winning a GT where the strongest man fell out and the biggest contenders where a 35+ Spaniard (Mosquera) and new kid (Velits) and finishing podium on another GT, where a teammate softpedaled for you half the time, where another guy got ill (evans) and you got 2 min bonus on the number 4 due to the TTT (Scarponi, another guy who had not had a previous GT result that mattered), makes you the next big thing in grand tours.

Forget Menchov, he only beat a super charged Di Luca, finished 2nd to a super charged Heras, and won another Vuelta, when there was still a strong level of competitors, unlike last year.
Thats way weaker than Nibali, clearly

 

[jaylew]

I agree with the part about Menchov being favored over Nibali - not sure who said otherwise. What I can't figure out why some don't want to give Nibs any credit.

 

[hfer07]

I agree with the part about Menchov being favored over Nibali - not sure who said otherwise. What I can't figure out why some don't want to give Nibs any credit.

Agreed-and Ironically Nibali is exactly in the same position as Contador when he won his first TDF- everybody said he "inherited" the title by the default of Rassmusent--as Nibi is dealing with the question if he had held off Anton hadn't he crashed.
I only see this years Giro as a race that is going to be remembered for years to come

 

[Mellow Velo]

I agree with the general assessment of Vince Nibs, though I am shocked to find that DT doesn't rate him. I would never have guessed, after the Vuelta!
I would only offer in his defence, the fact that he is a year older, wiser and probably will benefit from the increase in confidence that comes with winning a GT.

Menchov cannot be discounted.
As DT says, he is certainly capable of beating any super-charged opposition that turns up.
He can still find Vienna on a map.

 

[Ferminal]

I don't rate him either.

As it stands (with AC racing but not RR) I would go:

Bertie
Anton
Rodriguez
Menchov
Nibali
Scarponi

Gets harder now, Nibali and Scarponi would be close I think.

 

[plooton]

Why to favorize Nibali (and Kreuziger). Firstly hes been improving terribly much last 2 years, then he knows perfectly all the climbes on Giro, and he is good enough in time trials to defend or gain some time on meny of other contenders. And Roman is similarly as good as Vincenzo and much better then Velits (finishing 3 on La Vualta). And in comparison to Menchov - yeah, Menchow used to be ahead of Nibali, but now I think Nib reached the some qualities or even improved at higer level.

 

[Kvinto]

Neither Nibali nor Kreuziger is strong enough to compare them to Menchov by now, they both have to improve to reach that level. And even if I can consider Nibali as one of the favourites, imo Roman's maximum would be no more than top-5.
I also seriously doubt about Anton's chances. He'll have a hard spring and Giro is only in the end of it. I'm not sure he can sacrifice the result in a spring races for the Giro (as Basso did last year). Anyway, he can be close to the podium if he'll take it serious.
Scarponi for the win!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Menchov cannot be discounted.
As DT says, he is certainly capable of beating any super-charged opposition that turns up.
He can still find Vienna on a map.

They're even going into Austria before the run of monolithic mountain stages in week 3 too!

 

[The Hitch]

wow wow wow... stop right there... Anton has shown more in a GT than Rujano??? now We have a problem... guns at dawn...

nah jokes aside... mmmm Well Rujano made 3rd against the likes of Il Falco, Simoni, Di Luca in a very hard Giro... also if you see other of his results like 1st in La Vuelta a Colombia, 2 times Winner of La Vuelta al Tachira, last year 3rd in La Vuelta a Colombia... Anton hasnt proved THAT much... I know that Anton is AWESOME in the mountains, in the very steep stuff and He could have won last year Vuelta but I think that Rujano has shown more than Anton...

I didnt have eurosport in the early 2000's and while i know roughly who won what back then, i didnt realise Rujano podiumed a Giro. My bad.

Wow, Hitch. I disagree with almost everything you wrote.

Your right to disagree. Scarponi didnt lose 2:36 in the ttt. He lost a mere 2:24 it turns out.

Other than that, anything else you disagree with?

I agree with the part about Menchov being favored over Nibali - not sure who said otherwise. What I can't figure out why some don't want to give Nibs any credit.

I do give Nibali credit. He surprised everyone with his strength in the mountains.

But Scarponi was clearly stronger and i find it somewhat unfair that Nibali gets launched above Evans and Scarponi because other people performed better in a team time trial.

As for the Vuelta, i give him a lot of credit for his performance there. He gained time on Mosquera when less people were paying attention - on the 2 short sprint climbs and in Xorret.

In the stage Anton crashed he once again beat Mosquera, actually having the balls to go one on one with Purito in a sprint up that climb before cracking.

He actually cracked about 3 times in that GT but manage to keep himself in everytime. Lots of credit there.

And of course lots of respect for his performance on the Bola.

But the reason i dont believe that will launch him into challenging at the Giro is because the lineup there is clearly stronger.

I agree with almost everything the Hitch says.

Generally or just in this thread