Official thread: Giro d'Italia

[whiteboytrash]

Even Lance is saying "ce vidiamo" - we will see. The Italian press are saying "he is making excuses"..... we will see.

http://tv.repubblica.it/copertina/lance-armstrong-e-il-giro/32500?video

I'm surprised by all the people saying Lance. They must think it's still 2004 or something.

Lance has been overweight in his upper body with muscle, hasn't gotten much racing in, broke his collarbone, is 37, took over three years off, has never even raced the Giro before, or raced in any of their big climbs, and has said he's focusing in winning the Tour (whether AC is in the way or not, JB will support Lance). And if we look back, he hasn't really attacked on a mountain stage in probably five years. We also haven't seen him race up anything big in four years, and nothing as steep as some of the Giro climbs in aeons. I expect him to do all he can to help win the TTT so he can get the Maglia Rosa, and then either finish way back, riding some support for Levi - if Levi can contend, or Lance will drop after Stage 15 or 16 and head to France to study the Tour course.

What I mean by that is Lance's last several Tour wins were him safely following a Postal/Disco team all the way up the final climb to the last 5km or so where they'd launch him. He hasn't attacked or had to chase on his own on any big climbs in years and years.

Though he looked good in Trentino, I question Basso still over three weeks with his long layoff, but I do think he will seriously contend. Basso says he'll work with Lance, and Levi by proxy. I think because Basso likes the "Postal Train" style of racing. But Cunego, Simoni and DiLuca know this, and say they'll work with each other attack over and over and over in order to disrupt this, even if it causes them to blow up. This right here might make for some interesting racing, and someone like Menchov or Sastre could come through unscathed - two riders I expect to do quite well anyway.

And to be completely frank (jaded perhaps) if we see Astana blast everyone away I'm going to be highly suspicious of them running on some sort of Ferrari fuel. Sorry.

 

[ingsve]

Team Columbia has apparently told Thomas Lövkvist not to try and compete for the GC in the giro but instead to save himself for the tour. His job in the giro will instead be to help Mark Cavendish and to try for a stage win.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Team Columbia has apparently told Thomas Lövkvist not to try and compete for the GC in the giro but instead to save himself for the tour. His job in the giro will instead be to help Mark Cavendish and to try for a stage win.

Would that be by putting him on his back and carrying him over any speed bumps they might encounter?

Garmin have picked a squad designed to take pink in the TTT.
So much so, that they've included every trialist in their squad, including David Millar, who hasn't even recovered from his broken collarbone and is down to ride in Catalunya.......which takes place mid Giro.

With all these teams going only after stage wins and not contesting the GC, you wonder why they were invited.

 

[Bala Verde]

With all these teams going only after stage wins and not contesting the GC, you wonder why they were invited.

So are you saying there is no one who actually wants to win the 100th edition of the Giro? I guess we are going to have a really upset top 5 this year then. Is van Summeren competing?

 

[Jasper]

I'm impressed by recent form of Garzelli. He finished second in Tirreno this march and overall GC of Trentino fourth, with a good performance in the stage to pejo fonti.

In 2007 Garzelli captured three stage wins in the Giro d'Italia, he can be counted as a killer, something like Valverde.

Won't be enough for GC victory though, cause of lacking time trial capabilities

Yeah, I also expect Garzelli to fight for a few wins in those not too steep uphill finishes. He's been on fire this season, and together with Cunego and Di Luca he's made for such types of finishes, kinda like Valverde indeed. But he already said he's not really aiming for the GC.

 

[Juan Pelota]

Giro Top Ten GC Prediction

I thought it would be nice to have everyone pick a top ten and have it all on just one thread.

Here is mine.

1)Levi Leipheimer
2)Ivan Basso
3)Denis Menchov
4)Lance Armstrong
5)Carlos Sastre
6)Danilo Di Luca
7)Michele Scarponi
8)Damiano Cunego
9)Marzio Bruseghin
10)Franco Pellizoti

 

[Juan Pelota]

Really wanted to put Tommy D in the top Ten.

 

[hfer07]

Agreed on Sastre. he is one of the most difficult guys to figure out. He is so quiet when preparing for races. Let's wait and see.

Sastre anonymously trains and gets results-he's aming the only podium spot he hasn't made in yet, plus he's the "indisputable captain" this time.

For those thinking that the 60.6 km time trial is going to favor the specialists are WRONG --- the course is very technical with sharp turns & rolling sections that will make time gaps not as great as estimated--instead i believe the Giro will be decided on stage 19 at the Vesuvio final climb

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

With all these teams going only after stage wins and not contesting the GC, you wonder why they were invited.

Actually thinking about that a bit.
Wouldn't you like to do that with teams who might not be real contenders for a top GC spot?
Teams that only go after stage wins probably are really active in the race and don't have to think about saving energy to protect someone or not to risk a bad day.

Anyway.

About Lövkivst and Columbia.
I read that Sivtsov is going to be their GC man and that Lövkvist is focussing on the Tour this year.
Sivtsov isn't a bad pick for a Caiptain I believe when you really are not that ambitious in a GC. He might to well and could be a surprise top 10 or he might be a Top 20 guy which wouldn't really hurt anyone but would not be a disaster as well, if Cav or Roger for example grab a stage win or two or even more.

It would have been really interesting to see Lövkvist focussing on the GC though, since my impression over the last years was that he really doesn't like anything longer than a week. And I'd really like to know if that's just becuase the GC didn't matter to him at all or because he really isn't a 3 week rider.
His best in A GC so far was his 38th place in last years Tour, which is not a lot better than Christian Knees for example 2 years ago when he didn't try to get a good result in the Tour.

Oh btw:
is it in or at a GT?
I'm a little bit confused right now.

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

I just read that Sastre is going for a podium sopt in Rome.

For those of you who can speak or read or somewhat understand German.
http://www.radsport-news.com/sport/sportnews_56477.htm

 

[2wheels]

I think we can look forward to a lot of different teams taking turns in pink this year, because it seems like a lot of stages will be hard ones to control. Most teams don't have the strength to defend the jersey day after day against multiple attacks; Astana might, but even they won't have the horses if there's truly a concerted "Italy vs. Astana" agenda being played out. I don't think being in pink will matter until the end of the long ITT-- but at that point it will matter a whole lot. I'd love to see Garmin play some two man games using VdV and Z-Man; if either of them are in striking range prior to the long time trial then they'd have a realistic shot at the overall. As I recall they both really loved the Giro when they were roomies at CSC; I'm guessing that at least one, and maybe both of them, are sandbagging it for the press but are really focusing on the Giro this year. Hope so!

 

[jaylew]

Actually thinking about that a bit.
Wouldn't you like to do that with teams who might not be real contenders for a top GC spot?
Teams that only go after stage wins probably are really active in the race and don't have to think about saving energy to protect someone or not to risk a bad day.

Anyway.

About Lövkivst and Columbia.
I read that Sivtsov is going to be their GC man and that Lövkvist is focussing on the Tour this year.
Sivtsov isn't a bad pick for a Caiptain I believe when you really are not that ambitious in a GC. He might to well and could be a surprise top 10 or he might be a Top 20 guy which wouldn't really hurt anyone but would not be a disaster as well, if Cav or Roger for example grab a stage win or two or even more.

It would have been really interesting to see Lövkvist focussing on the GC though, since my impression over the last years was that he really doesn't like anything longer than a week. And I'd really like to know if that's just becuase the GC didn't matter to him at all or because he really isn't a 3 week rider.
His best in A GC so far was his 38th place in last years Tour, which is not a lot better than Christian Knees for example 2 years ago when he didn't try to get a good result in the Tour.

I still think Mick Rogers might be the guy to look at for Columbia. Sounds like they're playing a wait-and-see game with him b/c they're unsure of his form, but I certainly wouldn't count him out yet.

 

[BroDeal]

I will choose:

1 )Ivan Basso
2) Levi Leipheimer
3) Carlos Sastre
4) Denis Menchov
5) Damiano Cunego

DiLuca and Pellizoti suffer a decrease in performance compared to previous years. Armstrong does not come close to the top ten.

 

[ingsve]

It would have been really interesting to see Lövkvist focussing on the GC though, since my impression over the last years was that he really doesn't like anything longer than a week. And I'd really like to know if that's just becuase the GC didn't matter to him at all or because he really isn't a 3 week rider.
His best in A GC so far was his 38th place in last years Tour, which is not a lot better than Christian Knees for example 2 years ago when he didn't try to get a good result in the Tour.

One thing that would have been interesting to see is wether Lövkvist would do better in a 3 week GC in May rather than July. I guess we'll instead see if another year of training and developement will improve his performance in the tour instead.

One thing I noticed last year in the tour was that once he started dropping from lead group in the mountains he ended up finishing some of those stages with the big grupetto which perhaps suggests that he gave up on trying for a decent GC finish. The people that finish in the top 15-25 are usually people that don't quite manage to follow the leaders all the way but still fight hard enough to stay ahead of the big groupettos.

 

[tashimi76]

My picks for creating my fantasy cycling team included (they obviously didn't all make it in, but I think most would do okay in a fantasy team), I don't want to try and pick podiums):

GC - Basso, Leipheimer, Rogers, DiLuca, Vandevelde, Sastre, Cunego, Menchov
Mountains - Soler
Sprints - Cavendish, Pettachi, Hunter, Davis
Stage Wins - Gerrans, Pellizotti, Cancellara, Millar, Pozzato, Voigt, Voeckler, Lance

 

[Jasper]

I thought it would be nice to have everyone pick a top ten and have it all on just one thread.

I'll go for:

1. Leipheimer
2. Menchov
3. Basso
4. Sastre
5. Pellizotti
6. Soler
7. Di Luca
8. Bruseghin
9. Cunego
10. Serpa

 

[Mesci76]

1. Menchov
2. Basso
3. Leipheimer
4. Di Luca
5. Cunego
6. Sastre
7. Vande Velde
8. Pellizotti
9. Bruseghin
10. Rohregger
11. Armstrong

 

[franciep10]

1. Levi
2. Basso
3. Menchov
4. Sastre
5. Cunego
6. Di Luca
7. Pelizotti
8. Vande Velde
9. Armstrong
10. Rogers

 

[DenisMenchov]

Hmm, I assume they'll use the same time limit as in other stages, being a certain percentage (10%, 20%?) of the winners time added up to his time? And if a rider needs more time to finish the TT, he's simply out of the race?

I think there is no time limit in TTT stage 1.

 

[Markus_st]

...

Anyone know of a decent fantasy Giro comps?

For me the best and demanding managing game you can find there ==>


http://www.cyclinggames.de/giro/

 

[Maximaal]

Agreed on Sastre. he is one of the most difficult guys to figure out. He is so quiet when preparing for races. Let's wait and see.

I can't see Sastre preforming well this Giro. His TdF Win last year was with a super team that had all the momentum. They played the Sastre Card to break Evans who stayed on FS Wheel (what a surprise).

This event he will be only the lonely and if he is up there he will have to fight the rest off by himself. Can't see it happen!

 

[Anonymous]

That's one of things I love about him - he's always up with the favourites and then he comes out of nowhere and does something special like last year's Tour. Enjoying to watch but hard to pick for a fantasy team!

I'm so psyched about this Giro. Stage 5 with the 57 km descent is like my dream stage - almost makes the 25 km of climbing at the end worth it!

I would love to see Lance really suffer during this race. He's said some mean things about it in the past and I'd love for him to take it all back.

gone right off him in the last week after watching overcoming....
got to be the biggest whinger in the pelaton.. was like watching an old woman for 90 minutes..

 

[Kazistuta]

And this should be the final startlist:

http://giro.cyclingfever.com/editie.html?detp=view&_ap=startlijst&editie_id=19119

 

[Jasper]

I'd wait until saturday, since there have been some serious changes the past few days. Paolini's exclusion being the last one so far.

 

[ak-zaaf]

I thought it would be nice to have everyone pick a top ten and have it all on just one thread.

1. soler
2. basso
3. leipheimer
4. menchov
5. cunego
6. vande velde
7. di luca
8. brajkovic
9. seeldrayers
10. rogers