Eusebio Kino said:Ryder, as great as he is, is not top 10 material in the big one. He is not that great. The tour is for the "great ones" which unfortunately Hyder is not, the Giro is not on the level of the tour, for instance, Basso could never win the tour. Look for Ryder to domestique for Vandevelde or for that guy Daniels.
Except for 2010, when he finished 6th, and was likely the 3rd or 4th strongest rider in the last week...and he started that tour not being the protected team leader.
I'm not saying he can win, but I think he has podium potential (whether that can happen after riding the Giro, who knows?), especially in a year with AC missing and AS in questionable form.
Full disclosure: I'm Canadian, and a mountain biker.