So, who was the real winner of the Giro?

[MarkGreen0]

Discuss...

 

[euanli]

the fans. A thoroughly exciting Giro.

 

[nesocip]

Ivan Basso

 

[maltiv]

Richie Porte of course, he is a Bike Pure member!

 

[erader]

the fans. A thoroughly exciting Giro.

i agree. i can't remember the last time that i've seen such a thoroughly riveting stage race.

the accomplishment for basso was the largest by anyone coming back from a two-year suspension and i found myself cheering for him early on against the likes of vino and evans.

well done ivan basso, !

ed rader

 

[ttrider]

All the fans is a good call
Liquigas, Basso, Nibali dominated the race
when the race gets tough the tough get going and Basso proved himself again
Scarponis reall done awesomely and Arroyo will become part of legend with the performance down the mortirolo
Farrar and Porte and Lloyd deserve real mentions...excellent for them all

The losers form a trio for me Evans Vino and Griepel bad for all of them
First to will now never win a gt

 

[issoisso]

the fans. A thoroughly exciting Giro.

Best post I've read in a long time

 

[theswordsman]

The fans, especially the tifosi. The sport, because when the cycling news got rough again, we still had a chance to watch the spectacle every day. Angelo Zomegnan, who took so much heat in the early days but gave us a race that will long be remembered. Basso - it took him an extra year, but that just made it more special. Arroyo, Nibali, Porte, and the whole Liquigas squad. Evans, because he earned new fans and helped keep things animated and suspenseful. Vino, for the effort, and hopefully for the learning experience. Scarponi. Farrar. Every rider who completed the 21 stages.

 

[Anonymous]

the fans. A thoroughly exciting Giro.

agreed +1....

 

[Rip:30]

svein tuft

 

[CycloErgoSum]

I'd like to believe in Basso, but he refused to come clean last time, so how can anyone believe he's clean now?

I fear he's no prodigal son; he's an old dog doing an old trick.

Scarponi was a dud as a doper, now he's great clean at how old?

Good show Richie Porte, except you're on a sus team. Sastre's a nowhere man ever since he left.

Evans isn't Lemond; he's never going to win a GT all by himself. A real fighter, though.

Nibali, what happened to Nibali?

Vino, maybe he is clean now. Maybe he's just an old man with a bad dealer (SOS Hog).

Arroyo, well I liked his bike.

Wiggans, I'm glad he did crap cuz he STF up when he does crap.

VdV must hate Italy by now.

The north of Italy sure is purdy.

 

[Mellow Velo]

the fans. A thoroughly exciting Giro.

Absolutely. An epic race. True grit from all.

 

[CycloErgoSum]

Yolanthe Cabau. Everyone knows her now. She also did the Dutch results for Eurovision the other night. That girl's got a lot of gigs....almost as many teeth, too.

 

[euanli]

Every rider who survived the Giro this year deserves a mention. Even I can't fault Vino for hanging in.

One exception: Tschopp.

It was classless what he did yesterday.

 

[Steampunk]

Different kind of victory, and a GT I suspect he'd sooner like to forget, but how many top ten finishes is that for Sastre now?

 

[luckyboy]

David Moncoutie

As for Sastre, 1 in the Giro, 6 in the Tour, 6 in the Vuelta. 13 top tens overall.

 

[MarkGreen0]

Er, you may have noticed that this thread was posted in the clinic, so "the fans" wasn't really the answer I was looking for.

Unless you're saying the fans were the only clean people? From the looks of them at the side of the road that wasn't true.

 

[Steampunk]

David Moncoutie

As for Sastre, 1 in the Giro, 6 in the Tour, 6 in the Vuelta. 13 top tens overall.

Surely this was his second Giro, no?

 

[euanli]

rephrase your question to which rider won the giro then

 

[luckyboy]

Surely this was his second Giro, no?

Oh yeah. His 5th Giro. 101st in 99, 38th in 2002, 43rd in 06, 3rd last year.

 

[Steampunk]

Oh yeah. His 5th Giro. 101st in 99, 38th in 2002, 43rd in 06, 3rd last year.

Right, sorry: second top ten.

 

[Mellow Velo]

I wonder if old Carlos will end up riding all 3 GTs this year?
If he has another TDF like last year and no Giro stage wins.........

Wonderful setting for a finale too.
Such a pity that the final curtain has come down.

 

[Steampunk]

Er, you may have noticed that this thread was posted in the clinic, so "the fans" wasn't really the answer I was looking for.

Unless you're saying the fans were the only clean people? From the looks of them at the side of the road that wasn't true.

Pretty cynical question—I find these endless clinic threads get a little boring and predictable. Has this sport really been reduced to assuming that anyone who wins anything must be doped—and more doped than everyone else? Why do you watch? Because you're a chemist and you want to see which cocktails are the most effective?

The answer: the fans, I thought, was perfect. This was a terrific Giro with lots of drama, some incredible rides, and lots of entertainment. Breakaways actually stayed away. The climbs hurt my legs while I watched online from home. And there were some brilliant competitors and warriors who put it all on the line. Those shots of the Zoncolan and the faces of the riders as they took that final corner, and the cheering not just for Basso, but for everyone who finished that stage: that was really something.

Do I wish cycling was cleaner? Absolutely. But I still watch. And it would be hypocritical to watch and then just dismiss the event as a sham because they're all doping.

 

[Steampunk]

I wonder if old Carlos will end up riding all 3 GTs this year?
If he has another TDF like last year and no Giro stage wins.........

Wonderful setting for a finale too.
Such a pity that the final curtain has come down.

Le Grand Boucle is going to be pretty disappointing after that, isn't it? Even with a good turnout of top names. As for Sastre, he may have to: who else would Cervelo send in his stead? Especially to the Vuelta? Isn't he pretty much their only GC contender with name recognition? And could he not ride the Vuelta? But I get your point.

 

[theswordsman]

Yeah, OP. We disagree with your theory (I actually only saw the title and the first responses). It was a great three weeks, and a lot of people were winners. You obviously aren't included, or you wouldn't be fighting to drag the race and participants through the mud. A lot of us are happy, and wish it wasn't over. You can't ruin that feeling, try as you might. Maybe there's a bar somewhere that people will agree with you.