Stage 5: San Martino di Castrozza - Alpe di Siusi

[ingsve]

I'm not sure Levi will be as dominant the in long TT as everyone thinks. He probably will win it but the course isn't exactly the best for him. It's very technical and I think he would have had an even bigger edge if it had been completely straight and completely flat.

I think the top people in the TT from the main guys will be Levi, Rogers, Menchov and Lövkvist.

Yes, that's right Lövkvist. This may be the first time he's been able to stay with the main contenders in a real though mountain stage but he beats 90% of those riders in TTs all the time. The only people I think has an edge on him are the people I mentioned and perhaps one or two more.

 

[rolfrae]

and you don't find it suspicious that he's climbing with a select group of elite stage racers in a grand tour on a 9% gradient, please take the blinders off, last year as soon as the road started to go up wiggins would go back, he's great on the track but not in the mountains. he finished in a group with simoni

His main motivation had always been the track but he said post-Olympics he'd change tack and have a real crack at the road races this season and next before re-focussing on the London Olympics. I'm not going to defend him like the Lance fanboys, but come on guys, pick on one of the more likely targets, please.

 

[Zoncolan]

I'm not sure Levi will be as dominant the in long TT as everyone thinks. He probably will win it but the course isn't exactly the best for him. It's very technical and I think he would have had an even bigger edge if it had been completely straight and completely flat.

I think the top people in the TT from the main guys will be Levi, Rogers, Menchov and Lövkvist.

Yes, that's right Lövkvist. This may be the first time he's been able to stay with the main contenders in a real though mountain stage but he beats 90% of those riders in TTs all the time. The only people I think has an edge on him are the people I mentioned and perhaps one or two more.

Yeah, Lovkvist should be pretty high up there, but he'll lose time on Monte Pterano or Vesuvius, or both.

 

[benpounder]

Menchov is disappointing--tak a pull!

Also, Astana are reprehensible. Two guys and making the Italians do all the work?

Why?

In another thread someone said the Italians need to put room between them and the TT threats. All Menchov and Leipheimer have to do is stay close. Moreover, neither Astana nor RaboBank want to defend pink this early. And if you are complaining, why not mention Columbia in there as well - they had Rogers and Lovkvist in the front for a while as well.

 

[robow7]

Well if there was any doubt before who the GC was for Astana, it's clear now. It will be interesting if they (meaning the celeb as well) will really keep Levi out of the wind and give him their all.

 

[ingsve]

Yeah, Lovkvist should be pretty high up there, but he'll lose time on Monte Pterano or Vesuvius, or both.

Well, ya. I don't think he'll end the giro on the podium or even in the top 5. He's bound to have a few bad days but the question is how bad. I doubt that he will lose 10 minutes in a single climb for example unless he gives up completely which is unlikely since he has a massive lead in the young rider competition and will have an even bigger lead after the TT.

 

[franciep10]

His main motivation had always been the track but he said post-Olympics he'd change tack and have a real crack at the road races this season and next before re-focussing on the London Olympics. I'm not going to defend him like the Lance fanboys, but come on guys, pick on one of the more likely targets, please.

That's a very good comparison because just like them you remain ignorant when there are suspicions. Also yeah he could win some races in breakaways and maybe a low class sprint but not a mountain stage that's just ridiculous.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

I think the jury is out on Wiggins. If he's still there at Vesuvius, I'll be really suspect. Probably the same with Lovkvist.

Don't fully trust Garmin or Columbia. Several riders clean, but all clean? I'm not naive, though I think Vaughters means well and is going in the right direction.

I'd go as far as saying I think Astana's "anti-doping program" by Damsgaard is designed to make sure no one on the team pops positive at controls. Fox guarding the hen house.

As BB says, until we get blood volume and wattage profiling, the biological passport program is little more than a guidelines. Of course, someone would have to be seriously out of whack, and not connected to have the UCI do anything.

 

[rolfrae]

That's a very good comparison because just like them you remain ignorant when there are suspicions. Also yeah he could win some races in breakaways and maybe a low class sprint but not a mountain stage that's just ridiculous.

You're getting carried away. Unless I'm missing something, Wiggins hasn't won a farking mountain stage.

 

[Bala Verde]

Those track velodromes have some nasty steep gradients especially in the bends/corners. It's like you're hitting a wall! If you do interval training on these, 10.000x up and down, I bet you'd be getting in good climbing shape

 

[franciep10]

You're getting carried away. Unless I'm missing something, Wiggins hasn't won a farking mountain stage.

Okay how about this I think that riders should be treated equally regardless of team or nationality we should be just as suspicious now contador is on a team with a lot of doping history now we are going to be scrutinize every performance he does now wiggins is on the "clean team" of Garmin and he hasn't been rumored in anything that doesn't meen he shouldn't be scrutinized with the same intensity of contador.

 

[*G*K*S*]

Yippee!! Doping thread.

Try to enjoy the race.

 

[rolfrae]

Okay how about this I think that riders should be treated equally regardless of team or nationality we should be just as suspicious now contador is on a team with a lot of doping history now we are going to be scrutinize every performance he does now wiggins is on the "clean team" of Garmin and he hasn't been rumored in anything that doesn't meen he shouldn't be scrutinized with the same intensity of contador.

Conatdor has never been on a clean team so he has been in constant need of suspicion. I'm not a blind supporter of any rider but I think yours is a panic too early. If Wiggins sticks with the likes of Basso, Heras, Menchov and Levi (which he didn't manage today--he lost nearly 2 mins) all the way through the mountains then I'll be asking questions too, but I doubt he will.

 

[franciep10]

Can you believe that we just finished a mountain top stage in the Giro and we are talking about Bradley Wiggins, anyway to the guy that just spoke I'll wait but if this repeats itself then I'm calling the Coast Guard because something stinks in the water.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

If Wiggins sticks with the likes of Basso, Heras... all the way through the mountains then I'll be asking questions too, but I doubt he will.

Heras? You mean Sastre, right? Poor Roberto's been blacklisted from the sport it seems.

Agree with your post however. We'll know more about Brad in two weeks.

 

[UtahGrimpeur]

Stage 5 Results

DiLuca and Menchov rode brilliantly, while Satsre road quite valiantly. Basso did what he needed,and Levi did his usual wheel following followed by slow slide. Watching Armstrong pedal backwards is upsetting whilst thinking about the young rider watching at home whose spot was taken by Lance and his massive ego.

 

[gttim!]

Good News!

At least Tommy D isn't out of it yet!

100 Thomas Danielson (USA) Garmin - Slipstream 27.59

Isn't he Garmin's Plan B?

 

[rolfrae]

Heras? You mean Sastre, right? Poor Roberto's been blacklisted from the sport it seems.

Agree with your post however. We'll know more about Brad in two weeks.

Oops, yes, I meant Sastre! Shows you what I know. Brad will win the next mountain stage and then tell us all about his new high cadence and his gluten free diet, and all will be well.

 

[rolfrae]

At least Tommy D isn't out of it yet!

100 Thomas Danielson (USA) Garmin - Slipstream 27.59

Isn't he Garmin's Plan B?

He crashed yesterday, maybe that's his problem? (Who am I kidding?) Or maybe he got Wiggin's injection and Wiggins got his by mistake?

 

[*G*K*S*]

DiLuca and Menchov rode brilliantly, while Satsre road quite valiantly. Basso did what he needed,and Levi did his usual wheel following followed by slow slide. Watching Armstrong pedal backwards is upsetting whilst thinking about the young rider watching at home whose spot was taken by Lance and his massive ego.

5th place on a mountain stage = slow slide? Levi looked very tranquilo today with the help of his stud teammate Horner. Look out for him because he'll get full team support now that whats-his-name is no longer in the picture.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Dudes, Wiggins only finished 22nd. And it's not like he is that bad, these climbs weren't super steep and if he can find a nice group where he can suck wheels and he is in top shape, this is appearently possible.
But ofcourse, doping obsessed as most people are, they start to ask questions.

For me personally, it's a sign the sport is getting cleaner if guys like Wiggins can finish top 25. Also, you see that of the top riders, nobody can really make a difference. Basso in 2006, when he made pace, nobody could follow. Now 5/6 riders hang on, that's the difference... It does make mountain stages far less spectacular though, as everybody awaits the final kilometer to make a change, instead of attack far earlier on, like in the old days.

 

[Bala Verde]

Some short TT results from this year.

In the Tirreno-Adriatico, a 30k ITT with some rather hilly sections:

1 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana 41.32 (43.339 km/h)
2 Stijn Devolder (Bel) Quick Step 0.20
3 Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Columbia-Highroad 0.21
4 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-AndroniGiocattoli
5 Mikhail Ignatiev (Rus) Katusha 0.32
6 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank 0.40
7 Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone-CaffeMokambo 0.41
8 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Columbia-Highroad 0.52
9 Linus Gerdemann (Ger) Milram 0.58
10 Jérôme Coppel (Fra) Française des Jeux 1.00
11 Bert Grabsch (Ger) Columbia-Highroad
12 Fredrik Kessiakoff (Swe) Fuji-Servetto 1.04
13 Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Silence-Lotto 1.05
14 Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr) Columbia-Highroad
15 Thomas Dekker (Ned) Silence-Lotto 1.06
16 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas 1.07
17 Lieuwe Westra (Ned) Vacansoleil
18 Gabriele Bosisio (Ita) LPR Brakes-Farnese Vini 1.08
19 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas 1.14

and the one in Pais Vasco, a 24k TT, with one 4k 5% climb (and followd by equal descent)

1 Alberto Contador (Spa) Astana 31.59 (45.023 km/h)
2 Antonio Colom Mas (Spa) Team Katusha 0.22
3 Samuel Sánchez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0.45
4 Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Columbia - Highroad 1.09
5 Luis León Sánchez Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 1.13
6 Marco Pinotti (Ita) Team Columbia - Highroad 1.18
7 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Garmin - Slipstream 1.22
8 Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence-Lotto 1.25
9 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank
10 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C. 1.26
11 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas 1.36
12 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas 1.41
13 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Astana 1.43
14 Maxime Monfort (Bel) Team Columbia - Highroad 1.44
15 Dario Cataldo (Ita) Quick Step 1.46
16 Christian Knees (Ger) Team Milram 1.49
17 Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Team Columbia - Highroad
18 Gustav Larsson (Swe) Team Saxo Bank 1.51
19 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Cervélo TestTeam 1.56

Menchov did one in Murcia and came in 25s behind Rabon(COL) and 6s behind Grabsch (COL). Field was not competitive and the TT was 16k

 

[Snake8]

You guys can't have it both ways all the time on doping - complain that the race is boring then smack every non-expected performance with a doping label! Seriously, why do you dope-heads even watch this sport?

Anyway, Liquigas might have shot a wad too soon I think. They tried the JB/Lance blow em up tactic but only managed to shed one real potential contender (Cunego, if you can even call him a real contender). They rode like they owned the race when it was Columbia who should have been wasting bullets.

Columbia rode smart.

Astana should have tried to keep Popo up there as he was up there on GC which would have given them something like 3 guys in the top ten? Loved Horner's ride, I hope some of the other Astana boys work for Levi and Horner gets a chance to jump for a stage a la Hincapie in the TDF.

I pray to the cycling gods that the Universal announcer gets the LA bug out of his a$$ now that LA is out of contention. That guy has to be the worst announcer ever in the history of sports announcing. He just says who is on the screen if he can figure out who it is, no race tactics, knowledge of riders, knowledge of the sport, history nothing!!!!! Thanks to Universal for getting the Giro, but I cant imagine anyone but the diehards tuning in to hear that awful commentary. Maybe we can get him some CERA and EPO and his performance will improve 20%....

 

[*G*K*S*]

I pray to the cycling gods that the Universal announcer gets the LA bug out of his a$$ now that LA is out of contention. That guy has to be the worst announcer ever in the history of sports announcing. He just says who is on the screen if he can figure out who it is, no race tactics, knowledge of riders, knowledge of the sport, history nothing!!!!! Thanks to Universal for getting the Giro, but I cant imagine anyone but the diehards tuning in to hear that awful commentary. Maybe we can get him some CERA and EPO and his performance will improve 20%....

Snake8

Mute the Universal clown and listen to Sean Kelly on the Eurosport audio feed.

 

[jaylew]

Snake8

Mute the Universal clown and listen to Sean Kelly on the Eurosport audio feed.

Problem with that is the Eurosport Audio is about a minute behind the Universal Video.