Charlyghoul
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- Jul 19, 2025
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Yes I’d expect Remco to beat Simoni in the time trials.When Simoni and Cunego won their Giros, the overall level was significantly lower than today and the difference with the Tour even more marked. Simoni took over from Pantani's demise and Armstrong cared only for the Tour. In fact, also with the shift of the Vuelta to late summer, which made it ideal for Worlds prep, the Giro got reduced pretty much to a provincial Italian affair at the time. In this context (weak field) and a bizzarre team dynamic, Cunego got his Giro. He got 11th in the 2006 Tour (Landis year) and 6th in 2011 (won by Evans), so both not stellar editions.
That Remco couldn't beat Simoni in a gt is frankly laughable. Simoni never did anything at the Tour gc wise, whereas Remco got third in his first attempt behind the two best in the world (don't let this year cloud your judgment, as he clearly had problems, both physically and with the team). His Vuelta win had Roglic, perhaps the best Vuelta rider ever, until he crashed out. He'd give Simoni 3 minutes in a 30 km tt, 5+ in a 50 km one like those of the Tour during the Armstrong era. Climbing wise, Simoni on Saunier-Duval it's true was formidable, but that was the time of Riccò and Piepoli (with incidentally Gianetti as ds) and so stuff reserved for the Clinic discussions. With a year of the chips all falling in the right place, or at least one without major incident, Remco leaves Simoni behind in the mountains too, at least at the Tour.
Simoni never cared about the tour though really, he was a giro man and was successful and very consistent there.
It might have been all about the tour for the big guns in that era but that’s still true now, I’d still say Remco’s vuelta win is weaker than Cunegos giro.
