What did this Giro teach us?

[Ruudz0r]

pozzovivo always fades away in a 3rd week and he also lacks true engine and big altitude climbs aren´t his thing either.

Dont think you can say that, this year he still did respectable in the 3rd week (especially the wednesday stage) even though his peak was 5 weeks ago and the rain at the end of week 2 also had his influence on him (but that will probably happen in every giro).

 

[Climbing]

... nowadays cycling is cleaner...

 

[The Hitch]

Not all anglophone countries will respond to a Giro with " pfff who cares about some Tour de France warmup"

De Gendt is going to be a big rider: GTs, Ardennes.

We already knew that

 

[RedheadDane]

- That GT with Contador is way better than without him.

Why? Last year we pretty much knew who was gonna win halfway through the race...

- Liquigas was a strong team that ran out of gas

Pun intended?

Denmark has to be the most boring Euro-place there is (what they showed anyway. That footage of Denmark is almost guaranteed to keep tourists away)

What you mean 'bout that???
I know Denmark is a flat country but we can't change our geography now, can we?

This years Giro was better without him. It would have been a slaughter. Again. In fact the only way to keep the GC interesting with him in the race is to knock him over several times in the first half of the race.

Yeah...

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Basso is even more of a one-trick pony than Rodríguez
Eurosport love Piva
Sergio Henao is indeed the real deal as many of us suspected
Damiano Cunego is the only established GC rider (even if his realistic GC-contending days are a long time ago now) with any guts; Nieve and de Gendt are capable of making themselves challengers with a bit of guile.
Beñat Intxausti can deliver on the promise he had, but three weeks is a bit too much for him.
Mark Cavendish is prepared to slog his guts out for the Giro, and credit to him for that.
Matteo Rabottini is much more interesting than the whole GC battle put together.
Androni, for all the bullets they seemed to have in their gun, are a bit toothless (Serpa's misfortune notwithstanding - he can be excused).
Denmark is a really boring place to host bike racing.

 

[LaFlorecita]

This years Giro was better without him. It would have been a slaughter. Again. In fact the only way to keep the GC interesting with him in the race is to knock him over several times in the first half of the race.

At least he attacks. That's exciting.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Why? Last year we pretty much knew who was gonna win halfway through the race...

Yeah and that's why it was so awesome.

 

[Bavarianrider]

It would be great if they brought ack the Intergiro. I always like this. And it ads some excitement to the race.

 

[RedheadDane]

At least he attacks. That's exciting.

It's no big thing to attack when you know that nobody will be able to follow you...

 

[LaFlorecita]

It's no big thing to attack when you know that nobody will be able to follow you...

Nice, no?

 

[RedheadDane]

Nice, no?

Huh?

At the end of the day a GT winner isn't the guy who attacks the most but the one who is most consistent and holds the pink/yellow/red jersey at the end of the last day...

But really, I'm not saying that last year's Giro was worse than this year's, I'm just saying it wasn't better either. It was two very different situations. Last year had one very dominant rider, who basically controlled everything. While this year had a bunch of equally strong riders, meaning that there was no real boss, nobody to take charge. Basso tried but in the end it didn't work!

I'm not implying that Contador wasn't a deserving champion either, he was! You don't smash everyone else with over 6 minutes if you aren't consistent. And remember; he came third in the Milan TT even though he was just taking it easy!

I guess we can also say that some of the contenders learned not to base their tactics on we suspect he'll lose time in the mountains.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Huh?

Why "Huh?""?

It's nice that no one can follow Alberto.

At the end of the day a GT winner isn't the guy who attacks the most but the one who is most consistent and holds the pink/yellow/red jersey at the end of the last day...

I guess we can also say that some of the contenders learned not to base their tactics on we suspect he'll lose time in the mountains.

We weren't discussing what is needed to win but what is needed for an exciting race. And for an exciting race we need... attacks.

 

[airstream]

My wishes for 2013 edition:

- No Dolomites; Frankly, I didn't like the 2009 parcours a lot, but after this Giro, no doubt such a route type is entitled to be once in 5-10 years;
- The Apennines;
- GC showdown in Piemonte with decent finishes, in France included;
- More TT kilometers just of for a change;
- To try to make up something to reinforce the Giro field, although given the 100th Tour it is very difficult.

 

[RedheadDane]

Why "Huh?""?

It's nice that no one can follow Alberto.




We weren't discussing what is needed to win but what is needed for an exciting race. And for an exciting race we need... attacks.

1: Only if you're a totally crazy fangirl!



2: Why? Having one rider constantly attack because he knows he can drop everyone else is in my opinion more boring than having four-five riders looking at each other, not knowing what to do because everyone is more or less equal...

 

[LaFlorecita]

2: Why? Having one rider constantly attack because he knows he can drop everyone else is in my opinion more boring than having four-five riders looking at each other, not knowing what to do because everyone is more or less equal...

I never said that one should be 10 times better than the others, I just said that attacks make a race interesting.

Edit: Maybe I should clarify that for me, a race is exciting when there is exciting racing, not because everyone is equal and the GC is really close.

 

[LaFlorecita]

My wishes for 2013 edition:

- No Dolomites; Frankly, I didn't like the 2009 parcours a lot, but after this Giro, no doubt such a route type is entitled to be once in 5-10 years;
- The Apennines;
- GC showdown in Piemonte with decent finishes, in France included;
- More TT kilometers just of for a change;
- To try to make up something to reinforce the Giro field, although given the 100th Tour it is very difficult.

They don't have to do something to reinforce the Giro field, Alberto will race it a few times and also lots of other great riders.

And please, they shouldn't go to France, there are enough awesome mountains in Italy.

 

[jens_attacks]

2: Why? Having one rider constantly attack because he knows he can drop everyone else is in my opinion more boring than having four-five riders looking at each other, not knowing what to do because everyone is more or less equal...

that's very wrong
.i'd rather watch armstrong destroying my idols again and again than to see hesjedal,scarponi,basso and purito attacking each other in the last km.

 

[LaFlorecita]

that's very wrong
.i'd rather watch armstrong destroying my idols again and again than to see hesjedal,scarponi,basso and purito attacking each other in the last km.

Yes exactly the same here. It's incredibly boring when everyone else is looking at each other.

 

[RedheadDane]

that's very wrong
.i'd rather watch armstrong destroying my idols again and again than to see hesjedal,scarponi,basso and purito attacking each other in the last km.

That's where our opinions differ! I prefer a race which isn't settled until the very end. The reason they didn't attack before was not to reveal their weaknesses too much. Attacking early might be fun to watch, but it's kinda dumb if you end of burning yourself out completely and/or showing your main rivals where your weaknesses are...

 

[Zam_Olyas]

The previous 160-200 km of a snoozefest and attacking in the last 1 and half km is just not right.

 

[airstream]

Jens, I guess a general fan perception of the Giro would strongly of changed if Basso and Scarponi had been in Hesjedal's and Purito's places. And we would've said: "Look, RoboBasso is old but he still has his engine, how he dropped Michele on Pampeago, whoooah!" In my opinion, fans are not ready for global changes. Only secondarily, that's the matter of weak activity and later attacks on the climbs. What do you think about it?

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Jens, I guess a general fan perception of the Giro would strongly of changed if Basso and Scarponi had been in Hesjedal's and Purito's places. Fans are not ready for global changes. Only secondarily, that's the matter of weak activity and later attacks on the climbs. What do you think about it?

Even if Edouard Louis Joseph,Il Pio,Angelo,hinault,lemond, and all the other greats returns and rides like how this giro was ridden it would still suck.

 

[hiero2]

- Anti-doping course prospers;
- Scarponi and Basso will only get weaker but there are no young italians (except Nibali) that could replace the instantly;
. . ., we should be grateful than the Giro didn't include more hard climbs;
- Cycling on GT's is undergoing an alternation of generations and many surprises await us at the Tour de France.

I agree. I think the anti-doping is taking hold. And Basso is of the old generation now - I think he has seen his best days pass behind him.

DeGendt, although his performance made me suspicious (see The Clinic), is young and strong, and could be the real deal. Kreuziger, I understand, is also young and strong and could go somewhere with it. Or not. I've enjoyed watching Ryder for years now, but I think this will be the highlight of his career. I am glad for him. But I agree that we are at the changing of the generations. I am looking forward to seeing more from Phinney and Stetina.

Btw - I thought this was an exciting Giro. What fun to see Phinney in pink, and all excited about it! Then we had Cav keeping things suspenseful - just like the Lion King used to! Not to mention those two wonderful stages where the course designers decided to throw in hairpin turns in the last 500 meters, just to see what kind of carnage resulted. I can do without that kind of excitement, though. I don't watch just to see the wrecks.

 

[airstream]

Even if Edouard Louis Joseph,Il Pio,Angelo,hinault,lemond, and all the other greats returns and rides like how this giro was ridden it would still suck.

I fear judging by how this all develops, the worst is ahead.

 

[iZnoGouD]

When Basso talks too much it's because he is weak

when he is quite that's because he is super strong