What did this Giro teach us?

[staubsauger]

the curse of pantani even exists if you're not a real titleholder.

 

[SafeBet]

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

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

Makes sense.
That's why he's been talking a lot in the last 6 years.

 

[mr. tibbs]

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

No way, eventually riders will figure out that they can actually win races by attacking, and the domestiques of the other guys aren't puffed up with enough drugs to bring them back.

Arguably, one rider has already figured this out, but he wasn't in Italy this year. Maybe Andy will have realized this by July. If that's the case, it'll be an exciting Tour.

But. Lesson from the Giro: Women's cycling is more fun to watch than men's.

 

[Mellow Velo]

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

Not long to wait either. July is just around the corner.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

1 - Giro sucked, was like a TDF clone..
2 - Italians get old and get worse. They need more than Nibali now...
3 - Are there any climbers left who can attack 6/7km from the top and continue accelerating? Or ar these times gone?

 

[blaxland]

1st=most boring giro compared to last years epic.
2nd=riders not attacking(except fot De Gent)
3rd=tactics used by teams(waiting till last kms of stage to attack)
4th=Basso/scarponi are both past their best
5th=its time for the young guys to step up.

 

[RHRH19861986]

Operacion Puerto has cost Basso Mid 06-End 09...

He had a great career, but the Tour win is missing.

2006 Ullrich would´ve won, 2007 Rasmussen, 2009 Contador, but 2008 could´ve been Ivan´s year.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

It taught us more than ever before that not riders but powermeters and DS´s decide the outcomes of grand tours.

That many fans think excitement comes from tiny time gaps and decisions on the last day. That hurts the most, b/c the PR-Guys will now forever design routes the same way as the TdF´s of nowadays.

It taught us that all of us who enjoyed the great grand tours of the 80s are expendable.

 

[Wigwan]

Watch out for Cunego next year. Every big gun will aim the 100th TdF, so Il Piccolo Principe will destroy the field like he should have done this year if he wasn't on that **** Lampre team.

 

[Parrulo]

Operacion Puerto has cost Basso Mid 06-End 09...

He had a great career, but the Tour win is missing.

2006 Ullrich would´ve won, 2007 Rasmussen, 2009 Contador, but 2008 could´ve been Ivan´s year.

the way basso rode the giro 06 if OP hadn't happened he would have made the giro tour double every year from 06 to this year

 

[Parrulo]

Watch out for Cunego next year. Every big gun will aim the 100th TdF, so Il Piccolo Principe will destroy the field like he should have done this year if he wasn't on that **** Lampre team.

i think nibali might go for the giro next year after seeing how poor the race was this year. so there go cunego's chances

i wouldn't mind seeing him win tho, he really is a great rider

 

[The Hitch]

Was just thinking to myself. its been 6 years since the giro had had a prologue..probably a ttt to start next year too.

 

[indiefab]

-- BigMat made a bigger mistake than they ever imagined.

 

[Parrulo]

Was just thinking to myself. its been 6 years since the giro had had a prologue..probably a ttt to start next year too.

2010 says hi

 

[mewmewmew13]

2010 says hi

What a great year that was !!!
amazing

 

[Marcuccio]

It taught me that Franck Shleck's attitude to anything cycling related is as bad as his brother's...

Watching FS's expressions for the time he actually rode, and his body language, was defn that of someone who didn't want to do the Giro, but was called up at the last moment (which was the case).

Both brother's need a serious kick up the ***, and I think something is going to come to ahead before the TdF.

 

[airstream]

Basso is the man whose era was stolen. To him, it's impossible to avoid of this feeling and hard to observe him without compassion. He is very constrained psychologically, feels that many things go wrong and this shackles him mentally even more. Honestly, I felt sadness looking at his poor attempts to push heavy gears and do something on Giau and Pampeago. He couldn't gap even 10 meters. It's the end for him as a contender for podium spots in GT's.

 

[movingtarget]

Basso is the man whose era was stolen. To him, it's impossible to avoid of this feeling and hard to observe him without compassion. He is very constrained psychologically, feels that many things go wrong and this shackles him mentally even more. Honestly, I felt sadness looking at his poor attempts to push heavy gears and do something on Giau and Pampeago. He couldn't gap even 10 meters. It's the end for him as a contender for podium spots in GT's.

Yes Basso will never win another grand Tour. Rujano needs a good psychologist and will never win a grand tour. Kreuziger will also struggle to win one if he cannot stop having bad days in every tour. Great rides by Rodriguez and Hejesdal who can still win races but Scarponi will also struggle to win in the future I think. Pozzovivo has a future and De Gendt looks really good. The tactics by Basso's team were often useless as well. They killed off their own team before the last climb on a few stages and badly overestimated their strength. Szymd is also struggling as well like last year which did not help Basso's chances.

 

[SafeBet]

Pozzovivo has a future and De Gendt looks really good.

He's almost 30.
I think we have a pretty good idea of what he's capable of in a Giro at this point. Top10, not much more.

 

[LaFlorecita]

3 - Are there any climbers left who can attack 6/7km from the top and continue accelerating? Or ar these times gone?

Fear not, my friend, they do still exist.

 

[Morbius]

That team sizes need to be reduced

 

[gilbertador]

Kreuzinger will never really contend for a GC his limit is a top 10 or stage wins, he has never shown the strength to compete with the big favorites on one mountain stage, his stage win doesnt change that as he was given srious latitude.

Liquigas should pay Nibali what ever it takes to keep him, if that means Basso leaves so be it, hes on the downward spiral and out of all GC contenders he has the least kick, that decreases with age, retirement or being the best superdomestique in the world would be an honourable close to his career, he appears to be a really top guy off the bike so its hard to watch him fail in such a dull way. Nibali would have killed this Giro, in lbl he showed even off his favoured terrain and without a strong team he had the ability to make the race and had th panache to make early moves

The UCI points should be offered on combtivity and exposure, maybe 50% of the race win, with 22 teams realistically 8 + know they have little chance to win yet only a few attack, this Giro actually had 5 awesome stages to attack on, I think the route was great, the racing was conservative and only incentives can change that

Smaller teams wont necessarily hlp the racing, the riders can still soft pedal conservatively, an early tt is neeeded and the first mountain stage should end on something like the Zoncolan every year, this should always be the second weekend. In my opinion this is th only way to guarantee time gaps because thre will always be a natural selection

JRod wasted his carreer in Valverdes service, he has improved his tt by unbelievable amount, if he had done this early a top 5 in the 2010 tour and a win in the 2010 vuelta were highly conceivable, now that chance is gone

Ryder Hesjdal is going to go a long way, the 2010 tour was no one off, hes got balls and a quality engine, although the Giro standard this year was low he was awesome up hill and rode a great controlled race with only one weak stage at plan de resinelli. Going to the Tour this year is a massive waste, he could easily come 2nd or 3rd to Contador at the Vuelta, he will be poor at the tour after this effort and who cares about riding for Danielson

Scarponi can thank his lucky stars about 2011 for me he goes down as the least deserving GT winner in history, Contador killed him last year and this year he barely attacked once tt ed awfully and never used Niemec or Ulissi once, total waste of a great potntially exciting team

Androni need Pelizotti and definitely dont need RUjano, the cold effects him massively and his attitude is poor, at least hes willing to take a risk but hes no allrounder and no one outside of Ryo Hazuki views him as a credible threat, thats not trolling thats a fact

Hushovd has the worlds best manager, anyone who can persuade a team he is worth 1.5 mil a year is a true genious, Farrar is a waste of space as a sprinter now hes awfully slow, the same goes for Renshaw/Bos, they dont have what it takes in a GT and there isnt evidence they ever will have it

Italian sprinting looks awesome Viviani missed the Giro but had a great season, Guardini and Ferrari have the potential to be top sprinters too

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Kreuzinger will never really contend for a GC his limit is a top 10 or stage wins, he has never shown the strength to compete with the big favorites on one mountain stage, his stage win doesnt change that as he was given srious latitude.

Liquigas should pay Nibali what ever it takes to keep him, if that means Basso leaves so be it, hes on the downward spiral and out of all GC contenders he has the least kick, that decreases with age, retirement or being the best superdomestique in the world would be an honourable close to his career, he appears to be a really top guy off the bike so its hard to watch him fail in such a dull way. Nibali would have killed this Giro, in lbl he showed even off his favoured terrain and without a strong team he had the ability to make the race and had th panache to make early moves

The UCI points should be offered on combtivity and exposure, maybe 50% of the race win, with 22 teams realistically 8 + know they have little chance to win yet only a few attack, this Giro actually had 5 awesome stages to attack on, I think the route was great, the racing was conservative and only incentives can change that

Smaller teams wont necessarily hlp the racing, the riders can still soft pedal conservatively, an early tt is neeeded and the first mountain stage should end on something like the Zoncolan every year, this should always be the second weekend. In my opinion this is th only way to guarantee time gaps because thre will always be a natural selection

JRod wasted his carreer in Valverdes service, he has improved his tt by unbelievable amount, if he had done this early a top 5 in the 2010 tour and a win in the 2010 vuelta were highly conceivable, now that chance is gone

Ryder Hesjdal is going to go a long way, the 2010 tour was no one off, hes got balls and a quality engine, although the Giro standard this year was low he was awesome up hill and rode a great controlled race with only one weak stage at plan de resinelli. Going to the Tour this year is a massive waste, he could easily come 2nd or 3rd to Contador at the Vuelta, he will be poor at the tour after this effort and who cares about riding for Danielson

Scarponi can thank his lucky stars about 2011 for me he goes down as the least deserving GT winner in history, Contador killed him last year and this year he barely attacked once tt ed awfully and never used Niemec or Ulissi once, total waste of a great potntially exciting team

Androni need Pelizotti and definitely dont need RUjano, the cold effects him massively and his attitude is poor, at least hes willing to take a risk but hes no allrounder and no one outside of Ryo Hazuki views him as a credible threat, thats not trolling thats a fact

Hushovd has the worlds best manager, anyone who can persuade a team he is worth 1.5 mil a year is a true genious, Farrar is a waste of space as a sprinter now hes awfully slow, the same goes for Renshaw/Bos, they dont have what it takes in a GT and there isnt evidence they ever will have it

Italian sprinting looks awesome Viviani missed the Giro but had a great season, Guardini and Ferrari have the potential to be top sprinters too

you made me laugh, thank you

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

hushovd actually makes 2 million a yera at bmc. but then again bmc areone big joke

 

[Havetts]

-- BigMat made a bigger mistake than they ever imagined.

Best first post I've seen in a while. 100% correct.