What now for Vino?

[Psalmon]

I vote "other"

Jan had to chase Vino down in 2005 because Vino (worker bee) attacked the Team leader (Jan) lol. Jan finished 3rd, Vino 5th. If Jan did not have to waste energy chasing Vino who knows.

If Vino races the TdF, and feels he has decent form - Alberto will have to watch his back even more than in 2009. Heck, Alberto should start watching his back starting now.

Astana is Vino's Team.

Absolutely. Vino said at his press conference in Monoco, 7/09, effectively taking on and pushing out JB:

“This team was created for me and it is down to me and I don’t see why I should not return."

Vino then nuked Kashakin's possible return to Astana recently. One cagey guy, just wouldn't want to be locked in a cage with him. Where's the team picture of AC holding up the Tower of Pisa and Vino pushing it over on him?

Given all that, Vino's game is that AC assures his team (Vino's Astana) gets back in the Tour. Vino's playing it polite, respectful, plaintive, wanting on the Tour team. If he's allowed in, Vino lights it up as best he can.

Vino will win something, but probably a stage, not the whole GC. There are ample stages in the Tour or Giro which suit his kinds of attacks. He has never gone one year in his active professional career without winning something. Amazing and suspicious now after the doping affair. But, he has to have the same issues Lance had returning, older, after a break.

I had hoped AC would move to a new team of his own. That would have made the Tour uber-combative assuming Vino were allowed back in. However, a purely Vino-led Tour team scenario was likely impossible to risk.

 

[Pedaaldanser]

I read somewhere that Menchov wants to defend his Giro title.

I recently saw a video interview with him on the Rabo website where he answered something like "we'll see in what situation we'll end up in" to that question.

Check out the website Vino4Ever....Nice team picture:
Where is Alberto?

Taking the picture?

 

[rhubroma]

I read somewhere that Menchov wants to defend his Giro title.

I think he wants to focus on the Tour. I any case, we won't know for sure till the spring.