What other big names will be in Lombardia?

[powderpuff]

winning the WC doesn't make evans some kind of one day power house.

If you check the results of most of the spring classics Cadel has raced in and the Lombardia he has always been in contention at the finish and a major protagonist, the world's will just open the eyes of a few people to see that he is there challenging!

 

[Kingsley A]

He should have ended his season at the worlds, even at the end of the vuelta. He has a monstor heart.

rest, recover, more rest... then train. I think 2010 could be the year where gesink trades in his minor placings for wins. He is due to win something big. Maybe AGR, or a stage race like paris-nice etc. I still think he could podium at the tour.

All things being equal, I wouldn't be surprised to see the podium at the 2010 Tour being:
1) Contodor, A.
2) Schleck, A
3) Gesink, R.

I think you are right though, Gesink would be better off ignoring GdL in favour of recovery.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

All things being equal, I wouldn't be surprised to see the podium at the 2010 Tour being:
1) Contodor, A.
2) Schleck, A
3) Gesink, R.

I think you are right though, Gesink would be better off ignoring GdL in favour of recovery.

That is my pick for the podium also.

powderpuff: I don't disagree he will be amongst it, but suggesting that it will be a duel between him and cunego is ridiculious.
1. There are many riders at a similar level too evans in that race.. valv. sanchez... etc. WC wont turn him into a superman in Lombardia compared to other years.. although it might lift his confidence at the very least.
2. Putting him in the same league as cunego in Gdl cause he won theWC, is simply ignorant imo.
That being said he might win it, and cunego might be no where, all i'm saying is suggesting evans v cunego duel is absurd.

 

[Anonymous]

All things being equal, I wouldn't be surprised to see the podium at the 2010 Tour being:
1) Contodor, A.
2) Schleck, A
3) Gesink, R.

I think you are right though, Gesink would be better off ignoring GdL in favour of recovery.

I think it's hard to predict Gesink on the podium next year, simply because we have no idea about the parcours.

If it was the same as this year, then yeh he'll be up there, but if its like 2007 with 2 long time trials( or 2008 with a long and a medium TT), it would be huge for Gesink (and maybe Schleck) to get on the podium. I think a climber's GT like the Giro/Vuelta would be good for him next year.

Of course, it all depends on the tour course. I hope (like really hope) they learn from this year and put in at least one 50km TT (hopefully two) to keep the TT specialists up there in contention

 

[powderpuff]

all i'm saying is suggesting evans v cunego duel is absurd.

I agree; to back up from the high of winning the world's will be an enormous task; not a physical task but an emotional one. After trying for so long to achieve that big result it takes a while to focus on other goals.
He will do well to be on the podium but to call it as a battle royal between him and Cunego is a bit short sighted.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

This year's course lacked steep mouintains. The time trials were fine imo. It was the TTT that destroyed the tour in the first place. Wiggins 4th... that would suggest to me the course wasn't that tough, not saying he didn't ride well, I just doubt he could do that if the mountains were more demanding.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I doubt it will be a duel between them too, winning the WC doesn't make evans some kind of one day power house.

Cunego is very dominant in this race, which is quite hard imo.
He is rightly so my favorite.

I beleive basso will podium.

Evans came 4th in lombardia in 07. I think that result says that he will be a contender.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I think it's hard to predict Gesink on the podium next year, simply because we have no idea about the parcours.

If it was the same as this year, then yeh he'll be up there, but if its like 2007 with 2 long time trials( or 2008 with a long and a medium TT), it would be huge for Gesink (and maybe Schleck) to get on the podium. I think a climber's GT like the Giro/Vuelta would be good for him next year.

Of course, it all depends on the tour course. I hope (like really hope) they learn from this year and put in at least one 50km TT (hopefully two) to keep the TT specialists up there in contention

+1
I think if they make a route like 06 or 07 it would keep the time trial specialist gc riders such as menchov, Leipheimer and Evans in contention.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I agree; to back up from the high of winning the world's will be an enormous task; not a physical task but an emotional one. After trying for so long to achieve that big result it takes a while to focus on other goals.
He will do well to be on the podium but to call it as a battle royal between him and Cunego is a bit short sighted.

I never said he would win (I think cunego will) but i think he would definetly have to be one of favourites. Is Sanchez riding? If he's in it, that may make it very interesting.

 

[auscyclefan94]

This year's course lacked steep mouintains. The time trials were fine imo. It was the TTT that destroyed the tour in the first place. Wiggins 4th... that would suggest to me the course wasn't that tough, not saying he didn't ride well, I just doubt he could do that if the mountains were more demanding.

Agreed. I think the route will be set better out this year for the tour.

Arcalis had altitude and and length but the gradient at the top of climb wasn't overly steep. Nobody wanted to go over than evans and Contador.

Verbier wasn't overly long, so it wasn't going to cause huge gaps but the pace set by Astana and the vicious attack by Contador opened it up.

Mont Ventoux was long, steep and windy but from the spectator's point of view it was lack luster and anti - climaxal.

Colombiere/ La Grand bornand was a good stage and a little controversial with the Kloden, AC situation. Good parcours.

The rest of the "mountain" stages were just a snooze fest.

Back on topic: the Giro di Lombardia route doesn't look hard but the final 50km are very undulating and very up and down. it's a cunego course as the others will have to get away from him because he'll beat everyone in the sprint.

Here's the profile:

 

[Anonymous]

+1
I think if they make a route like 06 or 07 it would keep the time trial specialist gc riders such as menchov, Leipheimer and Evans in contention.

Spot on. I think 4 mountain top finishes, and two 50km ITT's is the perfect formula for a tour. Throw in some more mountains with decent finishes to mix things up, and a short prologue to get things started, and we'll probably see a close tour like 06, 07 and 08.

I pray that they don't put in a TTT. Ruins the racing. Distance's strong teams, from the strong individual riders like menchov and evans, therefore making the race more predictable (and boring, IMO). The only time I would want to see a TTT, is as a short, 10-20km, opening stage, like what the Giro 09 and Vuelta 08 did. But i'd rather a prologue

 

[auscyclefan94]

Spot on. I think 4 mountain top finishes, and two 50km ITT's is the perfect formula for a tour. Throw in some more mountains with decent finishes to mix things up, and a short prologue to get things started, and we'll probably see a close tour like 06, 07 and 08.

I pray that they don't put in a TTT. Ruins the racing. Distance's strong teams, from the strong individual riders like menchov and evans, therefore making the race more predictable (and boring, IMO). The only time I would want to see a TTT, is as a short, 10-20km, opening stage, like what the Giro 09 and Vuelta 08 did. But i'd rather a prologue

Prologue is definetly better than a TTT but a 10km TTT at the start of the tour wouldn't bother me. i think your formula for a GT is a good one as it will make it more open and not so closed as this years tour was.

With the giro di lombardia is thomas lovkist riding as he may be an outside chance?

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

There was nothing wrong with the ITT this year, just the TTT.

 

[auscyclefan94]

There was nothing wrong with the ITT this year, just the TTT.

There was 55km of ITT. It was a tour de france made for pure climbers and didn't give much to guys who can tt.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

It wasn't a Tour for the pure climbers. How can you say that with such mountain stages.

It was a Tour of nothingness. A Tour made so easy a Frenchman could get into the top 10 gc.

 

[auscyclefan94]

It wasn't a Tour for the pure climbers. How can you say that with such mountain stages.

It was a Tour of nothingness. A Tour made so easy a Frenchman could get into the top 10 gc.

True... but if you had a route like 06 or 07 Andy Schleck wouldn't of been 2nd. It didn't give much for guys like Leipheimer, Menchov or Evans who are strong time trialists as well as gc guys.

 

[Anonymous]

There was nothing wrong with the ITT this year, just the TTT.

serious? 55km? If the team TT was an individual, that would make 95km of individual TTing which I think would have been a lot better and more like a traditional TDF.

55km of ITT's hardly separates the field, plus the 15km prologue was basically a 7.5k hill climb with a tricky descent, and the 40k TT had an solid climb in there. As auscylcefan said, it really was a climber's tour designed for contador/schleck. Yes contador won the TT, but he lost a minute to cancellara in the last 12km indicating the TT's were designed for climbers.

 

[Hammerhed]

Back to Lombardia

I'm surprised you guys sell Evans so short as a one-day racer when he has always done well in the Ardennes races. Though he has been a whiner off the bike, he is pretty darn tough on the bike. He is so pumped about winning the WC that I think he'll turn his guts inside out to try to win Lombardia. With his new-found confidence and his realization that attacking pays dividends, Cadel just may take the Little Princess to the prom: Tighten your knickers, Damiano, Cadel is coming over for the dance.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm surprised you guys sell Evans so short as a one-day racer when he has always done well in the Ardennes races. Though he has been a whiner off the bike, he is pretty darn tough on the bike. He is so pumped about winning the WC that I think he'll turn his guts inside out to try to win Lombardia. With his new-found confidence and his realization that attacking pays dividends, Cadel just may take the Little Princess to the prom: Tighten your knickers, Damiano, Cadel is coming over for the dance.

I hope you're right! His fleche performances have showed good strength and I wouldn't be surprised if he challenges at Lombardy this year and the ardennes again next year.

There was some good discussion in the "who will win the worlds" thread about evan's one-day ability, indicating that people shouldn't have seen his worlds win as that much of a surprise.

I think he'll have gained confidence from the worlds and that form should hold for the next two weeks in Italy so hopefully he snatches a good result in Lombardy and moves to 3rd in the world rankings

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

In a route like 06 or 07 A. Schleck still would finish 2nd, on the bases of the fact there were also more and harder mountain stages besides the TT.
In 07 total anti-tt Rasmussen was winning the Tour de France remember.

Dont underestimate A. Schleck. I made that mistake before

 

[Angliru]

I hope you're right! His fleche performances have showed good strength and I wouldn't be surprised if he challenges at Lombardy this year and the ardennes again next year.

There was some good discussion in the "who will win the worlds" thread about evan's one-day ability, indicating that people shouldn't have seen his worlds win as that much of a surprise.

I think he'll have gained confidence from the worlds and that form should hold for the next two weeks in Italy so hopefully he snatches a good result in Lombardy and moves to 3rd in the world rankings

I think its pretty rare in this generation for the recently crowned WC to immediately follow his win with a major victory before closing out the season. With the opportunities being few and the jersey definitely making that rider a marked man, he would have to be far superior in form to his competitors
in addition to needing to have a strong, well drilled, dedicated team, which Evans doesn't have. I really don't think the acquisition of the WC jersey's is going to change all of his teammates willingness to ride any harder for him.
The most important win of his career came while wearing his national jersey and supported by his fellow Australians, not wearing the S/L kit and backed by his S/L teammates. I doubt that he'll even podium.

I believe the last to do so was Paulo Bettini and as far as one day racers go Evans is no Paulo and S/L is not Quick Step. Before Bettini you'd have to go all the way back to 1998 when Oscar Camenzind did the WC and GdL double.

Most of the time from my recollection its been mostly ceremonial with the wearer of the dropping out of the race or finishing in the pack, lacking the motivation to suffer anymore with the end of the season looming so close ahead and the high from their big WC win still strong.

 

[Arnout]

Yeah, Bettini was the last one, and in what a way...

Anyway, don't think Cunego is top favorite if he's in the same shape as in the worlds. Not with Evans and Sanchez participating as well.

Its a pity many of the big names don't start in this most beautiful race of the year anymore.

 

[Angliru]

Sammie Sanchez has been showing excellent form and should be extra motivated with his disappointments in the Vuelta and Worlds. I'd give him the edge on Cunego who's stage wins in the Vuelta were impressive but he wasn't a threat to the GC guys with him having purposely lost time to allow him the opportunity to get away. His ultimate strategy worked since his goal was the leadership of the Italian team at the WC's. Unfortunately his form seemed to have left him by then and IMO its questionable whether he'll be able to regain the form needed to take his another GdL. I'm hoping Sanchez takes the win. I am a bit biased admittedly.

Agreed its a shame more big names to take a serious stab at this event. It is a monument for pete's sake. What better way to end a season? So many riders just shut it down after the Tour even, which to me is ridiculous. Others after the Vuelta or Lombardia.

Will Universal Sports be telecasting this Lombardia online?

 

[St. Elia]

Sammie Sanchez has been showing excellent form and should be extra motivated with his disappointments in the Vuelta and Worlds. I'd give him the edge on Cunego who's stage wins in the Vuelta were impressive but he wasn't a threat to the GC guys with him having purposely lost time to allow him the opportunity to get away. His ultimate strategy worked since his goal was the leadership of the Italian team at the WC's. Unfortunately his form seemed to have left him by then and IMO its questionable whether he'll be able to regain the form needed to take his another GdL. I'm hoping Sanchez takes the win. I am a bit biased admittedly.

Agreed its a shame more big names to take a serious stab at this event. It is a monument for pete's sake. What better way to end a season? So many riders just shut it down after the Tour even, which to me is ridiculous. Others after the Vuelta or Lombardia.

Will Universal Sports be telecasting this Lombardia online?

I agree Sanchez is my pick too, he seems to be a little angry after losing the worlds and may want revenge. But I disagree about Evans, he is pretty consistant and race the whole year un like lots of other pros. It's not going to be easy for him or the little prince they will both be marked and while they will both be up there I can't see either of them winning.

 

[blaxland]

There was nothing wrong with the ITT this year, just the TTT.

i agree,no ttt needed,but should add some kms in the itt..