Which GC riders should compete in the Giro instead of the Tour in 2013?

[orangerider]

[/B]
Not nowadays, with the Giro having tough parcourses. TOC & Dauphine are used more and more as training rides.

Relatively speaking, you'll have far more guys in the Giro training than you'll see in the TDF training for the Vuelta. Take out even a few guys from the roster who are serious about winning and you'll improve your own odds without having to do anything extra.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

> Which GC riders should compete in the Giro instead of the Tour in 2013?

The Italians: Pellizotti, Nibali, Scarponi, Basso, Pozzovivo, Di Luca. The South American climbers who can stand the cold. Add in some potential climbing / GT talent. Evans maybe, but I don't expect a Cadel friendly route, so he's probably better off focusing on the Tour (stage wins) and the Vuelta

Hesjedal and Purito will want to do the Tour next year.

 

[SafeBet]

TDF is harder. The competition is harder at all levels - not just from the favorites, but the domestiques are all cherry picked to be the best (usually, at least). Flat stages for the favorites are much more intense than in the Giro or Vuelta so recovery becomes an even more important factor.

Although it's true flat stages are normally raced faster, TdF is not a harder race itself.
It has the best competition, but not the hardest parcours. Most of riders who've ridden both will tell you Giro is the hardest between the two.
There are more mountain stages and gradients are much steeper.

Relatively speaking, you'll have far more guys in the Giro training than you'll see in the TDF training for the Vuelta.

Mention me 10 riders who've used the Giro to train for the Tour this year. I'm genuinely curious.
As posted before, this was probably true some years ago, but nowadays I don't see it anymore.


As for the originale question, I truly believe Gesink needs to come to the Giro to boost his confidence. He's an amazing rider and would make the race entertaining + less crashes.
Sanchez should get another shot at the Tour. As VdB.
Nibali would be the favorite at the Giro and I hope Astana let him ride it.
I don't see Evans, Basso and Menchov winning another GT in their career.

 

[the asian]

Although it's true flat stages are normally raced faster, TdF is not a harder race itself.
It has the best competition, but not the hardest parcours. Most of riders who've ridden both will tell you Giro is the hardest between the two.
There are more mountain stages and gradients are much steeper.



Mention me 10 riders who've used the Giro to train for the Tour this year. I'm genuinely curious.
As posted before, this was probably true some years ago, but nowadays I don't see it anymore.


As for the originale question, I truly believe Gesink needs to come to the Giro to boost his confidence. He's an amazing rider and would make the race entertaining + less crashes.
Sanchez should get another shot at the Tour. As VdB.
Nibali would be the favorite at the Giro and I hope Astana let him ride it.
I don't see Evans, Basso and Menchov winning another GT in their career.

True. Wiggins said that even the Vuelta is tougher than the Tour.

 

[the asian]

Relatively speaking, you'll have far more guys in the Giro training than you'll see in the TDF training for the Vuelta. Take out even a few guys from the roster who are serious about winning and you'll improve your own odds without having to do anything extra.

People who used the Giro to train for the Tour burned out and sucked in the Tour in the recent past. Evans 2010, Menchov 2009 comes to mind. Even Bertie found it difficult in 2011.
Not a single serious TDF contender raced at the Giro. Even Nibali skipped it.
However on the other hand Cobo is using the Tour to train for the vuelta.

 

[cineteq]

Nibali would be the favorite at the Giro and I hope Astana let him ride it.

I don't think he'll ride the Giro next year for 2 reasons:
1. He'll be the best GC rider for Antana
2. Next year's Tour is the 100th anniversary one, which means lots of climbing. Every team will want to be there with their best guys.

 

[asdfgh101]

Nibali may never have a better chance to win the Giro (relatively weak field) and he could stil ride the Tour for stage wins.

If Scarponi rides the Giro then where does that leave Cunego? If both rode the Giro with GC ambitions Lampre would be left without many bullets to fire in the Tour.

 

[Froome19]

All of the ones who are not going to win the Tour, so everyone besides Contador and Sky..

 

[theyoungest]

Voted Evans, Nibali, Menchov, Basso, Mollema.

For Evans, Menchov, and Basso it's the only chance to still win a GT. For Nibali it's just a race where he belongs. Mollema maybe can't get on the podium in the Giro, but if there's no absurd Zoncolan-like climbs it's a race that suits him.

I can't see Sanchez and Valverde in the Giro. They should just do the Tour-Vuelta double.

Same for Gesink, I don't think he's a Giro rider, he just needs to get through a first Tour week once without serious crashes (it's a big ask, I know).

Andy Schleck is one of the best TDF riders. It's the only race that really seems to make him tick, he can handle the pressure and nervousness, so he should just stick to it.

 

[Kellys Big Sprocket]

If Roche joins this new dream team Italian "crew" Bernard Tapie style it will be the Giro for him for 2013 and 2014. Go ask his da.

 

[The Hitch]

I don't think he'll ride the Giro next year for 2 reasons:
1. He'll be the best GC rider for Antana
2. Next year's Tour is the 100th anniversary one, which means lots of climbing. Every team will want to be there with their best guys.

It is not the 100th anniversary but the 100th edition.

 

[icefire]

All of them if they want to win a GT, Bertie will be back.

Err... we'll need some of them in the Tour. Otherwise the defending champion will be second

 

[SafeBet]

Same for Gesink, I don't think he's a Giro rider

Why not?
Flat stages are raced slower, there's low risk to be involved in a crash unless you're a sprinter, not much pressure from the media.

You think he lacks the skills to win it?

 

[airstream]

Contador surely. btw why is he out of the poll?

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Contador surely. btw why is he out of the poll?

trolololol

 

[BoxCoppi]

I don't think he'll ride the Giro next year for 2 reasons:
1. He'll be the best GC rider for Antana
2. Next year's Tour is the 100th anniversary one, which means lots of climbing. Every team will want to be there with their best guys.

A little off topic. However, is it a guess that there'll be lots of mountains next tour or based on something? Genuinely curious (and already a bit excited).

Edit: Oh, and on topic. Would love to see Evans in the Giro again next year. No reason for him to battle it out with AS, AC, Froome and Wiggins. No matter the parcours.

 

[airstream]

Whoah, how cute one voted, all but Contador... It's a clinical case.

On a serious note, we should wait for the parcours to be unveiled. But I think whatever it is, Samu, Gesink, Mollema and Alex won't anyways start the Giro. It is the 100th Tour and sponsor requirements will prevail over riders' desire, so VdB will go to le Tour as well. Menchov and Nibali have a realistic chance to ride the Giro.

 

[theyoungest]

Why not?
Flat stages are raced slower, there's low risk to be involved in a crash unless you're a sprinter, not much pressure from the media.

You think he lacks the skills to win it?

It's a general feeling, Italy does suit him (Tirreno, Emilia) but somehow I can't see him on the podium in the Giro. I don't think he really wants to ride the Giro anyway.

The way he's evolving he's actually becoming more of a Tour rider, the early Gesink may have been more like the Giro type.

 

[Cult Classics]

Riders should wait to see the course before deciding. It didn't happen in the end due to injury, but I thought Andy Schleck was mad to pick the Tour as his grand tour this year - it just did not suit him at all, easily the least appealing of the three parcours wise (though there are other factors, of course). It's fairly obvious that you can't do Giro and Tour in the same year anymore to a high standard though - Contador finishing 5th last year at the Tour the ultimate proof - and unfortunately I think that will harm the Giro. Course aside, riders from virtually all countries other than Italy will choose the Tour ahead of the Giro all things even (teammates, sponsors etc) just because of the exposure involved.

As for the Vuelta, to me it's definitely the least important of the three, but I kind of like it as the "last chance saloon" race - if you chose the Tour or Giro and it didn't work out for whatever reason, here's an opportunity to salvage something from the season.