Who will win 2013 GIRO?

[Altitude]

Great news.
Let Cunego ride the Vuelta now for overall with a strong team to assist him and I'm sure he will be able to score big in Spain. The route should suit him and there might be pretty low competition. Good chances for a out-of-a-sudden comeback as a grand tour winner. Damiano rode a strong Giro last year (Scarponi in fact rode a shameful one). Sadly none of his attacks paid out, but he was the only one of the big names which was consistently trying to give it a go. At least he still managed to win a Grand Tour that way

Scarponi was always a nothing as a grand tour contender and will always be. Except of his one year with Savio nearly all his giro attempts were a big disappointment (this year, last year, also with Manolo). It was just so laughable Scarponi wore the maglia rosa at the start of this Giro, while he was declassed by Contador in 2011. Il Falco knew why he refused to wear il pirata's maglia rosa in 1999. But yeah il Falco at least was a champ, not a joke like Scarponi

Lol, that's pretty rich. Cunego (who hasn't been top 5 in a GT since 07) will "score big" at the Vuelta but Scarponi is a total hack who has never contended in GT's. Wtf are you smoking?

 

[therealtimshady]

Lol, that's pretty rich. Cunego (who hasn't been top 5 in a GT since 07) will "score big" at the Vuelta but Scarponi is a total hack who has never contended in GT's. Wtf are you smoking?

Scarponi will be in the top 5 in the giro this year I think

 

[the asian]

Is Cunego allowed to ride for the Italian National team?

 

[therealtimshady]

Is Cunego allowed to ride for the Italian National team?

Yes as he hasn't been banned at any point in his career - although I don't remember him doing the worlds last year although he may just have been invisible

 

[staubsauger]

Lol, that's pretty rich. Cunego (who hasn't been top 5 in a GT since 07) will "score big" at the Vuelta but Scarponi is a total hack who has never contended in GT's. Wtf are you smoking?

Well Cunego won a Grand Tour! Scarponi didn't. I agree that Scarponi might be in the Top 5 at the Giro this year. But I would be suprised if he would be able t win it.

The Vuelta field seems to be pretty weak this year. Contador, Valverde, Rodriguez, Froome, Wiggins are going to peak for the Tour and even a young prospect like Quintana might be tired after being superdomestique for Valverde in France. That left guys like Anton or Cobo (and these two are pretty inconstant) as main favorites, maybe Uran or Henao and maybe Sanchez and/or Gesink. Yeah against these guys, and a course with ramps just at the end of each mountain stage Cunego would be able to score big in my opinion! Remember 2004?

But I think too he will do the Tour

 

[Eshnar]

Well Cunego won a Grand Tour! Scarponi didn't.

 

[Afrank]

Well Cunego won a Grand Tour! Scarponi didn't. I agree that Scarponi might be in the Top 5 at the Giro this year. But I would be suprised if he would be able t win it.

The Vuelta field seems to be pretty weak this year. Contador, Valverde, Rodriguez, Froome, Wiggins are going to peak for the Tour and even a young prospect like Quintana might be tired after being superdomestique for Valverde in France. That left guys like Anton or Cobo (and these two are pretty inconstant) as main favorites, maybe Uran or Henao and maybe Sanchez and/or Gesink. Yeah against these guys, and a course with ramps just at the end of each mountain stage Cunego would be able to score big in my opinion! Remember 2004?

But I think too he will do the Tour

Sanchez is planning on doing the Vuleta, Nibali will probably do it to prepare for worlds. Plus whoever fails at the Tour could take part. And I could easily see Contador, Purito, and Valverde doing it just for the hell of it and to prepare for worlds.

 

[Altitude]

If you consider Contador the winner of the 2007 Tour, then you've got to extend the same courtesy to Scarponi regarding the 2011 Giro.

I don't consider either of them the winners. Rasmussen won that Tour and Contador won that Giro.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Scarponi will be in the top 5 in the giro this year I think

Agree, it would be a mistake to write off Scarponi.

 

[will10]

By his own admission the Cunego that won the Giro 2004 has come and gone. Call it a truce.

If you consider Contador the winner of the 2007 Tour, then you've got to extend the same courtesy to Scarponi regarding the 2011 Giro.

I don't consider either of them the winners. Rasmussen won that Tour and Contador won that Giro.

Contador won both races on the road. Sorry.

 

[Leendert82]

He didn't climb very well in that TdS TT as well, and if you think his climbing was bad in 2011 when his TT improved, you need to rewatch the final of the Dauphine queen stage that year. Gesink was arguably the best climber of the Tour favourites there despite still not being in super shape, and he was still just testing his form with several attacks. Tour winners Evans and Wiggins lost 38 and 23 seconds on him, if he hadn't crashed he could have done a good Tour. But that's just part of being a complete rider.

I don't see him do well in the Giro either, although the course suits him very well with the flat TT. He'll lose much time in the big mountain stages and hills.

Now your contradicting yourself. You say that he is was the best climber in the Dauphine (better than Evans and Wiggins) but now you say he will loose much time in the big mountains statges and hills.

If you remember closely in that Dauphine he chose to be at the back of the peleton during the whole of the Dauphine except for 2 stages, where he indeed was strong (second strongerst behind Rodriguez).
In the Tour de Suisse, Gesink wasn't the strongest on the climbs but not bad either (4th or 5th best climber).

About the upcoming Giro, who will be the better climber over Gesink at top shape? Who will be the better time trialer (only Wiggins I think).
Gesink just needs to show he potential which he has shown in the past (just not consistently due to circomstances as I mentioned earlier)

 

[Leendert82]

He didn't climb very well in that TdS TT as well, and if you think his climbing was bad in 2011 when his TT improved, you need to rewatch the final of the Dauphine queen stage that year. Gesink was arguably the best climber of the Tour favourites there despite still not being in super shape, and he was still just testing his form with several attacks. Tour winners Evans and Wiggins lost 38 and 23 seconds on him, if he hadn't crashed he could have done a good Tour. But that's just part of being a complete rider.

I don't see him do well in the Giro either, although the course suits him very well with the flat TT. He'll lose much time in the big mountain stages and hills.

Well Cunego won a Grand Tour! Scarponi didn't. I agree that Scarponi might be in the Top 5 at the Giro this year. But I would be suprised if he would be able t win it.

The Vuelta field seems to be pretty weak this year. Contador, Valverde, Rodriguez, Froome, Wiggins are going to peak for the Tour and even a young prospect like Quintana might be tired after being superdomestique for Valverde in France. That left guys like Anton or Cobo (and these two are pretty inconstant) as main favorites, maybe Uran or Henao and maybe Sanchez and/or Gesink. Yeah against these guys, and a course with ramps just at the end of each mountain stage Cunego would be able to score big in my opinion! Remember 2004?

But I think too he will do the Tour

Gesink will do the Giro & Tour combination. In the Tour he will assist Mollema. Which means that he most likely not ride the Vuelta. Shame though as I think that the Tour is not meant for Gesink as its too stressfull specially at the first week.

 

[Pippo_San]

If you consider Contador the winner of the 2007 Tour, then you've got to extend the same courtesy to Scarponi regarding the 2011 Giro.

I don't consider either of them the winners. Rasmussen won that Tour and Contador won that Giro.

+1

Those kind of retroactive wins are just bull**** no one really should care about.

 

[Angliru]

Great news.
Let Cunego ride the Vuelta now for overall with a strong team to assist him and I'm sure he will be able to score big in Spain. The route should suit him and there might be pretty low competition. Good chances for a out-of-a-sudden comeback as a grand tour winner. Damiano rode a strong Giro last year (Scarponi in fact rode a shameful one). Sadly none of his attacks paid out, but he was the only one of the big names which was consistently trying to give it a go. At least he still managed to win a Grand Tour that way

Scarponi was always a nothing as a grand tour contender and will always be. Except of his one year with Savio nearly all his giro attempts were a big disappointment (this year, last year, also with Manolo). It was just so laughable Scarponi wore the maglia rosa at the start of this Giro, while he was declassed by Contador in 2011. Il Falco knew why he refused to wear il pirata's maglia rosa in 1999. But yeah il Falco at least was a champ, not a joke like Scarponi

I think you're being a bit harsh on Scarponi. A second place in the Giro (2011) does not qualify as being a joke in my book.

 

[Angliru]

If you consider Contador the winner of the 2007 Tour, then you've got to extend the same courtesy to Scarponi regarding the 2011 Giro.

I don't consider either of them the winners. Rasmussen won that Tour and Contador won that Giro.

Rassmussen never even made it to Paris. I thought at minimum one would have to finish an event to arguably be considered the winner.

 

[Mongolian Torque]

Hmm...Ryder, again...

I'm going for the plucky Canuck to repeat and possibly go for the TDF too.

Maybe, just maybe if he doesn't crash out, a podium on both occassions...