Who will win the 2013 GIRO? (Second round)

[eliacodogno]

Support Nibali and Samu Sanchez but probably will win Wiggo... then he can retire

 

[Leonardus]

With Sanchez confirmed the Giro looks very promising after the pretty dull race last year. Wiggins is probably the man to beat but with climbers like Nibali, Sanchez, hopefully Purito, Hesjedal and Gesink the battle for GC could be very interesting.
It's a pity for Basso and Scarponi they won't even get a top 5 finish in this field. Good chance this Giro will confirm that Nibali is the only Italian grand tour contender left now.

 

[movingtarget]

With Sanchez confirmed the Giro looks very promising after the pretty dull race last year. Wiggins is probably the man to beat but with climbers like Nibali, Sanchez, hopefully Purito, Hesjedal and Gesink the battle for GC could be very interesting.
It's a pity for Basso and Scarponi they won't even get a top 5 finish in this field. Good chance this Giro will confirm that Nibali is the only Italian grand tour contender left now.

Agree that Nibali is their best chance but will still have to be at his best to beat Wiggo and Ryder.

 

[staubsauger]

Agree that Nibali is their best chance but will still have to be at his best to beat Wiggo and Ryder.

I think we are overrating Wiggins a bit. Of course the route suits him a lot with the long time trail. But still there's a high chance that he will struggle in the steep Giro mountains just like at the Vuelta 2 years ago.

 

[Gloin22]

I think we are overrating Wiggins a bit. Of course the route suits him a lot with the long time trail. But still there's a high chance that he will struggle in the steep Giro mountains just like at the Vuelta 2 years ago.

Ummm..mate his Vuelta performance was extraordinary considering circumstances. First race from broken collarbone in July..

It will be good battle, Nibali should gain some time in moutains, however this might be annulled more than likely depending how strong Sky mountain team will be.

In TT's Wiggins wins clearly. It will be nice battle, but Wiggins will edge it for me, if comes with good shape.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

louis Delahaije ‏@CoachLuicito Great exercise test of @RGUpdate today. 527 watts and 7,18/kg. New personal best. #readyfortheseason @BlancoCycling




Guess we can end all debate. The winner is known. That's 17w better than his pre-leg break level.. the fuq?
https://twitter.com/BlancoCycling

 

[classicomano]

Bionic legs.

 

[Pentacycle]

Guess we can end all debate. The winner is known. That's 17w better than his pre-leg break level.. the fuq?
https://twitter.com/BlancoCycling

I wonder what's wrong with these tests if Boom suddenly inmproves 30W over last year? I'm still not getting excited all of the sudden because of a lab test that has nothing to do with racing. Perhaps he's just in better condition than he ever was at this time of the year.

He's also 73,4 kgs, isn't that a little too heavy? Even Wiggins will still drop him easily.

 

[jens_attacks]

it doesn't say much. but i'm happy to hear that there are good signs for him in order to get back his best level.
we really need the best competition otherwise wiggo will annihilate the race

 

[theyoungest]

louis Delahaije ‏@CoachLuicito Great exercise test of @RGUpdate today. 527 watts and 7,18/kg. New personal best. #readyfortheseason @BlancoCycling




Guess we can end all debate. The winner is known. That's 17w better than his pre-leg break level.. the fuq?
https://twitter.com/BlancoCycling

Last year around this time he was at 6,8 W/kg or something... and that was just after his legbreak. It's a measurement of fitness to some degree, but nothing more.

I wonder what's wrong with these tests if Boom suddenly inmproves 30W over last year? I'm still not getting excited all of the sudden because of a lab test that has nothing to do with racing. Perhaps he's just in better condition than he ever was at this time of the year.

He's also 73,4 kgs, isn't that a little too heavy? Even Wiggins will still drop him easily.

He's not supposed to be at his racing weight at the beginning of January...

 

[gregrowlerson]

I think that this will be a very good Giro. Excellent field (very close to that of the Tour) and quality parcours.

I don't get how some consider Nibali a better climber than Wiggins. I think that he is on par with him at best, and certainly on 2012 form Bradley will gain significantly in the time trials. The Brit has to be the pick for the win, especially as he will have a pretty strong team, even without Froome.

But there are many aspects to this race which should make it great. Very few will expect the defending champion to triumph, but Ryder was impressively consistent in the last Giro, so who knows? I am really looking forward to Gesink getting a good crack at this race. I hope that he gets an uninterrupted preparation as he might just have the ability to be the best climber in this field.

Then there is Sanchez, an excellent wildcard, and certainly a podium contender. But don't count the old boys Basso and Scarponi out. They weren't hopeless last year, and perhaps they've got one more good GT in them. Should be a fascinating race.

 

[Afrank]

it doesn't say much. but i'm happy to hear that there are good signs for him in order to get back his best level.
we really need the best competition otherwise wiggo will annihilate the race

So far I'd say the competition is looking very good. Nibali, Sanchez, Hesjedal, Gesink, Pellizotti, Betancur, Pozzovivo plus many more. I would even venture to say currently the Giro's competition is looking better than the Tour's.

 

[movingtarget]

I think we are overrating Wiggins a bit. Of course the route suits him a lot with the long time trail. But still there's a high chance that he will struggle in the steep Giro mountains just like at the Vuelta 2 years ago.

It's hard to overrate someone who had the season he had last year. He is a much more complete rider than he was in 2011 and has a much better team.

 

[Pentacycle]

Then there is Sanchez, an excellent wildcard, and certainly a podium contender. But don't count the old boys Basso and Scarponi out. They weren't hopeless last year, and perhaps they've got one more good GT in them. Should be a fascinating race.

It's always funny to see how Scarponi(only 32, should still be in his peak) and Basso(turned 35 a month ago) are considered too old, but Sanchez(turns 35 in a month) to be a certain podium contender. Sanchez's last good GT was the 2010 Tour, in 2011 he already had some more bad days. He's still a class rider in the classics and as a stage hunter, but he doesn't have the consistency in GT's he used to have a few years ago.

 

[Miburo]

It's always funny to see how Scarponi(only 32, should still be in his peak) and Basso(turned 35 a month ago) are considered too old, but Sanchez(turns 35 in a month) to be a certain podium contender. Sanchez's last good GT was the 2010 Tour, in 2011 he already had some more bad days. He's still a class rider in the classics and as a stage hunter, but he doesn't have the consistency in GT's he used to have a few years ago.

2011 tour was a good GT for sanchez. You do realise he was like 3 minutes behind after the first 2 stages ?

And the last tour he fell after 1 week. On what GT do you base yourself I wonder...

 

[Parrulo]

indeed, he had 1 bad day the entire race, the problem is he lost minutes on top of minutes there.

but being on the attack on every mountain stage over the course of the race imo had much influence on that bad day.

 

[airstream]

2011 tour was a good GT for sanchez. You do realise he was like 3 minutes behind after the first 2 stages ?

And the last tour he fell after 1 week. On what GT do you base yourself I wonder...

On the other hand, those 3 min allowed him to gain in the Pyrenees a lot without having a proper resistance.

 

[The Hitch]

indeed, he had 1 bad day the entire race, the problem is he lost minutes on top of minutes there.

but being on the attack on every mountain stage over the course of the race imo had much influence on that bad day.

Yeah 2011 sanchez attacked on all 4 of the contested stages leading up to galibier (compared to Contador 2 Evans 1 and Andy 0)

Because of what happened on the first weekend. On pure individual strength even including the 5 minutes.lost on galibier i think he still would have beaten frank and voeckler.

But that was then and this is now. If he still has the climbing form he can win the giro. But 35 catches up to people.

Btw pentacycle no way is scarponi 32. Hes from 79 i think. Also in case you.missed it sanchez crashed out of the tour. So to.put his failure to.feature in the mountains there to him losing form is silly.

 

[The Hitch]

On the other hand, those 3 min allowed him to gain in the Pyrenees a lot without having a proper resistance.

He was given about a minute in the pyranees. 3-1 still = a long way behind. And on luz they weren't riding that easy considering Contador was dropped. Oh wait i remember that doesn't mean anything to you . Ok well consider that voeckler was dropped on luz, something they didn't manage on pdb or galibier.

 

[Parrulo]

boots turned 33 at the end of september just to clear the doubts.

so comes the giro and boots will be the same age as wiggins.

 

[robertocarlos]

Planches des Belles Filles. Attack! I don't wanna...

My opinion is there is no principal difference between a 6% av. climb and an 8-8.5% one. If one is good, one is good at any climbs and it works almost always. A really powerful team can arrange an up-and-downer even on a climb like.. Sierra Nevada... I don't know. It is exceptionally a matter of purpose. But even if it is the case. Since when has Nibali became an outstanding master of steep ramps?

probably never ridden a bike.

 

[theyoungest]

It's always funny to see how Scarponi(only 32, should still be in his peak) and Basso(turned 35 a month ago) are considered too old, but Sanchez(turns 35 in a month) to be a certain podium contender. Sanchez's last good GT was the 2010 Tour, in 2011 he already had some more bad days. He's still a class rider in the classics and as a stage hunter, but he doesn't have the consistency in GT's he used to have a few years ago.

In Sanchez' last crash-free GT he got 6th and won the polka dot jersey, so he should still be okay. He has always been a rather strange rider in terms of performances on climbs. As has Scarponi. Both of them are difficult to rate for the next Giro, but if they get it together of course they should fight for the podium.

Basso had an absolute cr.p preparation that last year, and he wasn't that bad in the Giro, so I think he's still in with a chance.

 

[cineteq]

So far I'd say the competition is looking very good. Nibali, Sanchez, Hesjedal, Gesink, Pellizotti, Betancur, Pozzovivo plus many more. I would even venture to say currently the Giro's competition is looking better than the Tour's.

You forgot Wiggins (not that is anything wrong with that) . Agree, I see Giro as a better race, more competition, and anything can happen.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

louis Delahaije ‏@CoachLuicito Great exercise test of @RGUpdate today. 527 watts and 7,18/kg. New personal best. #readyfortheseason @BlancoCycling




Guess we can end all debate. The winner is known. That's 17w better than his pre-leg break level.. the fuq?
https://twitter.com/BlancoCycling

I stopped reading at louis Delahaije

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

I wonder what's wrong with these tests if Boom suddenly inmproves 30W over last year? I'm still not getting excited all of the sudden because of a lab test that has nothing to do with racing. Perhaps he's just in better condition than he ever was at this time of the year.

He's also 73,4 kgs, isn't that a little too heavy? Even Wiggins will still drop him easily.

how heavy do you think wiggins is now?