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- Mar 13, 2009
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The Hitch said:Must be some massive coincidence that by far his best performance was when given a jersey to defend and a domestique to ride for him
That's actually got me thinking of the contenders who's potentially got the best help? I mean Porte, Purito & Roche are going to have grand tour leaders in there own right riding for them. Where as others may be a bit thin in numbers later on the slopes.
- Jun 14, 2010
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Waterloo Sunrise said:
No. The argument is that a large % of the peloton are physically capable of finishing in and around the top 10 in a none tour gt, if that were their aim and they got a team to back them, so finishing top 10 in itself is not neccesarily such a special thing.
The reason average riders don't usually finish top 10 in a none tour gt is that no team is going to spend money building a team around them to finish top 10
Most riders at that level don't end up leading squads into gc battle but work as domestiques themselves or go for stages.
So the people who usually finish top 10 in gts are noted for it because they have done so on their own which is why its an acheivement in the first place.
If a top 10 contender suddenly has an entire team behind him to acheive that average aim then that is a notable advantage.
And even though you ignore it, caring is also an advantage, since many riders dont see it as that big a deal and top 10s are often acheived by chance from riders who otherwise feature high in mountain stages.
You dismiss the fact that he had the pink jersey on his back. But absolutely no one is going to continue going 100% to the line if they are 4 and a half minutes down on a mountain stage, unless they have a leaders jersey on their shoulders and still are placed high up in the gc.
Anyone else in that position is just going to let go and save for another day.
You are acting as if a grand tour was an event where 180 people got on a bike machine and the 10 people who posted the highest 10 scores are the top 10, totally ignoring every other variable in the sport.
I don't really trust what you do or don't recall from that giro if 1 sentence later you mention Sastre as a rider trying to pass him for his place. Sastre was the opposite, one of the few riders who was in the break (and there was a lot of hype about that) but was worse than Porte.
Riders who gave up on top gc after Laquilla. Garzelli for example, saved himself for a stage win from that point. Gadret took it easy on 1 stage not long after. Karpets who had been hoping for a top 10 before that just threw in the towell. Chris ANker Sorensen of course who became a domestique for Porte.
Plenty of other potential candidates from riders who performed well on some of the mountain stages.
Its simple logic though if before all the gt stages (only the weakest one - Terminillo had taken place), guys who find themselves 15 minutes down on gc are not going to kill themselves for a top 10 from that stage
Its ludicrous to deny it.
- Aug 28, 2012
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The Hitch said:
He did well at the Vuelta and the home start will provide plenty of motivation. As for domestiques Majka maybe but the strength of his domestiques depends on what Riis can do to cover the hole in his budget.
- Sep 9, 2009
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So Porte's top 10 doesn't count because he cared about the result, whilst many others were not riding for GC.
I'm somewhat at a loss as to which top 10 placing that statement would ever not apply to. The reality remains that the vast majority of riders do not have the physical ability to finish top 10 in their first GT, regardless of motivation levels, and even other people apparently having given up (as evidenced by 4 of the top 5 not being in that break...).
I apologise that I will not be able to respond to each of your points; having taken the time to read your missive I had already rather exceeded the time I considered it within anyone's dignity to devote to this.
I'm somewhat at a loss as to which top 10 placing that statement would ever not apply to. The reality remains that the vast majority of riders do not have the physical ability to finish top 10 in their first GT, regardless of motivation levels, and even other people apparently having given up (as evidenced by 4 of the top 5 not being in that break...).
I apologise that I will not be able to respond to each of your points; having taken the time to read your missive I had already rather exceeded the time I considered it within anyone's dignity to devote to this.
- Jan 15, 2011
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From the perspective of Kreuziger's fan, I'm scared of the parcour, overly it's dull with to many TT kms. Looks like fitted for damn Porte. Contrary, the 2 last real stages are brutal - Zoncolan and 1.5 km elevation in the MTT. Hope Kreuziger could make his first GT podium, but this Giro isn't particularly suitable for him (think he could have good MTT, but not so for Zoncolan). Nevertheless, he should do better than the likes of mentioned above: Roche, Evans, Uran and Pozzovivo.
- Jan 27, 2012
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plooton said:
Can't see Kreuziger going to the Giro. He will be needed at the tour in case Contador fails again.
- Apr 16, 2009
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- May 23, 2009
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Is there any word on who Movistar is sending? Rui Costa could show well on GC if he's given a good team, would love to see the WC jersey up there in the thick of things.
Others not in the poll with an outside chance could be Majka, Betancur, de Gendt, Aru, Fuglsang, Kelderman
Others not in the poll with an outside chance could be Majka, Betancur, de Gendt, Aru, Fuglsang, Kelderman
- Aug 5, 2009
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The Hitch said:
And Roche, Basso and Pozzovivo should be on there ? Porte will be the favourite. Hopefully he does better than Wiggo.
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