Who wins the 2014 Giro?

[myrideissteelerthanyours]

It will be interesting to find our whether the third Sky superdomestique can handle the leadership better then his Colombian felow-riders.

I do not think it will be so easy for him. He might not get such a superdomestiques superhelp as the Sky leaders we had before.

Probably the fact that Giro is before the Tour can be a factor and we will see Skyborgs fully loaded and armed. Then it might be the piece of cake.

There is always a master and an apprentice skyborg. It is prophesied. I wish they hadnt gotten rid of Nordhaug I saw him as next the Froomey after Portes inevitable rise to glory and Frommedawgzs' Wigans-like plummet in ability/results.

 

[SKSemtex]

I like the idea of Uran beating Porte. Kind of Borg War - episode one. One of lot to come. Quite unrealistic looking on OFQS team

Favorites by heart - Basso, Purito, Hesjedal, Majka,

I do not think they can beat him one on one but I hope they will give Porte hell each time he show some weakness. And those moment will come.

 

[MatParker117]

Andy Schleck might be getting dropped on hills/passed by other contenders in TT's in this race. Basically he will continue to disappoint.

 

[Pentacycle]

Why is Uran is this poll, and not Valverde?

My opinion is that Porte's the big favourite. This season he had a large peak in the spring, racing P-N, Pais Vasco, Ardennes and Romandie in top shape, unlike his bro Froome who raced at 95% at the time. Next year the Giro will be the first peak for Richie, which will allow him to be much fresher than he was at the most recent Tour. The weather shouldn't pose a large threat, as he's definitely not the skinniest of the GC riders.

 

[Afrank]

Andy Schleck might be getting dropped on hills/passed by other contenders in TT's in this race. Basically he will continue to disappoint.

It will be hard for him to disappoint in a race he won't even take part in.

Edit: Just saw Christians post, but I'm not buying it yet.

 

[Ferminal]

4% of the poll voters still believe Evans can win. Hope only dies after you are dead.

Of course Evans can win, Horner showed that age is no barrier. However, if 2014 is just like 2012 and 2013 then he will struggle to even podium.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Why is Uran is this poll, and not Valverde?

Movistar will probably send Quintana, not Valverde, IMO.

 

[SafeBet]

Why is Uran is this poll, and not Valverde?

Uran has podiumed this race last year.
Valverde has never even bothered to ride it.
What you think?

 

[movingtarget]

It was two minutes between porte and purito in the flat tour tt.

Should be enough as I can't see Porte losing two minutes to Rodriguez in the mountains.

 

[movingtarget]

Why is Uran is this poll, and not Valverde?

My opinion is that Porte's the big favourite. This season he had a large peak in the spring, racing P-N, Pais Vasco, Ardennes and Romandie in top shape, unlike his bro Froome who raced at 95% at the time. Next year the Giro will be the first peak for Richie, which will allow him to be much fresher than he was at the most recent Tour. The weather shouldn't pose a large threat, as he's definitely not the skinniest of the GC riders.

Valverde has to be considered. He is as good a chance as Rodriguez but I agree that Porte will be hard to beat. I wonder if the 2012 Giro winner can get back to his previous form ? No one rates him at the moment.

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Basso will prevail on Zoncolan and win the overall

 

[Netserk]

Should be enough as I can't see Porte losing two minutes to Rodriguez in the mountains.

How about one minute in real time and another in bonus seconds?

 

[fraserhughes]

How about one minute in real time and another in bonus seconds?

This I can see. I'm not sure Porte is the big favourite many people think, he's not properly lead at GT (yes - that Giro I know, but I'm not counting that) and the Giro will be harder for sky to count than the tour...

Also, I'm not buying either of the Schlecks turning up. It's just not happening.

 

[MatParker117]

How about one minute in real time and another in bonus seconds?

Porte's shown he is more than capable of taking huge time out of Purito in the mountains as well.

 

[Arredondo]

Porte's shown he is more than capable of taking huge time out of Purito in the mountains as well.

Purito isn't a weaker climber than Porte. Ax 2 domaines was just really bad from Purito's side due to a crash. There quite similiar climbers, with Purito as the more explosive of the two.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Vai Ivan.

It's a bit early, isn't it?

Never too early but always be prepared for a big let down.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Valverde has to be considered. He is as good a chance as Rodriguez but I agree that Porte will be hard to beat. I wonder if the 2012 Giro winner can get back to his previous form ? No one rates him at the moment.

Ally Vally has talked about doing the Giro each year since his suspension was up. Hell, when his case was going on against the Italian ban on him, he suggested after winning the Vuelta that he'd race the Giro to win the following year. Each year he doesn't appear on the startlist. So just as he's saying it now, doesn't mean it's believable that he'll be there.

Valverde's race days in Italy:
2002: 8 (Tirreno-Adriatico, Milano-Sanremo)
2003: 3 (Milano-Sanremo, Milano-Torino, Lombardia)
2004: 1 (World Championships)
2005: 2 (Milano-Sanremo, Lombardia)
2006: 1 (Milano-Sanremo)
2007: 0
2008: 1 (World Championships)
2009: LOL
2010: 0 (banned)
2011: 0 (banned)
2012: 0
2013: 5 (Roma Maxima, Strade Bianche, World Championships, Milano-Torino, Lombardia)

So in his entire career, Valverde has spent enough racing days in Italy to cover one Giro.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Ally Vally has talked about doing the Giro each year since his suspension was up. Hell, when his case was going on against the Italian ban on him, he suggested after winning the Vuelta that he'd race the Giro to win the following year. Each year he doesn't appear on the startlist. So just as he's saying it now, doesn't mean it's believable that he'll be there.

Valverde's race days in Italy:
2002: 8 (Tirreno-Adriatico, Milano-Sanremo)
2003: 3 (Milano-Sanremo, Milano-Torino, Lombardia)
2004: 1 (World Championships)
2005: 2 (Milano-Sanremo, Lombardia)
2006: 1 (Milano-Sanremo)
2007: 0
2008: 1 (World Championships)
2009: LOL
2010: 0 (banned)
2011: 0 (banned)
2012: 0
2013: 5 (Roma Maxima, Strade Bianche, World Championships, Milano-Torino, Lombardia)

So in his entire career, Valverde has spent enough racing days in Italy to cover one Giro.

All true, but he's now on the same team as a stronger GC rider. Is Movistar really going to make Quintana play second fiddle at the Tour, when he's probably second favourite to Froome? Is Valverde really going to play second fiddle at the central goal of his season?

For once the Giro actually makes sense for him, like Wiggins this year (although that didn't go well)

Personally I hope he concentrates on the Tour simp,y because I don't want him to win a second GT.

 

[Angliru]

Porte's shown he is more than capable of taking huge time out of Purito in the mountains as well.

"Huge time"?? Really?

 

[The Hitch]

All true, but he's now on the same team as a stronger GC rider. Is Movistar really going to make Quintana play second fiddle at the Tour, when he's probably second favourite to Froome? Is Valverde really going to play second fiddle at the central goal of his season?

For once the Giro actually makes sense for him, like Wiggins this year (although that didn't go well)

Personally I hope he concentrates on the Tour simp,y because I don't want him to win a second GT.

I do recall Valverde saying a few years ago that he would love to be on a TDF winning team, even if it meant riding for someone else. I can seen Valverde riding the Tour at say 90%, doing som dom work for Quintana and trying out some stages for himself.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

I do recall Valverde saying a few years ago that he would love to be on a TDF winning team, even if it meant riding for someone else. I can seen Valverde riding the Tour at say 90%, doing som dom work for Quintana and trying out some stages for himself.

It not impossible, but realistically (Horner jokes aside) Valverde probably doesn't have too many more seasons left as a potential GT winner. If I was in his shoes, I'd rather try my hand as a superdomestique when my own chance is definitively gone.

(Although maybe you are talking about him having his main peak for the Vuelta, which is his best shot)

 

[Magnus]

.... but wouldnt have made top 15 that year if it wasnt for a 10minutes breakaway and the help of teammates like Gustav Erik Larsson

Even if you discount the stage to l'Aquila he would have been 8th.

 

[The Hitch]

I think maybe this is what you meant?

if you discount time Porte gained on l'Aquila, and pretend cycling is a sport that takes place on training machine bikes with no outside factors whatsoever, Porte would have been 8th.

 

[darwin553]

No surprise you don't answer the question that was put to you.

If Evans wasn't peaking for the Giro what was he peaking for.

The Tour? Where looked so out of his depth, that by the end of the first week the Evans defense league was scouring google in search of a "dog ate my homework" excuse that had not already been used for Evans before.

To the backdrop of humorous predictions of braindead July only fans that he was going to smoke contador and valverde "cos they cant dope anymore" lol.

Did he properly prepare for the Giro though? I thought it was a late choice (within 4 weeks) that he decided to race it which really left him in a position where, in all likelihood, he would under-perform at both the Giro and the Tour. Too little time to prepare for the Giro and too much energy exhausted at the Giro to be a force at the Tour

 

[the sceptic]

If Porte avoids his fake bad day he should have no trouble winning this. He wont lose time in the mountains to anyone and will probably gain about 2 minutes in the ITTs