Why did Armstrong race the Giro in 2009? Same goes for Anton this year.

[inri2000]

If LA was serious about going for the tour that year, why did he waste energy on the Giro? I mean he did come third that year, so it could have made a difference.

Also many people here consider Anton to be a serious contender this summer in France (he is also talked up as an outsider here: http://www.freebettingonline.co.uk/tour-de-france-betting-2011/)

If he does have a chance then why not skip the Giro like Basso (finally) did this year?

Surely only Contador is super human enough to seriously challenge for both...

 

[Duartista]

I don't think anyone considers Anton a serious contender for the Tour, because he is not riding it. He is doing the Vuelta.

 

[nesocip]

It is well known since the start of the season that Anton won't participate in TdF this year.

Vuelta GC is his major goal, and it is quite possible to have good form in both Giro and Vuelta in the same year.

 

[Marcus135]

Samu will be leader for Euskaltel-Euskadi at the tour this year.

Only god knows what goes on in Armstrongs head... no idea why he would have done the giro in 09 but i dont think he would have beaten Contador even if he was in better form from not riding the Giro.

 

[inri2000]

It is well known since the start of the season that Anton won't participate in TdF this year.

Vuelta GC is his major goal, and it is quite possible to have good form in both Giro and Vuelta in the same year.

I see, that betting site must be confused. Still he is being talked up as one of the best climbers, so eventually he must target the tour.

 

[inri2000]

Samu will be leader for Euskaltel-Euskadi at the tour this year.

Only god knows what goes on in Armstrongs head... no idea why he would have done the giro in 09 but i dont think he would have beaten Contador even if he was in better form from not riding the Giro.

I agree about Armstrong and Contador, but he could have beaten Andy considering how focused he was on helping his brother

Also if his form was better, he would have a better case for using up the helpers like he did.

 

[The Sheep]

Didn't Armstrong get paid a starters fee?

 

[Parrulo]

Didn't Armstrong get paid a starters fee?

i dunno if he really did but to be very honest this looks like something armstrong would do *cough tour down under cough*

 

[Hugo Koblet]

I see, that betting site must be confused. Still he is being talked up as one of the best climbers, so eventually he must target the tour.

Eventually, he might target the Tour or he might just focus on the Vuelta. Who knows. But as long as he hasn't really shown that he can be a GC contender on par with the best, Sanchez will be Euskaltels leader at the Tour.

 

[Barrus]

I see, that betting site must be confused. Still he is being talked up as one of the best climbers, so eventually he must target the tour.

Not really necessary. In my mind Anton is better at the kind of climbs that won't be included in the Tour, he has a lot more chance at the giro and the vuelta.

 

[luckyboy]

Armstrong was paid a ****load to go to the Giro

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/7...ana-salary-was-donated-to-his-foundation.aspx

 

[Ferminal]

Armstrong 2009 - Because he got a couple of million out of it.

Anton 2011 - Because his team had to do the Giro, and wanted to at least send someone reasonable. Anton wouldn't have been leader at the Tour so it's smart that he does the Giro.

 

[hrotha]

Armstrong also needed race days before the Tour. He'd been out for three years.

 

[PCutter]

Coming back from a long break Armstrong was also desperate to get some race k's in his legs before the Tour, so a parade lap in the Giro (and a couple of million in the pocket) provided the necessary race pace work which he hadn't had in the previous years - running marathons doesn't replace cycling base.

 

[auscyclefan94]

RE ARMSTRONG: The 2009 giro route was not comparable to 2009 or 2010 and he didn't really race it with aspirations to win it. He worked for bottle in the 2009 giro. I doubt the giro would of affected his form going into the tour.

 

[Euskaltel!]

To be honest I don't know why they don't send Antón to do the Giro and Vuelta every year! Plus Nieve too... If Contador is lining up a Giro-Tour double, I'm sure these two naranjas could manage a Giro-Vuelta one.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

To be honest I don't know why they don't send Antón to do the Giro and Vuelta every year! Plus Nieve too... If Contador is lining up a Giro-Tour double, I'm sure these two naranjas could manage a Giro-Vuelta one.

Because in 2008 he wasn't yet ready to do the two GTs as leader thing, in 2009 he was coming off a lengthy injury layoff, and after the disaster that was 2008 Euskaltel handed back their Giro invites in 2009 and 2010.

 

[Kwibus]

Not really necessary. In my mind Anton is better at the kind of climbs that won't be included in the Tour, he has a lot more chance at the giro and the vuelta.

I'm not going to disagree with you, because I'd say he's more suited to harder and steeper climbs as well, but last year Anton won the stage to Pal in the Vuelta. I'd say that's a typical TdF climb.

 

[Barrus]

I'm not going to disagree with you, because I'd say he's more suited to harder and steeper climbs as well, but last year Anton won the stage to Pal in the Vuelta. I'd say that's a typical TdF climb.

The difference is that the competition was really a lot less than it would have been at the tour. I'm not saying he can't possibly win the tour, I just think that the Vuelta and the Giro are a lot more within his comfort zone

 

[Angliru]

Armstrong also needed race days before the Tour. He'd been out for three years.

...and had missed out on some race training by crashing out of one of his week long stage race preps (Tour of Catalonia I believe), coincidentally a race that wasn't on his schedule initially until Contador suggested that they should race together prior to the Tour. Prior to that Bruyneel had them both on completely separate racing schedules.

 

[The Hitch]

Regarding EE, Im wondering what Nieve does. I see him as a gc guy now. Sure he won from the break his stage but it was the queen stage, he beat di luca garzelli, sella for it, and didnt get that big a gap from it but is in the top 6. There were a whole lot of other mountain stages and he was even top 10 on Zoncolan. Does he work for Samu in the Tour or double with anton at the Vuelta.

Hell if Samu feels like it after the Tour (probably wont but never know) EE could have a epic 3 way leadership at the Vuelta. wont be enough to stop the pope though.

 

[just some guy]

Regarding EE, Im wondering what Nieve does. I see him as a gc guy now. Sure he won from the break his stage but it was the queen stage, he beat di luca garzelli, sella for it, and didnt get that big a gap from it but is in the top 6. There were a whole lot of other mountain stages and he was even top 10 on Zoncolan. Does he work for Samu in the Tour or double with anton at the Vuelta.

Hell if Samu feels like it after the Tour (probably wont but never know) EE could have a epic 3 way leadership at the Vuelta. wont be enough to stop the pope though.

Sorry but this nickname I ve not heard who is the Pope ?

 

[Bumeington]

If LA was serious about going for the tour that year, why did he waste energy on the Giro? I mean he did come third that year, so it could have made a difference.

Also many people here consider Anton to be a serious contender this summer in France (he is also talked up as an outsider here: http://www.freebettingonline.co.uk/tour-de-france-betting-2011/)

If he does have a chance then why not skip the Giro like Basso (finally) did this year?

Surely only Contador is super human enough to seriously challenge for both...

1. 2 million euro appearance fee
2. Doesn't conflict with his main goal of winning the Vuelta and gets to add a stage win and a top 10 to his palmares

 

[The Hitch]

Sorry but this nickname I ve not heard who is the Pope ?

Just kidding. Its this guy

 

[Euskaltel!]

Regarding EE, Im wondering what Nieve does. I see him as a gc guy now. Sure he won from the break his stage but it was the queen stage, he beat di luca garzelli, sella for it, and didnt get that big a gap from it but is in the top 6. There were a whole lot of other mountain stages and he was even top 10 on Zoncolan. Does he work for Samu in the Tour or double with anton at the Vuelta.

Hell if Samu feels like it after the Tour (probably wont but never know) EE could have a epic 3 way leadership at the Vuelta. wont be enough to stop the pope though.

An epic three-way Euskaltel attack in the Vuelta sounds good, especially with the added spice of it going through the Basque Country this year for the first time since 1979...

I'm interested to see what Nieve does too: he drilled it up the Grossglockner for the favourites and didn't finish too down, then he did really well up the Zonoclan and then got his stage win too... That's fine form.