Will TDF contenders still "try" at the Giro in the immediate future?

[Nick C.]

The Giro the last few years has seen TDF contenders using it as training and doing more than just sitting in "the laughing group." However, after Menchov and Sastre underachieved at the Tour this year, with Sastre looking like he'd shot his bullets in winning two stages at the Giro I fear that the Tour contenders that even show up will not be there for a result. I think its a shame, and I hope that I'm wrong, becuase the Giro usuallly has a more interesting and in some ways challenging parcours that the Tour.

 

[**Uru**]

Sastre and Menchov might be good examples of why not to ride the Giro hard, but Menchov seems to have also developed a problem with keeping his bike upright. One counter example is Levi who finished 6th at the Giro and was doing well at the Tour before he crashed out.

 

[fatandfast]

pro cycling should pool some money for a triple crown prize list.You have to race a finish all three,(Giro,Tour,Vuelta)

 

[anubisza]

I think the mistake is trying to do too much at the Giro. Rather than focusing on getting a top 10 at the Giro, then go on to win the Tour, it should be a case of sitting in the bunch, not worried about getting dropped, but then focusing on a couple of stages (eg an ITT or a mountain finish) to test the form.

 

[ingsve]

What's wrong with Menchov and Sastre focusing on the Giro? The Tour isn't the only race of the year you know. All possible GC riders can't all focus on the Tour, it would be insane of them to do so when there are other races they can win. You will always see some riders focusing on the Giro and other riders focusing on the Tour, that's the only sustainable way to have both races be competitive.

 

[Nick C.]

What's wrong with Menchov and Sastre focusing on the Giro? The Tour isn't the only race of the year you know. All possible GC riders can't all focus on the Tour, it would be insane of them to do so when there are other races they can win. You will always see some riders focusing on the Giro and other riders focusing on the Tour, that's the only sustainable way to have both races be competitive.

I hope so but for close to a decade before Basso tried to win the Giro the really weren't any TDF GC riders being competitive at the Giro, much less foreigners, maybe with the exception of Pavel Tonkov, to the extent he was ever a TDF contender.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I remember reading (during teh tour, after he was already 5 mins behind) that menchov would return to italy next year, with the intention to defend his title.

 

[Delicato]

As far as I know, Menchov will concentrate solely on winning TDF next year hence Giro will be used as a preparation.

 

[sherer]

I was thinking maybe there is scope to have a GT for a mountain rider like the Tour is at the moment and why not have a GT that could be won by a sprinter with a flatter course. Have a few hilly stages more like the classics rather than an out an out mountain stage after mountain stage. Create a grand tour a Husvold or a Cancellara could win

 

[Delicato]

I was thinking maybe there is scope to have a GT for a mountain rider like the Tour is at the moment and why not have a GT that could be won by a sprinter with a flatter course. Have a few hilly stages more like the classics rather than an out an out mountain stage after mountain stage. Create a grand tour a Husvold or a Cancellara could win

Having sth like 16 flat stages with 4-5 hilly stages will be a total borefest.

 

[53 x 11]

Having sth like 16 flat stages with 4-5 hilly stages will be a total borefest.

they call that the tour de France!

 

[anubisza]

they call that the tour de France!

hmmm, not quite.

 

[sherer]

Having sth like 16 flat stages with 4-5 hilly stages will be a total borefest.

I was just trying to think outside the box a bit. Paris - Roubaix and Milan - San Remo are great so why not something that a rider like that could win, have longer flatter stages and then a few stages with big climbs at the end that the sprinters have to struggle to get over. You would have a closer leader board and give bonuses at the end of stages so the lead changed a lot.

 

[Nick C.]

Didn't they do something like that at the Vuelta the year Freddy Maertens won, and won like a dozen stages to boot? Depending on the source you read the Giro was flattened from time to time for Moser. Theres even "conspiracy" theories about the Tour de Suisse this year. So its not improbable.

 

[mr.biggles]

Menchov seems to work a bit differently from the other racers, in that he tends to do better in his second grand tour of the year. So it was an intentional decision by his team to have him ride the Giro at a high level to prepare for the Tour. As Tour prep the plan didn't work out, but I think you would have to be happy to take a Giro win and a bad Tour over something like a 15th in the Giro and a 3rd in the Tour.

 

[Nick C.]

A win is still great. You would hope that more rider sfelt that way. Didn't Rominger and Zulle win Vueltas and Giros (or at least tried in Zulle's case)? Would Cadel adopt that strategy or Levi, if he has to ride the Tour for LA?

 

[53 x 11]

hmmm, not quite.

Yep. 09 TdF=16 flat boring stages and four medium hilly stages.