salvoldelli

[skyrider]

What does everyone think of Salvoldelli chances? Reading stuff all over the internet, and this guy is getting no ink. He is up there in the standings, I think he can win this thing.

[joeprim]

What is he 15 sec. back? Yes he could win it that time is a couple of bonus wins.

Joe

[adamastor]

What does everyone think of Salvoldelli chances? Reading stuff all over the internet, and this guy is getting no ink. He is up there in the standings, I think he can win this thing.

He was very good during Tour of Luxembourg. Apparently one of those ex-dopers turned clean. Let's wait and see if this is enough for the Tour.

[Paniolo]

SAVOLDELLI has been mentioned by a few pundits. Ex Giro winner obviously has the capability. This tour does not really go to his strengths with the empahsis on time trials. But he could get enough in the mtns.

[alanbikehouston]

We will find out Saturday. If he is within two or three minutes of the yellow jersey after the time trial, he will be a strong contender to win, given his strength in the mountains.

[kunsei83]

He trains to peak at the Giro D'Italia so I don't think he's at his best for the Tour. I think the man for the Discovery will be Popovich. I think Hincapie is wasting alot of energy this week with sprinting for the time bonus and finishing in the front of the pack on flat stages.

[bigskymacadam]

He trains to peak at the Giro D'Italia so I don't think he's at his best for the Tour. I think the man for the Discovery will be Popovich. I think Hincapie is wasting alot of energy this week with sprinting for the time bonus and finishing in the front of the pack on flat stages.Indeed. If they could just rally behind George, declare him team lead, GH wouldn't have to waste energy this early in the race. They could be helping him save his legs, instead forcing him into this internal team competition.

Salvodelli? I also believe he has peaked.

[Sir-Lanceimnot]

I think that the man for Disco is Gorge. Yes he is staying at the front of the pack but really after the crashes and seeing the time split yesterday I think that is just smart ridding. Not wasting energy. As for the sprint for the time bonus. That is heads up racing. very little overall effort to grab the yellow. He is not sprinting every day or anything. If you look at the other disco guys yes they can win also but Gorge has the most well rounded skill set for this tour. He will try to take some real time in stage 7 (time trial) and he can climb for sure so we will see how it plays.

[Moochers_Dad]

He trains to peak at the Giro D'Italia so I don't think he's at his best for the Tour. I think the man for the Discovery will be Popovich. I think Hincapie is wasting alot of energy this week with sprinting for the time bonus and finishing in the front of the pack on flat stages.

You think sprinting for one time bonus over thousands of miles is going to cost one of the top riders in the world the overall win?

It's not uncommon to see team leaders up front to stay out of trouble in the sprints. Also, you should take note that Popovich is usually right next to him in the placings every time. It's worth the extra energy for both of them to stay in the front; it used to be Armstrong and Hincapie in the top 25 in those stages.

[kunsei83]

You think sprinting for one time bonus over thousands of miles is going to cost one of the top riders in the world the overall win?

It's not uncommon to see team leaders up front to stay out of trouble in the sprints. Also, you should take note that Popovich is usually right next to him in the placings every time. It's worth the extra energy for both of them to stay in the front; it used to be Armstrong and Hincapie in the top 25 in those stages.

Yea, you're absolutely right. Top contenders do finish in the front often on flat stages, and the sprinting for the time bonus won't affect them too much. I just believe that Popovych will be the Discovery leader and I guess I was trying to make sense with nonsense. I just have a gut feeling that George is looking too good this week, and won't be so good the next two weeks and Popovych will take over.

[Moochers_Dad]

Yea, you're absolutely right. Top contenders do finish in the front often on flat stages, and the sprinting for the time bonus won't affect them too much. I just believe that Popovych will be the Discovery leader and I guess I was trying to make sense with nonsense. I just have a gut feeling that George is looking too good this week, and won't be so good the next two weeks and Popovych will take over.


I really think it could be either of them. My only concern is what would happen if George was told to ride for Popovych; would he be able to handle it, ego wise. I'm not saying Hincapie has a huge ego problem, but I think he might feel he's worked hard and should be supported to see what he can do.

I'm sure Saturday's TT will dictate which one is stronger. A huge drawback of that plan is obvious though. If you're waiting until an important TT to decide who the leader is for a race, then you've just taken two or three of your stronger riders to their limits in energy expenditure. Normally, you would have the other team members hold back so they can be of use in the mountains for leader support.

[free_pizza]

I got a picture with savoldelli after last years TTT, and a pic of Noval 10 feet in front of me on his TTX.

[bikingshearer]

I think Salvodelli has the best chance of the Disco boys, although I agree that his comparative weakness in the TT will probably prove to be his downfall.

I am not sold on Popyvich as a big-time GC guy yet - I could be wrong, but he has not yet shown the kind of mental make-up that it takes to win the TdF. This would be the perfect year for him to prove me wrong.

I think positing George as a GC threat is just not realistic. Granted, his climbing has improved dramatically since his days as a roadman-sprinter, but I don't think it has improved enough. Sean Kelly used to be able to stay with the best climbers for a major Col or two, but would be sent off the back on the third or fourth pass of the day. (Hence Kelley's amazing run of Paris-Nice wins without similar success in Le Tour.) I suspect that will be George's fate. Last year's stage win was wonderful, and I was and remain thrilled that he pulled it off. But that was a once-in-a-lifetime situation, one that allowed him to (1) sit in with good reason, (2) have a bunch of teams not want to chase because they had guys in the break and (3) not have a better sprinter along in the bunch. That is a world of difference away from having to make it up Alpe d'Huez while leading or chasing the mountain goats after three or four tough Cols already.

Believe me, I want to be wrong about George. He has always been a class act and a hard-working rider who has had his fair share of bad luck in some major races (see, for example, Paris-Roubaix for pretty much all of the last five years or so). If he pulled on yellow in Paris, I'd whoop so loud my neighbors would call the cops. I just don't think his climbing chops are quite good enough to make it happen.

[alanbikehouston]

On Saturday, each Discovery rider will be riding for himself. Arguments about who is the strongest rider on Discovery will get settled on the road, not in an internet forum. If someone finishes number fifty in the individual time trial, he can't blame his team.

[wvxc]

As it should be. But my question is what happens if they have three riders within a few seconds of each other, but none in the yellow jersey? Somebody's bubble will have to be popped in a hurry! I don't think this intra-team competition could possibly help at that point.

[rufvelo]

Agree with ABH on the TT results. While manager picks team and strategy, the riders do get a chance to make a bid for team leader by demonstrating that they are the strongest via the TT. Salvodelli is a very capable rider, messed up in the Giro by Basso's pace. Things may have still gone his way if Basso wasn't in the Giro.

Anyone with the skills of a Salvodelli, SImoni etc can win the Tour since a major rival has to have just one slightly bad day or a crash, for everything to turn upside down. So realistically there still are 7-8 contenders, which is all good, TT will sort it out.