dws5b
05-03-04, 12:32 PM
I am going with Stefano Garzelli as he has looked better to me than Gilberto and I think Gilberto is looking more for the TDF than the Giro. Also anyone know if Tom Danielson has made the Giro team?
Road Bike Racing - Giro, who's your pick?
Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.View Full Version : Giro, who's your pick?
brent_dube
05-03-04, 02:23 PM
I think that Simoni will grab the Rosa on the stage to Bormio 2000, and keep it. I think that this race has a large potential for wild cards though, with the route that it has.
TriDevil
05-03-04, 04:16 PM
I am still hearing danielson hasn't been put on. After Basso pulled out they built the team around Petacchi, with Vandebroucke replacing Basso going for stage wins. No GC man from fasso bortolo that I see. I think this year it will be a simoni/garzelli 1-2 again but I don't know the order. Garzelli is showing some great form right now and while I have heard Gibo is too the buzz seems to be around Garzelli. I am really hoping the Cipo/Petacchi duels come to fruition and we see some great sprinting between the two. That is still to be seen though. It will also be interesting to see if Popovych can stay on the podium or if his 3rd place last year was a fluke.
Beetlebum
05-03-04, 07:06 PM
I am still hearing danielson hasn't been put on. After Basso pulled out they built the team around Petacchi, with Vandebroucke replacing Basso going for stage wins. No GC man from fasso bortolo that I see. I think this year it will be a simoni/garzelli 1-2 again but I don't know the order. Garzelli is showing some great form right now and while I have heard Gibo is too the buzz seems to be around Garzelli. I am really hoping the Cipo/Petacchi duels come to fruition and we see some great sprinting between the two. That is still to be seen though. It will also be interesting to see if Popovych can stay on the podium or if his 3rd place last year was a fluke.
I assume you mean Frigo - Basso pulled out months ago to ride for CSC...
I assume you mean Frigo - Basso pulled out months ago to ride for CSC...
TriDevil
05-03-04, 08:47 PM
Right beetlebum. For some reason I confuse the two, dont know why.
girl27
05-04-04, 10:02 AM
(snip...) No GC man from fasso bortolo that I see. I think this year it will be a simoni/garzelli 1-2 again but I don't know the order. Garzelli is showing some great form right now and while I have heard Gibo is too the buzz seems to be around Garzelli. I am really hoping the Cipo/Petacchi duels come to fruition and we see some great sprinting between the two. That is still to be seen though. (...snip)
Peta and Cipo were up against one another in the Giro last year. Cipo won two stages, and beat Alfredo Binda's record with 42. Petacchi, on the other hand, won 6 stages at the Giro and, I believe, broke a record for stage wins in all 3 GTs in one year... (or something.) It very much felt like a passing of the torch.
Mario ended up crashing 150m from the finish line on a rainy Stage 11, and was too beat up to continue the next day. Desastro! Petacchi crashed in the TT a few days later. He still won two more stages, but missed the time cut on Stage 18, with 30 other riders. So close, Peta. Yet so far.
Garzelli gets my emotional "This one's for the Pirate" vote. But my knowledge of the Giro is pretty limited. I watched it last year, for an hour each night - in Italian. I'll be back with a more informed opinion after the first few stages... Enjoy.
Peta and Cipo were up against one another in the Giro last year. Cipo won two stages, and beat Alfredo Binda's record with 42. Petacchi, on the other hand, won 6 stages at the Giro and, I believe, broke a record for stage wins in all 3 GTs in one year... (or something.) It very much felt like a passing of the torch.
Mario ended up crashing 150m from the finish line on a rainy Stage 11, and was too beat up to continue the next day. Desastro! Petacchi crashed in the TT a few days later. He still won two more stages, but missed the time cut on Stage 18, with 30 other riders. So close, Peta. Yet so far.
Garzelli gets my emotional "This one's for the Pirate" vote. But my knowledge of the Giro is pretty limited. I watched it last year, for an hour each night - in Italian. I'll be back with a more informed opinion after the first few stages... Enjoy.
TriDevil
05-04-04, 12:18 PM
I know Cipo/Peta went up against each other but Cipo said he was stuggling to get those stage wins. He just didnt have the form he was hoping he would. Then of course he crashed out but the mountains were coming up anyway right? :D
Devil
05-05-04, 10:24 AM
My pick at the moment is Garzelli - but Simoni seems to have found his form again. I'm looking forward to a great battle between Simoni and Garzelli for the maglia rosa.
Why can't it be Sunday already?
Why can't it be Sunday already?
lotek
05-05-04, 10:45 AM
If I were analytical I'd say Garzelli has the momentum
going into Sunday.
However, gotta go with Gibo due to his focus on
this one, I don't think he really is targetting the Tour.
Marty
going into Sunday.
However, gotta go with Gibo due to his focus on
this one, I don't think he really is targetting the Tour.
Marty
roadwarrior
05-07-04, 04:38 AM
Simoni...
Team-wise, this is a pretty weak Giro...sprinters, a few climbers, but GC-wise, it's Simoni and Garzelli.
BTW...it will not be the same without Pantani :(
Team-wise, this is a pretty weak Giro...sprinters, a few climbers, but GC-wise, it's Simoni and Garzelli.
BTW...it will not be the same without Pantani :(
Laggard
05-07-04, 06:53 AM
Simoni...
Team-wise, this is a pretty weak Giro...sprinters, a few climbers, but GC-wise, it's Simoni and Garzelli.
BTW...it will not be the same without Pantani :(
Good, I'm not the only one who felt that way. Looking through the teams it was hard to find many GC guys. Team wise and rider wise it's a fairly weak Giro.
Team-wise, this is a pretty weak Giro...sprinters, a few climbers, but GC-wise, it's Simoni and Garzelli.
BTW...it will not be the same without Pantani :(
Good, I'm not the only one who felt that way. Looking through the teams it was hard to find many GC guys. Team wise and rider wise it's a fairly weak Giro.
don d.
05-07-04, 03:41 PM
14 of the top 20 UCI ranked teams NOT competing. 14 of the top 20 UCI ranked riders NOT competing. Bettini not in the Giro? What's up with that? An Italian owner, Squinzi, of an Italian team, Mapei, riding Italian bikes, Colnagos, and they're NOT in the Giro?
This year the Giro is the red headed step child of the Grand Tours.
If someone does win this race, what does it mean? If a tree falls in the woods...well you get my meaning.
edited to say: I was kindly corrected that Mapei is no longer connected to the now Belgium team Quickstep. :o So much for my wild hair. Bettini should still be in the Giro. :p
This year the Giro is the red headed step child of the Grand Tours.
If someone does win this race, what does it mean? If a tree falls in the woods...well you get my meaning.
edited to say: I was kindly corrected that Mapei is no longer connected to the now Belgium team Quickstep. :o So much for my wild hair. Bettini should still be in the Giro. :p
roadwarrior
05-08-04, 04:56 AM
14 of the top 20 UCI ranked teams NOT competing. 14 of the top 20 UCI ranked riders NOT competing. Bettini not in the Giro? What's up with that? An Italian owner, Squinzi, of an Italian team, Mapei, riding Italian bikes, Colnagos, and they're NOT in the Giro?
This year the Giro is the red headed step child of the Grand Tours.
If someone does win this race, what does it mean? If a tree falls in the woods...well you get my meaning.
edited to say: I was kindly corrected that Mapei is no longer connected to the now Belgium team Quickstep. :o So much for my wild hair. Bettini should still be in the Giro. :p
And they ride Time bikes, not Colnago's... :D
You are welcome... ;)
This reminds me of the Vuelta a few years ago..and the organizers made significant changes to the race and the way it is run and, presto, it's a very strong race again.
This year the Giro is the red headed step child of the Grand Tours.
If someone does win this race, what does it mean? If a tree falls in the woods...well you get my meaning.
edited to say: I was kindly corrected that Mapei is no longer connected to the now Belgium team Quickstep. :o So much for my wild hair. Bettini should still be in the Giro. :p
And they ride Time bikes, not Colnago's... :D
You are welcome... ;)
This reminds me of the Vuelta a few years ago..and the organizers made significant changes to the race and the way it is run and, presto, it's a very strong race again.
don d.
05-08-04, 07:14 AM
[QUOTE=roadwarrior]And they ride Time bikes, not Colnago's... :D [QUOTE]
...that too. :)
I suspect the Pro Tour will improve the quality of team participation at the Giro, although there are no guarantees it will improve the quality of rider that participates. And I think that when Armstrong retires, the focus of preparation for the Grand Tours will shift somewhat. Right now, everyone seems to be emulating the Armstrong approach to preparation for the TDF so they don't find themselves at a disadvantage in France. Personally, I would rather see a more balanced participation in the Grand Tours even it it did mean a lower intensity level from the participants.
...that too. :)
I suspect the Pro Tour will improve the quality of team participation at the Giro, although there are no guarantees it will improve the quality of rider that participates. And I think that when Armstrong retires, the focus of preparation for the Grand Tours will shift somewhat. Right now, everyone seems to be emulating the Armstrong approach to preparation for the TDF so they don't find themselves at a disadvantage in France. Personally, I would rather see a more balanced participation in the Grand Tours even it it did mean a lower intensity level from the participants.