Simoni or Cunego or...?
 

Personally I'm hoping Simoni wins but I'm betting it's going to be Cunego. There's some great Hinault-Lemond history between the two going on there. Unlike Lemond in 1985 (when he simply complained about not being allowed to win a race he felt he could win), Cunego actually attacked his own teammate and team leader! Simoni had won the previous year (and two years before that) and held the Maglia Rosa and yet Cunego took it away from him!

While I don't think "tradition" needs to rule, i do think that a team is important and if you were hired to help Simoni win, you should be doing that. Simoni could have won with Cunego's help as he placed third only 2 min 5 sec back from Cunego and only 3 sec behind the 2nd place finisher. So I'm hoping that this year it's Simoni first and Cunego second, with Cunego losing on a huge mountain stage (17 - Zoncolan?).

What do you guys think?

Cunego! Well stated argument regarding the Cunego/Simoni Giro, but if Simoni had the legs, he could have followed Cunego. IMO, the strongest won.

More info on that incident:

http://www.gazzetta.it/Speciali/Giro...280504_2.shtml

Sure but one could also argue that if Cunego had been working for Simoni, he might have had the legs. And in fact, earlier in the race, Simoni had helped Cunego get a stage win by giving him a lead out. Maybe Simoni was too nice/giving with Cunego.

AND perhaps most importantly, Cunego (and the other riders) had been dropped by Simoni before Cunego worked WITH Cioni and Honchar of RIVAL teams to pull back Simoni!!

1. Dropped by Simoni
http://grahamwatson.com/gw/imagedocs...8/$file/12.jpg

2. Pulling Simoni back
http://grahamwatson.com/gw/imagedocs...8/$file/13.jpg

3. Dropping your team leader
http://grahamwatson.com/gw/imagedocs...8/$file/14.jpg

I'll be rooting for Cunego, but Savoldelli is in great form.

Celebrating with the team (without Simoni):
http://grahamwatson.com/gw/imagedocs...20/$file/2.jpg

Simoni puts on a brave face to celebrate with Cunego:
http://grahamwatson.com/gw/imagedocs...20/$file/8.jpg

True but something about Simoni blaming his grandmother for sending him cocaine-laden chocolates or whatever just makes me want to *****slap him.

Cycling was way cooler when they didn't have to wear helmets. Here's to a good Giro.

I hate Simoni, he relies more on head games than his legs.

I'm liking Salvoldelli this year, or Cunego, but there is a high chance that one or more of these guys never even make it to the start due to OP.

I'm leaving for Torino Saturday, and will see at least three stages, including Zoncolon.

Does anyone know of a link to the starting riders for each team??

Salvoldelli did look strong at Romandie.

cyclingnews has the start list posted.

Will you be taking photos? I'd love to see pics from the Zoncolan stage if you get a chance. :)

Yup, he's on form for sure. It looks as if he's TTing better than he is climbing, but that's Salvoldelli. If Astana is strong at the Giro, and he can keep pace in the mountains, he's as good of a choice as any.

... Brad

http://www.velonews.com/race/int/articles/12215.0.html


Giro releases preliminary start list
Hamilton not on Tinkoff roster

This report filed May 7, 2007
Giro d'Italia organizers on Monday released a preliminary start list for this year's national tour of Italy, which is slated to begin on Saturday.

In the absence of Ivan Basso, who on Monday confessed to his involvement in the Operación Puerto doping scandal, organizers have given the returning champion's number plate - the No. 1 - to reigning world champion Paolo Bettini (Quick Step).

There are four North Americans on the 188-rider list, including Americans George Hincapie (Discovery), David Zabriskie (CSC), Aaron Olson (T-Mobile) and Mexican Julio Alberto Perez Cuapio (Ceramica Panaria - Navigare). Notably absent is Tinkoff's Tyler Hamilton, who the team reported would be on its roster, despite earlier reports that he, too, had been mentioned in documents related to the Puerto case.

Start List - 2007 Giro d'Italia

QUICKSTEP - INNERGETIC
1. Paolo Bettini (I)
2. Addy Engels (Nl)
3. Mauro Facci (I)
4. Leonardo Scarselli (I)
5. Hubert Schwab (Swi)
6. Andrea Tonti (I)
7. Matteo Tosatto (I)
8. Jurgen Van De Walle (B)
9. Giovanni Visconti (I)

ASTANA
11. Paolo Savoldelli (I)
12. Maxim Gourov (Kz)
13. Benoit Joachim (Lux)
14. Assan Bazayev (Kz)
15. Serguei Yakovlev (Kz)
16. Eddy Mazzoleni (I)
17. Andrey Mizourov (Kz)
18. Steve Morabito (Swi)
19. Dmitriy Muravyev (Kz)

SAUNIER DUVAL - PRODIR
21. Gilberto Simoni (I)
22. Rubens Bertogliati (Swi)
23. Raivis Belohvosciks (Lat)
24. David Canada Gracia (Sp)
25. Angel Gomez Gomez (Sp)
26. Manuele Mori (I)
27. Iban Mayo Diez (Sp)
28. Leonardo Piepoli (I)
29. Riccardo Ricco' (I)

LAMPRE - FONDITAL
31. Damiano Cunego (I)
32. Marzio Bruseghin (I)
33. Giampaolo Caruso (I)
34. Danilo Napolitano (I)
35. Gorazd Stangelj (Slo)
36. Sylvester Szmyd (Pol)
37. Paolo Tiralongo (I)
38. Francisco J. Vila Errandonea (Sp)
39. Morris Possoni (I)

ACQUA & SAPONE - CAFFE' MOKAMBO
41. Stefano Garzelli (I)
42. Alexandr Arekeev (Rus)
43. Gabriele Balducci (I)
44. Massimo Codol (I)
45. Dario Andriotto (I)
46. Andrei Kunitski (Blr)
47. Giuseppe Palumbo (I)
48. Branislau Samoilau (Blr)
49. Michele Scarponi (I)

AG2R PREVOYANCE
51. Rinaldo Nocentini (I)
52. Hubert Dupont (F)
53. Yuriy Krivtsov (Ukr)
54. Rene Mandri (Est)
55. Laurent Mangel (F)
56. Lloyd Mondory (F)
57. Carl Naibo (F)
58. Christophe Riblon (F)
59. Aliaksandr Usau (Blr)

BOUYGUES TELECOM
61. Olivier Bonnaire (F)
62. Nicolas Crosbie (F)
63. Pierre Drancourt (B)
64. Yohann Gene (F)
65. Arnaud Labbe (F)
66. Yoann Le Boulanger (F)
67. Alexandre Pichot (F)
68. Franck Renier (F)
69. Thomas Voeckler (F)

CAISSE D'EPARGNE
71. David Arroyo Duran (Sp)
72. Eric Berthou (F)
73. Joan Horrach Rippoll (Sp)
74. Pablo Lastras Garcia (Sp)
75. Alberto Losada Alguacil (Sp)
76. Aitor Perez Arrieta (Sp)
77. Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Sp)
78. Ruben Plaza Molina (Sp)
79. Constant. Zaballa Gutierrez (Sp)

CERAMICA PANARIA - NAVIGARE
81. Emanuele Sella (I)
82. Luca Mazzanti (I)
83. Paride Grillo (I)
84. Fortunato Baliani (I)
85. Luis Felipe Laverde Jimenez (Col)
86. Julio Alberto Perez Cuapio (Mex)
87. Domenico Pozzovivo (I)
88. Matteo Priamo (I)
89. Ariel Maximiliano Richeze (Arg)

COFIDIS
91. Ivan Ramiro Parra Pinto (Col)
92. Mickael Buffaz (F)
93. Hervé Duclos-Lassalle (F)
94. Bingen Fernandez Bustinza (Sp)
95. Mathieu Heijboer (Nl)
96. Amael Moinard (F)
97. Frédéric Bessy (F)
98. Tristan Valentin (F)
99. Steve Zampieri (Swi)

CRÉDIT AGRICOLE
101. Pietro Caucchioli (I)
102. Francesco Bellotti (I)
103. Laszlo Bodrogi (Hun)
104. Julian Dean (NZ)
105. Angelo Furlan (I)
106. Patrice Halgand (F)
107. Christophe Kern (F)
108. Thor Hushovd (N)
109. Nicolas Roche (Irl)

DISCOVERY CHANNEL
111. Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr)
112. Volodymyr Bileka (Ukr)
113. Steven Cummings (GB)
114. George Hincapie (USA)
115. Pavel Padrnos (Cz)
116. José Luis Rubiera Vigil (Sp)
117. Brian Bach Vandborg (Dk)
118. Jurgen Van Goolen (B)
119. Matthew White (Aus)

EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI
121. Benat Albizuri Aransolo (Sp)
122. Koldo Fernandez (Sp)
123. Dionisio Galparsoro Martinez (Sp)
124. Aitor Hernandez Gutierrez (Sp)
125. Markel Irizar Aranburu (Sp)
126. Anton Luengo Celaya (Sp)
127. Aketza Pena Iza (Sp)
128. Ivan Velasco Murillo (Sp)
129. Joseba Zubeldia Agirre (Sp)

FRANÇAISE DES JEUX
131. Carlos Da Cruz (F)
132. Arnaud Gerard (F)
133. Timothy Gudsell (NZ)
134. Lilian Jegou (F)
135. Ian Mcleod RSA
136. Cyrille Monnerais (F)
137. Francis Mourey (F)
138. Fabien Patanchon (F)
139. Jussi Veikkanen FIN

GEROLSTEINER
141. Davide Rebellin (I)
142. Robert Förster (G)
143. Thomas Fothen (G)
144. Oscar Gatto (I)
145. Tim Klinger (G)
146. Sven Krauss (G)
147. Volker Ordowski (G)
148. Matthias Russ (G)
149. Oliver Zaugg (Swi)

LIQUIGAS
151. Danilo Di Luca (I)
152. Enrico Gasparotto (I)
153. Vladimir Miholjevic (Cro)
154. Vincenzo Nibali (I)
155. Andrea Noe' (I)
156. Franco Pellizotti (I)
157. Alessandro Spezialetti (I)
158. Alessandro Vanotti (I)
159. Charles Wegelius (GB)

PREDICTOR - LOTTO
161. Robert Mc Ewen (Aus)
162. Dario David Cioni (I)
163. Josep Jufre Pou (Sp)
164. Matthew Lloyd (Aus)
165. Mario Aerts (B)
166. Jurgen Van Den Broeck (B)
167. Wim Vanhuffel (B)
168. Stefano Zanini (I)
169. Pieter Mertens (B)

RABOBANK
171. Michael Rasmussen (Dk)
172. Leon Van Bon (Nl)
173. Graeme Brown (Aus)
174. Max Van Heeswijk (Nl)
175. Pedro Horrillo Munoz (Sp)
176. Dmitry Kozontchuk (Rus)
177. Koos Moerenhout (Nl)
178. Mauricio Alberto Ardila Cano (Col)
179. William Walker (Aus)

CSC
181. Fabian Cancellara (Swi)
182. Andy Schleck (Lux)
183. David Zabriskie (USA)
184. Alexandr Kolobnev (Rus)
185. Juan José Haedo (Arg)
186. Kurt-Asle Arvesen (N)
187. Matti Breschel (Dk)
188. Michael Blaudzun (Dk)
189. Volodymir Gustov (Ukr)

MILRAM
191. Alessandro Petacchi (I)
192. Alessandro Cortinovis (I)
193. Sergio Ghisalberti (I)
194. Christian Knees (G)
195. Brett Lancaster (Aus)
196. Martin Müller (G)
197. Alberto Ongarato (I)
198. Fabio Sabatini (I)
199. Fabio Sacchi (I)

TINKOFF CREDIT SYSTEMS
201. Salvatore Commesso (I)
202. Evgeni Petrov (Rus)
203. Daniele Contrini (I)
204. Ivan Rovny (Rus)
205. Ricardo Serrano Gonzalez (Sp)
206. Mikhail Ignatiev (Rus)
207. Pavel Brutt (Rus)
208. Elio Aggiano (I)
209. Ruggero Marzoli (I)

T-MOBILE
211. Serhiy Honchar (Ukr)
212. Lorenzo Bernucci (I)
213. Adam Hansen (Aus)
214. Gregory Henderson (NZ)
215. Axel Merckx (B)
216. Aaron Olson (USA)
217. Marco Pinotti (I)
218. Frantisek Rabon (Cz)
219. Thomas Ziegler (G)

I don't think Savoldelli or Cunego have been linked to OP at all.

simoni is such a cry baby that i hope cunego wins just to make him more mad

When did this happen?!

Believe it was 2002. Also blamed it on his dentist. Can't remember if it was before or after saying the candy from Grandma was what caused it (the positive).

Right but they tested the candy (from Columbia) and it DID have cocaine in it. Still, you're right he might have bought them himself. Still, while I don't support him taking cocaine, on the other hand at least he's not cheating with performance enhancing drugs.

Good point.

Personally I support his recreational cocaine use in a culture that consumes something like 50 gallons of wine per year for every man woman and child:roflmao:

Seriously, does anyone actually believe that a "cokehead" could podium a grand tour? He may not be clean but it ain't cocaine thats fueling the engine.

I think this is Cunego's year, Salvodelli will lose too much time on some of this years monster mountain stages and a 30 something coked-out Simoni (remember John Belushi as king-of-the-coneheads) probably isn't a threat.

Uh... paging Mr. Pantani? Marco? You there? Oops. Still... won the TdF and the Giro.

swish!

This is so ignorant I will let the medically qualified respond to it if they have more time to waste than I do.

It's funny how some of these riders are. Savoldelli is 30-something (33?) and looks like 25. Then there
are guys who are around the same age as him who look more like 50. Like that German guy who was 3rd at worlds.