Actually RacerX already addressed that in response to one of Pcads drooling, man-crush posts about Levi and Lance. He stated exactly that..Levi's big TT improvements have come from his very very good position. This course isn't going to be about being aero so that advantage will me neutralized. Levi will still do well and the gap between Basso/DiLuca/LL will be narrow thin after tomorrows stage. Then the fun will begin...who's team can control/set up and execute the best will be a big factor...my money is on Liquigas.

lol
I don't think the climbs will hurt Levi at all. There's a reason Diluca had to attack to get time here and there to this point. There's another 12km TT to end this thing. I'm most surprised to this point by Basso. Nobody expects the "extraterrestrial" of 06 but he seems happy to be sitting in - I thought he'd be more protagonistic by now. Props to Diluca for making things happen.

Exactly.

In time trials of a vertical nature, all signs point to Leipheimer being able to ROLL damn near everyone. Actually, everyone.

The descents will be the part he has to worry about.

Loved Cancellara's remarks on the TT here http://www.velonews.com/article/92244/ he said it's a "cyclo-tourist " event. I looked at the larger map on the Giro website and counted at least 125 curves in the road. Also looked at the climbs. This will be an interesting stage.

Pay attention. The descents. The downhills. The switchbacks. Levi will be lucky if he doesn't crash, riders like Diluca and Lance will carve them up.

I don't believe you.

A flat 12 KM is seconds at best, certainly not a minute.

Di Lica did not "have" to attack him. Di Luca COULD attack him and Levi had no answer. You attack when you think the time is right, not because you have to. Unless you're a boob.

Levi's attacks have just burned matches and been shut down by domestiques. Di Luca has gained time with his, and even better, gained bonus seconds. Ask any stage racer and they will tell you that those bonus seconds taste very sweet indeed.

That is the difference. No one willingly gives out time to a GC rival if they can stop it from happening. Di Luca and his team have ridden much better tactically to this point.

Actually, the signs point to a possibility of him losing time. So far he's looked pretty ordinary on the climbs and at one point Basso had him sitting on the nose of his saddle cranking 125 RPM. I climb a lot. I know what that means.

He dropped a significant amount of time on a very short descent to Di Luca. You might want to go back to the two TT's the year Di Luca won the Giro for some possible outcomes.

Levi has to be considered a favorite to win, but the margin will be much smaller than people think if he does win.

I would have agreed with you a few days ago, but the more I hear about the technical nature of the descents, the more skeptical I am that Levi can win on this course. Possible. But I suspect the winner will be the combined best climber/technical descender, and that would favor a rider like Lance. DiLuca was really carving it up coming down that hill yesterday too, and he has been climbing very well.

As we say in baseball and football, that's why they play the game. Should be fascinating to watch.

By the way, the next time you insult me in at thread, cc me with a PM so I don't miss it. That's why I come to this place. I don't think that's too much to ask from my Ex.

Well if you guys are gonna hand it to a descender then Cunego is right there.:rolleyes:

Diluca
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/26/58...c50085.jpg?v=0

Certainly. Which insult did I hurl your way? I'm ramping up for crit season which makes angry with sprinters and just generally ornery, I go off half cocked a lot and elbow small children and little old ladies...

My top 5, not in order:

Di Luca
Levi
Bursheregian or however you spell it
Bass-omatic
Menchovski

I am glad you are not riding a fixie, with all of the back pedaling you are doing. :D

I think the point that everyone found out about them was when Giovanni Visconti (2007 Italian Champ) joined them instead of renewing his QuickStep contract.


I'm seeing Rogers and Levee leapfroggng to take the top two spots, with Basso putting in a sub-par TT and Di Luca surprising, but coming short.

I'm not convinced that Basso is giving it 100%. I think his eyes are set on the Tour.

Will be an interesting TT. I think that schleck will win it by a second over schumacher.

Garzelli

I have never wavered from my initial non-committal stance.

in no particular order: menchov, bruseghin, basso, leipheimer. would pick rogers but don't recall him ever turning in a top three time trial at any distance in any grand tour. great at national/worlds/olympic time trials though.

My top 5:

Leipheimer
Mick Rogers
Lance Armstrong
two others nobody can name at the moment.

I think it's too long for Cancellara. I think the pure climbers won't do so well overall. Too long for Wiggins for sure.

Sastre could be a surprise.

although it pains me to say it, if cadel were here, he'd be my #1 pick for stage 12 given the course.

I say voigt is going to do well. Not win, but do well. Who does the solo break better than him?

DiLuca is 134 lbs (according to Cyclingnews), and he's better downhill - whether Levi is good or not. But bdcheung makes a good case that Levi losing contact was at least as much his fault as Basso's.

Zabriskie, from what I've seen, does better on non-technical courses. This one definitely does not count as "non-technical."

That would be news to Basso; he's said repeatedly that he's not doing the Tour this year. The Giro is his big target for 2009.

Lance has been looking pretty good the last couple of days, and i think this course suits him. He climbs well, descends well, and is a good TTer.

He might surprise.

I'm telling you. Watch Lance. He has looked stronger every day, and I think he'll try like hell to make a statement with this race. I won't be that surprised to see him in the top 3 in this race. He has been in the top 10-15 in just about every TT he's done this year, and none of them suited quite like this one. I don't think there's anyone else in that race who really exceeds Lance's combined TT/climbing/descending skills. It could all combine to make him a surprise. Except if you've been paying attention to his riding it shouldn't be too surprising. Lance was 3-4 guys from the very front in the Maglia Rosa group much of the day yesterday, even on the climbs.

uh this is the giro thread btw... no schlecks here.