Giro d'Italia 2013, 4th-26th May - [Spoilers]
- Thread starter thom
- Start date
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smutchin
Cat 6 Racer
- Location
- The Red Enclave
Hell yeah! Slightly surprised Lopez isn't there but maybe he's being saved for the Tour as well.
smutchin
Cat 6 Racer
- Location
- The Red Enclave
Valverde isn't on that list either, but I thought he was aiming for the Giro. Am I mistaken?
There are a few other names on that list - Sami Sanchez, John Gadret - who I imagine will do well without much risk of troubling the podium.
28/1 seems remarkably ungenerous odds for Basso. And only 33/1 for Pellizotti? Bizarre. Do they know something I don't?
smutchin
Cat 6 Racer
- Location
- The Red Enclave
Apparently, Talansky is aiming to win Romandie, so that probably rules him out of the Giro. Maybe Garmin will make him their main man for the Tour. That would be cool.
OP
OP
thom
____
- Location
- The Borough
The official Giro pack of the race route etc. A 368 page .pdf file.
"The toughest race in the world most beautiful place: a glorious tradition and a certainty. This being the introduction, the 2013 edition of the Giro d’Italia will be one of the most fascinating in recent years. This 96th edition of the Corsa Rosa (Pink Race) has all the necessary ingredients to succeed: top class athletes who will treat us to unforgettable challenges, suggestive inspirations to the country’s history and geography, as well as a fascinating course which will take us through the places where cycling has written pages into history.
This year, as many as 3,400 kilometres will take the caravan from one end to the other of Italy; with a balanced mix of stages tailor made for sprinters, attackers and climbers; time trialists will also have their great chance. The race will eventually crown an all-round champion, whose legs are on fire cold but whose mind is as cold as ice.
Yet, the most impressive feature of this year’s edition is its geographical reach, which reasserts the powerful meaning of this race in our cultural heritage, in the life and passion of a country. As Candido Cannavò – the “patron” of the Gazzetta – used to say, the Giro is a thin, pink thread bringing Italy together through thick and thin. The present-day situation required us to design a meaningful race course (also for our collective imagination), which could embrace and unify all of us on a sports and political level, in the highest and rarest sense of the word.
Well, the start from Campania and the long route across southern Italy (Mezzogiorno), through Calabria, Basilicata, Apulia, and then up to Abruzzo and Pescara, reaching the Ionian, Tyrrhenian and Adriatic seas has been a very meaningful choice, as well as dedicating a stage to the 50th anniversary of the disaster of the Vajont Dam. On that occasion our country came together, grieving over the 2,000 victims of Longarone and its valley, and for the first time it understood how important it is to respect the territory and its people, as well as truth and justice. Another very suggestive stage is the one from Busseto to Cherasco, celebrating the bicentenary of the birth of Giuseppe Verdi, the genius who combined music and people in a moment of redemption for our country. Cycling could not pay a more appropriate homage, now that we are called to a rebirth (a new Risorgimento) on a political, economic and civil level.
Our starting point is Naples, a beloved city, engaged in a relentless struggle for legality through sports as well. When the Giro last undertook the traditional Neapolitan circuit, back in 1996, large numbers of fans were celebrating in such a lively and festive way that the final sprint along via Caracciolo, among the crowd standing on both sides, is still one of the most beautiful snapshots in the Giro’s photo album. This year we are willing to relive that successful experience in terms of image, and perhaps to do even better with the team time trial in Ischia and the spectacular ride across the Sorrento Peninsula.
Nordic and high-altitude landscapes will also enrich this year’s edition of the Giro. A challenge climbing the summits which made the history of cycling, which will eventually determine the outcome of the race. On Sunday, May 19 the Giro will cross the French border, entering the Tour’s territory, to climb the legendary, 18-km long Col du Galibier, where many of the heroes of cycling were crowned, from Coppi to Bartali, from Charly Gaul to Merckx and Pantani (had we failed to mention him, it would have been very rude). On Saturday, May 25 the bunch will have to face an equally legendary and – definitely – tougher stage in Italy: the Tre Cime di Lavaredo (three peaks of Lavaredo).
Perhaps only after the final, extreme challenge of climbing the Cadore Dolomites will we be able to realize who will wear the Maglia Rosa the following day, on the final parade in Brescia. Of course, we at the “Gazza” would always like our race to end in Milan, where it was born over a hundred years ago, perhaps right under our Editorial Office windows, but since our ultimate goal is to share the joy of finishing a race and winning, Brescia fully deserves this honor because of its sports and civil heritage. This will be its first time. The Lioness of Italy will host the final stage of a bravely-fought Giro. What more could we ask for?"
"The toughest race in the world most beautiful place: a glorious tradition and a certainty. This being the introduction, the 2013 edition of the Giro d’Italia will be one of the most fascinating in recent years. This 96th edition of the Corsa Rosa (Pink Race) has all the necessary ingredients to succeed: top class athletes who will treat us to unforgettable challenges, suggestive inspirations to the country’s history and geography, as well as a fascinating course which will take us through the places where cycling has written pages into history.
This year, as many as 3,400 kilometres will take the caravan from one end to the other of Italy; with a balanced mix of stages tailor made for sprinters, attackers and climbers; time trialists will also have their great chance. The race will eventually crown an all-round champion, whose legs are on fire cold but whose mind is as cold as ice.
Yet, the most impressive feature of this year’s edition is its geographical reach, which reasserts the powerful meaning of this race in our cultural heritage, in the life and passion of a country. As Candido Cannavò – the “patron” of the Gazzetta – used to say, the Giro is a thin, pink thread bringing Italy together through thick and thin. The present-day situation required us to design a meaningful race course (also for our collective imagination), which could embrace and unify all of us on a sports and political level, in the highest and rarest sense of the word.
Well, the start from Campania and the long route across southern Italy (Mezzogiorno), through Calabria, Basilicata, Apulia, and then up to Abruzzo and Pescara, reaching the Ionian, Tyrrhenian and Adriatic seas has been a very meaningful choice, as well as dedicating a stage to the 50th anniversary of the disaster of the Vajont Dam. On that occasion our country came together, grieving over the 2,000 victims of Longarone and its valley, and for the first time it understood how important it is to respect the territory and its people, as well as truth and justice. Another very suggestive stage is the one from Busseto to Cherasco, celebrating the bicentenary of the birth of Giuseppe Verdi, the genius who combined music and people in a moment of redemption for our country. Cycling could not pay a more appropriate homage, now that we are called to a rebirth (a new Risorgimento) on a political, economic and civil level.
Our starting point is Naples, a beloved city, engaged in a relentless struggle for legality through sports as well. When the Giro last undertook the traditional Neapolitan circuit, back in 1996, large numbers of fans were celebrating in such a lively and festive way that the final sprint along via Caracciolo, among the crowd standing on both sides, is still one of the most beautiful snapshots in the Giro’s photo album. This year we are willing to relive that successful experience in terms of image, and perhaps to do even better with the team time trial in Ischia and the spectacular ride across the Sorrento Peninsula.
Nordic and high-altitude landscapes will also enrich this year’s edition of the Giro. A challenge climbing the summits which made the history of cycling, which will eventually determine the outcome of the race. On Sunday, May 19 the Giro will cross the French border, entering the Tour’s territory, to climb the legendary, 18-km long Col du Galibier, where many of the heroes of cycling were crowned, from Coppi to Bartali, from Charly Gaul to Merckx and Pantani (had we failed to mention him, it would have been very rude). On Saturday, May 25 the bunch will have to face an equally legendary and – definitely – tougher stage in Italy: the Tre Cime di Lavaredo (three peaks of Lavaredo).
Perhaps only after the final, extreme challenge of climbing the Cadore Dolomites will we be able to realize who will wear the Maglia Rosa the following day, on the final parade in Brescia. Of course, we at the “Gazza” would always like our race to end in Milan, where it was born over a hundred years ago, perhaps right under our Editorial Office windows, but since our ultimate goal is to share the joy of finishing a race and winning, Brescia fully deserves this honor because of its sports and civil heritage. This will be its first time. The Lioness of Italy will host the final stage of a bravely-fought Giro. What more could we ask for?"
Flying_Monkey
Recyclist
- Location
- Odawa
Sky´s team is uncompromisingly a team of powerful climbers. No sprinter, in fact no real specialists of any other type. And Henao and Uran, and possibly Siutsou could be team leaders in any other setup. I´d be surprised if Nibali will get anything like as good support as this.
dragon72
Guru
- Location
- Mexico City
Agreed. Except for the "no real specialists" bit. For me, Wiggins is a time trial demon (who can also climb a bit).
Sky have figured out the blindingly obvious. If your aim is to win GC in the Grand Tours, who needs sprinters? What you do need is a bunch of great climbers to support a time trial demon (who can also climb a bit). GC is never decided on flat stages.
Peteaud
Veteran
- Location
- South Somerset
kedab
Veteran
- Location
- nr cambridge
lovely stuff 
tigger
Über Member
Wow! As if I wasn't already looking forward to it. The hairs on the back of my neck are standing up!
Radchenister
Veteran
- Location
- Avon
