Giro d'italia SPOILER

[trustysteed]

I'm sick to death of Tyler Farrar's (sprinter of Team Garmin Transitions) advert!

i've never seen him wearing them in a race!

 

[NickM]

...i only got into cycling last summer and this is the first Grand Tour i have had the priveledge to watch from the very start and although im stil learning team names and cyclists who i like or dont like etc i have loved it very much, some days i was on the edge of my seat litteraly :0 been fantastic to see.

That's nice - sounds like me, 25 years ago

Just be aware that disillusionment will not be long postponed

 

[rich p]

i've never seen him wearing them in a race!

He obviously only wears them when he pops down to the shops on his hybrid, while that women leers at him and the blokes are painting the road.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Three minor observations from watching the race on Eurosport

My admiration for Cuddles has gone from pretty low to pretty high.

Steve Cummings has shown himself to be a gutsy rider who's not afraid to have a go.

I'm sick to death of Tyler Farrar's (sprinter of Team Garmin Transitions) advert!

Agree with all three, though I've thought of Cummings that way for a few years now. I think he only needs some little more improvement to become rather more than a good domestique, perhaps someone who might win some of the proper 'hard man' races like Paris-Roubaix or LBL...

And whilst I have always thought Cadel had talent, he has shown a hell of lot more desire in this race than I have ever seen. It is still a shame he has no team worth speaking of - BMC was a really odd choice for a guy who left his previous squad because of lack of support!

 

[theloafer]

wtg greipel... my joker worked out well

 

[raindog]

yeah - about time Greipel came up with the goods - mind you there's not a deal of opposition left now. I was gutted for the local Colnago guy who got swallowed up in the last kilometer.

 

[BigSteev]

How nice of Sky to do such a nice lead out for him.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

I guess showing up is half of what it takes to win... he has to take advantage if Farrar and Petacchi and co. can't hack the mountains.

 

[lukesdad]

I agree Wiggins had no ambitions for the Giro other than winning the prologue.

He is going fot the TDF and using the Giro as preparation, I believe.

I liked his little attack a few days ago with Cummings (I think it was him - who was in the break) - it showed the team practising tacicts. Althiugh it was soon caught it was impressive the way Brad rode away from the Liquigas people without a care in the world.

I think the whole Giro has been a TDF practice run for Sky and a pretty successful one.

Afraid I cant agree with your last 2 points Mangaman. I think he fancied that stage. His attack didn t last long enough to be any sort of practice, he just didn t have the legs as the last few stages have proved.

As for sky having a successful Giro, Ithink their tactics and strategies have been pretty woefull to be honest. They re goona have to do better than this in the TDF!

 

[Archie]

As for sky having a successful Giro, Ithink their tactics and strategies have been pretty woefull to be honest. They re goona have to do better than this in the TDF!

I'd agree, and I think Dave Brailsford would take the flak for that, however it's unrealistic to expect a rookie DS on a rookie team to come up with the winning formula straight away. Lots to learn from the botched attempt to protect the Maglia Rose in Holland, and today's sprint train.

For me this was always the weakness in the Team Sky concept, and it will take time to overcome.

 

[trustysteed]

Basso to try and put more time into Evans today?

 

[raindog]

Have we got a mountain top finish today? Must check the profile.

 

[raindog]

Not sure this will be difficult enough today for Basso to drop Evans. Tomorrow's stage looks harder.
EDIT
hmmm....just looked at the individual climb profiles and it's much harder than I realised, especially the Mortirolo - should make for some good viewing!

Here's today's

 

[rich p]

I seem to remember Armstrong saying a few years ago that the Mortirolo was the hardest climb that he'd done but I can't work out when he would have ridden it!
Basso will be more concerned about catching Arroyo than Evans today but I hope Cuddles has the energy to attack him.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

it's much harder than I realised, especially the Mortirolo

yes, that's just a little bit hard! An uphill finish always sorts things out too...