Twiggo is dreaming of a Giro-Tour double. He has sent out mixed messages about his Tour ambitions. Will he use the Giro as the ultimate Tour preparation or will be burn all his matches in May and hope he can find another pack for July? He has abandoned his successful 2012 Tour run-up strategy of winning every stage race he entered the previous spring. Now it’s the seclusion of Mount Doom of Tenerife, his coach and his watt meter his only competition. Team Sky is supporting Wig with a very strong squad, including superman, Kanstantsin Siutsou and with Cav no longer a teammate, it’s all the knights of the round table for Sir Twig.
Will the curse of the god-awful Astana kit continue to haunt non-Kazahk riders? Can Vincenzo’s Italian mojo overpower its powerful pale blue and yellow aura? Roman Kreuziger was finally able to win a big race once he shed that kit and pulled on one of Bjarne’s Saxo jerseys. Maybe it was more Bjarne and less jersey that made the difference.
Ryder gets no respect as the defending champion. His little dance at the end of Liége-Bastogne-Liége showed he is fit and ready for a fight. He can time trial, he can climb. Personally I have to back the local boy. And I always hate the overpowered, overwhelming favorite (read Team Sky here) in any race, unless that racer is Fabian Cancellara. No one can say Fabs has won a race this year surrounded with a team as strong as Sky’s. The Shack is just the Shack or a shack. Once Cancellara leaves for the Swiss “I AM” team, it’s lights out in the shack. Frandy, don’t forget to turn out ’em out when you leave.
If Cavendish wins the first day’s sprinter’s stage he will be in pink. He may be out of it after stage two, a team time trial.
But this is the Giro: crazy, unexpected, beautiful things can happen. The spinning wheels of fortuna are less predictable in Italy as they are in France in July. The betting window is now open. The complete start list is not yet available, an incomplete one is here and shall be updated soon. So sleep on your picks, wait for all the teams to make it official, unless you want to go with the obvious all Sky podium. The race begins Saturday so don’t Delgado away a Grand Tour opportunity.
[vsp_results id=”23343″/]
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View Comments
Can i get a clarification?
My picks for the VSP get 9 (3 placed wherever)
But my pick for Giro stage 10 - got 7
Were these independently added and the total on here just the score for the overall.
Anyone.....?
@simonsaunders
They should have been independently added on the day. I can not remember which stage was the "one off" where a VSP were run on a single day for that stage only, but if it was stage 10 they were all added on the day. Your 9 points for the finish should then have been added a day or so ago...
@strathlubnaig
That link is dead, presumably due to a wee overstatement. He only raced over 1,000 km with a broken bone in his hand. Ridiculously tough enough, imho.
@Deakus
There was a study done similar to this which had Dumonde Tech as the worst performer. I don't generally use it on a rain bike because it is a real oil-based lube. On the other hand, in clean conditions, nothing runs smoother and quieter and I still use it and love it.
And it smells fantastic.
@simonsaunders, @Deakus
Yes, consider the Stage VSP independent from the Giro VSP. Points from the Stage go into the overall VSP, not the Giro VSP.
@starclimber
Ah so no broken ankle then, just the wrist, well good effort anyway, probably just severely twisted. These GTs always bring out the best in rule 5 behaviour. Inspiration indeed.
@Dr C
Staying in Amadores this year. This will be the 4th year in the past few I'll be in GC, spent a couple in Lanzarore and Tenerife. Just not the same. I know that Ojeda climb well, it was one of the first I discovered and the one I look forward to most every time I'm back. There are options to continue for a whole day run taking in the 1949m of Pico de las Nieves or return via Soria or Ayacata if its a couple or 3 hours. Free Motion do great hire bikes, no need to risk my own to a Ryanair baggage handler. It does get a bit cooler up high, but still sharpens the tan lines nicely. Plenty local options to sample an espresso and top up the bottles. Going to have a closer look at the north of the island this year.
Purple Extreme lube on the #1. I get over 2000km out of a Dura Ace 10 speed before the chain checker says .75. Change before 1.0 and cassette is good for 3 chains. Shimano wet lube on the winter/ rain bike.
@JohnB
and the unimaginatively named Seafood Pasta dish at Atacaya makes all the suffering worthwhile!
Ditto the Papaya Juice in Soria
For me, I'm off to not ride up the Stelvio this sunday, as the friggin place is still sowed up!
....it'll have to be the Motirolo then!!
Sad reality is I actually won't be able to get up that beast in my current shape, but I'll give it a lash - fail reports next week
Enjoy GC
@piwakawaka
Fuglsang, who'll be lucky to finish at all, let alone in the top 10!
20-30 million Euros per year, I think.