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.
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VSP PICKS:
1. NIbbles
2. Wiggo
3. Ryder
4. Cuddles
5. MiniPhini
VSP PICKS:
1. Sicilian Shark
2. Bad Sir Brad
3. O Hesjedal
4. Kieserlovski
5. Good Cadel
As I observed yesterday in last year's Giro thread, Froome's WAG is already jumping into the polemica. When will Brad's join the fray? I gather Sky is a media company, and silly soap opera shit like this sells ads. I look forward to seeking Vincenzo give Wiggo a little poke with the shiv, as it were.
I find myself unable to put anyone but Beeker Wiggins in the top spot at this point. I'd love to see Ryder pull off the double but I just don't see it happening... and the same thing for Nibbles. Don't get me wrong, I think it will be close and I think they can beat him, but I just don't see them cracking the fortress that is Team Sky.
Plus, it would definitely make for an interesting June with all of the media speculation and machinations regarding the rift between Froome and the defending tour champ.
My mourning period for the end of the classics is over and I am full in for the Grand tours... Viva Il Giro!!
VSP PICKS:
1. Beeker
2. Nibali
3. Ryder
4. Sam Sanchez
5. Gesink
Going for the lanky boys over the midgets. The head says Wiggins, the heart wants Ryder to repeat. That big lumberjack gets jack respect and this would be a "fuck you" to the doubters. He's in shape and not afraid to dish it out. Wiggy has been training like crazy and putting a lot of eggs in this basket. Nibbles will salvage Italian pride. Sammy will just miss out on the podium because he'll get creamed in the long TT. If Basso-boy finished top 10 I'll be shocked. His days as a contender are over. Cav will pick up some stages if he can avoid being taken out by Italian gallopers. Should be fun!
VSP PICKS:
1. Wiggins
2. Hesjedal
3. Nibali
4. Sanchez
5. Scarponi
@Nate
"To those claiming that this Wiggins/Froome thing is some sort of publicity stunt, you are wrong." *
* This message approved by Team Sky Pro Cycling.
VSP PICKS:
1. Wiggins
2. Nibali
3. Hesjedal
4. M Santambrogio
5. R Gesink
Pretty sure Wiggins and Froome have to personally check with Sir Dave before they so much as shit, let alone talk to the press.
VSP PICKS:
1. Sir Wiggo
2. Nibbles
3. Cuddles
4. Ryder
5. Henao
VSP PICKS:
1. wiggi
2. nibali
3. hesdejali
4. cadeli
5. quintero
VSP PICKS:
1. Wiggins
2. Hesjedal
3. Nibali
4. Gesink
5. Henao