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. Wiggins
2. Nibali
3. Hesjedal
4. Martin
5. Evans
Ahah! Ryder Hesjedal.
I have a sense of foreboding for Cuddles, with a repeat of last year's Tour on the cards and him looking at the backside of the next generation. Might this year be Cadel's finale? If only the evil twin had appeared a couple of years earlier.
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibbles
2. Ryder
3. Twiggy
4. Phinney
5. Duran D'Uran
Come on Nibbles!!
Very tempted to put The Killer in 5th, just for the sake of posterity. I'm sure he's been doing some secret training during his layoff. But no.
I'm also pretty sure that Cuddles won't stake his claim as BMC top dog for Le Tour.
If Basso gets top 5, he is back on the juice.
VSP PICKS:
1. Sharky Nibbles
2. Sir Brad of Modtown
3. Hesjedal
4. Sammy Sanchez
5. Eros Capecchi
All,
Longtime lurker....breaking my cherry by posting in the Giro VSP. I figure Nibbles and Scarponi will pull an Italian Job on Wiggo.
Based in Houston these days....but Seattle-area born and bred (Edmonds) so enjoy reading Frank and other Seattle-ites discuss "local" stuff.
Greg
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibbles
2. Scarponi
3. Sir Wiggo
4. Oh Canada!
5. Slammin Sammy Sanchez
@Pedale.Forchetta
He was listening to this prior to slaying the ITT:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSJoD3YQenE
VSP PICKS:
1. Wiggo
2. Nibali
3. Hesjedal
4. Basso
5. Evans
Before this VSP opened I had my 5 picked, I'm not just following the crowd. The consensus here is clear - is there anyone out there who can upset the Sky machine? It seems unlikely and I have to support the Brit anyway. Vuelta in 2014 for the full set.
VSP PICKS:
1. Bradley Wiggins
2. Vincenzo Nibali
3. Ryder Hesjedal
4. Taylor Phinney
5. Robert Kiserlovski
cheering for ryder,but sky has to strong of team...
VSP PICKS:
1. wiggins
2. hesjedal
3. nibali
4. scarponi
5. phinney
Best get these picks straightened out before the Velomifoetus arrives...looks like I'll be spending the next day or so in the hospital!
Switching the top two around just so we can keep the Moodfather angry for July & stoke the Sky flames, Cuddles & Basso were more a case of rounding out the initial top 5. Reckon Robert might be able to keep rubber side down to show what he can do in a GT.
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibbles
2. Wiggo
3. Ryder
4. Dirty Sammy
5. Keep em Gesink