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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View Comments
VSP PICKS:
1. Wiggins
2. Nibali
3. Cuddles
4. Basso
5. Hesjedal
I think Wiggo wants to win all 3 Grand Tours in his career, Nibali won't hold on in the TTs, Cadel will make one last great showing, and Taylor held back by team orders
VSP PICKS:
1. Wiggo
2. Nibali
3. Ryder
4. Cadel
5. Phinney
Nibbles needs to come through on another GT win
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibbles
2. Ryder
3. Basso
4. Sanchez
5. Wiggins
Opps forgot about Sammy! Sorry but mini phinney got to go....
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibbles
2. Ryder
3. Dirty Sanchez
4. Basso
5. Henao
I don't see how Wiggins wins a stage race with a 20k uphill TT. I'm guessing even if he does dominate the other TT, it's not enough.
VSP PICKS:
1. Nibali
2. Ryder
3. Wiggins
4. Phinney
5. Basso
Wiggo has been working his over-long socks off on his climbing; I reckon he can do it. I suspect it will be more interesting than recent GTs with a few more swaps of the jersey to make it stick from Nibbles though. Ryder an honourable 3rd with a spirited defence; Kiserlovski a fighting 4th and Cadel keeping his matches in his back pocket for July in 5th.
VSP PICKS:
1. Wiggo
2. Nibbles
3. Ryder
4. Kiserlovski
5. Cadel
Cadel explodes, Phinney gets to ride.
VSP PICKS:
1. Wiggins
2. Nibali
3. Hesjedal
4. Phinney
5. Sanchez
Stabbing myself in the leg with a fork with the last two picks, but there seems to be a general consensus over the podium, and I fancy youth over the old guard. That said, I was sorely tempted to throw Pellizotti in there...
VSP PICKS:
1. B. Wiggins
2. V. Nibali
3. R. Hesjedal
4. M. Santambrogio
5. B. Intxausti
VSP PICKS:
1. Hesjedal
2. Sanchez
3. Basso
4. Wiggins
5. Nibali
Why oh why do I have a soft spot for North American riders trying to make it in Europe. Especially after all the scandals. Oh well, sometimes things don't make sense. Perhaps the weakness that delivered the victory last year will pay off again.
VSP PICKS:
1. Tom Danielson
2. Bradley Wiggins
3. Nibali
4. Ryder Hesjedal
5. Scarponi