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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@HeinrichHausslersHairstyle
Oh hey. And Haussler won a stage today.
@Ron
I cant imagine going to 11 spd as it is bad enough wearing out the 10 spd chain every 1500km !
@DocBrian
Funny how when people give an opinion around here, and don't like getting criticism back, it's like the end of the world. Personally, I could give a fuck wether Elect works better than Mech systems. As someone above stated, it adds $1000 (at least) to the price. Pushing a button, vs flexing my wrist 4 inches doesn't seem worth the $$. And while they may shift perfect every time, again, 45seconds at the rear barrel adjuster, once after the cables stretch, seems like no big thing to me. I've test driven Di2, and it's nice, but I like the feel of mech shifters.
My 2 pence.
@strathlubnaig congrats! Its a holiday weekend here in the US, so Im guessing the keepers are all out in the woods getting drunk. at least thats what I would do if I lived near woods.
Is it just me, or did Vincenzo Nibali win a Barbie Dream House throne?
@mouse
In that case, Andy to win the Tour?
@eenies That would be something
@Erik
I was watching highlights with my 3 year old and she went into fits when she saw that chair: "I have that chair, I have that chair! It's up in my dollhouse!"
@strathlubnaig
+1. Visiting the mountains of Gran Canaria this summer and hiring a bike, Cannondale, 10 speed mechanical shifting. However. I do intend to hire a Di2 dura ace equipped machine for a couple days just to see what all the fuss on electronic shifting is. Can't see me buying it anytime soon though, wife and kids to feed and clothe and its no gonna make me any faster than some real training would. No question its seen as Gucci kit, there's plenty of that in the sport but that's primarily the domain of those with plenty of free cash. Jury out til jury wins the lotto.
@JohnB
Where are you riding in GC?
The climb up from Mogan to 2/3 way up is one of the best climbs anywhere - bit shitty on up to the top of the mountain after that, but glorious up to that point, and what a descent! 10/10 - mind you, it's in a sheltered gully, so make sure you have plenty of water and and ice maker on your top tube, coz it's gonna be frikking hot in the summer
http://app.strava.com/segments/843156