GIRO...How many stages will Petacchi win?

Chris_E said:

check this pic out

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2005/giro05/?id=pressconf/26

He's a lean mean sprinting machine and odds on for the worlds i'd say. McEwen looks like he's back to his best too.

He is definately leaner, so he might be able to get over those rolling stages at the Giro better. I think he will win his 3 or 4 stages and the points jersey but not every stage. There are alot of big teams with strong lead outs and sprinters there. They will be trying to swarm the Fassa train. Like at the Tour, when the teams are all desperate and Fassa gets derailed, Petacchi went nowhere really. I do think he will win the Worlds though. He set himself for it.

Im not sure about McEwen being back to his best, he has barely raced this year from sickness and injury and hence does not have very many racing Km´s in his legs. Dont forget Tom Steels is there for Davitamon too, and Even though Robbie is faster, Steels will and should get as bigger shot at the sprint as Robbie.

i think he will get a few stages... hopefully not too many. 😉

He will win all stages. He will then win the war on drugs. And then iraq, on his Pinarello, with rockets screaming from dual launchers on his chain stays, and a machine pistol in both fists, riding hands-free, singing Steppenwolf lyrics...

Take the world in a love embrace
Fire all of your guns at once and
Explode into space

I like smoke and lightning
Heavy metal thunder
Racin' with the wind

I think he's stronger than last year. I'g guess he can get six no problem.

Robbie does look lean though.

Catabolic_Jones said:

He will win all stages. He will then win the war on drugs. And then iraq, on his Pinarello, with rockets screaming from dual launchers on his chain stays, and a machine pistol in both fists, riding hands-free, singing Steppenwolf lyrics...

Take the world in a love embrace
Fire all of your guns at once and
Explode into space

I like smoke and lightning
Heavy metal thunder
Racin' with the wind

Now that was laugh out loud funny!

I am guessing about 4. I don't think there will be as many sprint finishes as last year. Also, I think McEwen & Cooke can take 1 each of the ~6 sprint finishes.

I predicted five stages elsewhere.

limerickman said:

I predicted five stages elsewhere.

Aren't there only a total of 6 where he has a realistic chance? That only leaves 5 after today when he gave it up to Bettini...maybe a clean sweep from here on out...

wilmar13 said:

Aren't there only a total of 6 where he has a realistic chance? That only leaves 5 after today when he gave it up to Bettini...maybe a clean sweep from here on out...

I think stage 1 was one of the ones where it was not thought to be a sprinters' finish. I think he still has 6 possible wins ahead.

patch70 said:

I think stage 1 was one of the ones where it was not thought to be a sprinters' finish. I think he still has 6 possible wins ahead.

Well he at least has one 😄

Petta will win 95% of the time a 'clean' sprint from Mcewen.......the problem is with this giro that Petta's team has failed (not as oiled as it seemed) and then he has more problems with positioning, getting boxed in etc. Mcewen is an master at placing himself at the right spot at the right time........but if pettachi is behind his men and they go straight to finish and mcewen is behind him petta will win that everytime!

wilmar13 said:

Well he at least has one 😄

MJtje said:

Petta will win 95% of the time a 'clean' sprint from Mcewen.......the problem is with this giro that Petta's team has failed (not as oiled as it seemed) and then he has more problems with positioning, getting boxed in etc. Mcewen is an master at placing himself at the right spot at the right time........but if pettachi is behind his men and they go straight to finish and mcewen is behind him petta will win that everytime!

More than one and less than eight!!!! LOL

Quoted post said:

Petta will win 95% of the time a 'clean' sprint from Mcewen.......the problem is with this giro that Petta's team has failed (not as oiled as it seemed) and then he has more problems with positioning, getting boxed in etc. Mcewen is an master at placing himself at the right spot at the right time........but if pettachi is behind his men and they go straight to finish and mcewen is behind him petta will win that everytime!

I do believe that Pettachi was behind his men in todays stage and McEwen came from behind him. Another win for Pettachi and his boys goes amiss whilst Robbie shows what a great spinter he is.

gelyk said:

I do believe that Pettachi was behind his men in todays stage and McEwen came from behind him. Another win for Pettachi and his boys goes amiss whilst Robbie shows what a great spinter he is.

Well today it was all Pettachi... chaulk up #2.

wilmar13 said:

Well today it was all Pettachi... chaulk up #2.

Only one or two more chances.
Go Zabel!

Make it 3. I was hoping for Zabel. 'Twas not to be...

With all respect, but Zabel is getting a little old. He's less explosive.....champions go and come. It's his time....although some always want to stick to their hero's😎

Catabolic_Jones said:

Make it 3. I was hoping for Zabel. 'Twas not to be...

MJtje said:

With all respect, but Zabel is getting a little old. He's less explosive.....champions go and come. It's his time....although some always want to stick to their hero's😎

It's is exactly because he has been such a champion that I would like to see him farewelled with one last GT sprint victory. I suspect this will be his last GT or at least his last year. Petacchi has many more victories coming his way I am sure.

T-Mobile on Petacchi: "He fears nobody"

With the Fassa Bortolo train in full motion coming into the final kilometres of yesterday's shortened Stage 15 of the Giro, it seemed there could only be one winner.

Sure enough, Alessandro Petacchi won again, but T-Mobile's Erik Zabel took his best stage place of the tour, finishing second to the La Spezia speedster. However, Zabel's team is realistic when it comes to challenging Petacchi in a flat-line sprint.

"Erik did everything right in the critical phase of the race, and managed to get on Petacchi's back wheel. But in the end it just wasn't enough," said the team's directeur sportif Valerio Piva on the team's website, t-mobile-team.com.

"With Petacchi in this form, there is just no way past him - he is in a class of his own and when the Fassa train is well-oiled, he fears nobody."

My words all along.....thanks for proving me right T-mobile😄