Giro 2008 Stage 16 - May 26: San Vigilio di Marebbe => Plan de Corones (ITT), 12.85km

[TheDarkLord]

Contadope added 8 sec to his lead over Ricco.

The view from the top was really awesome.

 

[RdBiker]

Contadope added 8 sec to his lead over Ricco.

The view from the top was really awesome.

At one point about 1K from the top it looked like the riders (especially Ricco) were standing still. Quite a stage.
The chances for Ricco, Di Luca and Simoni to win the Giro are getting slimmer. Di Luca and Simoni will attack on friday and saturday, they have to. And Ricco will surely go for the mountain top finish on friday to gain time. Ricco has the best chance to take the maglia rosa from Contador but he has to make atleast two minutes on him on the two stages to be safe for the TT on Sunday. It's getting exciting...

 

[guncha]

It looks Contadoper has a good chance to win the race. I don't think he could be dropped at Monta Pora which is too short mountaintop finish.

Mortirolo is quite far from finish. At the same time a few groups of favorites should chase each other after Mortirolo. Favorites shouldn't be together after this monster. I hope small alliances of GC favorites will fight against each other in last 50km.

Italians should be ahead of Contadoper before last TT except Bruseghin to challenge overall win. It means Ricco, DiLuca or Simoni etc. should get some 2 or 3 minutes from Contadoper in those 2 mountain stages which is not very likely.

Great dope in beach Contadoper!!!

 

[Bikeridindude]

mtn tts favour chrono riders who go uphill well.

Sella aint a chrono rider. He wont be in the top 10.

he almost pulled it off.

 

[Eldrack]

Winning time indicates a sub (just about) 6 watts per kilo effort for this TT! Whilst that is a highly respectable power output, it isn't as outlandish as some of the power outputs seen in the grand tours of recent years.

 

[Wayne666]

Winning time indicates a sub (just about) 6 watts per kilo effort for this TT! Whilst that is a highly respectable power output, it isn't as outlandish as some of the power outputs seen in the grand tours of recent years.

What kind of time advantage would have been gained by someone with the magical 7 watts/kg that Armstrong could achieve because he worked so much harder than any other riders, ever

 

[RdBiker]

What kind of time advantage would have been gained by someone with the magical 7 watts/kg that Armstrong could achieve because he worked so much harder than any other riders, ever

Well take Contador or Rasmussen from last year's Tour and they would probably have blown Pellizzotti and Sella away by at least a minute...well maybe not that much but if Contador got 6W/kg with his current fitness then 7W/kg wouldn't such outlandish in top form IMO. Well atleast if you round up the numbers...(6W=6.4W and 7W=6.6W)

 

[Wayne666]

Well take Contador or Rasmussen from last year's Tour and they would probably have blown Pellizzotti and Sella away by at least a minute...well maybe not that much but if Contador got 6W/kg with his current fitness then 7W/kg wouldn't such outlandish in top form IMO. Well atleast if you round up the numbers...(6W=6.4W and 7W=6.6W)

I'm starting to wonder how good Contador really is. I mean if you look at the guys that he was racing against at last year's Tour, who were really close to him, they aren't exactly world beater's themselves. In fact, even including Rasmussen, how many GT podiums do they have amongst them, let alone winning a GT as oppose to more modest results?

Contador might end up being a guy who can regularly contest a GT podium but not a dominating rider. I think it's still an open question although everyone seems to have already assume he is unbeatable when in top form.

 

[MintID]

I'm starting to wonder how good Contador really is. I mean if you look at the guys that he was racing against at last year's Tour, who were really close to him, they aren't exactly world beater's themselves. In fact, even including Rasmussen, how many GT podiums do they have amongst them, let alone winning a GT as oppose to more modest results?

Contador might end up being a guy who can regularly contest a GT podium but not a dominating rider. I think it's still an open question although everyone seems to have already assume he is unbeatable when in top form.

I think Rasmussen could have beaten Armstrong the way he was riding in 07. I remember reading somewhere that contador and rasmussen rode up Aubisque faster than Armstrong did when he attacked.

 

[whiteboytrash]

It looks Contadoper has a good chance to win the race. I don't think he could be dropped at Monta Pora which is too short mountaintop finish.

Mortirolo is quite far from finish. At the same time a few groups of favorites should chase each other after Mortirolo. Favorites shouldn't be together after this monster. I hope small alliances of GC favorites will fight against each other in last 50km.

Italians should be ahead of Contadoper before last TT except Bruseghin to challenge overall win. It means Ricco, DiLuca or Simoni etc. should get some 2 or 3 minutes from Contadoper in those 2 mountain stages which is not very likely.

Great dope in beach Contadoper!!!

If Contador wins the Giro it will be the end of cycling. Doping aside he's done absolutely nothing to deserve to win a Grand Tour. He has not attacked, he's followed wheels the entire race & threw in a good time trial performance here and there. What a let down ! I have to say Pelazotti and Ricco have to gang up on him.... even Simonei may have to get involved with DiLuca..... otherwise Contador will win.

 

[thoughtforfood]

Well take Contador or Rasmussen from last year's Tour and they would probably have blown Pellizzotti and Sella away by at least a minute...well maybe not that much but if Contador got 6W/kg with his current fitness then 7W/kg wouldn't such outlandish in top form IMO. Well atleast if you round up the numbers...(6W=6.4W and 7W=6.6W)

Reality calling.........<you>"hello" <me>"Hey dude, Armsrtong doped and so does Contadope."

 

[RdBiker]

Reality calling.........<you>"hello" <me>"Hey dude, Armsrtong doped and so does Contadope."

Well you have an easier comparison:
Rasmussen doped + Contador could stay with him in the mountains = Contador dopes...

 

[RdBiker]

If Contador wins the Giro it will be the end of cycling. Doping aside he's done absolutely nothing to deserve to win a Grand Tour. He has not attacked, he's followed wheels the entire race & threw in a good time trial performance here and there. What a let down ! I have to say Pelazotti and Ricco have to gang up on him.... even Simonei may have to get involved with DiLuca..... otherwise Contador will win.

I thought you have to have the stages covered in the shortest time to win a grand tour...
Yes you are right that Contador hasn't attacked very much in this Giro, at least not as much as in the Tour he won. He did attack at least once though: If you watched the latest mountain stage he went after Ricco by attacking Menchov and Simoni. He was caught though, but he attacked nevertheless.
And anyways he's in the Giro to win the maglia rosa and not to be a true champion...what would be the point of attacking if he could barely hang on the Giau. I'd understand if you were saying this about Evans but based on for example the last TdF Contador is anything but a wheelsucker

 

[Wayne666]

If Contador wins the Giro it will be the end of cycling. Doping aside he's done absolutely nothing to deserve to win a Grand Tour./QUOTE]

I agree. Being the de facto leader for the last 3 days neither he or his team have taken any responsibility. Even his attack of Menchov yesterday was shameful after he had never once stuck his nose in the wind up until that point.

That being said the others were lambs when they had him dropped on Sunday and didn't persist only to see him come good on the final climb.

He should take it unless he really cracks on one of these stages. The guys who are slightly stronger than him on the climbs need a buffer of at least a couple of minutes going into the final time trial. Doesn't look like they're going to get that by waiting until the final climb to attack.

 

[RdBiker]

I agree. Being the de facto leader for the last 3 days neither he or his team have taken any responsibility. Even his attack of Menchov yesterday was shameful after he had never once stuck his nose in the wind up until that point.

That being said the others were lambs when they had him dropped on Sunday and didn't persist only to see him come good on the final climb.

He should take it unless he really cracks on one of these stages. The guys who are slightly stronger than him on the climbs need a buffer of at least a couple of minutes going into the final time trial. Doesn't look like they're going to get that by waiting until the final climb to attack.

You have a good point there. Astana would defend themselves by saying that they haven't had the maglia rosa but on wednesday they won't have even that. So then they should at least lead the peloton. It's odd because they did have quite a strong team coming to the Giro. Have they been saving their riders?

 

[musette]

It doesn't matter how frequently you attack, or whether your team has been defending the maglia rosa. If you are strategically astute to be able to cause other teams to do part of your work for you, and you save your team's energy, all the better. If you have the maglia rosa, your team may decide to play more of a leadership role, but that's not necessary at times.

Go, AC!

 

[earth_dweller]

hey lookie it's the hypocrite coming out again...

so who are you going to accuse of doping and then play the innocent 'who me' while defending your AC and JB?

So which poster is now in front of you bed Johan or Alberto (or Bert like the fans like to call him to americanize his name)?

 

[Ashley.S.Olsen]

It doesn't matter how frequently you attack, or whether your team has been defending the maglia rosa. If you are strategically astute to be able to cause other teams to do part of your work for you, and you save your team's energy, all the better. If you have the maglia rosa, your team may decide to play more of a leadership role, but that's not necessary at times.

Go, AC!

i have to agree. AC has ridden brilliantly. he has conserved his energies and used them only when required. bruyneel and sean yates asked kloden and leipheimer to hold back in the early mountain stages to be ready to support alberto in the final week when he is wearing the coveted maglia rosa. the strategy has worked perfectly and the sweetest taste is that the italians have fallen into the contador/bruyneel trap. it reminds me of armstrongs winning blueprint from his seven successive victories in the tour de france. this one sweeter as astana only had one weeks preparation.

 

[Crankyfeet]

i have to agree. AC has ridden brilliantly. he has conserved his energies and used them only when required. bruyneel and sean yates asked kloden and leipheimer to hold back in the early mountain stages to be ready to support alberto in the final week when he is wearing the coveted maglia rosa. the strategy has worked perfectly and the sweetest taste is that the italians have fallen into the contador/bruyneel trap. it reminds me of armstrongs winning blueprint from his seven successive victories in the tour de france. this one sweeter as astana only had one weeks preparation.

Respect your views Mellow J. AD98...

 

[limerickman]

Really good ITT : I just re-watched it again this morning.
Parcours made for interesting riding.
Great ride by Pelezotti and Simoni.
Simoni's ride was very good - 36 years of age too.