GIRO - Spoiler

[bobke]

Stage 11 - what a stage !
Cunego came in 6 minutes down from Basso, Salvodelli and 5 minutes down on Simoni.
I think Garzelli and Cunego's chances of winning the Giro are gone.

I was impressed with Simoni, although he wasn't at Basso/Delli's level, he still managed to stay within reach of them.

Maybe Damiano just had a bad day.

DiLuca finished fourth and put up a brave defence of the Maglia Rosa.

I think it was Bruyneel who said one bad day in these steep hills and your Giro is over. Too true re Cunego. Perhaps it was all true that Simoni was on form and Cunego is saving it for the TdFrance.

At any rate a great race today and surprising a bit that Simoni couldnt stay with Basso. On the steepest stuff, from what I could tell, Salvodelli had trouble but then came back, so the steepest climbs could result in him falling back, but wow what a race!!!!

Lance said that watch out for DiLuca this year. True that!

 

[limerickman]

I think it was Bruyneel who said one bad day in these steep hills and your Giro is over. Too true re Cunego. Perhaps it was all true that Simoni was on form and Cunego is saving it for the TdFrance.

At any rate a great race today and surprising a bit that Simoni couldnt stay with Basso. On the steepest stuff, from what I could tell, Salvodelli had trouble but then came back, so the steepest climbs could result in him falling back, but wow what a race!!!!

Lance said that watch out for DiLuca this year. True that!

I took the afternoon to watch the stage on Eurosport.
Before the last climb, Simoni/Delli/Basso/Di Luca were together, with Cunego and Garzelli back in the second group.

Delli went at the bottom of the last climb and opened up a 30sec lead.
Basso then slowly closed that gap.
Simoni riding his own tempo then closed the gap.
Di Luca couldn't go with them but he held his own.
With 4kms to go, Delli and Basso managed to open a slight gap on Simoni
and they contested the sprint.
Simoni didn't panic when the gap opened - he just pedalled.
Ditto DiLuca.

A great stage : Basso and Delli were impressive but it's only day one in the mountains.

 

[MJtje]

I think it is safe to say that the giro is now between Basso and salvoldelli. The reason why Salvoldelli could hold on so long was because he got a 30 sec lead while descending at fast pace......and so he could do the very steep beginning of the climb alone and when Basso joined it was allready less steep and delli could hold on and grab a win.
I think Simoni can still do some damage, given he has a good team and Cunego HAS to work for Simoni now. But if Basso and Delli hold on......then they will win with their TT-skills.......(this is the exiting scenario )
I think that it is only between Basso and Delli.....and even then Basso is a step above the rest!

I took the afternoon to watch the stage on Eurosport.
Before the last climb, Simoni/Delli/Basso/Di Luca were together, with Cunego and Garzelli back in the second group.

Delli went at the bottom of the last climb and opened up a 30sec lead.
Basso then slowly closed that gap.
Simoni riding his own tempo then closed the gap.
Di Luca couldn't go with them but he held his own.
With 4kms to go, Delli and Basso managed to open a slight gap on Simoni
and they contested the sprint.
Simoni didn't panic when the gap opened - he just pedalled.
Ditto DiLuca.

A great stage : Basso and Delli were impressive but it's only day one in the mountains.

 

[donhix1]

I couldn't believe it when Cunego lost 5 minutes. I thought it would be Savoldelli, Basso and Cunego for the win. This has been a great Giro so far, very entertaining.

...and there is a lot of tough stages to go.

edited to add:

Allen Peiper was on Eurosport. He said Robbie is staying in the Giro and that he could win tomorrow's stage. There is a climb in the first part and then a long ways for the sprinter's teams to chase down breaks in the second half.

 

[limerickman]

I think it is safe to say that the giro is now between Basso and salvoldelli. The reason why Salvoldelli could hold on so long was because he got a 30 sec lead while descending at fast pace......and so he could do the very steep beginning of the climb alone and when Basso joined it was allready less steep and delli could hold on and grab a win.
I think Simoni can still do some damage, given he has a good team and Cunego HAS to work for Simoni now. But if Basso and Delli hold on......then they will win with their TT-skills.......(this is the exiting scenario )
I think that it is only between Basso and Delli.....and even then Basso is a step above the rest!

I agree, I can't see any way of Cunego winning overall now so he will have to work in support of Simoni who still has a chance.
I think Basso is probably favourite at this point but again there are some very tough stages (Sat & Sun) and if either Delli or Basso have a bad day, who knows what could happen.

But I go with Donhix : McEwen for stage 12.

 

[DiabloScott]

But I go with Donhix : McEwen for stage 12.

As I read in an Italian site... "Non c'e che dire. E lui il piu forte al momento."

 

[dhenderson85]

I agree, I can't see any way of Cunego winning overall now so he will have to work in support of Simoni who still has a chance.
I think Basso is probably favourite at this point but again there are some very tough stages (Sat & Sun) and if either Delli or Basso have a bad day, who knows what could happen.

But I go with Donhix : McEwen for stage 12.

How hard will cunego work for simoni if he is concentrating on tdf. Basso to win. McEwen stage 12. Go Oz!!!

 

[mitosis]

Well. I was either right in thinking that Cunego was saving himself for Le Tour because he hasn't peaked for el Giro as he did last year.

Or wrong in that he wants to win but he has not trained cleverly for the Giro. He is quoted as saying he wants to win it but his team must put its resources (including Cunego) behind Simoni now, Cunego is too far back.

I haven't seen TV yet. Did Cunego look like he was suffering? You don't just throw away 6 minutes if you can help it unless this is a preparation for something in the future.

 

[ed073]

I haven't seen TV yet. Did Cunego look like he was suffering? You don't just throw away 6 minutes if you can help it unless this is a preparation for something in the future.

Location: Struggletown
Population: Damiano Cunego

 

[mitosis]

Location: Struggletown
Population: Damiano Cunego

Yeah, just read some other reports. Wrong again!

 

[limerickman]

Well. I was either right in thinking that Cunego was saving himself for Le Tour because he hasn't peaked for el Giro as he did last year.

Or wrong in that he wants to win but he has not trained cleverly for the Giro. He is quoted as saying he wants to win it but his team must put its resources (including Cunego) behind Simoni now, Cunego is too far back.

I haven't seen TV yet. Did Cunego look like he was suffering? You don't just throw away 6 minutes if you can help it unless this is a preparation for something in the future.

Damiano didn't look like he was struggling.
The camera wasn't on him enough to suggest that he was gasping for air.
I won't say that he allowed the others to get away but he certainly didn't ride all out to try to catch them.
That's how I viewed it, anyhow.

 

[keydates]

So McEwen dropped out today. Wonder what the major cause was: hypobaric tent, his race schedule, or the coming mountains...

 

[limerickman]

So McEwen dropped out today. Wonder what the major cause was: hypobaric tent, his race schedule, or the coming mountains...

a combination of all three ?

 

[Dead Star]

ah he did exactly the same at last year's giro, so it's obviously the mountains. He might as well save himself for July...

 

[mitosis]

So McEwen dropped out today. Wonder what the major cause was: hypobaric tent, his race schedule, or the coming mountains...

Cippollini disease. Affects only sprinters. Some succumb to it at the mere thought of going up hill. Only seems to happen in the Grand Tours.

Either that or he didn't want to embarass Petacchi any more.

 

[MJtje]

Probably his race schedule, because that is what he was saying all along.....or am I naive to think that it couldn't possibly have anything to do witht the police raids........btw let's stop here or else this post needs to removed to doping forum. It was such a good thread....let's keep it that way

Cippollini disease. Affects only sprinters. Some succumb to it at the mere thought of going up hill. Only seems to happen in the Grand Tours.

Either that or he didn't want to embarass Petacchi any more.

 

[steve]

So McEwen dropped out today. Wonder what the major cause was: hypobaric tent, his race schedule, or the coming mountains...

Hows the poor guy meant to get through the mountains without his tent?

 

[Powerful Pete]

Either that or he didn't want to embarass Petacchi any more.

Doubtful. Petacchi embarrassed him yesterday. Maybe he realised his luck had run out?

When he wins 10 stages in one grand tour he will have embarrassed Petacchi. Let us keep things in perspective please.

I think it is clear I have a slight liking for Ale-Jet.

 

[Powerful Pete]

Probably his race schedule, because that is what he was saying all along.....or am I naive to think that it couldn't possibly have anything to do witht the police raids........

Strange, Allan Peiper, his ds, said that he would surely finish his Giro this year (at least, that was in their interview to the Gazzetta, if I recall).

 

[Powerful Pete]

Holy moly. Basso dropped, Savoldelli in pink. Apparently Basso is ill, did not interview following the stage - spent the afternoon vomiting.

Well, there go my predictions about Basso locking down the Giro...