Could this be the year of the Vuelta?

[Mike Jacoubowsky]

Reading the admittedly self-serving remarks from the Vuelta's Victor
Cordero- "It's clear that the podium of the Tour de France 2007 will be
present in our race and not in France. This is something the other big races
are not able to say about themselves. The circuit and many riders of class
will ensure that the upcoming Vuelta will be the best of the three big
races," (http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2008/may08/may01news)-
one has to wonder if this will, indeed, be the year of the Vuelta.

Especially if Astana ends up in the Giro afterall, leading many to wonder
what the TdF could have been.

Anyone think there's any point at all in trying to convince VS to carry more
than the presently-scheduled single day of coverage?

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA

 

[Keith]

>Especially if Astana ends up in the Giro afterall, leading many to wonder
>what the TdF could have been.

The Giro is looking fantastic now ! Haven't looked up the stages in
detail this year, but it's got the best mountain stages IMHO, the TDF
stages look "flat" in comparison, the 2007 Zoncolan is one of my best
cycling memories ever!

Too bad Cunego won't be there, maybe he'll change his mind now!

The Vuelta has alwas been a "watered dow" race, end of season, no one
on the side of the road,etc...

>Anyone think there's any point at all in trying to convince VS to carry more
>than the presently-scheduled single day of coverage?
>
>--Mike Jacoubowsky
>Chain Reaction Bicycles
>www.ChainReaction.com
>Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA
>

 

[Michael Press]

In article <[email protected]>,
Keith <[email protected]> wrote:

> >Especially if Astana ends up in the Giro afterall, leading many to wonder
> >what the TdF could have been.
>
> The Giro is looking fantastic now ! Haven't looked up the stages in
> detail this year, but it's got the best mountain stages IMHO, the TDF
> stages look "flat" in comparison, the 2007 Zoncolan is one of my best
> cycling memories ever!

A team time trial and an individual time trial with a mountain top finish.
The organizers did a good job.

--
Michael Press

 

[Mike Jacoubowsky]

>> >Especially if Astana ends up in the Giro afterall, leading many to
>> >wonder
>> >what the TdF could have been.
>>
>> The Giro is looking fantastic now ! Haven't looked up the stages in
>> detail this year, but it's got the best mountain stages IMHO, the TDF
>> stages look "flat" in comparison, the 2007 Zoncolan is one of my best
>> cycling memories ever!
>
> A team time trial and an individual time trial with a mountain top finish.
> The organizers did a good job.
>
> --
> Michael Press

I think we're seeing the lesser-two Grand Tour operators smelling a major
opportunity and essentially breaking rank with the ASO. A development that,
in hindsight, should have been an obvious possibility. Unless the ASO either
acquired RCS and Unipublic (both of which have been talked about but neither
a firm deal) or engaged in serious revenue sharing, it seemed unlikely that
they'd play along while the ASO constantly maintained, just like Lance, that
the 'Tour was the only game in town.

The door was opened, either intentionally or accidentally, when RCS denied
Astana entry into the Giro because they weren't going to bring in a
"serious" team of contenders.

This is going to be a great year for the Giro & Vuelta. And perhaps a year
in which the ASO discovers that there's more to a race than just history &
venue.

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA

 

[Qui si parla Campagnolo-www.vecchios.com]

On May 5, 1:12 am, "Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >> >Especially if Astana ends up in the Giro afterall, leading many to
> >> >wonder
> >> >what the TdF could have been.
>
> >> The Giro is looking fantastic now ! Haven't looked up the stages in
> >> detail this year, but it's got the best mountain stages IMHO, the TDF
> >> stages look "flat" in comparison, the 2007 Zoncolan is one of my best
> >> cycling memories ever!
>
> > A team time trial and an individual time trial with a mountain top finish.
> > The organizers did a good job.
>
> > --
> > Michael Press
>
> I think we're seeing the lesser-two Grand Tour operators smelling a major
> opportunity and essentially breaking rank with the ASO. A development that,
> in hindsight, should have been an obvious possibility. Unless the ASO either
> acquired RCS and Unipublic (both of which have been talked about but neither
> a firm deal) or engaged in serious revenue sharing, it seemed unlikely that
> they'd play along while the ASO constantly maintained, just like Lance, that
> the 'Tour was the only game in town.
>
> The door was opened, either intentionally or accidentally, when RCS denied
> Astana entry into the Giro because they weren't going to bring in a
> "serious" team of contenders.
>
> This is going to be a great year for the Giro & Vuelta. And perhaps a year
> in which the ASO discovers that there's more to a race than just history &
> venue.
>
> --Mike Jacoubowsky
> Chain Reaction Bicycleswww.ChainReaction.com
> Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA

Not particularly a fan of Bruyneel, Levi or Astana, I am thrilled the
Giro has stepped up and is willing to show they are indeed the premier
Grand Tour. More heart, less politics, days when the peloton say
'piano', and all do. And it's in Italia, afterall.

 

[Ryan Cousineau]

In article
<eff4633f-a005-48c4-b42c-d3e592676756@w34g2000prm.googlegroups.com>,
"Qui si parla Campagnolo-www.vecchios.com" <[email protected]> wrote:

> On May 5, 1:12 am, "Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email protected]> wrote:

> > The door was opened, either intentionally or accidentally, when RCS denied
> > Astana entry into the Giro because they weren't going to bring in a
> > "serious" team of contenders.
> >
> > This is going to be a great year for the Giro & Vuelta. And perhaps a year
> > in which the ASO discovers that there's more to a race than just history &
> > venue.

> Not particularly a fan of Bruyneel, Levi or Astana, I am thrilled the
> Giro has stepped up and is willing to show they are indeed the premier
> Grand Tour. More heart, less politics, days when the peloton say
> 'piano', and all do. And it's in Italia, afterall.

Wait, why are the piano days good, except for Billy Joel fans?

Also, if the Giro ends up having so much talent that it is clearly
taking up the Tour's all-too-pure slack, then I predict much of that
talent will spend its Giro trying to rip the legs off of the peloton.

--
Ryan Cousineau [email protected] http://www.wiredcola.com/
"In other newsgroups, they killfile trolls."
"In rec.bicycles.racing, we coach them."

 

[Michael Press]

In article
<rcousine-B0BE64.07141305052008@[74.223.185.199.nw.nuvox.net]>,
Ryan Cousineau <[email protected]> wrote:

> In article
> <eff4633f-a005-48c4-b42c-d3e592676756@w34g2000prm.googlegroups.com>,
> "Qui si parla Campagnolo-www.vecchios.com" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > On May 5, 1:12 am, "Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > > The door was opened, either intentionally or accidentally, when RCS denied
> > > Astana entry into the Giro because they weren't going to bring in a
> > > "serious" team of contenders.
> > >
> > > This is going to be a great year for the Giro & Vuelta. And perhaps a year
> > > in which the ASO discovers that there's more to a race than just history &
> > > venue.
>
> > Not particularly a fan of Bruyneel, Levi or Astana, I am thrilled the
> > Giro has stepped up and is willing to show they are indeed the premier
> > Grand Tour. More heart, less politics, days when the peloton say
> > 'piano', and all do. And it's in Italia, afterall.
>
> Wait, why are the piano days good, except for Billy Joel fans?
>
> Also, if the Giro ends up having so much talent that it is clearly
> taking up the Tour's all-too-pure slack, then I predict much of that
> talent will spend its Giro trying to rip the legs off of the peloton.

And then the peloton will literally explode.

--
Michael Press

 

[Mike Jacoubowsky]

| > Also, if the Giro ends up having so much talent that it is clearly
| > taking up the Tour's all-too-pure slack, then I predict much of that
| > talent will spend its Giro trying to rip the legs off of the peloton.
|
| And then the peloton will literally explode.

That's an improvement over the old days, when they'd simply die in their
sleep. Exploding pelotons, especially on live TV, make for very good
ratings!

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com


"Michael Press" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
| In article
| <rcousine-B0BE64.07141305052008@[74.223.185.199.nw.nuvox.net]>,
| Ryan Cousineau <[email protected]> wrote:
|
| > In article
| > <eff4633f-a005-48c4-b42c-d3e592676756@w34g2000prm.googlegroups.com>,
| > "Qui si parla Campagnolo-www.vecchios.com" <[email protected]> wrote:
| >
| > > On May 5, 1:12 am, "Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email protected]> wrote:
| >
| > > > The door was opened, either intentionally or accidentally, when RCS
denied
| > > > Astana entry into the Giro because they weren't going to bring in a
| > > > "serious" team of contenders.
| > > >
| > > > This is going to be a great year for the Giro & Vuelta. And perhaps
a year
| > > > in which the ASO discovers that there's more to a race than just
history &
| > > > venue.
| >
| > > Not particularly a fan of Bruyneel, Levi or Astana, I am thrilled the
| > > Giro has stepped up and is willing to show they are indeed the premier
| > > Grand Tour. More heart, less politics, days when the peloton say
| > > 'piano', and all do. And it's in Italia, afterall.
| >
| > Wait, why are the piano days good, except for Billy Joel fans?
| >
| > Also, if the Giro ends up having so much talent that it is clearly
| > taking up the Tour's all-too-pure slack, then I predict much of that
| > talent will spend its Giro trying to rip the legs off of the peloton.
|
| And then the peloton will literally explode.
|
| --
| Michael Press

 

[ronaldo_jeremiah]

On May 6, 12:16 am, "Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email protected]> wrote:

> | And then the peloton will literally explode.
>
> That's an improvement over the old days, when they'd simply die in their
> sleep. Exploding pelotons, especially on live TV, make for very good
> ratings!
>

This guy could do the commentary:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W45DRy7M1no

-rj