Discovery in disarray.... ?

Well, whether they try to pull him or not, it looks like it is time for Savoldelli to find himself a new team. After winning the Giro last year (a victory which fell in Discovery's lap, given the team that they had provided) all they do is talk up Danielson (LOL)...

As I said, Savo almost has the Maglia Blu secured for the Combo Classification. It would be embarassing if Savo didn't finish the Giro, regardless of what reasons were given. Plus Savo has a chance at the podium that is significnat -- his climbing could improve.

I'm sure he will finish.

Apparently the reason for Savoldelli's poor climbing so far is problems with allergies (pollen I expect). Pity to see a good rider taken down by illness (like Basso last year). Hopefully it will have cleared up by the big dolomite stages and he keep with the climbers.

Eldrack said:

Apparently the reason for Savoldelli's poor climbing so far is problems with allergies (pollen I expect). Pity to see a good rider taken down by illness (like Basso last year). Hopefully it will have cleared up by the big dolomite stages and he keep with the climbers.

Same as Julich.

Disco sent the "A" team to support Paolo and havent hedged a bit in their support of him so I dont understand the comment above about Disco not supporting Savoldelli.
Danielson has been ordered back each climb to pace him which he has done. What else could they be doing?

bobke said:

Disco sent the "A" team to support Paolo and havent hedged a bit in their support of him so I dont understand the comment above about Disco not supporting Savoldelli.

Danielson has been ordered back each climb to pace him which he has done. What else could they be doing?

Agreed there is not much more DC can do.. they have tried but they have come up against the strongest, most well drilled squad in cycling in the last 10 years... they are just to good....

Danielson pulled back on each climb? That's wishful thinking - Danielson has been dropped on all the significant climbs so far, even a cat 2 at one point when Bettini, Di Luca and Cunego put in an attack.

Face it, he can do hill climbs to his heart's content but he can't match the climbers of the pro peloton, and he doesn't have a lot of time to get better.

I re-watched Stage 13 again and it's clear that DC are under the hammer.

As the raod went up to the climb at Colle St Carlo, Matt White (DC) went to the front of the grupetto in an effort to get the DC team going.
White exerted a bit of pressure with Danielson : with that Voigt and the CSC team (with Basso 2nd in the grupetto) just literally blew DC off the road.
Danielson was dropping back through the pack as CSC forced the pace on the climb, as Voigt, Basso, Julich, Sastre, put the foot down.
Even Giovanni Lombardi (CSC) was making more headway that Danielson.

I hadn't really taken any notice of this kid Danielson mainly because I'd never seen him race here in Europe.
I had expected to see a guy who was going to do something.
Unfortunately this Giro shows that he is not at the level to do anything significant in this race.

limerickman said:

I re-watched Stage 13 again and it's clear that DC are under the hammer.

As the raod went up to the climb at Colle St Carlo, Matt White (DC) went to the front of the grupetto in an effort to get the DC team going.
White exerted a bit of pressure with Danielson : with that Voigt and the CSC team (with Basso 2nd in the grupetto) just literally blew DC off the road.
Danielson was dropping back through the pack as CSC forced the pace on the climb, as Voigt, Basso, Julich, Sastre, put the foot down.
Even Giovanni Lombardi (CSC) was making more headway that Danielson.

I hadn't really taken any notice of this kid Danielson mainly because I'd never seen him race here in Europe.
I had expected to see a guy who was going to do something.
Unfortunately this Giro shows that he is not at the level to do anything significant in this race.

As far as I see it, he's just a very good domestique for Popovich/Savoldelli.

Dead Star said:

As far as I see it, he's just a very good domestique for Popovich/Savoldelli.

Yep, he's domestique material at present.

ah well, one day Disco might sign up a promising sprinter such as Tyler Farrar and turn him into the next Petacchi or something. I dunno, do they like sprinters in the USA?

I think TD deserves far more respect then everyone is giving him. It's his first Giro and he is in 8th overall. How many of the contenders in this years race was 8th overall in their first Giro?
And wasn't it Lim that said something to the effect about winning, thieves , and ballycock???? Something like that anyway.
Danielson came to the sport later then most. He was a mountain biker.And I just learned he won the Bob Cook Hill Climb..... That is impressive. It takes a major climber to do that. The climbs in the Alps are baby climbs compared to the Rockies.
A Giro winner? Never. You either have to be a Eddy or an Indurain or Italian. But is he an impressive rider ? Yes.

Its not TD's first Giro, he did it last year but abandoned after having problems with his knee. He got 7th (since Heras is DQ) in his first Vuelta which is pretty good. Winning races in the US is good, shows he is a strong climber. But racing in Europe is completely different. A climb in the Alps may have only half the elevation gain as one in the Rockies but the speed at which the Alpine climbs are taken is obscene. Its all about who you are racing against and it is clear that there a good number of riders who can handily beat TD on the big climbs.

AS for WBT comment about CSC being the best drilled team in the last 10 years. Thats [censored]. They are very well drilled but the squads that support LA through his TdF, one of them has to be the best. Liberty at last years Vuelta where pretty impressive too.

I realize that racing against anyone in the ProTour is the most difficult thing. But I think this guy will win a stage someday in one of the GT's..... But to win a GT you have to be special and very few of those in the peleton are capable of doing that.

wolfix said:

I think TD deserves far more respect then everyone is giving him. It's his first Giro and he is in 8th overall. How many of the contenders in this years race was 8th overall in their first Giro?
And wasn't it Lim that said something to the effect about winning, thieves , and ballycock???? Something like that anyway.
Danielson came to the sport later then most. He was a mountain biker.And I just learned he won the Bob Cook Hill Climb..... That is impressive. It takes a major climber to do that. The climbs in the Alps are baby climbs compared to the Rockies.
A Giro winner? Never. You either have to be a Eddy or an Indurain or Italian. But is he an impressive rider ? Yes.

Agree. J Vaughters said Tom is a very impresive rider, a grand tour winner no, but like Tour de Suisse or something similar.

Oh-ohh for Savoldelli. He starts signaling TD doesn't have to help him anymore, probably at direction of Yates as a face-saving measure for Il Falco:

TD "is a very good prospect, with an uncommon talent, he can do well in both ITTs and mountain stages. His weak point is the lack of experience, but the team are looking after that. We think that he can be a very successful rider in years to come. Yesterday I told him he was free to go and stay with the best ones, he didn't succeed, such that he slowed down and waited for me and helped me, but if he wants to have a go again, he'll be free to."

🙁 for Savoldelli. The coverage in the US through the cyclingnews/OLN website doesn't quite reveal where Rubiera duriing, for example, key portions of yesterday's stage.

I agree that TD is a very good rider with a lot of potential. He has tested well, beating LA's stats in some categories. But he will never win the Tour de France or the Giro. He only has a small chance of ever winning the Giro.

bobke said:

Agree. J Vaughters said Tom is a very impresive rider, a grand tour winner no, but like Tour de Suisse or something similar.

Right - you don't have to be a GT winner (let alone a multiple GT winner) to be a great rider. It is unfair to place this expectation on riders when even competing in a GT is a superhuman achievement.

Riders like Di Luca, Boonen, Bettini, Acevedo, McGee and so many others are still great riders even though they'll never win a GT.

It defenitly looks like Leif Hoste will leave Disco and join Davitamon-Lotto.

Source: sportwereld.beDetail.aspxOpen ↗

wolfix said:

I think TD deserves far more respect then everyone is giving him. It's his first Giro and he is in 8th overall. How many of the contenders in this years race was 8th overall in their first Giro?
And wasn't it Lim that said something to the effect about winning, thieves , and ballycock???? Something like that anyway.
Danielson came to the sport later then most. He was a mountain biker.And I just learned he won the Bob Cook Hill Climb..... That is impressive. It takes a major climber to do that. The climbs in the Alps are baby climbs compared to the Rockies.
A Giro winner? Never. You either have to be a Eddy or an Indurain or Italian. But is he an impressive rider ? Yes.

Wolf,

I never noticed this kid TD riding until the Giro. The reason I hadn't noticed him is probably because I'd never heard of him.

Then earlier this year I read an interview in CS in which TD touted himself as a pro who could do a few things.
I assumed from what I read that this kid was going to do something special.
So DC fans here also suggested that he was going to lead DC in the Giro.
Therefore I was expecting great things from this kid.

On watching the Giro, the hype hasn't been matched by his race performance.
Not having heard of the kid, I assumed that we were going to see fireworks at the Giro.

He get's my respect in so far as he's a rider trying to make a living.
Granted he may have got some results Stateside but anyone with a passing knowledge of the sport will know that getting results Stateside is no guarantee of success here in Europe.

I think we ought to out his performance down to acclimatisation to far tougher racing.
He ought to use the Giro as a learning experience.

wolfix said:

I realize that racing against anyone in the ProTour is the most difficult thing. But I think this guy will win a stage someday in one of the GT's..... But to win a GT you have to be special and very few of those in the peleton are capable of doing that.

For sure.

To even win a stage in a GT is a very unique and precious thing and maybe in time TD will go on to greater things.

That's why I referred to thieves and liars earlier.
There is an element of fandom who haven't got a clue about the sport and they try to tell us that only first place counts.
I would also wager those who make such statements have never cycled a bile, much less competed in a race.

These people aren't fans of the sport - if they were fans of the sport they would come out with statements like those.

cyclingheroes said:

It defenitly looks like Leif Hoste will leave Disco and join Davitamon-Lotto.

Source: sportwereld.beDetail.aspxOpen ↗

Yeah, I got some information on this.

Lotto offered Hoste a bagful of money to re-join Lotto after the RVV and P-R result earlier in the year.

Despite all of the criticism he coped from within DC, Hoste's went to DC giving them a chance to match the offer. DC weren't prepared to pay so Hoste decided to renew with Lotto.

Good move for Hoste, i think.