Giro 2006.

Sorry to break up the McGee talk here... great guy and all. But the Giro de Trentino is getting no coverage at all. I can't even find race profiles. I assume the second stage where it was Cunego 1st and Simoni 2nd was a mountain stage... I think I heard that. Rujano was up there too. Basso has form, you know Il Falco has form even if he hasn't shown it off much. It's going to be an epic battle. I love the idea of Simoni and Cunego both having form and really fighting it out rather than pussyfooting around trying to play good teammate.

Simoni Cunego dual will be a very interesting subplot to the 06 Giro.

limerickman said:

Simoni Cunego dual will be a very interesting subplot to the 06 Giro.

It MIGHT be THE plot.

Yeah, they will be racing for second and third though as Basso wastes them in the time trials and matches them in the mountains.

lapsa said:

TDF also has...

Yeah TdF even rides the famous Arenberg section...

By the way, a lot of riders where inspecting routes of the Giro and TdF on thursday. Bettini was at the Citadelle (Namur) yesterday. He said he likes the climb very well, he things it's the perfect stage for him (the climb to the citadelle is pretty steep and on cobblestones, it's the finish of the GP Wallonnie).. It's a stage where Diluca also could grab a few seconds..

It's probebly one of the reasons why Cunego comes to Belgium: you can't win the Giro on the Belgium stages, but you can lose the overall on that stages...

Interesting views expressed by both Basso and Riis here
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=features/2006/basso_giro_press_conf

I like Riis talking about the season lasting from Feb - Oct : nice to see his encouraging his team to compete throughout.
And good views about going for 2 grand tours in the same season too.

Basso comes across really well - he enjoys being with the fans (MSR grandfondo
in CS indicated this) and here he reiterates the point.
Very refreshing to see a guy who wants to mingle with the great unwashed and not run off in to a trailer or avoid the media.

This season is a breath of freshair.

Ullrich “I was satisfied with how I rode considering it was my first race of the season and so now I'm definitely going to ride the Giro d'Italia.
“Obviously, I wasn't able to compete for victory in Romandie but I felt good and now I'm looking forward to working hard during the Giro.
“I know I'm going to have to suffer but the first two weeks of the Giro are not too difficult and I hope to find some form for the final week in the mountains.
“I'm not going to try and win the Giro because my big goal is the Tour de France but now I'm confident I'll be at my best come July.''

barnstorm said:

they both sucked diluca's wheel up the finestre, then dropped him on sestriere.

DiLuca got dropped because of a mechanical. If you don't remember, see the video again!

Dimos said:

DiLuca got dropped because of a mechanical. If you don't remember, see the video again!

No he didn't.
He was dropped because of cramps at the beginning of Sestriere.

whiteboytrash said:

Should also mention he hates dopers with a passion and is very outspoken on the subject.... check this quote:

"I had a disappointing Tour, but if you look at the results from [Tour de] Suisse, sure I dropped down to eighth in the final GC, though it was only that one last hill on the last day that nailed me. Our good friend Aitor Gonzalez attacked in the big ring - but now we know how he did it," retorts McGee, one of the peloton's most outspoken advocates on the war against doping, referring to the Spanish race winner testing positive for an anabolic substance at the last Vuelta a España."

Ehhmmm, his good friend Aitor Glz was acquitted from charges as his lawyers did prove that the forbidden substance he was tested positive for, was in a food supplement that was legal, so he couldn't have known it.
Alas, for Bradley, his 2005 season had nothing worthing to mention and it wasn't always Aitor's fault. That's why Madiot was [censored] about his Commonwealth Games participation. He is paid, a lot, to perform like he did on 2004 Giro or at least when he won the TDF prologue in Paris. He tends to forget this.

limerickman said:

Has anyone got any word of Rujano's Giro participation?
And Parra's participation?

These guys rode really well in the 2005 Giro and they added to the list of main players like Basso, DiLuca, Savoldelli.

If the 2006 Giro is half as good as the 2005 version, then we'll be in for a
cyclingfest.

Parra will be a co-leader for Cofidis with Bertagnolli.
Anyway, I don't think Rujano will be a GC contender this year. He won't be let to ride unmarked in the mountains like he did last year after the 1st ITT.

Andrija said:

No he didn't.
He was dropped because of cramps at the beginning of Sestriere.

I remember he had a derailleur problem, didn't he?

PS Maybe I have to check out the video again...

Andrjia is correct, DiLuca suffered from leg cramps. Which you could say cost him the podium in the overall classification. Rujano did not cooperate with Simoni and DiLuca on the earlier climbs of the breakaway, taking advantage of their attempt to to catch Savoldelli in the overall, to [censored] for himself the stage and third place overall. Yes DiLuca and then Simoni were dropped by Rujano on the last climb. But DiLuca deserves the respect for having tried to win the giro.

Dimos said:

I remember he had a derailleur problem, didn't he?

PS Maybe I have to check out the video again...

Dimos said:

I remember he had a derailleur problem, didn't he?

PS Maybe I have to check out the video again...

You're right Dimos, he had a mechanical. He had pedal problems, his legs were cramping so bad he couldn't get his pedals to work. 😄

lw

Dimos said:

DiLuca got dropped because of a mechanical. If you don't remember, see the video again!

you may be right.. the coverage I have isn't continuous. I think he had cramps. But that wasn't my point anyway. Read back there. Someone said that Rujano sucked Simoni's wheel. My point was that they both got pulled up the Finestre by DiLuca and were not sucking on each other. At the finale, they fought out the stage.

ilpirata said:

Andrjia is correct, DiLuca suffered from leg cramps. Which you could say cost him the podium in the overall classification. Rujano did not cooperate with Simoni and DiLuca on the earlier climbs of the breakaway, taking advantage of their attempt to to catch Savoldelli in the overall, to [censored] for himself the stage and third place overall. Yes DiLuca and then Simoni were dropped by Rujano on the last climb. But DiLuca deserves the respect for having tried to win the giro.

Pirate

I do respect DiLuca's Giro. It was unbelieveable seeing him pulling Simoni and Rujano up the Finestre so quickly. I respect and am awed by his efforts. I do have to say, though, that it is difficult to believe a rider like him can be up with the best climbers in the race pulling them up the toughest mountain in the second to last stage of the race. There are a lot of people who have been positive that Lance cheated because of how he suddenly could crush the climbers in the mts of the tour. I would love to see DiLuca repeat here and never get caught for doping. In other words, I hope he is clean and can race like that again. I just have a lot of suspicions about a guy who can pull a rabbit like that out of the hat.

Yes the DVD doesn't show the entire stage and spoils it IMHO....... the full EuroSport coverage shows DiLuca having cramp...... the DVD is very poor and on the English version Phil and Paul have no idea what happened to DiLuca which proves they were not commentating live ! Shameful !

barnstorm said:

you may be right.. the coverage I have isn't continuous. I think he had cramps. But that wasn't my point anyway. Read back there. Someone said that Rujano sucked Simoni's wheel. My point was that they both got pulled up the Finestre by DiLuca and were not sucking on each other. At the finale, they fought out the stage.

Interesting remark on the CSC website that Sastre's inclusion in the Giro team is surprising (presumably given he is the team leader without question in the Vuelta and will ride the Tour). It's a good decision if Basso is to try and win the Giro. While CSC has a very strong team overall, none of the non-Sastre teammates of Basso are likely to be able to stick with him in the high mountains as Chechu, Danielson and probalby Beltran can for Il Falco.

whiteboytrash said:

Yes the DVD doesn't show the entire stage and spoils it IMHO....... the full EuroSport coverage shows DiLuca having cramp...... the DVD is very poor and on the English version Phil and Paul have no idea what happened to DiLuca which proves they were not commentating live ! Shameful !

We will never be satisfied. When we have visual sometimes it lacks commentary. If we have commentary only, then we never feel confident we are getting enough information.

Di Luca cramped but fought hard all the way to the end of the stage as described in the last few minutes of Cyclingnews.com play by play below...

Enjoy.

At 4:30, the leaders (Di Luca, Simoni, Rujano) are back on asphalt for the descent. Di Luca, who has been driving the break, takes the King of the Mountains points, but that's not what he's riding for -- he's trying to get back on the podium, after a disappointing ride on Thursday. Rujano has (and had even before today) the King of the Mountains competition sewn up.

Gap at the summit: 2:19.
On the descent, Savoldelli has picked up Gonchar and Van Huffel, and dropped the gap to 2:05, but CyclingNews points out the time bonuses at today's stage finish: 20, 12 and 8 seconds for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. Crediting Simoni with 3rd on the day, he would still take the race lead if it ends as it is now.

Di Luca is cramping on the flats between the descent and the final climb, having a lot of trouble, trying to get hydrated. Savoldelli is about 40 seconds behind Valjavec and Garate, who are together.

Now Di Luca is dropped, and Simoni and Rujano are starting up the day's final climb, leading by 1:50. If Simoni took the stage win bonus, it would be enough, assuming Savoldelli wasn't third, but it's going to be extremely close.

Savoldelli has picked up Garate and Valjavec, and sits at 1:45. He's got a pretty good group now, with Gonchar, Garate, Valjavec, and Ardila. Di Luca is 10 seconds back of Rujano and Simoni, and that's got to hurt Simoni: Di Luca was doing a lot of the work on the last climb.

Savoldelli continues to close down Simoni: it's 1:30 now, with Di Luca between, nearly 20 seconds behind Simoni.

Simoni has been riding Rujano's wheel, and won't come around when Rujano tries to get him to take a pull, so Rujano has dropped him! He's got 5 seconds on Simoni, with Di Luca another 30 seconds back, and Savoldelli's group still closing, 1:24 behind Rujano (and 1:09 to Simoni).

Rujano started the day 3 minutes back of Savoldelli, so if he could finish with 2:40 and the day's bonus, he could take the race lead. On the other hand, Savoldelli's group is closing on Di Luca, who is just totally out of gas, so Savoldelli could take 3rd on the day. Even if Savoldelli holds the race lead, Rujano could move into 2nd overall, if he finishes with 47 seconds on Simoni.

Rujano takes the stage! Now it's all down to the gaps. Rujano also takes a 20 second time bonus.

Simoni 2nd, at 26 seconds (+12 second bonus).

Di Luca holds out for 3rd, at 1:34, with an 8-second time bonus.

Here comes Savoldelli, at 1:54 -- Savoldelli holds the maglia rosa, Simoni holds on to 2nd.
Live coverage:
Cyclingnews.com

lwedge said:

We will never be satisfied. When we have visual sometimes it lacks commentary. If we have commentary only, then we never feel confident we are getting enough information.

Di Luca cramped but fought hard all the way to the end of the stage as described in the last few minutes of Cyclingnews.com play by play below...

Enjoy.

At 4:30, the leaders (Di Luca, Simoni, Rujano) are back on asphalt for the descent. Di Luca, who has been driving the break, takes the King of the Mountains points, but that's not what he's riding for -- he's trying to get back on the podium, after a disappointing ride on Thursday. Rujano has (and had even before today) the King of the Mountains competition sewn up.

Gap at the summit: 2:19.
On the descent, Savoldelli has picked up Gonchar and Van Huffel, and dropped the gap to 2:05, but CyclingNews points out the time bonuses at today's stage finish: 20, 12 and 8 seconds for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. Crediting Simoni with 3rd on the day, he would still take the race lead if it ends as it is now.

Di Luca is cramping on the flats between the descent and the final climb, having a lot of trouble, trying to get hydrated. Savoldelli is about 40 seconds behind Valjavec and Garate, who are together.

Now Di Luca is dropped, and Simoni and Rujano are starting up the day's final climb, leading by 1:50. If Simoni took the stage win bonus, it would be enough, assuming Savoldelli wasn't third, but it's going to be extremely close.

Savoldelli has picked up Garate and Valjavec, and sits at 1:45. He's got a pretty good group now, with Gonchar, Garate, Valjavec, and Ardila. Di Luca is 10 seconds back of Rujano and Simoni, and that's got to hurt Simoni: Di Luca was doing a lot of the work on the last climb.

Savoldelli continues to close down Simoni: it's 1:30 now, with Di Luca between, nearly 20 seconds behind Simoni.

Simoni has been riding Rujano's wheel, and won't come around when Rujano tries to get him to take a pull, so Rujano has dropped him! He's got 5 seconds on Simoni, with Di Luca another 30 seconds back, and Savoldelli's group still closing, 1:24 behind Rujano (and 1:09 to Simoni).

Rujano started the day 3 minutes back of Savoldelli, so if he could finish with 2:40 and the day's bonus, he could take the race lead. On the other hand, Savoldelli's group is closing on Di Luca, who is just totally out of gas, so Savoldelli could take 3rd on the day. Even if Savoldelli holds the race lead, Rujano could move into 2nd overall, if he finishes with 47 seconds on Simoni.

Rujano takes the stage! Now it's all down to the gaps. Rujano also takes a 20 second time bonus.

Simoni 2nd, at 26 seconds (+12 second bonus).

Di Luca holds out for 3rd, at 1:34, with an 8-second time bonus.

Here comes Savoldelli, at 1:54 -- Savoldelli holds the maglia rosa, Simoni holds on to 2nd.
Live coverage:
Cyclingnews.com

nice job wedge finding this. What an amazing stage. I still tend to think it is my all time favorite GT stage. Hard to think of a stage that I have seen with more drama than this. Pantani on Deux Alpes, ADH and Luz Ardiden of 2003 are other possibilities but the way Salvodelli hung in there, the way Simoni and Rujano used DiLuca, all of it... amazing.