Giro Predictions

waiting to see the start list before i give out the kiss of death. i'm just a bit hesitant to tip evans since he won't have hincapie in italy for the giro.

Call me a coward but I'm reserving making a prediction until after the UCI have named the high profile rider that their planning to take down with the blood passport.

After that's happened I'll be well up for making my standard, wildly inaccurate prediction as to will happen :p.

Eldrack said:

Call me a coward but I'm reserving making a prediction until after the UCI have named the high profile rider that their planning to take down with the blood passport.

After that's happened I'll be well up for making my standard, wildly inaccurate prediction as to will happen :p.

UCI Names Riders Snared By Biological Passport | Cyclingnews.com

Alright, so Pellizoti is out and that's all that needs to be said on that.

This is the remaining start list: Giro D'Italia Start List | Cyclingnews.com

It's tough to know who's riding it to win and who's riding it for training for Le Tour. I think Sastre or Evans are good picks, if they can win here they will, they're not stupid enough to throw all their eggs into a TdF shaped basket. Wiggins and Vandevelde on the other hand might well be, partly due to their respective teams.

Anyway, my top five is:

1. Sastre
2. Evans
3. Bruseghin
4. Vino
5. Garzelli

1-evans
2-nibali
3-sastre
4-cunego
5-bruseghin

no particular enthusiasm for putting evans on the top step. but if he's still in the top five or six before the penultimate stage, i figure that stage and the tt to finish will give him an opportunity to leapfrog those above him.

I hope Vino doesn't make the podium, it just isn't right. But he is looking strong and shouldn't be written off. Evans and Sastre are probably the favourites, although a team time trial will hirt evans again

I predict....the Giro will be won.

1. Cadel Evans (BMC)
2. Carlos Sastre (Cervelo Test Team)
3. Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana)
4. Stefano Garzelli (Aqua e Sapone)
5. Marzio Bruseghin (Caisse d'Epargne)
6. Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas)
7. Ivan Basso (Liquigas)
8. Domenico Pozzovivo (Colnago-CSF Inox)
9. Michele Scarponi (Androni Giocattoli)
10. Eros Capecchi (Footon-Servetto) - watch out for this guy. He's going to have a strong Giro.

Could have easily taken Scarponi out and put in Pinotti.

Teams Classification: Liquigas
Points Classification: Greipel
Young Rider Classification: Nibaly
Mountains Classification: Not sure yet.

Yojimbo_ said:

I predict....the Giro will be won.

Not so fast.

The top three will have their bio-passports for May (2010) called into question during 2019 despite passing all dope tests during the event. **** Pound will claim a moral victory and the 4th, 5th and 6th place finishers won't be given an upgrade to podium positions.

I like your picks Eldrack. Mine differ as follows:
Sastre
Pozzovivo
Garzelli
Evans
Basso
Vinokourov
Bruseghin
Cunego
Wiggins

Sastre is the most consistent climber. Pozzovivo is a great climber. Garzelli is an all around great cyclist but he always seems to have a disaster stage, the same for vino. Basso is steady and strong but that flu put him a bit behind in preparation. Evans could do it, but I figure he will break in tough stages in the mountains.

Eldrack said:

Alright, so Pellizoti is out and that's all that needs to be said on that.

This is the remaining start list: Giro D'Italia Start List | Cyclingnews.com

It's tough to know who's riding it to win and who's riding it for training for Le Tour. I think Sastre or Evans are good picks, if they can win here they will, they're not stupid enough to throw all their eggs into a TdF shaped basket. Wiggins and Vandevelde on the other hand might well be, partly due to their respective teams.

Anyway, my top five is:

1. Sastre
2. Evans
3. Bruseghin
4. Vino
5. Garzelli

Re: Pellizotti. I think he has been harshly treated by the UCI. The irregularities in his passport could well be the result of chemicals from the hairspray, gels and dyes passing into his system through the scalp!!

It's a big ask but if Evans is in contention coming into Plan de Corones, he will be unbeatable.

Nobody will get near him on the dirt / climb.

Sastre to win

and in no particular order :

Vino/Basso/Pelizotti/Evans/Nibali/Cunego/Bruseghin.

Starts tomorrow, Wiggins to get pink?

1. Vino
2. Basso
3. Sastre

Evans as a longshot to podium. Basso and Sastre may swap places.

1.Sastre
2.Nibali
3.Vino
4.Evans
5.Basso

And yes Wiggans should be in pink by the end of stage 1.

Evans
Basso
Sastre
Vino

I think this is Evans' chance to win a grand tour, if he attacks and does so in a disciplined way - which I think he will - and if he has the form he's shown recently - which I think he'll have. His team needs the morale boost right about now, but rather than adding to the pressure Evans might feel, I think their situation if anything lessens the pressure. I think they'll be happy with a decent performance and some stage results - and will get much more than that out of Evans, who is my pick for the overall.

Sastre is just coming back from an eight month lay off. That's kind of an unusual way to peak for the ride, but for a rider of Sastre's caliber and character - hugely talented, greatly experienced and quietly ambitious - it will very likely result in a podium finish, if his form is there. Sastre for second.

Basso has been the shadow of himself since his return. If he's ever going to show the old form and get a result, this Giro is the time to do it. He'll be expected to get a result in the overall here and I expect he will produce one. Basso for third.

His recent form shows that he certainly could place on the podium, even in the top spot, but Vino's historical inconsistency in major tours will likely not have changed. On the other hand he's hungry - if not desperate - for a result and not getting any younger. And he seems to have found something, whatever it is, that enables him to drop the best immediately upon returning to the sport. All of which, in combination, might make for Vinokourov's placing fourth.

1) Evans

2) Sastre

3) Basso

4) Vinokourov

jamie72 said:

Re: Pellizotti. I think he has been harshly treated by the UCI. The irregularities in his passport could well be the result of chemicals from the hairspray, gels and dyes passing into his system through the scalp!!

Don't go giving his lawyers any ideas!