How do you like Giro route

This is going to be a route for the Superman. This will be a race of attrition. The most in-form rider may not win this but the toughest. I'd like to see Jose Rujano give Selle-Italia a perfect send off with the pink jersey. Savoldelli will enjoy the time-trialling more than his rivals but I think the mountains could be too much for him. I think a Damiano vs Jose showdown is on the cards.

I think it is a very good route. Tough until the last day, with lots of climbing. It does not seem to be a route for Il Falco, but that does not bother me. Stage 17 looks to be especially exciting to watch, with gravel roads and huge grades!

I wonder if anyone knows what TTT rules the race will use? Limited losses like the Tour or just an open race?

Ii'm glad that there are several rolling stages. They should provide good excitement for breakaways.

Andrija said:

So, again for the climbers - more interesting for the viewers and fans. And if Tour doesn't want it Giro does - TTT. And surprise for me - long ITT (50km.). I'd say very hard route and chance for Cunego (best time trialist among the pure climbers), but maybe Savoldelli could defend the title.

Its look hard but the stages are fairly short... looks awesome thou... some hills early on, some massive climbs late and the mountain TT on the last day...... I'll be glued to my seat and will do all the house renovations when the Tour is on becuase that will be boring..... this is all good and a made for TV race.......

tcklyde said:

I wonder if anyone knows what TTT rules the race will use? Limited losses like the Tour or just an open race?

I don't know what rule will be applied, but considering it's very short for the TTT, they might let it open. And of course, it's much more exciting that way, so if they want to make thrilling race (and they do), they'll leave it open.

One of the hardest finale ever in last years.
Happy they return here in my places (penultimate stage):p

ATM difficult to name possible winners
maybe outsiders?

Tough course! Should be great for us who are following it but I am glad I am not racing it.

I think that the 2006 Giro is going to be very very tough.
The Giro - from a climbing perspective - has usually been the toughest of the three main grand but the 2006 version has gone further.
The last week of the Giro is going to be a war of attrition between the climbers.
Already looking forward to it.

Again, another grand tour goes out of its way to prevent a Discovery ider from winning.
Why?
Why?

This route has been dreamed up for Simoni.

Salvodelli's strength is his TT: there's only one.

OK, Disco can TTT, but this one is about half the length of the typical TTT so not much time will be taken.

Then of course they have created a course that is ridiculously difficult and the final stage that violates the rules from the riders union and the riders union specifically objected to the final stage when the heard of it through leaks.

Why?
I thought cycling was trying to get away from doping.

In related news, the procyclists union asked for shortening of the grand tours by four days and specifically:

OBJECTED TO THE SNUB BY THE TOUR DE FRANCE OF ONE MR LANCE ARMSTRONG.

bobke said:

Again, another grand tour goes out of its way to prevent a Discovery ider from winning.
Why?
Why?

You'd think that they'd know by now that the world revolves around the USA, not the sun.

I think it is a good route, there will be plenty off suspense as to who is going to win (unless some does a Heras on one of the mountain stages). The only people they seem to be having a go at is the sprinters, not Discovery.

Eldrack said:

I think it is a good route, there will be plenty off suspense as to who is going to win (unless some does a Heras on one of the mountain stages). The only people they seem to be having a go at is the sprinters, not Discovery.

I think the Giró was the most exiting grand tour in 2005, in 2006 it will even be more exiting. I think it`s a great rout, the only thing i don`t like are the two half stages on the last day.

Looks very sadistic...

If the 2006 Giro is half as good as the 2005 version, it will be a great race.

limerickman said:

If the 2006 Giro is half as good as the 2005 version, it will be a great race.

This year Giro was decided on penultimate stage (to Sestriere after Finestre). For next year they've decided to keep the race open till last afternoon. This year first three riders in GC were separated less than a minute, next year, after all high mountains and long steep climbs, there is stll that uphill ITT on the last morning which will, again, make things closer. I think that's the idea of the organizers.

[font=Verdana]I think the Giro organisers have done an excellent job… as we know from the Tour you cant manufacture a result from the course you design and you cant guarantee a close race from the course you design…. However what they have put forward is a route which will ensure exciting racing on almost all of the stages… so in effect a lot of the stages with there little mountain climbs will encourage attacks and daring breakaways for stage wins turning stages into mini-classics……. I also think this will make the Giro2006 a great TV spectacle…. We need racing like this to make the sport exciting… the tour has been rather boring of late and not because of Lance’s dominance but for the fact that the stages outside of the mountain stages are just plain boring… will radios more often than not the breaks get caught by the sprinters and no one wants to take risks on a stage which has a 50km flat run in to the finish…… Well done to the Giro organisers… it wont become the most prestigious GT but it could become the most watch and certainly the most exciting….. a bit more prize money and riders could aim for that and not the Tour…
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Andrija said:

This year Giro was decided on penultimate stage (to Sestriere after Finestre). For next year they've decided to keep the race open till last afternoon. This year first three riders in GC were separated less than a minute, next year, after all high mountains and long steep climbs, there is stll that uphill ITT on the last morning which will, again, make things closer. I think that's the idea of the organizers.

whiteboytrash said:

[font=Verdana]I think the Giro organisers have done an excellent job… as we know from the Tour you cant manufacture a result from the course you design and you cant guarantee a close race from the course you design…. However what they have put forward is a route which will ensure exciting racing on almost all of the stages… so in effect a lot of the stages with there little mountain climbs will encourage attacks and daring breakaways for stage wins turning stages into mini-classics……. I also think this will make the Giro2006 a great TV spectacle…. We need racing like this to make the sport exciting… the tour has been rather boring of late and not because of Lance’s dominance but for the fact that the stages outside of the mountain stages are just plain boring… will radios more often than not the breaks get caught by the sprinters and no one wants to take risks on a stage which has a 50km flat run in to the finish…… Well done to the Giro organisers… it wont become the most prestigious GT but it could become the most watch and certainly the most exciting….. a bit more prize money and riders could aim for that and not the Tour…
[/font]

Off course you can't manufacture a result from a course nor any course can guarantee close race (if Basso haven't had that stomach problem, this year Giro wouldn't be much exciting) . But what can you do is make a course with lots of opportunities for everyone. 5 high mountain top finishes, long TT, uphill ITT, TTT, bunch of high mountains and, of course, rolling course for breakaways, will force GC contenders to ride brave and not to hesitate. That kind of course can guarantee exciting race, but close race is up to riders, organizers have done what they could. I also think Giro is more attractive than Tour (from purely cycling point of view), but Giro doesn't have Tour marketing and reputation and it's held in time of year which can't provide as much money as holiday season. So Tour will stay the biggest, but Giro can continue making challenging routes.

Andrija said:

Off course you can't manufacture a result from a course nor any course can guarantee close race (if Basso haven't had that stomach problem, this year Giro wouldn't be much exciting) . But what can you do is make a course with lots of opportunities for everyone. 5 high mountain top finishes, long TT, uphill ITT, TTT, bunch of high mountains and, of course, rolling course for breakaways, will force GC contenders to ride brave and not to hesitate. That kind of course can guarantee exciting race, but close race is up to riders, organizers have done what they could. I also think Giro is more attractive than Tour (from purely cycling point of view), but Giro doesn't have Tour marketing and reputation and it's held in time of year which can't provide as much money as holiday season. So Tour will stay the biggest, but Giro can continue making challenging routes.

Giro and Vuelta are better races than the TDF : I agree.

The Giro has been really good viewing especially in the past few years.
Previously it seemed to be pretty much an Italian affair (Moser etc) but the field has become more international during the 1990's and 2000's and this has made it a better race.
At the same time the TDF had become formulaic (stale in the Indurain era, positively calcified in the Armstrong era).

I like the TDf don't get me wrong but as a fan, i prefer to watch rider race.

limerickman said:

Giro and Vuelta are better races than the TDF : I agree.

The Giro has been really good viewing especially in the past few years.
Previously it seemed to be pretty much an Italian affair (Moser etc) but the field has become more international during the 1990's and 2000's and this has made it a better race.
At the same time the TDF had become formulaic (stale in the Indurain era, positively calcified in the Armstrong era).

I like the TDf don't get me wrong but as a fan, i prefer to watch rider race.

Nice call Limerick. The Giro was just amazing this year. I always love the tour and this year's tour had many exciting moments but the Giro was by far the best GT this year. The same can be said for 2004 too. Cunego smacking Simoni like that was just incredible. That kid can fly.

The Vuelta of 2004 was really exciting at the time but the fact that the three most competitive riders (Tyler, Santi Perez, Heras) have all been busted for doping since... who cares.

I wish I could get tv coverage of the giro. I bought the OLN online video feed for last year's giro, that worked ok. No Phil and Paul though.

barnstorm said:

I wish I could get tv coverage of the giro. I bought the OLN online video feed for last year's giro, that worked ok. No Phil and Paul though.

Watch it on Eurosport with great commentary of Sean Kelly.