Simoni is a world class a##clown

I think he's following the time honoured tradition of overpaid Italian superstars.

It's genetic. 😄

Simoni will have to eat his words much more quickly, since there is less than a week to go, when Paolo wins the Giro, than when he last tried to argue he would beat LA in the Tour! :p Simoni can't ITT (even in a slightly uphill situation) and he will lose time to Paolo in the ITT. Simoni would be lucky to get second, which he is not even necessarily going to get!

But he is in good company, in terms of cyclists with more flash than substance. Look at Cunego. 😉

musette said:

But he is in good company, in terms of cyclists with more flash than substance. Look at Cunego. 😉

I said this on another thread already, but I think Cunego might have gained 1 or 2 kg since 2004 Giro. I think that that might be why he's a little bit off.

gntlmn said:

I said this on another thread already, but I think Cunego might have gained 1 or 2 kg since 2004 Giro. I think that that might be why he's a little bit off.

I cant recall or find the source but didnt Simoni do a "surprisingly" good ITT at the end of one of the Giro tours.

Yes he did eat his words that year. For me I find him very entertaining because you just don't know what he will say next. Lately I am afraid he is starting to realize how silly he sounds, and is trying harder to come off as less of an egoist in statements. He is not a superstar that is for sure. He would have no giro wins at all, if not for Madonna di Campiglio. But I will say that he does prepare himself well for the giro, last year he was slightly off form, but this year he has again a chance to win the overall with Basso's bad fortune.

Cunego is also not a superstar, at least not at present. He was pumped up by the Italian media, as a wag the dog diversion to divert attention from their guilt in the destruction of Pantani.

hombredesubaru said:

I will stay with Lance in the mountains and teach him a lesson in the TdF 2003. I went to the TdF 2003. Simoni didn't finish some stages in the same time zone as Lance.

This year, "I will win the Giro. No one else attacks, thay are clowns."

blah blah blah

He is so full of it. "It" being he operative word. What is he on?

I am curious as to why a poster (hombredesubaru) decides to take a quote from 2003 about that years TDF, and introduce that same quote in 2005 during the Giro.
Are you trying to get a debate going, Home ?

I like Simoni.

He's a fine cyclist and although some of his talk is provocative, one cannot take away the fact that he's a winner and he's done pretty well in the Giro thus far.

I think he can win the Giro.
Whether he will win it is another thing - but I am confident that he will be on the podium, hopefully in first place.

ilpirata said:

Yes he did eat his words that year. For me I find him very entertaining because you just don't know what he will say next. Lately I am afraid he is starting to realize how silly he sounds, and is trying harder to come off as less of an egoist in statements. He is not a superstar that is for sure. He would have no giro wins at all, if not for Madonna di Campiglio. But I will say that he does prepare himself well for the giro, last year he was slightly off form, but this year he has again a chance to win the overall with Basso's bad fortune.

Cunego is also not a superstar, at least not at present. He was pumped up by the Italian media, as a wag the dog diversion to divert attention from their guilt in the destruction of Pantani.

I agree with your view.
Simoni is entertaining.

His real objective every year is the Giro - the TDFfor him is not a serious objective (nor for Lampre).
The Giro's been superb this year - as it was in 2004.

musette said:

But he is in good company, in terms of cyclists with more flash than substance. Look at Cunego. 😉

I do not understand. Cunego is considered to be low key. He won the Giro unexpectedly last year, beating his team-mate Simoni, and quite naturally was hailed a start here. After all, a new young Italian who wins the Giro and who might be our next big GC rider. He is quite careful about not talking trash, a la Simoni. Where is the flash? Did I miss an interview?

Simoni runs off at the mouth, but he seems to back it up with his legs. I never really liked the guy until I saw him destroy the Zoncolan. He earned my respect.

ilpirata said:

Cunego is also not a superstar, at least not at present. He was pumped up by the Italian media, as a wag the dog diversion to divert attention from their guilt in the destruction of Pantani.

What is your definition of superstar? How can that definition exclude the #1 UCI ranked rider for 2004? Admittedly, it was only one year, but it was a spectacular one!

Let's just say the "pumping" didn't involve a great deal of arduous labor...

musette said:

But he is in good company, in terms of cyclists with more flash than substance. Look at Cunego. 😉

Did you even watch the Giro last year?

That is in the giro he backs his words up. In the tour he is a classic example of a nobody. Podium giro means top 10 tour not more.....This ofcourse doesn't mean his wins are nothing........he can climb with the best in the giro and is an average TT-er not more. That's why if you want to win the tour you need to be very allround versus the giro were you can be a mountain goat (a la simoni, pantani) and win in the mountains.

Catabolic_Jones said:

Simoni runs off at the mouth, but he seems to back it up with his legs. I never really liked the guy until I saw him destroy the Zoncolan. He earned my respect.

limerickman said:

I like Simoni.

He's a fine cyclist and although some of his talk is provocative, one cannot take away the fact that he's a winner and he's done pretty well in the Giro thus far.

I think he can win the Giro.
Whether he will win it is another thing - but I am confident that he will be on the podium, hopefully in first place.

He has to be one of my favorite riders. Even though he does run his mouth a lot. And even though he may not have kept up with Armstrong in the mountains, he did manage to place 18th overall last year. A lot better than his 84th place the year before. But hopefully, we'll see him on the podium when the Giro finishes in Milan on Sunday.

Are you sure you mean 2004, because Simoni did not win much of anything that year as I remember. My definition of a superstar is a multiple grand tour winner with at least one of those being the tdF. (I say this only because in the last few years the giro has not brought to many big names. Indurain and Tonkov were the last big talents for the gc to grace the giro). A superstar could also be a world champion who has also won at least 3 of the classics. Or a sprinter who can win over at least 4 years a high percentage of flat races and several wins each year at grand tours. That said, i think Simoni is an efficient rider and a respectable talent. I have never been a big fan of his. But he has said some things in recent years of a generous nature in regards to Pantani that show both regret for earlier statements, and a certain maturity (perhaps because he knows he is close to the end of his career).

JRMDC said:

What is your definition of superstar? How can that definition exclude the #1 UCI ranked rider for 2004? Admittedly, it was only one year, but it was a spectacular one!

Let's just say the "pumping" didn't involve a great deal of arduous labor...

He meant Cunego went in 2004 to nr1🙂 Simoni is a great climber, one of the best, not more not less. That's it. With his engine he got 2 giro's pretty good. But it has to be said........the level of the field at the giro is not of an high standard.

ilpirata said:

Are you sure you mean 2004, because Simoni did not win much of anything that year as I remember. My definition of a superstar is a multiple grand tour winner with at least one of those being the tdF. (I say this only because in the last few years the giro has not brought to many big names. Indurain and Tonkov were the last big talents for the gc to grace the giro). A superstar could also be a world champion who has also won at least 3 of the classics. Or a sprinter who can win over at least 4 years a high percentage of flat races and several wins each year at grand tours. That said, i think Simoni is an efficient rider and a respectable talent. I have never been a big fan of his. But he has said some things in recent years of a generous nature in regards to Pantani that show both regret for earlier statements, and a certain maturity (perhaps because he knows he is close to the end of his career).

hombredesubaru said:

I will stay with Lance in the mountains and teach him a lesson in the TdF 2003. I went to the TdF 2003. Simoni didn't finish some stages in the same time zone as Lance.

This year, "I will win the Giro. No one else attacks, thay are clowns."

blah blah blah

He is so full of it. "It" being he operative word. What is he on?

Don't like arrogance? Hope you are not a Lance supporter. 🙄

How is Lance going in the Giro this year?

How has Lance gone in any Giro?

Simoni has won 2.

Lance can be arrogant.....I said it before you have all the right if you talk the talk but also walk the walk. And that is what he has been doing the last 6 years....soon to be seven:p Hoping for another boring tour😎

mitosis said:

Don't like arrogance? Hope you are not a Lance supporter. 🙄

How is Lance going in the Giro this year?

How has Lance gone in any Giro?

Simoni has won 2.

mitosis said:

Don't like arrogance? Hope you are not a Lance supporter. 🙄

How is Lance going in the Giro this year?

How has Lance gone in any Giro?

Simoni has won 2.

How many Giro's has Lance talked about winning?? Simoni had the guts to talk about winning the TDF last year.

No point in discussing this. Lances agenda is the tour. Period. If he wants to win AP male athlete of the year he needs to win the tour.......that were his own words. Nobody knows something in the VS about any race other then the TDF. So that's why Lance chose the tour for his sponsors! Very simple.......would it be great if he did the giro: YES......would it help his sponsors alot: NO. Would riding the TDF (televised over the whole world) mean something to the sponsors: YES!