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Giro D'Italia
So, the time has come. The first Grand Tour of 2012.
No previous winner, obvs, as Contador was banned.
Grainy Thomas will make an appearance, as will the Manx Express, in an attempt to gain the last points jersey that he hasn't won.
Pinotti's leading BMC.
I think that Basso will try and do well, as will Fuglsang.
Normal Italian Wildcards and net app: Giocattoli, Colnago-CSF Inox, Farnese Vini-Selle Italia, Team NetApp.
Jose Rujano is a personal favourite
Relatively straightforward Danish TT and two stages to start with.
Would love to hear your thoughts with regards to your teams.
If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.
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111 comments
Why would Quintana not be riding? He's listed on the official startlist. Rui Costa isn't
There should be a prize for the person who uses the MOST transfers. ; )
What about Chicci, Belletti, Ulissi ????
Well it might be all star sprinters and all DS TT . . . initially anyway . . . TER must have picked Jacapo
and
A recent TT winner
and
A lead out for a star sprinter might be the same welshman..
I reckon there are 3 green TT specialist DS . . . so i've gone for a black one instead.
Because DS Unzue says so himself:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/movistar-names-giro-ditalia-line-up
Guardini?
Isn't Andrea a girls name?
ssssshhhhhhh
Ok, my team is done
Mikel Nieve (EUS)
John Gadret (ALM)
Jan Bakelants (RSN)
Roberto Ferrari (AND)
Christian Vande Velde (GRM)
Dario Cataldo (OPQ)
Mads Christensen (SAX)
Tom Leezer (RAB)
Jack Bobridge (GRE)
Swifty's gone broke his shoulder. Anyone need to make a change?
yep...
Is that your pursuit team
Got one last decision to make on my purist team, Rujano and Basso, Kreuziger + someone like Pozzato or Hushovd and someone like Pozzato (ie 20ish credits).
Part of me wants to load up on possible GC guys but Basso's a big question mark, I doubt he's got it in him to win another but the Giro is his race and he definitely wants it.
Any thoughts? Effectively a budget of 55.5 credits for two stars.
EDIT: Also, could pick up Cav and a 15 credit star, not sure on that one, it's hit or miss whether Cav will win 3-4 stages that he'd need to outscore a possible GC contender. Assuming 3 wins and 2 top 10s Cav might get 150 points tops, a GC guys with 3-4 top 10 places should get close to that with possible extra mountain points.
Here are my boys:
Mark Cavendish (SKY)
Geraint Thomas (SKY)
Ryder Hesjedal (GRM)
Ivan Basso (LIQ)
Domestiques
Dennis Vanendert (LOT)
Tom Jelte Slagter (RAB)
Gianni Meersman (LOT)
Arnaud Demare (FDJ)
Peter Stetina (GRM)
drheaton - Tough call - I don't envy you purists. I think Kreuziger could finish on the podium, but he could conceivably score hardly any points in the first two weeks, whereas some of the punchier climbers could score stage and GC points much earlier and end up outscoring the top finishers by the end. I think you're right on Cav - probably too many stages where he wouldn't score. And there's always a chance he'll quit halfway through to focus on the TDF...
I think I've made my decision and I've gone for 5 guys which should finish top 10 GC but there could potentially be 8 top 10 GC riders. Likewise a few of those should score at least one stage win but I've gone climber heavy rather than trying to pick up sprint points.
That may change though in the next 12 hours...
I think pursuits need to go for stage winners. . . Cav, Rodriguez, Rujano, Cunego . . . but who's going to win the medium hill stages?
Nah, you'll find as the tour goes on that a select group of 'GC contenders' will usualy score more than the likes of Cavendish or Goss. There are 5 high mountain and 6 medium mountain (if I counted correctly) stages this year. You'd expect the top 5 GC guys to be there or there abouts for most of those. Yes some of the MM stages will be sprint/breakaway wins but some of them also have very steep finishes and could be important for the GC.
I think I am happy with my squad for stage 1, but worried that I have 17.8m in the bank still . . . .
Can i loan some of my money to another player in return for a few pts maybe? Now there's an idea for Dave. . . how about i loan GKam 10M in return for 50% of the points he scores with the riders he buys with that money . . . hey wait, that's not a good idea with GKam. . . maybe if traded with drheaton. . .
I have alot left in the bank rady for transfers for stage 2
we could pool our money and have an extra rider and half the points he scores for the stage
OK, changed things a bit. The squad now includes . . .
Popular sprinter with possible sleep issues
Celtic time trialler
Cheap sprinter from northern europe. Surely Dave got his value wrong
In form cheap Italian star.
American TT specialinst, hand with a needle.
Danish TT with drug problems
Bruce, the TT specialist
Another north european TT specialist
A kiwi TT specialist
So, you're going TT specialist heavy then? I think I'm going the other way now, banking on sprinters who might do well in the TT but should do well in stages 2 and 3 with a view for the TTT on stage 4 too. For now anyway...
The sprinters who have the best chances to do well in the opening TT are Farrar and Bennati in my opinion.
My purist team consists of
6 GC riders
1 TT specialist
1 allrounder whos good at hilly stages and sprinting
and only 1 true sprinter whos good at any kind of sprint stages and specializes in TTing currently.
So 2 obvious DS's are the same as mine, think I will have a DS TT that alot of others wont go for. so youve gone Gasparotto then. Cheap sprinter from northern europe??? if your on about who I think, he is part of my strategy to come in for stage 2. Celtic TT if I know who you mean, I have him too.
I've gone for mainly an Iranian team, UCI points rich!
Also though, I have one rider whose middle names are: Nicki Sylvest
And one other rider who:
is a Danish professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam Team Saxo Bank. He started his cycling career racing for Ordrup Cycle Club in the north of Copenhagen, and was reckoned to be a very talented climber and skilled all-rounder. As a teenager he joined Team PH, which later changed its name to Team GLS, where he rode with Matti Breschel and Chris Anker Sørensen, both of whom were also later teammates with him at Team Saxo Bank. He turned professional in 2007 with Team CSC, as the Saxo Bank team was then known.
Frank Schleck is doing the Giro now
http://www.sport24.co.za/Cycling/Schleck-joins-Giro-dItalia-20120504
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/04052012/2/cycling-giro-course-suits-late-...
Haha - it's not Gasparotto
here's my final clue, I have 2 riders in the first half of tomorrows startlist and the other 7 in the second half
Have the stage prizes been announced anywhere. . . if the prize for stage 1 is a pair of socks and stage 2's is a bike, i might pick more sprinters. . .
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