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Giro Stage 14
Seeing as we're all still up worrying about the game falling apart I thought I'd ask the big question...
Who's going to go for it tomorrow?
I can't see any of the big GC contenders, Basso, Schleck, Scarponi, Rodriguez, Hesjedal or Kreuziger even attempting to put more than a few seconds into each other with 3 more summit finishes in the next week. Stage 15 should be more fun as it runs into a rest day.
I'm thinking, I'll pick up two of Rujano, Gadret, Hesjedal and Basso and maybe leave Scarponi until later although I could afford Kreuziger and one of the first 4 on my list.
Something else to throw into the mix, apparently it'll to be bloody freezing on the summit tomorrow with risk of snow and Rodriguez is known to dislike the cold, Pozzovivo too (as he's a whippet).
Thoughts?
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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66 comments
Just what i thought. Astana drilling it on the front as Liquigas drop back into the pack.
Some mad descending going on. Cunego and Rujano still off the front chasing the break. But Rujano losing time on Cunego because he can't go downhill for toffee
Keep missing out on this Tour - dropped Kristoff the day before yesterday, and dropped Barta yesterday, having had him in for about a week! Silly me.
The little lord of the rings extra Rujano is offski on his own
Did anyone just see that?
The farnesi vini guy had a problem with his bike, jumped off, a guy in just boxers and trainers was holding it while the team got him another bike. A spectator pushed him up to speed while the team jumped back in the car and left the naked guy holding the bike even after him waving it in the air. Nice souvenir or will someone pick it up??
So who's your money on today then folks?
I'm thinking Barta is looking good, but will get caught towards the end.
Tiralongo and Kreuziger to drill it on the decent and try with a few others to break Shrek, J-Rod and some of the big guns?
Maybe as well but will he place that high in the flat stages. The points drop off after the first couple across the line. And the MM stages will be a bit more competitive than the TOC, but he will be a factor as well but I see Goss as his main rival with his ability to win some flat stages. Could have won yesterday if he hadn't had the crash as Cav was very poorly positioned.
Cav already has the TdF and the the Vuelta, he only needs the Giro to complete the set
I'd have thought Sagan would be the biggest thorn in Cav's side at TDF 2012?
The mountains are good practice for Cav for the Tour and they left 18 as a carrot. Goss, to be fair, hasn't recovered from his crash, so better for him he rests up. The Tour battle between them will be interesting as Goss can do well on stages Cav can't, although not this time. It will be tighter than the battle between Cav and Rojas last year. And what's happened to Rojas? Hardly seen him this year.
But he won the Vuelta one in 2012
So he did, but not in 2012
Interesting to here the interview with Pozzovivo's manager today read out online, what does he fear. The cold, the rain and going downhill
Oops, 2010, sorry.
It's just that I've only recently returned from the future.
Let me tell you what happens in this year's Giro.
It transpired that Thor had actually been cycling really slowly behind the race caravan, sneaking into the roadside bushes for sleeps and nuts to keep him going. He actually finished seventeenth on the GC, cycling through the night to gain bonus time at the intermediate sprints.
Mark cavendish launched an attack on stage 19 on one of the descents, soling to the finish like never before.
Both Frank Schlecks arms fell of, but he still managed to finish.
Mehdi Sonrabi returned from Limbo to win three stages on the bounce.
Androni finished top of the team classification, by way of Rujano finishing First, Second, Third and Fourth.
So yeah, I basically got a little confused.
And oh yeah, Heinrich Haussler became the first person ever to win every single stage of the Tour and Vuelta.
Todays break
Nelson Oliveira
Olivier Kaisen
Andrei Amador Bipkazacova
Matteo Montaguti
Nikolas Maes
Jan Barta
Alessandro De Marchi
Pier Paolo De Negri
Ah brilliant! Kept Goss for 4 defo points and he's flippin pulled out this morning
I did point that out for everyone yesterday, he'd give the sprint a go and then leave the tour
The ONLY sprinter who's said he's likely to complete the Giro is Cav, he wants to get the red jersey overall.
Then maybe next year he'll go to the Vuelta and take the points jersey there, making the full set
Kreuziger
Hesjedal
Haedo
Rodriguez
Pozzovivo
Caruso
Rubiano
Golas
Tiralongo
Hoping Hesjedal and JRod can hang in there today.
OK, so i didn't quite stick to what i said above, my team today looks like this
Joaquin Rodriguez (KAT)
Jose Humberto Rujano (AND)
Roman Kreuziger (AST)
Benat Intxausti (MOV)
Domenico Pozzovivo (COG)
Miguel Angel Rubiano (AND)
Paolo Tiralongo (AST)
Damiano Caruso (LIQ)
Jon Izagirre (EUS)
My team for today
J.Rod
Basso
Gasparotto
Intxausti
Golas
Casar
Tiralongo
Rubiano
Santaromito
Not having Kreuziger is my main worry today.
Agreed, that's my worry too, I can see him, with the help of Tiralongo, making a major move this weekend.
You've pulled a handy little gap on me now Alan, as ive been steadily dropping.
My plan is to see what happens tonight and maybe drop J-Rod and Hesjedal for tomorrow, however tomorrow should suit Pozzovivo/J-Rod I reckon. At least im now in a position where my team is pretty much how I want it making my transfers tactical, rather than needing to switch for sprinters or climbers so I haven't been able to axe climbers i may have wished to.
My only set in stone tactic is to make sure I have 4 transfers going into the last stage
It's not much of a gap and you've closed that before
Been lucky/canny with Rubiano and Golas both scoring good points for me. Most of that gap is Rubiano's win.
Only way I could have Cav and Goss was to drop Purito and bring in Henao for Hesjedal early , which paid off. Didn't seem much point bringing them back in again so went for the big Italian favs to do something today as tomorrow and some of the remaining stages, apart from the last one, still suit Purito who might come back into my team if I think he's still capable of a stage win or two and those bonus secs. His TTing isn't bad after all, although Basso is better and prob. relying on that a bit. If Hesjedal doesn't lose too much time today or next Saturday he's also in with a shout of a podium spot. Kreuzinger is also well-placed as he's a decent TTer. The climbers really need to put some time into the other guys soon. There aren't that many chances.
I thought you'd gain on me today but we ended up with the same number of points. Now, what to do about Scarponi and Rujano. Do I go back to Purito and Hesjedal or take a gamble and change some DSs. Got the feeling some people may go on a break for mountain points tomorrow if they've got some energy left, but who will join them. Keizer again?
Rodriguez
Hesjedal (will be dropped tomorrow I think but hoping for a solid result today)
Rujano
Henao
Pozzovivo
Tiralongo
Caruso
Rubiano
Golas
I think my transfers tonight will be Hesjedal for Basso and maybe Rodriguez for Scarponi, or a DS swap.
Both the sky riders are still quite cheap for the form they are in, and are 2nd and 3rd in young riders so points there as well.
Used 20 penalty points for my team - cant win the overall so losing 20 to possibly gain mega more is worth the risk.
Henao
Uran
Basso
J-Rod
Pozzovivo
Demare
Kristoff
Boaro
Bauer
Well I decided against Gadret, hope i dont regret it. Basically my choice was Hesjedal for Gadret or take out demare. So I took out demare and bought in slagter
My team
J-Rod
Hesjedal
Ruijano
Haeno
Pozzovivo
Caruso
Cataldo
Huzarski
Slagter
Got to be Gadret. Suddenly AG2R can't stop winning.
So many climbers, not enough transfers. I think I might just play safe tomorrow and go with some 'obvious' picks.
Still not sure what I'm going to do
My safe option is bringing in Hesjedal and Kreuziger for guaranteed GC points and hope no-one goes for it this early into the mountains.
My risky option is bringing in Rujano and Gadret hoping that they've both got so much time to make up that they go for it and the GC guys just watch each other letting them win.
I'll probably go for a combination of those, with 7 climbers I'm already set up for the mountains so I can make full transfers each day knowing I won't really have to overhaul my team too much in the next week.
Also, with Rujano and Gadret 3 minutes down needing a lead of maybe 3 minutes on those who can TT will they go big early on or will they wait till next week?
My high risk/high reward strategy is to pick both and hope for fireworks but I think I might just go for one.
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