Welcome to the first Grand Tour of the year, the Giro d’Italia. This Giro marks a very special occasion in Management Game history – this is the first time that Damiano Cunego will not be present to take out the overall honours, meaning that it is truly, for the first time, anyone’s game. But more on the contenders later, for the moment let’s look at the course that awaits these riders.
Week 1
The first week is a complete mixed-bag of stages where every rider should find something that suits their talents. The first stage is a 21km flat team time trial that should be an early test of every team’s depth. The gaps shouldn’t be too huge, but it will still be important to perform well. The next three stages are flat on paper, however it is entirely possible that a breakaway could take out either stage three or four. Stages two and four are also over 200km, meaning that even on the flat days it will still be a struggle to conserve energy.
Stages five and six are designed for the puncheurs and present the first real obstacles in the race for the maglia rosa. It is likely that a hilly specialist will take out these stages but none of the favourites can afford to lose any time on each other. The seventh stage of the Giro this year is also the first mountaintop finish, on top of Montevergine. It shouldn’t be steep enough to cause massive problems for any of the favourites, but it should be the first of many painful days for everyone else.
Week 2
The eighth stage of the Giro is bumpy but if any sprinters have enough energy left in the tank then this is a real chance for them to take out a stage. Straight on the back of this stage is yet another long and grinding climb up Mt Etna that should be a battle of endurance. Some of those with an uphill sprint who aren’t too tired will be eyeing the tenth stage of the race, which should be a welcome respite for everyone else. Though the eleventh stage is notionally flat it looks tailor made for a breakaway, particularly if a couple of strong puncheurs can find their way into the lead group.
A transitional twelfth stage leads to the brutal climb of the Grossglockner in the thirteenth. This should be where it will become obvious who will be forming the real contenders for the overall. But that is nothing compared to the fourteenth stage, the queen stage of this year’s Giro. In this stage the riders will face first the Monte Crostis and then the mighty Zoncolan.
Week 3
As if facing the Zoncolan didn’t make things difficult enough, the very next stage sees 5 categorised mountains climbed, including the Cima Coppi for this year, the Passo Giau. The stage comes in at almost 230km and if the GC wasn’t already decided on the previous day, expect this one to be decisive. Following this is a 13km uphill TT that should sort out some of the undecided GC positions a bit more. In the unlikely event that any sprinters are left at all, then stages seventeen and eighteen could look vaguely promising, though in all likelihood both will favour those who have the legs left to enter a breakaway.
In case you were missing them, stages nineteen and twenty both deliver summit finishes, with the penultimate stage’s climb of the Finestre and then the Sestriere promising some last-minute fireworks. Finally, the race reaches its conclusion with a 32km time trial that could benefit those who have recovered well in the final week. It will be interesting to see how the TT specialists perform on this stage, because they are far less likely to have energy left than many GC contenders.
So with all of that in mind, it is clear that a pure climber could not have a course more suited to them. Similarly, anyone who can recover well and who can deal with a lot of tough days in a row will find a lot of opportunities to perform well in the final week. A strong team of climbers will also prove immensely useful, because otherwise leaders could find themselves isolated very early on in some of the toughest stages, as well as losing time in the opening TTT. So with these things in mind, let us look at each of the teams and the men who they have brought along to represent them.
The Teams
Bacardi-Ignis
Bacardi have brought the man who the bookmakers are tipping as the biggest favourite, Ricardo Ricco. Ricco has a great track record at this race, being 2nd in 2008, 5th in 2009 and 3rd in 2010. He was in the CT last year and as such did not take place. Ricco isn’t just a great climber, he is also a better puncheur than almost any of the other favourites, meaning that he can try to make up some time in the first week. The team should help him in the TTT, but he can’t expect a huge result there. Once the race hits the mountains, however, he is likely to have both Pardilla and Terciado around him, which should help a lot. Bacardi will certainly be hoping for a strong result, given that they have told their sponsors that they are chasing a podium place.
Vesuvio-Accumalux
Vesuvio is lead here by Frank Schleck who is making his Man Game Giro debut. He is another strong puncheur, which should help on some stages, particularly early on. With Barth, Ford and Kittel here to help in the TTT he should be able to avoid losing too much time. However, his real team strength is in the mountains, where Vesuvio have spared no expense in ensuring that he is well-supported. Medvedev and Samwel are both very strong climbers and Medvedev certainly should have the strength to carry on well over three weeks.
Webeffect
Emanuele Sella is a man who needs no introduction at the Giro d’Italia. In recent years he has been the only man who has looked even close to contending with Cunego. He was 6th in 2008, 2nd in 2009, 5th in 2010 and 2nd in 2011. With these palmares and a course that suits him it is hard not to give him the title of overall favourite. His team won’t be able to give him much TTT support and in the mountains it will be down to Ghisalberti and Camaño to do what they can to help out.
Festina-Conec
The winner of the 2010 Tour de France, Markus Fothen leads the Festina team. With his track record in three week races he should go in as the biggest favourite, but there are several reasons to ask serious questions about his chances. While he has a great team of time trialists around him for the opening stage, he really lacks anyone to support him in the mountains. Add to that the low number of TT kilometres and it is hard to see him on the top step of the podium. Also worth watching in this team is Diego Ulissi, the winner of Milan - San Remo, who will like some of the punchier stages.
UBS - La Pierre
Andrei Amador is another man who would prefer to see more TT kilometres, Amador is only fairly new to this length of racing. His 7th place at last year’s Vuelta was his best result in a GT thus far in his young career. Riblon looks like the only man capable of supporting him in the mountains, though there are many men in the team who look like they will be of use in driving the pace if they are required to. There are also several strong time trialists to help out early on.
Vespa - Aprilia - De Rosa
The first of the Continental wildcards at the race bring Domenico Pozzovivo as their leader. The man has always been consistent in his home race, coming in 4th place in 2009, 2010 and 2011. With no pressure on him this year and with a more open field, he could potentially aim to finally make the podium. Carrara will support him in the mountains and future great Cattaneo will no doubt look to impress in his Grand Tour debut. Francesco Ginanni is also here for stage hunting purposes.
Pearl Adidas
Peal Adidas are aiming for a top 10 in this race and have put their faith in Tiago Machado. Though there are no doubts about his climbing credentials, his ability to perform consistently over a three week tour are doubtful and could well be a deciding factor in his race. With J. Rodriguez and Samoilev the only two riders who can support him on the climbs, his biggest problem could be compounded. Peal have wisely decided to not put all their eggs in the GC basket, however, and have brought along Jacopo Guarneiri and Mauro Richeze for the sprints, with the former rider hoping to really contend in his home GT.
Santander
With a 9th place in last year’s Vuelta under his belt David Arroyo will be looking to have another top 10 place in a grand tour to add to his palmares. The team should perform decently in the mountains, but don’t expect any of them to make it to the finale. Also expect them to lose a lot of time in the TTT, which is the last thing that Arroyo will want. Oscar Guerao should be able to do well in the sprints, however and should take the lower level of sprint competition here as a real chance to take a grand tour stage. The team have also brought in a number of men who could do well in breakaways.
Milka – Vittel
Milka have set themselves the task of achieving a top 10 in this race and it falls on the back of Sergio Luis Henao Montoya to do so. He will be left completely unsupported in the mountains and barely supported at all in the TTT, meaning that his chances of the top 10 appear slim. Instead, the team have brought a great lead-out train here with two lead sprinters, Juan Pablo Forero and Michael Vanderaerden. These men could both perform rather strongly, though whether their interests will conflict remains to be seen.
Stefan Denifl leads the Nestle team , and what a strong team it is! With Delgado, Duran and Maillet all accomplished climbers in their own right, Denifl will be immensely well-supported. This could very well be the team who manages to take the team classification, though their time trialing leaves something to be desired. Nolan Hoffman will be looking to make an impact in the sprints and has the advantage of being a better climber than most of them, which should help him in the later sprint stages.
Sony Ericsson
Austrian climber Bernhard Kohl leads Sony Ericsson, and is surrounded by a team that will seek to perform well in the TTT. In the mountains, however, he will probably be yet another leader who is going to be isolated. With a 9th in the 2009 Giro and the 2010 Tour de France, however, he has proven himself in 3 weeks and will probably like the parcours. Paride Grillo is another sprinter who will like the first week, and could do well in some of the uphill finishes.
Volkswagen – Siemens Cycling
The second of the wildcard teams is lead by the climbing duo of Marco Marzano and Vadim Ratiy. Marzano was 8th last year and 9th the year before, and will be looking for another top 10 on a course that suits his climbing abilities. Unsurprisingly for a CT team, the time trialing in this team is rather lacking. Expect a lot of aggressive riding from them, looking for a stage win.
Pendleton's Twicer
This is another very strong team of climbers, lead by the aging Denis Menchov. They will be required to be constantly on the attack and if they do this, Pendleton’s should take home at least a stage victory. Thomas Faiers could probably make a good shot at the mountain jersey if he desired. Surprisingly, Pendleton’s have not brought a sprinter and will be looking solely to the mountain stages.
Spyker Cars
Belgian all-rounder Stijn Devolder leads the Spyker set-up to this race. Having a Tour de France title, he is obviously a proven performer over 3 weeks but he isn’t quite as good as he used to be. The team around him is rather inexperienced and it is hard to see too many other riders capable of a stage win, except from a lucky breakaway.
Jack Wolfskin
Maricio Ardilla is the notional leader of this team, though they are not really here for a high GC placing. They are here for the first stage team time trial, and what a team they have brought along to achieve it. Cornu, Posthuma and Van Winden alone would be enough power to give a team a strong result, but by adding in Donald, De Kort, Vandewalle and Vaugrenard and it is hard to see many other teams even competing with them. Posthuma and Cornu could also perhaps be strong enough to have some energy left for the final stage time trial, which would be a big bonus for the team. Expect to see this tea in the breakaway for the rest of the time.
Wiggle – San Pellegrino
Wiggle have come here with the goal of a stage win and they have certainly brought the best possible team for that. With Dario Cataldo and Costagli for the mountain stages, as well as Luke Rowe for the sprints, that would ordinarily be enough to have a good chance at that result. However, Wiggle have also brought along a strong team of puncheurs, with Simone Ponzi chief amongst them, ably supported by Damiano Caruso. The first week will be the best chance for this team to do something special.
Team B&O
Nico Keinath is not strong enough for a result at this tour, perhaps squeezing into the top 20 at best. B&O, however, are another team looking for a result in the TTT. They lack the star power of Jack Wolfskin’s line up, and much of the power, but they should still manage a podium in that race. Other than that, constant aggressive racing will be the only way to achieve results.
Carmeuse - Bouygues Telecom
Jaime Suaza, the very definition of a mountain goat, leads the Carmeuse team at this Giro. He will probably not achieve very much, but you never know what an aggressive ride can accomplish. Theo Bos will make noise about winning the early sprints, but who knows whether he will take a big win? Expect aggressive riding from Carmeuse, who will be desperate for some sort of big result.
Wikipedia
Matthew Goss is the man who defines Wikipedia’s purpose here. He will be looking for a strong result in the first week’s sprints and will then hope to be strong enough for the later stages that suit him.Christoph Mai will have a chance for a top 20 result but would be unwise to aim much higher.
Warner Brothers
A very strong climbing team that really lacks any stand-out. They will be looking to achieve something on the climbs and possibly the mountain classification is an achievable goal, with Yannick Talabardon a man who could definitely perform well in it, but most of the team lack the staying power to perform well over three weeks. This will be a tough race for Warner Brothers.
At the bottom of the team lists is Cafe de Colombia, but they aren’t putting their hope in the GC, instead hoping that Anthony Brea can take a placing in the sprints. However, there may be too many other riders hoping for the same thing. He has what many of the others do not, however, and that is a lead out train. Expect to see Colombia in the breakaway for the rest of the race, however.
The Full Startlist
Spoiler
Bacardi
1. R. Ricco
2. G. Bagdonas
3. T. Butterfield
4. J. Ghyselinck
5. D. Grabovski
6. J. Kocjan
7. S. Pardilla
8. M. Perget
9. F. Terciado
Vesuvio
11. F. Schleck
12. M. Barth
13. M. Ford
14. J. Hoogerland
15. M. Kittel
16. M. Kvasina
17. D. Medvedev
18. M. Samwel
19. J. Wallays
Webeffect
21. E. Sella
22. D. Appollonio
23. T. Bontenackels
24. I. Camaño
25. G. Gazvoda
26. S. Ghisalberti
27. F. Matamoros
28. A. Mironov
29. R. Nelson
Festina
31. M. Fothen
32. M. Bernaudeau
33. K. Goddaert
34. O. Kaisen
35. J. Ljungblad
36. S. Morabito
37. R. Navardauskas
38. D. Rijntjes
39. D. Ulissi
UBS
41. A. Amador
42. D. Champion
43. R. Chtioui
44. T. Frei
45. C. Riblon
46. F. Stalder
47. D. Vorontsov
48. S. Zahner
49. O. Zaugg
Vespa
51. D. Pozzovivo
52. L. Ascani
53. M. Carrara
54. M. Cattaneo
55. O. Gatto
56. F. Ginanni
57. A. Passalacqua
58. M. Quinziato
59. R. Traficante
Pearl
61. T. Machado
62. E. Franzoi
63. J. Guarnieri
64. J. Mendes
65. Y. Offredo
66. M. Richeze
67. J. RodrÃguez
68. B. Samoilev
69. W. Walker
Santander
71. D. Arroyo
72. D. Allonca
73. J. Del Nero
74. I. Erviti
75. E. Gonzalo
76. O. Guerao
77. A. Hernández Gutierrez
78. P. Merino Criado
79. D. Ortega
Milka
81. S. Henao Montoya
82. J. Forero
83. L. Howard
84. A. Malori
85. Y. Nepomnyachsniy
86. A. Nepomnyachsniy
87. R. Porte
88. M. Vanderaerden
89. E. Verbist
Sony
101. B. Kohl
102. S. Anza
103. J. Danacik
104. P. Grillo
105. F. Johansson
106. S. Lang
107. S. Pauwels
108. V. Renäng
109. A. Wetterhall
Team VW
111. M. Marzano
112. W. Anacona
113. G. Brenes
114. A. Flügel
115. R. Förster
116. A. Loddo
117. C. Pfannberger
118. V. Ratiy
119. F. Sabatini
Pendleton's
121. D. Menchov
122. T. Copeland
123. S. Cummings
124. P. Deignan
125. T. Faiers
126. J. Ji
127. R. Margaliot
128. A. Moletta
129. B. Wiggins
Spyker
131. S. Devolder
132. F. Bellotti
133. N. Edet
134. B. Kadri
135. M. Reimer
136. D. Teklehaimanot
137. A. Vichot
138. E. Weiss
139. A. Zeits
Jack Wolfskin
141. M. Ardila
142. D. Cornu
143. K. De Kort
144. J. Donald
145. J. Posthuma
146. S. Rosseler
147. D. Van Winden
148. K. Vandewalle
149. B. Vaugrenard
Wiggle
151. D. Cataldo
152. L. Bertagnolli
153. D. Caruso
154. T. Costagli
155. R. Nocentini
156. M. Pavarin
157. S. Ponzi
158. L. Rowe
159. P. Scarponi
B&O
161. N. Keinath
162. M. Christensen
163. C. Jørgensen
164. S. Kruijswijk
165. A. Rasmussen
166. M. Reckweg
167. J. Sagan
168. A. Steensen
169. S. Stenersen
Carmeuse
171. J. Suaza
172. T. Bos
173. JF. Camier
174. B. Curfs
175. P. Jacobs
176. G. Levarlet
177. J. Libert
178. S. Vandousselaere
179. W. Weylandt
Wikipedia
181. C. Mai
182. R. Cleaver
183. M. Goss
184. R. Janse van Rensburg
185. G. Lejman
186. C. Meier
187. T. Pinot
188. A. Semple
189. T. Vangheel
Warner Bros
191. Y. Talabardon
192. A. Castro Rodriguez
193. A. Colom Mas
194. M. Facci
195. D. Gallego
196. I. Mayo
197. S. Perez Fernandez
198. C. Rojas Villegas
199. J. Sergent
Colombia
201. E. Orozco
202. J. Arango
203. J. Baños Ballester
204. A. Brea
205. H. Machado
206. D. Montoya
207. M. Rubiano Chavez
208. C. Sarmiento
209. J. Tendero
I cant wait to see how well Frank Schleck does in the mountains, Ive not sent him to a Grand Tour since 2009! He is certainly capable of winning a Grand Tour, see the 2008 Tour, but time will tell. Id be very happy if he managed to podium.
Interesting to see that in the absence of Cunego, we have 3 Tour de France winners plus two Giro runnerups.
It will be hard to achieve my top ten goal overall here, but surely not impossible, so hopefully Henao Montoya will have a really good race, even with really small support. Forero and Vanderaerden should bring me some points as well.
My bet is on Sella, I got a feeling this is his year ;-)
Hopefully Marzano will be able to do well, he should have some really good support in Ratiy, I also hope that Flügel will be able to do something on the more hilly stages, a stage win would really be great
This could be a very interesting race, as there are no really top sprinters around. Who will do the chase on the flat stages?
I reckon that we will see quite a lot of succesfull breaks!
For next season I really need to look into a better mountain squad. Fothen alone here is a real pity, but I estimated that he would be better off alone rather than Contador at the Vuelta.
It's going to be a very interesting Giro. Not so much for my team, but without Cunego, anything can happen. To me, Sella is the main favourite, but it will be fun to see what Schleck can do.
SotD wrote: This could be a very interesting race, as there are no really top sprinters around. Who will do the chase on the flat stages?
I reckon that we will see quite a lot of succesfull breaks!
For next season I really need to look into a better mountain squad. Fothen alone here is a real pity, but I estimated that he would be better off alone rather than Contador at the Vuelta.
It's going to be a very interesting Giro. Not so much for my team, but without Cunego, anything can happen. To me, Sella is the main favourite, but it will be fun to see what Schleck can do.
I'm very glad I went mainly for the focus of stage wins, rather than a high GC position. Still, saying that, a top 15 GC for Cataldo is the kind of level I expect of him. Might be a bit tougher for him this year with lots of time trial kilometers, but then the climbing doesn't suit him too well either!
