Giro d'Italia 2008 - Live feeds in first post
|
Phanekim |
Posted on 21-05-2008 00:21
|
Neo-Pro
Posts: 361
Joined: 05-03-2007
PCM$: 200.00
|
Macquet wrote:
Phanekim wrote:
So you guys think contador won't crack?
Judging him on his previous races this year, what makes you think he will crack??
He has dominated in every race he has been in, and while he did not prepare as much as he could have because of the last minute invite, if he hangs in through the early stages he could come back to form just in time for the real mountains.
i'm not saying he will crack. I'm just surprised people are so enthused about him. You don't think he might have spent himself too early, because many a cyclists have made that mistake before? most of the races he's been in has been shorter... if you ask me tho, he's in great position, but i'm not so sure as other people. |
|
|
|
matt493 |
Posted on 21-05-2008 00:22
|
Classics Specialist
Posts: 3549
Joined: 01-10-2007
PCM$: 200.00
|
you have to remember that a guy who won the tour when he was behind can easily when the Giro when he has 1 minute over all the other contenders.
|
|
|
|
Phanekim |
Posted on 21-05-2008 00:47
|
Neo-Pro
Posts: 361
Joined: 05-03-2007
PCM$: 200.00
|
Visconti -6:59
Contador
Bruseghin +0:53
Kloden +0:55
Nibali +1:05
Savoldelli +1:10
Ricco +1:33
Di Luca +1:34
Menchov +1:58
Simoni +2:11
Leipheimer +2:11
Pellizotti +2:16
Piepoli +3:17
here goes guys...still very close. right now if i were an oddsmaker i put contador 50 and the field 50. I think its all about how much pressure simoni, di luca, ricco decide to put on contador. GC is still relatively close.
Edited by Phanekim on 21-05-2008 00:48
|
|
|
|
Ad Bot |
Posted on 26-11-2024 12:19
|
Bot Agent
Posts: Countless
Joined: 23.11.09
|
|
IP: None |
|
|
matt493 |
Posted on 21-05-2008 00:48
|
Classics Specialist
Posts: 3549
Joined: 01-10-2007
PCM$: 200.00
|
I think it is Contadors race to lose.
|
|
|
|
ruben |
Posted on 21-05-2008 07:13
|
Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 7721
Joined: 23-10-2006
PCM$: 200.00
|
I would be suprised if Contador gave this away.
Before the Giro I thought Contador wouldn't play a (big) role and would leave the Giro after 12 days or so...
But already after a few days I saw he was improving every day. And now he has 1'33 on the most dangerous climbers (Ricco/Di Luca), given that Contador, in normal circumstances, is the best climber there is, then it will be impossible to beat him. |
|
|
|
ruben |
Posted on 21-05-2008 07:16
|
Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 7721
Joined: 23-10-2006
PCM$: 200.00
|
Oh and on Soler, this guy has a perfect excuse.
Before the Giro he caught bronchitis. He was recovered just in time, but in the second stage he already fell, causing the injured wrist. And later, he fell again. It's a miracle that Soler is still riding this giro, he shows incredible determination to finish this race, even though he has nothing to gain anymore (besides maybe a stagewin in the 3rd week) |
|
|
|
Osmose |
Posted on 21-05-2008 08:47
|
Stagiare
Posts: 233
Joined: 11-10-2007
PCM$: 200.00
|
this is funny
on a sports newspaper, contador was 2nd in a mountainTT
maybe they are predicting the futureB)
Nélson Évora, national hero!
|
|
|
|
Crommy |
Posted on 21-05-2008 09:04
|
World Champion
Posts: 10018
Joined: 29-11-2006
PCM$: 200.00
|
Contador is taking it day-by-day at the moment, and he really wanted to go for the stage win yesterday, so I'm not sure. If the climbers can put pressure on him today (up the Monte Carpegna), then we may see him crack a little. But that's highly unlikely, and given the next two stages are pancake flat, I feel they should try something today
|
|
|
|
Aquarius |
Posted on 21-05-2008 09:33
|
Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 5220
Joined: 29-11-2006
PCM$: 200.00
|
Not even talking of doping in this message, but, does anyone really believe that RCS-Astana swindle ?
Contador was at the beach when he got called to say he'd be in the Giro ? Right... Well, maybe even during hard training periods he goes to the beach one afternoon every week, that's the only option...
It's clear enough that Astana knew they would be there a long time ago (somebody said Brajkovic already mentioned it on his website in March), surely not one week before.
RCS sold ethic to get more excitement, two or three non-Italian leaders to bust the Giro d'Italia by and for Italian riders, wow, thus they get a more appealing start list than the TDF, cool for them...
Edited by Aquarius on 21-05-2008 09:33
|
|
|
|
brun sweater |
Posted on 21-05-2008 09:58
|
Neo-Pro
Posts: 273
Joined: 29-11-2006
PCM$: 200.00
|
No doubt that a vacation in May for any pro cyclist, can't be compared to a vacation by normal people like us.
Maybe there's some ethic issues, but none the less, Astana is among the strongest teams in the world, and we have to remember that it is not a beauty contest, but a sport event.
If we should go all ethical, there wouldn't be many teams starting.
This whole Astana case this year, is imo not grounded in ethical issues, but a mix between the personal relations between ASO and Bryuneel, and the power struggle between UCI and the organisers. The ethics card is played because of public relations.
Seen from a sportive point of view, excluding Astana really isn't acceptable. One could argue that a race without Astana will be more exciting, but that is really not a good argument for excluding them.
The criterias of how you get to ride top of the pops races, is to say the least not very transparent, and that's not good for any sport. |
|
|
|
Aquarius |
Posted on 21-05-2008 10:11
|
Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 5220
Joined: 29-11-2006
PCM$: 200.00
|
Actually, fans praising for the all ethical have different motivations than GR organisers doing the same. Fans supposedly favour ethic because of morale reasons, that is to say the fairness of sport. But GT organisers favour it for capitalistic reasons, I mean drug scandals are a pain in their arses and in their wallets. Astana are likely to get a positive case or bring a dope scandal during a Grand Tour, which is why ASO left them out, and RCS originally did the same.
What I'm really pissed of at is Bruyneel playing Calimero saying people are unfair to him, Contador saying he's no favourite since he was supposedly bathing at the beach all month long, RCS saying htey really invited Astana 5 days before the Giro started.
Come on... stop fooling us. |
|
|
|
brun sweater |
Posted on 21-05-2008 10:59
|
Neo-Pro
Posts: 273
Joined: 29-11-2006
PCM$: 200.00
|
Fans favor their favorites. They may argue that their stand is morally based, but you can very easy morally argue for Astana, as they have one of the most vigorous intern testing regimes. Claiming that Astana most likely will get a positive during a GT isn't really a good argument either. Especially since the team is directed by Bryuneel, and he isn't excactly known for producing positive doping tests.
I agree the real reasons for either admitting or excluding Astana are very blurry, and that's the real injstice in this case, but I don't buy that the races will be more fair if they're not there! |
|
|
|
issoisso |
Posted on 21-05-2008 11:16
|
Tour de France Champion
Posts: 22918
Joined: 08-02-2007
PCM$: 200.00
|
Right now I couldn't care less. There's a giro going on and I hope it'll be exciting and down to the wire |
|
|
|
Stijn_vranken |
Posted on 21-05-2008 11:47
|
Sprinter
Posts: 1638
Joined: 28-03-2008
PCM$: 200.00
|
issoisso wrote:
Right now I couldn't care less. There's a giro going on and I hope it'll be exciting and down to the wire
i coldn't agree more
prevent hangovers --> stay drunk
pozzato, basically the most stupid cyclist around
RIP WW. Gone but not forgotten
|
|
|
|
ruben |
Posted on 21-05-2008 12:53
|
Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 7721
Joined: 23-10-2006
PCM$: 200.00
|
Aquarius wrote:
Actually, fans praising for the all ethical have different motivations than GR organisers doing the same. Fans supposedly favour ethic because of morale reasons, that is to say the fairness of sport. But GT organisers favour it for capitalistic reasons, I mean drug scandals are a pain in their arses and in their wallets. Astana are likely to get a positive case or bring a dope scandal during a Grand Tour, which is why ASO left them out, and RCS originally did the same.
What I'm really pissed of at is Bruyneel playing Calimero saying people are unfair to him, Contador saying he's no favourite since he was supposedly bathing at the beach all month long, RCS saying htey really invited Astana 5 days before the Giro started.
Come on... stop fooling us. Really? I have come at the point that I don't care anymore..
EVery favourite rider or rider I think is surely clean gets caught anyway. I simply don't care anymore, just let them ride and let's enjoy. I watched cycling like you and some more heavy anti-dopage protoganists for the past year, and it really brings down the fun when you think "hmmm going so hard on a climb?" and start putting questionmarks everywhere.
So best you can do is be completely obvilious, simply ignore all doping news and enjoy what you see on the screen. If a rider gets caught, I simply shrug and say see you next year (because 2 year or 4 year suspensions get ignored anyway)... And enjoy the next stage
By the way, if clean cycling means we get such boring races as the classics this year, with barely any attack and riders dropping dead after that 1 attack, I rather have doped cycling. Multiple accelerations on a climb, extremely enjoyable fights, riders breaking through from out of nowhere. Much more fun |
|
|
|
Deadpool |
Posted on 21-05-2008 13:04
|
Team Leader
Posts: 7357
Joined: 06-10-2007
PCM$: 200.00
|
I would prefer completely clean cycling, but I agree with isso, let the debates occur when nothing is happening, its still the Giro, and it is still an amazing race to watch |
|
|
|
CrueTrue |
Posted on 21-05-2008 13:07
|
Tour de France Champion
Posts: 29989
Joined: 20-10-2006
PCM$: 200.00
|
issoisso wrote:
Right now I couldn't care less. There's a giro going on and I hope it'll be exciting and down to the wire
I couldn't agree more. Listen to this wise man |
|
|
|
Macquet |
Posted on 21-05-2008 13:39
|
Domestique
Posts: 655
Joined: 28-09-2007
PCM$: 200.00
|
Aquarius wrote:
It's clear enough that Astana knew they would be there a long time ago (somebody said Brajkovic already mentioned it on his website in March), surely not one week before.
Actually Brajkovic had been looking forward to riding in the Giro and defending his Tour de Georgia Title, based on his performance last year with Discovery, and it was on his program at the beginning of the year, (Seeing as the big boys Kloden, Levi and Contador were gearing up for the Tour) when RCS and ASO did not invite Astana everyone's program changed...If they had know they would have had better preparation for this race and Volta a Catalunya (where it looks like they sent a "B" team to a ProTour Race), where they are defending the #1 ranking in the ProTour.
Edited by Macquet on 21-05-2008 13:46
|
|
|
|
Dan_Grr |
Posted on 21-05-2008 14:28
|
Domestique
Posts: 641
Joined: 11-08-2007
PCM$: 200.00
|
Wait... is something downloading on the left side? |
|
|
|
Stijn_vranken |
Posted on 21-05-2008 14:31
|
Sprinter
Posts: 1638
Joined: 28-03-2008
PCM$: 200.00
|
what has happend so far during the race?
somebody gave up. who?
Edited by Stijn_vranken on 21-05-2008 14:33
prevent hangovers --> stay drunk
pozzato, basically the most stupid cyclist around
RIP WW. Gone but not forgotten
|
|
|