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Giro d'Italia Discussion
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| roturn |
Posted on 18-07-2015 19:54
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There is no need to tell a lot about the route. SN has done so in the route presentation here: https://pcmdaily.c...st_1047363
In short though it offers quite a few flat stages for the sprinters in week 1 in especially. Then about 60km of flat time trialing of which 25 are raced as team.
And most important lots of climbing in last 10 days which offers a lot for the climbers including a 18km mountain time trial.
Past Podiums
| Year | 1 | 2 | 3 | | 2014 |  Cunego |  Pluchkin |  Madrazo | | 2013 |  Phinney | Madrazo |  Spilak | | 2012 | Ricco | Sella | Pozzovivvo | | 2011 | Cunego | Sella | Nibali | | 2010 | Cunego | Pellizotti | Ricco | | 2009 | Cunego | Sella | Pellizotti | | 2008 | Cunego | Ricco |  A. Schleck | | 2007 | Cunego | Di Luca | Simoni |
Coming to the stars of this years Giro, we just have to start with the king of the Giro.  Cunego obviously is no longer the top top rider he once was. But one more podium in this years Giro? Sure, why not? Definitely not impossible despite having tough opposition here. 5 Giro wins in a row and then come back after 2 years off with another win in 2014. Impressive.
The two biggest stars though are other others.
 Andy Schleck dominated the Tour de France last year in the race of the 4x85 climbers. He once more is the top favourite again. His performance in 2014 must move him above the other top climbers and the motivation to have won all 3 GT`s when taking this Giro must give him another boost.
The only other 85 climber he is going to face here is  Madrazo. Actually the weakest of those in last year`s Tour. 2nd and 3rd in last two Giro`s though. Only the win is missing and he surely is going to try to change that in 2015.
Two more riders behind them could become a danger for them as their skills aren`t much weaker and surely both want to get a podium here. I am talking about  Denifl and  Velits. Both saw lots of training in past few years. Improving from 16th in 2014 (Denifl) and 11th in 2013 (Velits) shouldn`t be a big issue. Both can theoretically fight from 1st to 5th. Everything below would be a disappointment.
 Ricco as next. In 2012 he even won the Giro. But while all other GC riders improved since then he stagnated. Reaching another podium here would be huge for him. With 4 better stage racers though this won`t be easy though. Still he will be right up there to challenge Vesuvio in a much bigger fight: The fight for the PT crown.
 Nibali and  Úran are both solid top10 riders in any GT. The field could even allow them to join the fight for the top 5 or who knows, even the podium when having a good day in the mountains. First already was 3rd, 4th, 6th and 7th here and this is basically where he is in this field. Same could be said about Uran, who actually never really participated here it seems?
With 8 riders mentioned already there is still room for the top10. Let`s go on with  Guldhammer and  Brajkovic, which actually brings us to the first wildcard rider already. Brajkovic had some strong PCT years and actually once won a Giro stage in 2009! This year though should see his best GC performance. Guldhammer slowly developed and got trained a bit and is now a serious stage racer. He is always one of those riders in between top10 just out it seems. Same goes for this Giro I think and just like Uran he obviously never was in the Giro or at least never high in the GC.
 Pozzovivo joined Oz Cycling for a horrific low wage. Probably getting the chance to lead the team in the Giro convinced him. The veteran still has something left and while not being one of the very best climbers here, his stage race qualities are there without any doubt. Surely could fight for a top 10 here.
 Pinot and  Brambilla might come next. Here it`s the question if they go for a top10-15 in GC or for stages. Both will have tough times in the mountains against the others.
Same goes for all the other great climbers that are at least one level below the best:
 Krasnoperov
 Ratiy
Suaza
 Solis
 Costagli
Antón
 Kohl
Brenes
 Faiers
Kirsch
König
To have a better overview here the list of stage racers and some stats:
| Mo | Hi | TT | | Madrazo | 85 | 76 | 77 | | Schleck | 85 | 75 | 74 | | Denifl | 84 | 76 | 72 | | Velits | 83 | 76 | 75 | | Úran | 82 | 74 | 78 | | Ricco | 82 | 80 | 70 | | Cunego | 82 | 81 | 70 | | Nibali | 82 | 77 | 77 | | Guldhammer | 81 | 77 | 71 | | Brajkovic | 81 | 76 | 78 | | Pinot | 80 | 74 | 65 | | Pozzovivo | 80 | 76 | 72 | | Krasnoperov | 80 | 68 | 73 | | Ratiy | 80 | 70 | 74 | | Suaza | 80 | 65 | 73 | | Brambilla | 79 | 76 | 70 |
With quite a lot of options for the sprinters it`s no surprise to see some quality riders here. Let`s make this one shorter and just show the list:
| Fl | Sp | Acc |  Guerao | 74 | 83 | 76 | | Goss | 74 | 82 | 78 | | Tzortzakis | 74 | 82 | 79 | | Roelandts | 75 | 81 | 80 |  Kennaugh | 77 | 81 | 81 | | Napolitano | 72 | 81 | 80 | | Stauff | 74 | 80 | 81 |  Guardini | 72 | 80 | 82 | | Ulanowski | 73 | 80 | 77 | | Coquard | 71 | 79 | 81 |  Colbrelli | 74 | 79 | 75 | | Vesely | 73 | 79 | 80 | | Lay | 73 | 79 | 81 | | Appollonio | 72 | 79 | 76 |
Another mention to the stage hunters, in especially puncheurs for the semi hard stages:
| Hi | | Ginanni | 83 | | Claeys | 83 | | Ponzi | 82 | | Skujins | 82 | | Schreurs | 81 | | Ulissi | 80 | | Gilbert | 79 | | Barrio | 79 | | De Bie | 78 | | Roux | 78 |
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| fjhoekie |
Posted on 18-07-2015 19:57
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Well, I won 1 thing here. I brought the rider with the longest last name 
Not expecting anything from our first ever GT, but I do hope my riders will show themselves every few stages.
Manager of Team Popo4Ever p/b Morshynska in the PCM.Daily Man-Game |
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| matt17br |
Posted on 18-07-2015 19:58
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Wonderful preview, roturn.
There's actually the terrain for Cunego to show his hill edge over anybody else and try to gain something, but yeah, as you mentioned the opposition is tougher than ever and he's not at the top anymore.
Madrazo is my favourite for the race, with Schleck and a surprising third on the podium 
Edited by matt17br on 18-07-2015 20:05
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| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 18-07-2015 20:02
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Should be a great race. Who can be the first rider in MG history to win all 3 Grand Tours? Madrazo has failed to achieve that last year but gets to try again, but obviously I hope that Andy beats him to it!
Got pretty much my strongest climbing support crew here (minus Frank), plus a couple of guys to strengthen the TTT squad - and get the race off to a decent start.
Not the strongest of sprinting fields here, so a great opportunity for those who are here to get some big wins.
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| tsmoha |
Posted on 18-07-2015 20:06
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Most important GT for Oz, so I'm really nervous about this one!
Quickly flying over the startlist, I think it would be a shame if we don't take out the TTT. Our masterplan was to win it and keep the maglia rosa with maybe Goss taking another stage  Glad there's no Swift, so Goss at least should be a real threat for bunch sprints.
Pozzovivo for a Top-10 as the next goal. Given we do well in the TTT (and my squad is completely built for that), he may have a realistic chance. Always kind of a lottery with many similar strong climbers, I guess. But on paper, this looks quite promising for my initial ideas here!
Thanks for doing this, roturn!
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| Roman |
Posted on 18-07-2015 20:16
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Excellent, way lower number of top GT riders than I have expected! It seems like Velits actually has a real chance to finish in top 3 overall - and that is my team goal for this race.
The battle for the win between Andy and Angel should be really interesting. Cunego with his one last go. Guerao finally is the best sprinter sprinter in a race on paper and Tzortzakis has a real chance to win in a GT for the first time. A lot of great hilly riders also riding. Should be a superb race.
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| valverde321 |
Posted on 18-07-2015 20:32
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This is probably the race im most looking forward to this year! I doubt the top 2 steps on the podium are attainable for Cunego but 3rd could be, and I really hope we can put a stamp on the race in more than just the GC battle, with Napo here as well.
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| Heine |
Posted on 18-07-2015 20:33
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Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!
The Giro is here! I've been really looking forward to this. I hope for a podium, but top 5 is the minimum I demand from Denifl. He shouldn't be able to beat Schleck and Madrazo, but I hope he gives them a fight.
I feel I sent a strong squad with riders like Brändle and Mai to help Denifl. Also got Claeys that I hope will try some for himself, or in worst case help Denifl on the hilly stages. Had quite a lot of race days left on my puncheurs so decided to send them each to a GT.
Other than my riders I hope Cunego does well, Mangame legend
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| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 18-07-2015 20:36
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Quick TTT preview. Here's the TT stats of what looks to me to be the Top 8 squads.
| Oz Cycling Project | 81 | 81 | 78 | 78 | 77 | 77 | 74 | 64 | | Metinvest-Dacia | 80 | 80 | 76 | 76 | 75 | 75 | 74 | 59 | | Swisscom - UBS | 79 | 78 | 77 | 77 | 75 | 74 | 71 | 71 | | Vesuvio - Accumalux | 81 | 78 | 77 | 75 | 74 | 73 | 71 | 66 | | Bacardi Limited | 80 | 79 | 78 | 75 | 70 | 69 | 68 | 62 | | VolksWagen - Andritz | 79 | 78 | 76 | 75 | 72 | 66 | 64 | 63 | | Becherovka - Petrof | 77 | 77 | 76 | 75 | 74 | 70 | 61 | 57 | | Quickstep | 78 | 77 | 76 | 74 | 71 | 69 | 68 | 63 |
Bet here: https://pcmdaily.com/odds_mg.php?game_...game_id=69
Edited by SportingNonsense on 18-07-2015 20:44
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| tsmoha |
Posted on 18-07-2015 20:44
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Thanks, SN!
Will be a matter of luck/daily form then. Metinvest could well take the stage on a good day and also Swisscom comes with great depth. Still, we should take this
First indicator of what to expect for Copenhagen TTT.
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| Smowz |
Posted on 18-07-2015 20:56
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Have to agree the excitement of riding a grand tour is very much with me.
The crazy Smowz tactic here is Guerao riding all three GT's and Skujins going for stages too.
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| Mresuperstar |
Posted on 18-07-2015 20:59
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Grand Tour Champion
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Stage hunting time. I really can't see Ratiy doing better than around 15th. So, a couple stage wins would be cool otherwise this is going to be a long 3 weeks.
Good luck to everyone.
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| dev4ever |
Posted on 18-07-2015 21:00
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Our PT debut - and its a GT aswell!
Must admit, I was initially hoping for Vuelta-wildcard because of nationality, but getting Giro-wildcard aint too shabby either  And tbh, the route seems more exciting as well. With it only clashing Vancouver where our TTT-squad is gonna get smashed anyway, it was a easy decision bringing Anton/Brajko here. Aswell as Brajko deserves to ride a GT as his last year at top, same with Anton.
Anyway, I'd love a top 10 here by the man himself, hopefully he carrying on some of his great recent form from march. Seing Carapaz, Ablenado and Anton in some breaks on the mountainous stages would also make me really happy. Got a few guys here for fitness xp but dont really think it weakens the squad at all.
My bet for the win is Madrazo, to finally turn the season around for the poor boys from Quickstep, I think Cunego will come close aswell with second. And Schleck to round off the podium.
Great preview btw, look forward to the actual racing!
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| wackojackohighcliffe |
Posted on 18-07-2015 21:08
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Grand Tour Champion
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Didn't quite expect so many puncheurs to be here, hope Gilbert can make an impact here nonetheless. Our climbers being below outsiders, I think stage wins are the target. Thanks for the extensive preview!
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| ember |
Posted on 18-07-2015 21:19
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Olalala, this is going to be a lot of fun!
Really looking forward to see Schleck vs. Madrazo. Schleck is the favourite for me thanks to his excellent acceleration and backup stats, but I'm sure Madrazo will be up for a fight.
Also, seeing how the season have gone so far, I really like that hilly stages seem to give significant gaps, meaning especially Cunego must fancy his chances.
And at least I hope the hilly stages continue to give significant gaps, as that should be in favour of Guldhammer's bid for a top 10. His hilly stat made me think this could be a Grand Tour where he might punch above his weight. A top 10 will be very satisfying, and hopefully we can grab a stage win on the way as well, either with a sprint from him, or from a breakaway.
And that TTT is all about damage limitation for us as another fairy tale like in the Het Volk TTT can't be possible 
But it will be great to see this get going, a GT is always something special! |
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| jph27 |
Posted on 18-07-2015 21:24
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Great preview here roturn
Not quite sure what to expect, in theory Pinot should challenge for the top 10 but a lot depends on how much time is lost in the TTT and the flat TT. Apart from that, hopefully we can grab a stage or two in a breakaway and to just make a decent fist of it. Hopefully Sisira can do something as the first Sri Lankan in a Grand Tour. |
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| Crommy |
Posted on 18-07-2015 22:33
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I really, really want Cunego to win, and the fact Meiji have him makes me love that team even more.
I'm almost surprised at the start field, outside of Schleck and Madrazo, it's actually a little weak (for the management game).
For Bouygues, I'm hoping for at least one stage win from Jurgen Roelandts, he's definitely good enough to at least challenge on those sprint stages
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| Avin Wargunnson |
Posted on 19-07-2015 06:55
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World Champion
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Great preview for a first 2015 Gt,thanks Roturn. But i miss Ignatiev being mentioned somewhere, after his last years performance here in the first week. I hope for top3 start in TTT and our stage hunters Ignatiev and Guardini can try something from there. Of course our friends and nemesis in one from Oz will stay in the way with Goss.
We have zero GC ambitions, so it is all about attacking,lets hope we will have a guy in every break. Good luck to all, should be a nice showdown between Schleck and Madrazo.
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| viking90 |
Posted on 19-07-2015 08:00
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Will be exciting to follow this. nice preview! |
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| Eden95 |
Posted on 19-07-2015 08:53
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Grand Tour Specialist
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Great preview. Would love to see Cunego take the Giro as an underdog! It should really be Madrazo, Schleck, Velits and Denifl fighting for the podium though.
Indosat - ANZ HQ
"This Schleck sandwich is going to cause serious indigestion for Evans" - Phil Liggett |
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