Pro-cycling thread

More credible than Nibali, who has won 4 GTs?

Incredible, if true.

I think Quintana, Pinot, Dumoulin, Mollema, Nibali, Pozzovivo, Zakarin, Reichenbach, Thomas all started the Tour last year, in addition to Froome, Bardet, Aru, Porte, Valverde, Rodriguez, Contador, Barguil... Admittedly some had already raced the Giro and others crashed out or suffered other problems.

Not more credible than Nibali.

But less credible than Pinot, Dumoulin, Mollema, Thomas, Zakarin, Landa?

It's sort of moot now anyway. I hope he goes for some stage wins.

Quintana, Pinot, Nibali, Dumoulin, Mollema, Zakarin, Van Garderen, Thomas, and Pozzovivo all started the Tour last year. The only realistic GC contenders at the Giro who didn't were Kruijswijk and Jungels.

My main claim was that those three were not Quintana's only (or even main) competition, and thus claims that he's now got a cake-walk of a race, or the race is ruined, is probably an overstatement.

I accept that you think Yates is a greater challenge than me, but arguing about this seems a bit dumb.

Fair point - I still think it will be an awesome and highly competitive GC race.

He's younger than all of those, but I've seen nothing in his performances yet which makes me think he isn't a credible GT podium finisher. Fourth place in the Tour at his age is impressive.

Fingers crossed - even with the final TT, I still think this course suits the climbers, as the stages in the final week will really test the TT'ers who can climb to their limits, and Quintana looks the strongest of those. But we've still got almost 2 weeks of racing left.

Yeah - I hope it's still exciting, but given that Quintana usually nails the 3rd week I can't see much of a challenge coming. Hope I'm wrong - would like to see Tom Windmill do well and I like Pinot.

@andyp - is top 10 GC a goal worth more than stage wins? For team points n shiz I guess.

We will see after rest day and TT i guess.

I don't think starting is the same as being full-on contenders. But, quick google for a lacking memory tells me: Quintana finished above him. Pinot withdrew because of illness. Dumoulin raced in the Giro (and I don't think he was even in the TdF as a contender?). Zakarin raced in the Giro and crashed badly there. Thomas was support. Pozzovivo raced in the Giro.

Mollema 11th. Van Garderen shrug.

I don't think either is true, but reading the comments over at INRNG and elsewhere there's certainly plenty that think so, mainly British fans, although a lot was expected of Landa in the third week too. I don't think its ruins the race but it certainly spoils it bey removing 3 genuine contenders in one foul swoop. I would have loved to see if either Yates or Landa could have competed. I think Thomas would have dieseled to the top and lost some time though.

With Pinot and Dumoulin still in contention and the weakness of Quintana's TTing I hope its not over as a spectacle, but Quintana looked effortless yesterday going through the gears. That face just doesn't give anything away.

Eurosport App Giro coverage. Some days catch-up shows several versions of the same stage at slightly different lengths of time. Some days I've watched the catch-up only to have the coverage end before the end of the race. Some stages are split over a few videos but they aren't numbered or logically follow each other. It's a mess.

is top 10 GC a goal worth more than stage wins? For team points n shiz I guess.

Thomas' goal in this race was to test his three week abilities. His best finish in a GT is 15th, twice, at the Tour, so a top ten would be a considerable improvement on that. It's definitely within reach. He's also never won a GT stage, so doing that would be equally beneficial for him.

I don't think Sky need to worry about points, they aren't going to get relegated down to pro-continental level.

I think Thomas would have dieseled to the top and lost some time though.

If my auntie had balls etc., but at the Tour of the Alps, Thomas was climbing as well, if not better, than Pinot. He was also second to Quintana at the Terminillo during Tirreno. I think this early in the race he could have replicated that kind of form, it's just whether he can hold it for a full three weeks that remains open to question.

The caveat to that is I meant the Blockhaus climb, but just forgot to include that detail. Both Landa and Yates were highly fancied for it and its a damn shame we didn't get to see them contending it. As for Thomas I just didn't see him being able to dance up it with Quintana, so imagined him riding tempo to limit loses. The annoying thing is we'll never know.

Is it all up for Thomas? A strong time trial might put him back up there a little, Yates might struggle to do some damage there though. There's always that change of a lead rider having un jour sans as they say.

I absolutely agree it's a shame we didn't get to see how both Thomas and Yates did yesterday on a level footing with Quintana. I'd have thought both would've been top 5.

Thomas is 5 minutes down on Quintana, so he can forget the win. But I'd wager that the rider who finishes 5th will be more than 5 minutes down on Quintana at the end of the Giro, so in that respect it's all to play for. I can't see him getting enough time back to challenge Pinot, Dumoulin and probably Nibali for the podium, but there's the best part of two weeks of racing left and a lot can happen.

I guess improving the time gap to Quintana over the next two weeks would represent a moral victory for Thomas and Yates, and top five/podium is the aim now. Landa is far enough back he'll be allowed into breaks, if he recovers, so he can go stage hunting and the blue jersey.

Dumoulin looks the most likely to upset the apple cart. I'm guessing @peter_v is pretty excited. After tomorrow he should be wearing pink.

I've seen peter v in pink. It's an experiment he won't want to repeat.

Probably. But don't discount Pinot, he's been a consistently good time-triallist all his career and has improved in the past 18 months. He beat Dumoulin in the TT at Romandie last year which, whilst significantly shorter, was over a similar, undulating course to tomorrow's TT.

Was he not pretty in pink?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqmTMiIMG74

Thanks for putting that on my following page Andy. I'm tempted to spam you with a flock of seagulls.

Robert Millar making the point Sky put the hammer down when Valverde crashed at the Vuelta in 2012.

His column is excellent as always...

http://www.cyclingnews.com/blogs/author/robert-millar-blog-rating-the-giro-ditalia-contenders/

I've seen peter v in pink. It's an experiment he won't want to repeat.

wait, whut? please refresh my memory however embarrassing that might turn out cause my craft beer hobby has probably clouded any recollections

bit of a poisoned chalice maybe, pink for the guy that looks to be in top shape but just lost his main dom. I'll be on the edge of my seat this afternoon for sure.

Excellent analysis. He sees so much more than most other commentators.