Wednesday, 2 May 2012

Giro d'Italia 2012, the first grand tour of the year.

Introduction

So it is that time of year already, the classics season has passed and we are onto the Grand Tours. The first of these is the Giro d'Italia (tour of Italy), second only to the Tour de France (TDF) in stage racing terms. It is a certainly a magnificent race featuring beautiful countryside, exciting racing and harsh terrain. The Giro d'Italia is one of the oldest races in cycling with this being its 95th edition since first being held in 1909. Much like the TDF, it was founded to promote a sports newspaper, the Gazzetta dello Sport, which still runs the event to this day. It is different from the TDF is a number of subtle ways, mostly due to the geography of Italy. For a start it is much hillier/mountainous than the TDF, and the nature of the climbs tends to be different. Whilst the Giro has some similar mountain stages to the tour, especially in the Alps, it also features the Dolomites prominently. The Dolomites are much steeper than the Alps, with average gradients between 10-15 % rather than the 5-10 % in the Alps.



In addition the Giro has many short and steep climbs, such as those featured in the Ardennes classics of 10% + and around 10 km, these are perfect for puncheurs such as Philippe Gilbert or Joaquim Rodríguez. Theses climbs are dotted frequently throughout the course, and provide good opportunities for attacking, therefore making the race harder to control for a team than the TDF. In addition the Giro tends to have more technical descents, which can win or lose the race (see Paolo Savoldelli’s win of the 05 Giro). Another big difference is that the Giro has time bonus’s of 10,8,6 seconds for 1st,2nd,3rd at the stage finish and these bonuses can be vital to winning the race. This year the Giro is hosting the start of the race outside Italy, this time in Denmark, with the first and second stages starting in Herning, with the opening stage on the 5th of May and the race coming to a close with a time trial on the 27th of May.

The Jersey’s 

It is worthwhile explaining the Jerseys of the Giro as they are different colours from those in the Tour.

Maglia Rosa – The pink jersey – Leader of the Race 



This is the same as the Yellow Jersey of the TDF, it is awarded to rider who has the lowest cumulative time (i.e. the quickest) at that point in the race. Is pink due to the paper that Gazzetta dello Sport was printed on. The third most desired jersey in cycling after the Yellow (TDF) and Rainbow (world champion) jerseys. 

The Blue Jersey – Climber jersey 



A change of colour this year, from the traditional green, at the behest of the sponsors of this particular jersey.  This is the “climber’s jersey” with the contributing points awarded on the summit’s of the mountains covered in the race. There are 5 categories of climbs ranking from 4th (easiest) to HC (hardest) at which different points are awarded. 

The Red Jersey – The points jersey



Is the equivalent of the sprinters Green Jersey in the TDF, is awarded to the rider who gains the greatest number of points. Points are awarded at certain sections of the stage and at the stage finish. Unlike the TDF, is not just a jersey for sprinters, as equal points are awarded at the end of each stage. Often this jersey can be won by the same rider who wins the overall Pink Jersey, an all-rounder or even a climber.

The White Jersey – Best young rider



Fairly simple as the same colour as the TDF equivalent. Is awarded to the rider with the lowest cumulative time (i.e. the quickest) under the age of 26.

  
Favourites


This year there is no outstanding favourite, unlike last year, but a number of strong contenders.
 
*****
Ivan Basso



A previous two time winner of this race, I would say that he is the favourite to win this year. He has a strong team in the form of Liquigas who will be able to support him well and the strongest domestique in Sylvester Szmyd, who can tear a race apart and still be present when only the other favourites are present. He has struggled for form this season with injuries and crashes but has seen a strong improvement in the last month or so. He is said to be strong after a training camp in April and in the build up races Giro del Trentino and Tour of Romandie. In addition he has the first week or so of the Giro to build up his form to peak level. He usally starts slowly in Grand Tours to unleash his maximum in the final week. Basso relies on his strong climbing to win and he isn’t noted as a brilliant time trialist. Basso is a so called “diesel” climber with the ability to set a scorching tempo that drops other riders of his wheel. Given his rivals his weakness in time trailing won’t be that much of a problem. His 7th in last year’s tour shows that he still has top level talent and he will be motivated to win this race, as it could be his last chance. 

Michele Scarponi



Last year’s winner, post-CAS suspension of Alberto Contador, his has had success in this race before. In 2010 he came 4th behind that year’s winner Ivan Basso. He has a strong team in Lampre-ISD, although with a possible problem that I will come onto later. This team will be able to offer decent support for his ambitions to win. Scarponi is a strong climber, with decent, but not brilliant, time trialling ability. His form this season has been good with solid performances in Tirreno–Adriatico, Liege-Bastogne-Liege and a solid, if unremarkable Giro del Trentino. 

****

Damiano Cunego



This is the possible problem I mentioned earlier. Cunego is on the same team as Scarponi. He has been included in the squad on the premise of winning stages, however that is a bit dodgy. For a start he has won this race before back in 2004 (although he hasn’t been on the podium of a Grant Tour since). In addition, he showed he still has class in Grand Tours by getting a good 6th place in last year’s TDF, despite his poor time trailing. He has had a good season, with a win in the Giro del Trentino with a strong placing overall (5th) and strong results in the Tour of the Basque Country and the Volta a Catalunya (4th and 6th). Given his good form and talent he could easily be the leader of a number of teams. There could be a possible clash between Cunego and Scarponi if they are both within striking distance of the win, with either unwilling to help the other. On the other hand there are tactical advantages to this, with Cunego and Scarponi being able to do the 1-2 and force their rivals on the defensive.

Frank Schleck



Schleck is a last minute replacement for this race, with Radioshack-Nissan-Trek’s first choice, Jakob Fulsang out due to injury, it was this teams plan to reserve Frank Schleck for the TDF to help his brother. This is a good opportunity for Frank, who has in the past neglected the Giro in favour of the TDF, with only one prior appearance in 2005 resulting in a fairly unremarkable 42nd place overall. Since this last appearance he has gone on to reach the higher echelons of cycling, with a couple of TDF stage wins, a number of TDF top 10’s and a TDF podium, all of which he gained whilst being a domestique for other riders. He is actually much more suited to the Giro than the TDF due to his strong climbing ability and poor time trialling. He has an okay team to support him, although it is not as strong as Liqiugas, Lampre and Astana. His form this season has been disappointing, with him underperforming in the Ardennes, but he has time in this race to build up before the mountains start. In addition he doesn’t have his brother with him, which is an advantage as it will give him no distractions and will make him a more ruthless contender. 

John Gadret



Gadret’s Giro last year was a breakthrough ride, with him building on the promise he had previously shown to get a podium position. His 3rd place in 2011 shows he has talent and with the confidence this gives him he could well win this year. Gadret’s journey through cycling has been an interesting one, with the majority of his career focussed on cyclo-cross rather than road racing. This is a shame given the talent and potential he has shown throughout his career, and at the age of 33 this maybe one of his last chances to put a GT on his Palmarès. His team, AG2R, isn’t the strongest, which may hamper him. His form this season has been remarkable, but solid. He is a good climber and a decent time trialist the latter of which will be a big advantage in this years Giro. 

Roman Kreuziger



Kreuziger was overworked last year and previously in his career he has had to be a domestique for other riders (mainly Nibali and Basso). These two factors explain why his Palmarès don’t fully explain his talent, which he has in bucketfuls. I first became aware of Kreuziger, when at the age 22 he came a brilliant 12th in the TDF. This was one of a number of strong results that came at a young age (for a cyclist), and I am fairly confident that before the end of his career hill will podium/win a number of grand tours, including the TDF. In last year’s Giro he came 5th, winning the best young riders jersey. He is due a big result in the GT’s and this could be his year. He is an all round rider with strong climbing and decent time trialling. Kreuziger has had good form this year with a solid season, he has had a podium at Trieno-Adriano, top 10’s in Giro Del Trentino, Tour of Romandie and Strade Bianche. He has a strong team in Astana with experience and competent domestiques such as Tiralongo, Kessiakoff and Kevin Seeldraeyers. 

***
Joaquim Rodríguez



I was tempted to put Rodríguez as a 4 star favourite and may regret putting him in the 3 star category, he is certainly borderline. Rodríguez came 4th in last year’s edition of the Giro and has had many good Grand Tour performances in the past. He has had a really good year with his first classics win in La Fleche Wallonne, 2nd in the Tour of the Basque Country and 6th in Trieno-Adriano. So he clearly has form this season and has shown good GT ability in the past. In addition he has a decent team which will be able to provide good support. Rodríguez is a pure climber/Puncher with a very strong acceleration, however, for a GC rider, he has very poor time trialling skills. He will be able to attack on the mountain stages, but more importantly on the hilly stages, of which there are a number in the Giro (in almost all editions due to the geography of Italy) and take time. That said, the course is more balanced this year and won’t favour a pure climber as much as last year. 

José Rujano



Rujano is one of the best climbers around at the moment. He, however has spent most of his career on Pro-continental teams and therefore missed a lot of big races. He has had a history of success at the Giro, numerous stage wins, a 3rd place in 2005and 6th last year.  

**
Domenico Pozzovivo



He has been in the top ten previously in this race and he is a proffiecent climber. He has had good form this season, winning the Giro del Trentino. His team isn’t great but as he isn’t a massive favourite it doesn’t need to be. 

Ryder Hesjedal



Hesjedal is at a cross roads in his career. He managed an excellent 6th place in the 2010 TDF, but hasn’t managed anything of real note either side of that performance. He has talent sure, this is seen by his TDF performances and the number of stage race top 10’s he has accumulated, but is it enough to perform at the highest level? That is in question. He has targeted this race, and has shown good form in the Ardennes classics. He is a decent climber, although not on the same level as many of the favourites and, like all Garmin riders, a good time trialist. He has a decent team, with strong riders such as Christian Vande Velde to support him and they should gain him a few seconds over his other rivals in the team time trial. At the age of 31 Hesjedal is running out of time to win a GT. In fact most of the above also applies to Christian Vande Velde, who is 34 and has had 2 top 10’s in the TDF. 

*

Marco Pinotti

Marco Pinotti has had a top 10 in Giro d'Italia before, with 9th in the 2010 edition. He is a very good time trialist, having been Italian national time trial Champion on 5 occasions. He can climb as well, although he is not on the same level as a number of the other favourites. This year he is on the BMC team, so he will have some decent support. In addition, he no longer has to work for a sprinter, as in previous years when he had to work of Cavendish, so it is that case that he can conserve energy. 

Mikel Nieve

Nieve is a strong climber who has had two of top 10’s in the GT’s before, including the 2011 Giro. He has spent most of his career working for other riders, mainly Igor Anton, so he has a good opportunity to work for himself here. His time trailing isn’t strong. His main aim will be stage wins, but he should find himself in the top 10 and could challenge for a top 5, even podium if lucky. 

Rigoberto Urán

Benat Intxausti    

Marzio Bruseghin

Course



The Giro is much less harsh this year with a more balanced course than the previous few editions due to a change of race director. This will mean that the pure climbers will be at less of an advantage. There again there aren’t many contenders that are strong (let alone very strong) time trialist, so it will be the climbing that will be key to this race. There are 5 officially designated mountain stages, with 6 medium mountain (hilly) stages, 7 flat stages, two rest days, and two time trials, one a team and one an individual. The course starts in Demark this year, and stays there for 3 days before moving back to Italy. With the rebalancing of the Giro there are many more opportunities for the sprinters this year, with a strong field of sprinters present.  

Sprinters

 It is worth pointing out again here that the point jersey in the Giro isn’t necessarily for the sprinters, with equal points available for each stage meaning that you can very conceivable get riders such as Mark Cavendish and Damiano Cunego competing for it. This year we once again have a very strong field of sprinters and, as opposed to last year, they will have ample opportunity to compete, with 7 stages + possibly ending in a sprint finish. We have almost all the big sprinters here with the exception, ironically, of the Italian great Alessandro Petacchi. I will list them below. 

Mark Cavendish

The best sprinter of his generation, very possibly of all time. He has had a relatively disappointing season, after a promising start with wins in Qatar, Tirreno–Adriatico and Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne. He seems to have lost his form after a disappointing Milan-Sanremo, one of his season’s targets. In combination with this is the fact that he tends to have a slow start in winning stages at the grand tours, so it will probably take a couple of sprint stages before he manages to get his first win. But once he gets his first win the combination of his confidence and form will mean that he will be close to unbeatable. He has a strong squad to support him with the British Trio of Peter Kennaugh, Geraint Thomas and Ben Swift fresh from the track with explosive power and the ever dependable Eisel, Flecha and Stannard to control the breakaways. It is doubtful that Cavendish will finish the Giro though as, like many sprinters, he will probably decided to leave early once the sprints have finished and the mountains have started. This will be to preserve his form for the rest of the season. 

Mark Renshaw

Cavendish’s former lead out man is now riding for himself and he has had his first win of the season in thr Tour of Turkey. That should give him confidence, he is a good sprinter, but no one is yet that sure how good as due to having to work for others for most of his career he has never had the opportunity to prove himself. In addition he has had a poor/ unlucky season thus far. He has a good team to support him in Rabobank. 

Tyler Farrar


A talented sprinter, whose career thus far, as many of his generations have been, has been overshadowed by Cav's dominance. Has won in this race before, and has stages in all the GT's. On his day he is very good, but not quite as good as Cav. Has had a unmemorable season so far, with no wins and a lacklustre classics season, despite this being a goal. However, may come good in the Giro.


Matt Goss 

A very talented young Australian sprinter, who already has won Milan-Sanremo, amongst a number of other victories including a stage in the 2010 Giro. Indeed, he is the one sprinter that Cavendish is concerned about and he has one hell of an acceleration. In Orica-GreenEDGE he has decent team to support him, with the big aim of winning stages. Has had a low key season so far, but has shown good form recently winning the points jersey in the Tour of Turkey. 

Francesco Chicchi

Chicchi has had a number of decent results this season, and is a decent mid level sprinter. Is Italian, so he will be very motivated to succeed and he is not likely to be chosen for the TDF, he could be a possible contender for the red jersey. 

Sacha Modolo/ Andrea Guardini

I am grouping these two together due to their similarity. Both are talented young Italians riding for Italian Pro-Continental teams, who have had good seasons with a number of wins. Both will be very motivated and are still developing. 

Thor Hushovd

He was a very good sprinter with two TDF green jerseys to his name. However, as he has got older he has lost some of this punch and he has had a fairly awful season thus far. 

Juan José Haedo

Is a mid level sprinter, has only had 1 win this season. He has had a number of good results in the past. He will be in the mix.
               
Big Stages (ones to watch)




For the Brits among you, the sprint stages, will be worth a view due to Cavendish's presence. These are stages 2,3, 5(ish), 6 (ish), 9, 11 (ish), 13 and 18. The ish stages could go either way with a good possibilty of a sprint or a breakaway winning. In addition expect Geriant Thomas to do well in  stage 1, the prologue and team Sky to do well in stage 4 the team time trial.

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