Who else is up for this? I even have my Magila Nera

Yeah!!! My man crush on Porte is at 100% after is stellar start to the year, I really think he can win this! Here’s hoping Sky don’t pointlessly try and boss the peloton for 3 weeks!

Previews from The Inner Ring,

Who Will Win The Giro?

Giro Stage 1 Preview

I love a TTT!

A few opportunities for the sprinters but non of the real big names attending, here’s also hoping we’ll some breaks succeed, could be interesting!

Moar,

The Giro’s Sprinters and Stage Winners

I’m boringly going for Contador.. Yeah I know but the blokes out to prove something to himself I reckon and even though Porte is my favoured choice I just can’t see him lasting 3 weeks of being stuck behind a blockade of Black and light Blue long enough.. On Berties side he is now wearing a Fluro kit and as every Italian knows Fluro Rox. 8)

I am secretly hoping Androni really pop off the front every day and take a long distance stage win… 8)

And.. I hate to say it but Boonan will crash out on stage two with suspected collar bone/tarmac/kerb interface malfunction and as always it’ll be left to Uran to ride his ass off on his own, but he’s used to that now. So for that I’m wishing him Bon Courage and expect him in the top 3.

Ryder will be a marked man, sorry son. But he will at least try a long distance rouleur shove off the front and get caught 3k from the line.. a la David Millar.

Giro is THE race for me, I’m quite besotted by it all, he says sitting typing in his pink Rapha T’shirt..

8)

Any of you read Tim Moores book when he cycles the 1914 route, it’s quite good fun 🙂

careful, youve got REALMAN’s TdeF threads to live up to!

I really like Porte- seems to be a genuine, straight talking nice guy- and I hope he has the personality to lead a team through a full 3 week GT and stay healthy. BUT I am also rooting for Bertie, despite his obvious history and his annoying victory celebration he is a beautiful attacking climber, who is wiley enough to attack on flat transitional stages when no one expects it. Also going for the Giro/Tour double and turmoil in the team with losing Riis, so plenty of “backstory” (eugh) to the “narrative” (bleuch).

And the best thing about eurosport; no matter who’s commentating it’s not Statler and Waldorf. I really wish ITV4 would bin that inane drivel commentary and use their homegrown team.

Any of you read Tim Moores book when he cycles the 1914 route, it’s quite good fun

quite good, yes, but the weakest thing he’s ever written (IMHO and all that).

Just found out today that Stage 18 passes right by me. Would be rude not to ride down and watch them go through.

And the best thing about eurosport; no matter who’s commentating it’s not Statler and Waldorf. I really wish ITV4 would bin that inane drivel commentary and use their homegrown team.

This! Massively this!! Bit of a shame it’s not on ITV though.

Looking forward to a drama filled three weeks. Tinkoff saxo and sky have got some serious teams in this. Unfortunately bertie will probably win. Good as porte is i cant see him being as consistent as Contador over three weeks.

I am secretly hoping Androni really pop off the front every day…

I think that will happen.

… and take a long distance stage win…

I don’t think that will happen. Check me, going out on a crazy limb, there. 🙂

Is there an STW Velogames league?

Well it’s another middle of the night effort so I think I’m going to catch some of the highlights. Hoping for Porte to stay healthy and have a shot at it. Genuine nice bloke from down the road from me. Lets see how it’s all looking after week 1 and then we should have some idea.

Well, from the casual observer viewpoint, 27 seconds deficit after the team time trial seems rather a lot to make up. Even with another 3 weeks and 20 stages to go. Unless there is a black and blue hit squad anyway 😉

Will be an interesting race. Curious to see Sky give up so much time in the TTT. Can’t see it all not going Contador’s way though. Would be good to see Porte up there but he typically has one bad day deep into 3 week tours but reckon he’ll hold on to a podium spot. Aru to loose buckets of time in the long ITT. So Contador, Uran Uran and Porte for the podium (shockingly predictable!) hopefully with Contador softened up a bit for the Tour.

Great performance yesterday by OGE, I haven’t seen much in the way of form for Richie sort far this year (although I may have just missed it all 🙂

Sprinters day today. But that finish rises slightly. Griepel has had good form this year but i think it’s going to be Mathews going into pink by the end of the day. Be intrested to see what Viviani can do.

palmer77 – Member
Great performance yesterday by OGE, I haven’t seen much in the way of form for Richie sort far this year (although I may have just missed it all

You missed it all. He won Catalunya, Trentino and Paris-Nice picking up stage wins along the way. He also won the Australian ITT champs too. Having a pretty impressive year so far.

Good listen here
http://velohuman.com/podcast/the-recon-ride-podcast-giro-ditalia-2015-show-part-i/

Duuuf, Viviani takes the stage. For once Sky had the right leadout!!

Crashfest at the end, apparently there was a member of the public riding a fixie in amongst the peloton with 10km to go!! **** hipsters!

Anyone seen any moar news on the apparent news that Porte is in a motorhome instead of a hotel room? Seems a bit…[insert your own]sketchy/dopey/moody/unsociable…

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/porte-to-sleep-in-marginal-gains-motorhome-during-giro-ditalia

I can see the logic. Whether it works in real life, who knows. He’d have been rooming alone anyway.

Flip!!! That must have been an awful impact, I hope Pozzovivo is ok!

I’m not sure he will be 🙁

Missed the crash, but aftermath looked pretty bad.. hope he’s ok

CN says he is conscious and moving

Eurosport just stated the race Dr said he is out of life threatening danger.

Had paused it earlier on Eurosport and just catching up now, there wasn’t footage of the actual crash. Just Pozzovivo lying in the road. Looked out cold. Did not look good. Hope he’s ok. There looked to be a wet patch on the inside of the corner and a barrier on the outside, maybe hit that?

Replays show his front wheel slipped out on a tight right handed and he went over the front onto his face. I was watching it live and initially when the cameras went to it he was slumped on the ground with blood on the road, extremely chilling. Not that j am an expert but looking at it I would suspect some sort of fractured skull. All the best fella…

That was a proper thud he did there. Sure he’ll be right though, Team Tweeting he’s chatting and lucid enough.. Can’t see him riding tomorrow mind 😐

All the best Lad.

As for the finish and the fixie incident, seems the chap didn’t look before trying to cross the road… Such an idiot.. Trek riders suitably angry and talks of punchings and a right good slap but that’ll calm down once the PR folks have deleted the Tweets..

Another win for Orica.. Seems like such a nice boy does Mathews… Wonder what his mother thinks of him. 😉

Some more news about Pozzovivo here.
[/url]

Looked nasty but he seems to be ok.

Blimey that was pretty good today.

Today’s stage appears to have been won by a 15 year old 🙂

Just watched the Eurosport highlights, spectacular stage and fantastic job by the fresh faced dude above to stay away 🙂

Lots of interest with aru’s strong team and contractor isolated but strong. Uran is gonna struggle to make that back though

Clarke did well to get back into the group on the descent and recover to win the sprint for 2nd. Not sure if he thought he’d won the stage or was celebrating getting the pink jersey…

Amusing article speculating about Contador’s bike change. Even more amusing to hear Cipollini accuse someone of cheating 😆

A bit naughty of Contador, as it seems it was a pre-planned bike change, rather than a mechanical. I don’t think Astana and Sky would have been happy to politely ease off the pace to let him back if they’d known.

This could be rather interesting, the 3 main protagonists seem well matched and up for a fight! Really bloody disappointed to see Uran off the back, here’s hoping he can bounce back and cause havoc in the third week.

When’s the TT?

TT is next Saturday in Treviso. A long one at 60Km.

Cool cheers, Uran has a rather good TT, here’s hoping he can smash Aru out of the water. Not sure he can touch Porte/Contador though.

Yes shame for Uran Uran. He’s not been well and it’s been a pretty brutal first few days for the GC riders.