Kind of snuck up on me this one, I hadn’t quite realised it starts this weekend. Bit of an open one at the moment – the current champ Froomedog is not defending his title, so will previous winner Tom “mancrush” DuMoulin regain his former crown? Team Ineos’ great white hope Egan Bernal has been withdrawn after breaking his collarbone in a crash, what will they do? Pavel Sivakov looks good for the future, but is he ready now? Froome claimed on Saturday that Bernal’s place had already been filled but didn’t say who was his understudy. Valverde has withdrawn, still not right after a training crash in April. Can Nibali deliver on his home tour? Former ski jumper Primož Roglič has just finished the Tour de Romandie in prime form, has that set him up for a perfect Giro? Can Simon Yates do a Froome and win the Vuelta and the Giro back to back? Perhaps he can then go on to claim the Tour as well? He may well supplant Tom as the mancrush of millions if that does happen….

Anyway, I’ve set up the customary mini-league over on Velogames. Usual rules apply, i.e. pick a team of names you recognise then get increasingly disappointed as other people outscore you day after day…

League Name: STW Fantasy Giro 2019
League Code: 122436321
https://www.velogames.com/italy/2019/leaguescores.php?league=122436321

You’d have to put Yates right up there. Roglic i’m not as convinced over the high mountains… Nibali has still to convince me day in day out. Ineos, well if they’re not taking Froome, Thomas or Bernal i can’t see them winning it… but then again, i can’t see who will, so i’m going to have to go with Yates.

Tough one, but it’s the first time in years I’m a bit Meh with it all 🤷‍♂️🥴

Roglic for me, with Yates on the podium. I’d love Tao to be in the mix, and I think in time he will be, but this year is just to soon.

I’m in as “Bob Jungels ist massive”.

No one team looks strong enough to do the whole Team Sky Tempo Snoozetime deal on this race and quite a few contenders look like they’ll need to trade attacks to do well. The last half of the race could end up having some great stages.

Eddie Dunbar confirmed as the rider taking Bernal’s place in the squad with Sivakov and Tao as join leaders, Christian Knees road captain

Righty ho, I’ve read the squads and I’m going to plug for Lotto Soudal and Thomas De Ghent FTW. I mean, why not? If he’s on form he can pop off the front without the rolling roadblock that is SkNeos hampering his exploits.

Lotto looks pretty solid, Campenerts/Ewan/DeGhent/Henson/Kluge.. all of them have plenty of wins under their Bibs..

I’d love em’ to win it.

Wednesday bump. Countdown to the ITT on Saturday…

I need to pull my finger out and start choosing a team.

Could be interesting as it’s not a done deal this year.

Roglic, Tommy D and Syates as the the top 3. Not sure of the order.

For the Zwifters, they’re releasing the Stage 1 ITT course.
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/giro-ditalia/teams-race-zwift-exhibition-prologue-ahead-giro-ditalia-2019-422532

On current form looks like Roglic, though the one big hill in the Tour de Romandie was scrubbed so…?

Evening bump…

As is usual at the Giro, I suspect that the winner will be us, the viewing public.

I’m in! Should be good, the Giro normally is 😀

I’m in. although a bit of a rush picking team, as I’m trying to cook at the same time.

Just a reminder that sadly we won’t get expert insight from Ned and Dave on ITV4 – highlights are on Quest (Freeview 114, 10pm). Or if you speak welsh, S4C have Seiclo – Y Giro d’Italia

I’m in with Team Pie. Probably should start thinking of a new team name.

Should be a hell of a race, I’m going Yates, Dumoulin, Roglic in that order.

highlights are on Quest

Oh 🙁

chakaping – how did you manage to get Yates, Dumoulin and Roglic?

I’ve got the 2 Toms. DeGendt for his entertainment value (breakawaytastic) and Dumoulin, because I think he really, really wants this win.

Last chance to get your team sorted, entries close at 16.30 CEST (15.30 UK time). You can add a team to the league at any point.

I’m in:

Eazy Roulers

Well that was an unexpected start. For me, anyway.

I’m not surprised that Roglic has continued to improve, but I didn’t expect him to put 20 sec + on Dumoulin.

Yates looks like he has good from.

Interesting that the top five after stage 1 could easily be the top five at the end. Roglich put 19 secs into 2nd place Yates and it’s all pretty close after that.

Will be interesting to see how Roglic goes – in comparison to the others he’s pretty much only just started cycling, hasn’t he ? That means he may have more yet to come than they do but he may also not really know how to pace his effort over a long race, bit like Yates last year but more so (I know Roglic did a solid TdF but that’s different pressure to being right up front and competing to win IMO).

Mind, he’s got a week to chill out before the action properly starts – unless it comes up crosswinds or something

How many different ways did Sean Kelly pronounce Roglic during the highlights?

Also, surprisingly good form from Nibbles. Keeps getting better as he gets older, doesn’t he?

On initial viewing I thought Viviani’s relegation was harsh. On repeated viewings (and with explanation from Brian and Brad) I can see why he was relegated but stil think it was harsh.

My fantasy Giro team think it was very harsh 😭

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/molano-suspended-by-uae-team-emirates-during-giro-ditalia-after-internal-testing/

Team Ineos’ great white hope Egan Bernal has been withdrawn after breaking his collarbone in a crash

I’m not sure that technically a Colombian mestizo can be referred to as a ‘great white hope’ in a sport dominated by white people. I know you didn’t mean it with any sort of racial connotation, but it triggered a cocked eyebrow in the BWD kennels 🙂

On a sideline, I was amused by Richard Moore’s tongue-in-cheek ‘theory’ that Ineos had faked the broken collarbone as a way of reserving Bernal for a serious tilt at the Tour. I think maybe he’s been spending too much time on twitter or with the loons below the line on CN.

Aye, that aspect never occurred to me. Please relay my apologies to Senor Bernal 🙂

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/molano-suspended-by-uae-team-emirates-during-giro-ditalia-after-internal-testing/

I’ve got Molano in my team as well…
Bollocks.

Looks bad for the “mancrush”. I hope he can make the start tomorrow.

My triple threat of Ackerman, Yates and Roglic has managed to come through the first few stages pretty well and hanging out of the fringes of the STW top 10.

Hope that’s not the last of big Tom, stupid looking crash, probably caused by the Ineos guy not looking the right way.

Wasn’t the Ineos guy trying to move another rider out of the way? Thought he placed a hand on the rider in front, then looked like bars or wheels touched.
But of a crashy start, let’s hope it settles down soon.

Bad to worse for some people, The Mancrush is forced to withdraw 🙁

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/48284384

I’ve got Tom as well. I don’t think it is going to be my year.

Head said chose Roglic, heart said chose Dumoulin. Wrong choice. I’m at the bottom of the STW pile.
Sad now for Tom.

So today is a long stage with a cat 2 hill 30km from the end. Sounds like a job for a breakaway specialist. I’m calling Thomas de Gendt for this one. He’ll have some company on the shape of a rider from Nippo Vini Fantini of course, at least till the categorised climb. They’re rapidly becoming the the giro’s version of Wanty Groupe Gobert – stick a rider in the breakaway, we won’t win but we’ll have LOADS of TV coverage. Job Done.