Giro - 18:00

[el Galactico]

The Galacticos are thinking about to start at the Giro this year. I like the profiles and i should also have the time to ride even if i will miss some stages for sure. But what to do else in May?
However the Line-up will look like, it will be expensive and i don't know how I should get this money back :S

100% starters
Ignacio Salazar - win at least one stage
Marcelo Lima - one stage and help for Sala
Ramon Cervalles - good regeneration, important helper
José Villarica - cheap helper w/o reg

possible starters:
Lucio Pachenco - help Sala to win stages...
Luiz Lazequeira - depends on his chances against other sprinters, but generally good chances for stages and maybe sprint jersey?
Thor Hjelmstad - helper for flat stages if Luiz is in.
Joao Sabrosa - helper for flat/hilly stages if Luiz is in.
Joaquim Soares - 2nd classic rider maybe a good idea or too expensive?
Damiano Wallnöfer - helper for flat stages
Santi Suarez - chances not very good for his start.

nearly out of the competition?
Oswaldo Iguacu
Thiago deLemos
Manuel Sosa
Anderson Rodriguez

Salary should be over 500 k after this month. Somehow to much but don't want to leave guys like Luiz, Pachenco or Soares at home.


Who will start here as well?

[RC Edewecht]

I will also start the Giro at 18:00. It is the first GT for my team.

[Rockstar Inc]

Franconia decides this evening if Giro yes/no...have to check my courses and the afford of energy i need in my professional retraining

Team would be something aorund Hechelheim, Kuusik + flatmonsters..salary between 400 and 430K

[vagaderi]

I'm already registered, vagaderi
and i hope to win the TTT, and the white jersey whit Ivan Granate my leader

[BayernPower]

perhaps i will start here too

[el Galactico]

I wish my team back to the times when i only had 11 or 12 riders. Too much possibilities for the line-up. All my riders have Giro form even if 6 will stay at home.
The only one out of the competition is Iguacu.
The one who has to be sold after the Giro due to financial problems is Soares.

The rest remains unclear.

[TheDreamTeam]

I will be at 18h00 but about my team i have some doubts .. I reflect of a compromise between salary and a competitive team. We'll see but it's sure Blazic will make the Giro.

[Crissler]

I will start here after a break. Salary ca. 420k.
Team:
1 Sprinter
2 70-80
6 flat riders.

[BayernPower]

my team:

Nina Loseth
Elise Ringen
Mika Myllylä
OlaVigen Hattestad
HildeG Pedersen
Magdalena Forsberg
HansPetter Buraas
Harri Olli
Lene Loseth

482.547

I just want to have fun

[RC Edewecht]

Nina for Giro win!

[TheDreamTeam]

I don't know my team again :s

[Rockstar Inc]

Franconia is celebrating the first giro participation

1)Hechelheim - Leader, winner of the Scheldeprijs
2)Kuusik - important helper, Leader for hilly stages, winner of Brabantse Pijl
3)Vandousselaere - most loyal leutnant
4)Ackles - Helper, winner of a stage at the Tour of Turkey
5)Colt - Helper, winner of a stage + points-jersey at Criterium International
6)Padalecki - loyal helper
7)Radewijns - loyal helper
8)Speight - loyal helper
9)Rolston - loyal helper, youngster

objective: point-jersey

[vagaderi]

FAVORITE (for me )

GK:
Nina Loseth +++++
Matti Foster ++++
Jose Pardo ++
Mikael Stanne ++
Gerard Fournier ++
Renco Graaf +
Ivan Granate +
Corbin Westwood +

Youth-Jersey:
Ivan Granate +++
Corbin Westwood +++
Antonio Pizzaro ++
Quang Minh ++

Points Jersey:
Michael Hechelheim ++++
Luiz Lazequeira +++
Francisco Guaranies +
Aado Loovali +

[BayernPower]

The Bavarian Favorite-Check:

GK:

Nina Loseth ***
Matti Foster ***

Jose Pardo **
Gerard Fournier **

Jules Bianchi *
Mikael Stanne *


Points:

Michael Hechelheim ***

Luiz Lazequeira *


Youth Riders:

Ivan Granate ***

Corbin Westwood **
Quang Minh **
Antonio Pizzaro **

Elise Ringen *

[el Galactico]

The situation in the GC is very tricky. Bayern with the plus that he got a second climber as the only one in peloton except me. But i am not in the fight for GC, nevertheless this could help him even if i think that the climbers have a really good chance to win a lot of time against him IF they manage to work together...

So my prediction for the Top 5 is Loseth, Pardo, Bianchi, Foster, Fournier.

Today first stage for Hechelheim.

[Rockstar Inc]

First flatstage and first victory for M. Hechelheim(Team Franconia)

first and second km the attacks started, a group of 8 riders escaped...sport(maglia rosa) didn't let the group away, so they were caught a few km later...km 17+18 the next 6 riders attacked and the group got away....first sprint of the day was won by Vladmir Cecenkho (vagaderi)...km 54 an attack with two riders from Alodo...they caught the first group and now there were 8 man in front, short time before the mountain-prize the group split up due some attacks...Sergey Mitroslav (vagaderi) was the lucky guy to get the mountain-jersey...after the mountain-prize the group was caught and the sprinters had an easy finish and the final sprint was on...

350 to go
Adilson Silva (Alodo) launches the sprint
Joshua Blakewood (Dynamo Malta) launches the sprint
Joshua Blakewood (Dynamo Malta):
Rene Snel (Dynamo Malta) tries to get the wheel
Rene Snel (Dynamo Malta) takes the wheel
Rene Snel (Dynamo Malta):
Francisco Guaranies (RC Edewecht ) tries to get the wheel
Francisco Guaranies (RC Edewecht ) takes the wheel
Francisco Guaranies (RC Edewecht ):
Niklas Karabatic (TheDreamTeam) tries to get the wheel
Niklas Karabatic (TheDreamTeam) takes the wheel
Niklas Karabatic (TheDreamTeam):
Aado Looväli (Crissler) tries to get the wheel
Aado Looväli (Crissler) takes the wheel
Aado Looväli (Crissler):
Luiz Lazequeira (Los Galacticos) tries to get the wheel
Prince Mahoney (vagaderi) tries to get the wheel
Luiz Lazequeira (Los Galacticos) takes the wheel
Luiz Lazequeira (Los Galacticos):
Michael Hechelheim (Team Franconia) tries to get the wheel
Michael Hechelheim (Team Franconia) takes the wheel
Michael Hechelheim (Team Franconia):
Michael Obstler (vagaderi) tries to get the wheel
Michael Obstler (vagaderi) takes the wheel

01. 00:00:00 Michael Hechelheim (Team Franconia)
02. 00:00:00 Luiz Lazequeira (Los Galacticos)
03. 00:00:00 Aado Looväli (Crissler)
04. 00:00:00 Niklas Karabatic (TheDreamTeam)
05. 00:00:00 Francisco Guaranies (RC Edewecht )
06. 00:00:00 Rene Snel (Dynamo Malta)
07. 00:00:00 Michael Obstler (vagaderi)
08. 00:00:00 Hien Kanh (RS Walbeck)
09. 00:00:00 Magnus Brattsveen (RC Edewecht )
10. 00:00:00 Ngok Nhank (RS Walbeck)

thx to sport + tdt for the cooperation

[TheDreamTeam]

you're welcome Franco, without crissler i think i won . ^^

GK favourite :

* * * *

Nina Loseth / Matti foster

* * *

Gerard Fournier / Mickael Stanne / Jose Pardo

* *

Jules Bianchi / Ivan Blazic / Ivan Granate

*

Lucio Pachenco / Antonio Pizzaro / Quang Minh

[el Galactico]

Nice! Now Franco can win the rest of the flat stages. Over 10x podium until now. But this is the first win at the Giro. Now I won stages in all 3 GT's!
This takes a lot pressure from my shoulders for the rest of the tour.

Thanks to Alk!!

BTW: Haha one * for Pachenco...

[vagaderi]

THE FAVOURITE FOR GK CHANGE (always for me)

Nina Loseth +++++

Matti Foster ++++

Mikael Stanne, Ivan Blazic +++

Jose Pardo, Ignacio Salazar, Jules Bianchi, Gerard Fournier also Ivan Granate +

[el Galactico]

Favorite check:

1. Nina Loseth
Mikael Stanne
3. Ivan Blazic +0:03
4. Matti Foster +0:14
5. Jules Bianchi +1:07
6. Gerard Fournier +1:42
7. Jose Pardo +2:20

I think the fight is still open for everybody. Good TT for Bayern. Pardo now has to take a lot of risks to get back in the race for GC. Foster really the big favorite by now. He can win a lot of time in the mountains and Loseth has just left the TT on the last day, but she still has the second climber which could make the difference.

My prediction for the podium:
1. Loseth
2. Foster
3. Stanne

Bianchi still my favorite for a big surprise

[TheDreamTeam]

I'm happy for the TTT , Blazic wants a top five and i think he can make it !

[el Galactico]

Perfect first week. Hope that Luiz can keep the jersey for a while until he gives it to Michael Hechelheim.

[Aixteam]

Favorite check:

1. Nina Loseth
Mikael Stanne
3. Ivan Blazic +0:03
4. Matti Foster +0:14
5. Jules Bianchi +1:07
6. Gerard Fournier +1:42
7. Jose Pardo +2:20

Let's look at the last TT. 30kms, totally flat so easy to predict. (with equal forms : 1 point = 9")
1.Loseth (73)
2.Foster (60) 1'57" (13*9")
3.Stanne (55) 2'42"
4.Fournier (54) 2'55"
5.Pardo (52) 3'21"
6.Blazic (51) 3'34"
7.Bianchi (48 (omg)) 4'13"

If we add that to the results of the first TT and of the TTT. We have :
1.Loseth
2.Foster 2'11"
3.Stanne 2'42"
4.Blazic 3'37"
5.Fournier 4'37"
6.Bianchi 5'20"
7.Pardo 5'41"

Fournier, Bianchi and Pardo are already really far. We can think they could have 10-15s less if they have a good form at the last TT. Maybe 20, but not really much. They need to take this time. Fournier and Pardo are the best climbers but their teams suck. We cannot really imagine how they could take time before the last hill. Bianchi has a good team, but not really better than Mbak's one, and it will be hard for him to beat every climber. The only plan possible is to beat a climber a day, then another the next day .. But it seems really hard for this three.

Then we have Blazic. He is closer, strong too, but he has a lack of flat and a ridiculous team for the hills. Blazic will be often alone if Mbak or Aix try something. And we cannot imagine, as ILD or Edewecht, how he could take time before a last hill. And he won't be able to take minutes and minutes on Mbak or RennRadler.

Main favos are, according to me, Foster and Stanne. Both 86 and 56 flat. RennRadler has a lack of good classics, Mbak has maybe the strongest team of the race. Mbak is 30" behind .. He will need to find somewhere to take this time. Maybe he will open a door for the others, for Blazic, for Pardo, maybe even Bianchi. Those ones have to fight every day. Mbak can wait, chose a day, and take the time there. Another thing is interesting. RennRadler 161 races, he never won a tour .. Mbak 564 races, he never won a tour. TheDreamTeam 230 races, no tour. Edewecht won a tour with Pardo, maybe he knows well how to use him. ILD won Paris Nice (or Nimes, pff) with Fournier, that's a good point too. Aix is the most experimented there, but it could be a disavantage too, if everybody looks too much at him. What I wanted to say is that every guy in this fight can make a mistake a day, and pay it very much ..

Eventually, we have the interrogation of the tour. Loseth has 2' to keep. He (or she, because Nina is a sky girl!) has Ringen as a support. But 2' is not that much, and we have many mountain stages, with hard finishes. And Bayern is often off .. Nevertheless, he is more experimented than the others (except Aix maybe). He could be the surprise of the Giro, because nobody will really care to beat him. And if they don't manage to beat him early, he could be a real problem.

What I can say is that it is going to be good and interesting. Try things guys, we're there to have fun !

[TheDreamTeam]

Yeap i agree with you but i think my team is not so ridiculous. Creko has 68 mo and kostellic 70 mo .

[Aixteam]

Creko 68-80 is good. Kostelic 70-65 is useless to try something. You will be able to take time only in the last hills, or by sucking