Giro d'Italia 2015 *spoilers*

[themosquitoking]

Maybe they're just going balls to the wall while they still can.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Quite possibly, they do seem to be riding like a team who has thought "you know what, f*ck it - everyone knows we are cheating so we'd be as well just ripping them to shreds"

 

[Crackle]

It's hard to square up the Astana Dario Cataldo with the Sky one. Perhaps they're twins?

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Just spotted EQS reporting that Uran had bronchitis during the first week. And is now recovering/recovered.
TUE anyone?

 

[Strathlubnaig]

Not a bad Giro so far, 8 different stage winners from 7 different teams, nice to mix it up like that. Would like to see one of the main GC lads go try light it up a bit though rather than the sit and wait game.

 

[rich p]

Looking at the profiles for next week, it looks like it could be a status quo until the mtn top finish to Madonna di Campiglio on Sunday. A couple of rouleur profiles and a few sprinters'.
It could, of course, prove otherwise considering the slightly unpredictable racing so far. I hope so or else it may feel like a transition week.

 

[Apollonius]

Don't forget the up-hill individual time trial next Saturday. I think Porte will fancy that.

 

[smutchin]

Don't forget the up-hill individual time trial next Saturday. I think Porte will fancy that.

Already looking forward to Aru doing "The Time Trial Of His Life".

 

[smutchin]

Inrng has a typically level-headed take on the first week - he makes the good point that despite Astana and Tinkoff's super-aggressive racing, it hasn't really achieved that much...
http://inrng.com/2015/05/giro-week-one-review/#more-24853

It will indeed be interesting to see if they're still going full gas in the third week.

Porte is incredibly well placed at the moment. He's a matter of seconds off the top without having appeared to do anything other than the bare minimum to stay in contention. It was good to see him sitting on the group of leaders and refusing to do any work on yesterday's stage, rather than dashing off up the road like an over-excited puppy - shows a more mature approach that should help him stay in contention well into the third week...

 

[HF2300]

I was thinking the same this morning. It doesn't seem as though Tinkoff and Astana's flat out tactics are doing anything apart from tiring them out (and dropping Uran and a few of the less likely contenders). Maybe their plan is to whittle the GC contention down to the bare minimum early to simplify things.

To be fair to Astana, it's easy to point fingers or make jokes but it's not as if they're romping away from the opposition, and if they were doped up to the eyeballs might you expect them to be able to put more time on Porte, Contador (in his damaged state) and a few others? As you say, if they've still got the legs to do the same and more in the third week it might be more suspicious. What I do find odd is the proportion of Astana riders who seem to have little difficulty keeping up compared to other teams, and perhaps 37 year olds romping off uphill to bag stage wins without difficulty?

Porte's tactics might not win him friends but assuming Sky aren't right on their limit, they look very sensible to be doing as little as possible, letting Tinkoff and Astana tow them and saving their legs for when it matters. Are we seeing a changed Sky here - no longer on the front all the time, letting Viviani compete for sprints, and so on??

Edit - just reading that INRNG article, as you say a sensible assessment. He also comments as we have on the oddity of particularly Tinkoff's tactics and whether Sky are playing the long game, amongst other things. I hadn't realised Porte was sleeping in a motorhome. Interesting article.

 

[smutchin]

What I do find odd is the proportion of Astana riders who seem to have little difficulty keeping up compared to other teams, and perhaps 37 year olds romping off uphill to bag stage wins without difficulty?

Landa isn't too much of a surprise given his recent form. He's a much improved rider this year but that's not necessarily suspicious in itself. I'm quite enjoying watching him shine this season, tbh.

Cataldo's form isn't necessarily suspicious either - he was never anything other than a domestique at Sky so maybe he's just getting a bit more opportunity to express himself now.

Tiralongo... well... I'm saying nothing.

Aru is a phenomenal rider but, like Nibali, is tainted by association with Astana and you can't help wondering what motivated Henderson's tweet about him. No smoke without fire? We'll see.

Diego Rosa is still fairly young and has always looked like a good strong climber. Kangert once looked like an exciting GC prospect until his knee problems. I'm pleased to see him on the up again. Nothing of particular concern about them except general suspicions about the team they're on.

Reassuringly, LL Sanchez doesn't look anything like the rider he once was.

 

[rich p]

What I do find odd is the proportion of Astana riders who seem to have little difficulty keeping up compared to other teams, and perhaps 37 year olds romping off uphill to bag stage wins without difficulty

This is the point though.
That and the fact that Aru seems to have made a pretty spectacular recovery from a poor season and recent sickness.
I agree that it may not be suspicious but it certainly raises my eyebrows.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

That chap Armstrong's rise to domination seemed logical. For those wanting it to be.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Aru is a phenomenal rider but, like Nibali, is tainted by association with Astana and you can't help wondering what motivated Henderson's tweet about him. No smoke without fire? We'll see.

Not just his association with Astana:
http://espoirscentral.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/riders-of-olivano-locatelli.html

 

[Dayvo]

That chap Armstrong's rise to domination seemed logical. For those wanting it to be.

Yeah, the moon landing was a scam!