Saturday, May 20, 2006

By The Numbers

102 The number of posts that the Crankset has cranked out in a 2 month period.

5:30 The deficit in minutes of the closest rival (Salvodelli) to Ivan Basso's overall lead after 13 Stages

27 The number of seconds that a true climber, and supposed contender to this year's Giro (Simoni) lost to Basso on Stage 13.

1 The number of weeks left in the Giro d'Italia

Even with one very ardous, mountainous week remaining, barring any catastrophic events,Ivan Basso should win the 2006 Giro d'Italia. With time gaps like these (below), it'll take a Herculean effort to displace Basso as none seem to be able to keep up with his tempo and place any pressure on him and team CSC. As the crazed Red Sawx fan, Wild Bill, would say, "This thing is O-V-A, ovah!"

General classification after stage 13
1 Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC 49.53.36
2 José E. Gutierrez Cataluna (Spa) Phonak Hearing Systems 3.27
3 Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 5.30
4 Wladimir Belli (Ita) Selle Italia-Serramenti Diquigiovanni 7.35
5 Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Saunier Duval-Prodir 8.00
6 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas 8.14
7 Tom Danielson (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 8.35
8 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-Fondital 8.58
9 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Liquigas 10.36
10 Victor Hugo Pena Grisales (Col) Phonak Hearing Systems 11.12

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Wow -- 102 posts!
Congratulations to us!
Now all we need is 102 readers, although we've had a few people comment and I'm sure there are a few more grazers out there.
We hope more people will come along for the ride and participate as we attack our second hundred posts!

53rd Tooth said...

Far be it for me to recast my Basso prediction from so long ago (even before he annouced he was racing the Giro - I'm obnoxius I know) BUT.....I wouldn't count out Falco just yet. He's a squirrel, vicious on the steeps and knows how to close time gaps.

Additionally we've never seen him in back to back Giros given his crash propensity.

Bottom line: Basso takes GC but Falco spices up the gravy.

Granny's 30 said...

I'm surprised with how well Gutierrez (Phonak) is going, he should hang on to second. I think Il Falco is going to have a rough go of it in the next week and could possibly lose his podium place to Gibo. Simoni is the better climber and with the number of mountain top finishes ahead, Salvodelli won't have an opportunity to close gaps on the descent. My predicted finish is Basso, Gutierrez, Simoni.

Now that being said, I think with Danielson's help up the mountains..it could be a Disco 2nd and 3rd with Salvodelli and Danielson (hasn't Discovery finished 2nd and 3rd in all the big races this year? (Flanders and Roubaix (forget the DQ))

Saturday, May 20, 2006

By The Numbers

102 The number of posts that the Crankset has cranked out in a 2 month period.

5:30 The deficit in minutes of the closest rival (Salvodelli) to Ivan Basso's overall lead after 13 Stages

27 The number of seconds that a true climber, and supposed contender to this year's Giro (Simoni) lost to Basso on Stage 13.

1 The number of weeks left in the Giro d'Italia

Even with one very ardous, mountainous week remaining, barring any catastrophic events,Ivan Basso should win the 2006 Giro d'Italia. With time gaps like these (below), it'll take a Herculean effort to displace Basso as none seem to be able to keep up with his tempo and place any pressure on him and team CSC. As the crazed Red Sawx fan, Wild Bill, would say, "This thing is O-V-A, ovah!"

General classification after stage 13
1 Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC 49.53.36
2 José E. Gutierrez Cataluna (Spa) Phonak Hearing Systems 3.27
3 Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 5.30
4 Wladimir Belli (Ita) Selle Italia-Serramenti Diquigiovanni 7.35
5 Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Saunier Duval-Prodir 8.00
6 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas 8.14
7 Tom Danielson (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 8.35
8 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-Fondital 8.58
9 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Liquigas 10.36
10 Victor Hugo Pena Grisales (Col) Phonak Hearing Systems 11.12

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Wow -- 102 posts!
Congratulations to us!
Now all we need is 102 readers, although we've had a few people comment and I'm sure there are a few more grazers out there.
We hope more people will come along for the ride and participate as we attack our second hundred posts!

53rd Tooth said...

Far be it for me to recast my Basso prediction from so long ago (even before he annouced he was racing the Giro - I'm obnoxius I know) BUT.....I wouldn't count out Falco just yet. He's a squirrel, vicious on the steeps and knows how to close time gaps.

Additionally we've never seen him in back to back Giros given his crash propensity.

Bottom line: Basso takes GC but Falco spices up the gravy.

Granny's 30 said...

I'm surprised with how well Gutierrez (Phonak) is going, he should hang on to second. I think Il Falco is going to have a rough go of it in the next week and could possibly lose his podium place to Gibo. Simoni is the better climber and with the number of mountain top finishes ahead, Salvodelli won't have an opportunity to close gaps on the descent. My predicted finish is Basso, Gutierrez, Simoni.

Now that being said, I think with Danielson's help up the mountains..it could be a Disco 2nd and 3rd with Salvodelli and Danielson (hasn't Discovery finished 2nd and 3rd in all the big races this year? (Flanders and Roubaix (forget the DQ))