As in any bicycle race, there are always many different riders that are able to take top honors. The situation is the same for the final classic of the season, the Giro di Lombardia. Last year's winner, Damiano Cunego, will be one of the top favorites, but there are a slew of others that will be on the hunt for the final monument of 2008. I will focus on several riders that are less known but could come up big on the shores of Lake Como on Saturday in italy.
I think Robert Gesink is very close to becoming one of the world's best bike riders. Although only 22, Gesink has all the goods to become the next big thing for 2009. This past season has been a good one for Gesink, with solid performances at the Tour of California, Paris-Nice, the Vuelta a Espana and the world championships in Varese, Italy. Lombardia finishes just up the road in Como, and the course has some steep climbs toward the finish. Gesink is already one of the best young climbers around; perhaps he'll be able to get his tactics right on Saturday and take his biggest win to date.
Enrico Gasparotto has been close many times in 2008. And although the classics stylist hasn't been lucky enough to win in 2008, he still should be considered a top threat for the win in Italy. A strong climber and fast finisher, "Gaspa" will surely try to attack on the Madonna di Ghisallo in hopes of taking his first classics win.
Giovanni Visconti has done virtually nothing in 2008. After taking his national championship in 2007, many pundits felt that he was ready to take the next step as classics leader of the Quick Step team. Instead, he seemed to regress in 2008, leading to his not being signed for another season with Quick Step. With a win on home soil on Saturday, Visconti would thrust himself right back among the world's best one day riders. It will be a tough task for the 25 year old, but not at all impossible.
Gilberto Simoni is coming into the twilight of his career. Once a fearsome grand tour contender, Simoni has transitioned into a possible stage winner in his home tour, and is also nurtering a marathon mountain biking career. At 37, Simoni's days in the pro peloton are numbered, but that doesn't mean he can't deliver one more time on an excellent result. It would take a blistering attack on the Ghisallo for Simoni to escape for the win, but stranger things have happened in cycling.
In all probability, the above riders will not climb the top step of the podium for the season's final classic on Saturday. More likely it will be Cunego, or Ballan, Garzelli, Sanchez, Nibali, or Evans. But it sure would be cool if one of the above riders could make it happen on Sunday. So you heard my picks, who are yours?
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1 comments:
Good picks. There is alot of talk about Robert Gesink.
What I remember about Visconti is that he crashed wearing the Maglia Rose in the Giro. That crash took down Levi Leipheimer as well. It was QSP teammate, Paolo Bettini, that rode Visconti and Leipheimer back to the group and kept Visconti in pink for one more day.
The Americans I like are Horner (AST) and Danielson (GAR). They have had really bad luck this year and I want them to end the season on a good note. Tom Danielson was particularly good at the ToM.
Siutsou showed climbing prowess at the Tour of Georgia when he won that race on Brasstown Bald.
And last, what about the KOM of the 2007 Tour de France, Juan Maricio Soler Hernandez, who broke his wrist at the TdF this year. I'm wondering how his form is coming along. If it is coming back.
The Giro di Lombardia is a beautiful race. I'm so looking forward to watching it.
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