giro d'italia 2012

[Rainmaker]

I thought last year's Tour de France was possibly the best stage race I'd ever seen, but this Giro is running it very, very close.   Who can pull out a superhuman effort in the timetrial, the only jersey that has definately been decided is the climbers jersey.

[Andrew]

Does anyone really expect Cavendish to take points in the TT? I'll be rooting for him obviously but it'd be one helluvan achievement. I can't see it personally.

There's been lost opportunities along the way, for one reason or another, but them's the breaks. For me, it's hugely creditable that Cavendish finished, tried to defend the jersey. You can't always get want you want though, not when there are other talented and motivated athletes around you. I'm sure he feels pretty crappy at the moment but it is character building.... eventually!

[citoyen]

Does anyone really expect Cavendish to take points in the TT?

No.

I'll be rooting for him obviously but it'd be one helluvan achievement. I can't see it personally.

+1

There's been lost opportunities along the way, for one reason or another, but them's the breaks. For me, it's hugely creditable that Cavendish finished, tried to defend the jersey.

Totally agree. To have come so close to winning the red jersey this year is mightily impressive, especially after incidents like the Ferrari takedown - even if he hadn't gone on to win that stage, he was well placed to pick up the few points that would have made all the difference in the final reckoning. But them is indeed the breaks.

But it is hugely to his credit that he has made it to the end at all - hardly any of the other top sprinters are left. Like Thor Hushovd last year, he's proving himself to be a real credit to the rainbow stripes.

And let's not forget what a monumental achievement it would have been to win the red jersey - only a handful of other riders have won the points competition in all three grand tours, and without checking the stats, I suspect Cav is still younger than any of them when they achieved it. Plus, unlike the Tour or the Vuelta, it's very unusual and difficult for a pure sprinter to win the Giro points competition because of the way points are distributed.

But he has time on his side to come back and have another go. He's what, about halfway through his professional career? The man is a legend in the making.

d.

[David Martin]

Cav is 26. Assuming he has another 8 years (tlll 34) then he has twice his current pro career to go.

There are two crashes that would both have given him at least a point.. But those are the breaks. Pretty sure Cav will give everything for the TT, it is flat and not too long so ideal for him. He *might* get a point but unlikely.

[citoyen]

Just been looking up the stats...

Of the four riders who have previously won the points competition in all three grand tours:
Abdoujaparov did it by winning the Giro points jersey in 1994, aged 30.
Jalabert did the same in 1991, aged 31.
Merckx completed the set by winning the Vuelta jersey in 1973, aged 28.
Petacchi was 36 when he finally won the Tour green jersey in 2010.

So if Cav were to win the red jersey next year, he'd be the same age as Eddy Merckx was when he won it (admittedly, Merckx had won more overall by the same age, but still... not bad).

No one has won all three in the same year. Abdoujaparov won the Tour/Giro double in 1994, Merckx won the Giro/Vuelta double in 1973. Four riders have won the Tour/Vuelta double - Altig, Janssen, Kelly, Jalabert. I can see Cav joining this elite group one day, though probably not this year. Who knows - maybe he could become the first to win all three in the same year? Unlikely, but you never know.

Only three riders have won stages in all three Grand Tours in the same year: Miguel Poblet (1956, aged 28), Pierino Baffi (1958, aged 28), Alessandro Petacchi (2003, aged 29).

Anyone care to bet against Cav becoming the fourth rider to achieve this feat this year, thus becoming the youngest person to do so? I suppose it depends whether or not the team enter him in the Vuelta, but you'd think he would want to do it this year of all years, while he's World Champion.

Cav is still some way off the best when it comes to overall number of points jersey wins, but I reckon he'll one day catch Jan Janssen and Djamolidine Abdoujaparov at least - they won five GT points jerseys each. Merckx won 6, Jalabert 7, Kelly 8, Zabel 9. He may or may not catch any of them depending on whether he develops more into an all-round points chaser à la Kelly and Zabel, rather than the specialist stage winner he is at the moment. Though I can't really see Cav ever winning a Grand Tour outright like Kelly.

If he can extend his career as long as the likes of Ale-jet and Zabel, who knows what he could acheive...

d.

[citoyen]

Cav is 26.

It was his 27th birthday last week.

d.

[David Martin]

Of course.. slightly distracted by him having the same birthday as my son..

[Ray 6701]

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