basso: a real challenger to lance?

[Climb01742]

ivan basso is pretty darned impressive. he can climb. he can TT. he can puke his guts out. then be tough enough to hang in there and win two stages back-to-back. if he can hold form + fitness until july, could he be a real threat to lance? he's one tough camper.

[coylifut]

yes. I think he can. I like him.

[IXXI]

Yep, he's in there this year.

[weisan]

Has he ordered his ADA wheels from cees-pal yet? :cool:

[Elefantino]

Last year was boring. A coronation on wheels. Not like 2003, which had real drama.

Speaking of drama, where's Vino?

[Dr. Doofus]

no

csc will win stages

but basso doesn't have the edge to win

jan

jan

jan

but

as always

lance's race to lose

[Jeff N.]

Lance could drop Basso in his sleep. Jeff N.

[gasman]

I think Basso is pretty darned impressive. The question is- has he left too much on the table to come back for the Tour and do well ?

[jerk]

basso is good but he's no nico mattan.
oh wait,
the jerk meant he's good but he's no frank vandenbroucke
no that's not right....
basso is fine rider but he won't win. he may not even podium. the guy to watch for is santiago botero. believe you the jerk....something has finally clicked.

jerk

[Frankwurst]

Basso and Armstrong are not the only ones invited to the party. There will be others there to dance. :beer:

[csb]

no

[Climb01742]

Lance could drop Basso in his sleep.

jeff, i could drop basso in my sleep. lance, too. and jan, and eddy, and...

problem is, then i wake up, stop dreaming... :beer: :p ;) :D

jerk, botero? :confused: really? :confused: you sure? you know more than me, but i can see him winning a stage, like a TT, but day after day in the mountains? :confused: is he mentally strong enough? seems talented by erratic.

[Dr. Doofus]

botero will lose

20 minutes one day

as usual

but win

a TT

[weisan]

But it's not just Basso....it's Riis+Basso+Team CSC Machinery, I think if you consider the whole team, it's a pretty scary-looking machinery made right for this year's TDF.

Even Armstrong himself acknowledges that his opponent would be "tough to beat" if he climbs as well as he did last year....not to put too much face value on what he said but still you got to think this Basso guy is no fluke.

Anyway, we have the luxury of making predictions and sideline commentaries in the comfort of our living rooms...the real fight is out there and anything can happen in those three weeks. Armstrong has "revolutionalized" the way someone could win a grand tour like TDF six times by his singular focus and preparation...but starting this year, with the new introduction of the UCI "ProTour" format, it may change things around for the team.

Just my 2 cents. I am heading out now to ride and to face this monster storm brewing up...hopefully I can finish the ride in 3 hours before it reaches Austin...
http://alicehui.com/serotta/storm/storm.gif

weisan

[Dr. Doofus]

pro tour

no change

look at discovery, t-mobile

in Giro

(except for Zabel, Savodelli and Padrnos)

big gun domestiques

saved for Tour

[saab2000]

Nobody will beat Lance. If Lance does not win it will be because he loses the Tour, not because someone else beat him. If that makes sense.

We have not heard much from him in a few weeks. My guess is that he is training pretty hard somewhere. Probably chopping wood and running through deep snow like Rocky would do.

[1centaur]

Last year's Lance/Basso mountain finishes showed what Basso can do in the mountains, which is ride at a steady, high cadence up fairly steep and long climbs, which is somewhat similar to what Jan can do but with a little more supplesse when it's needed. That makes him an ideal foil for Lance's mountain style (Lance will use Basso as a pacer), which is a more frenetic, higher cadence up fairly steep long climbs, but with a different top end from Basso - more explosive. If Lance is on his game, he will climb with Basso and try to leg him out at the end, but he won't lose much time to Basso in the mountains. If someone else explodes up a mountain, Lance will jump on him and Basso might not be able to.

In TTs, Basso is not as good as Ulrich who is not as good as Armstrong, though they are all close.

Lance's team is better than CSC. Johan is probably better than Bjarne.

Therefore an on-form Basso should not be a GC threat to an on-form Lance.

[Fixed]

Basso wins Tour Da France.

[Dr. Doofus]

Yes

Basso wins Tour Da France

Lance wins Tour De France

Bobke only entrant in Tour Day France

some dumb guy from forum

wins Tour Duh France

[cinelli]

If Basso has another bad day like he did today, he has no chance. As Ullrich will verify (1998), one bad day in the Tour is one too many.

[Climb01742]

that seems to be one of lance's strengths, or great good fortune...a lack of bad days that result in losing a huge chunk of time. 04 was his closest call, especially the TT where he dehydrated. but he manages to mitigate his losses. others seem to crack, while he bends. now that he's a year older, it will be interesting to see if his body can still bend but not crack. i hope he can do it once more. everyone else seems to have at least one bad day, usually in the mountains.

[cs124]

could he beat lance? sure, why not... talent, guts, team, he's got 'em.

will he? nope. he's burnt all his matches this season already.

[93legendti]

How did Basso do today? Without ruining it for anyone, the finish was an amazing nailbiter.

The thing we may never know is if Basso can handle the pressue of a pink or yellow jersey. Maybe his nerves affected his stomach and once free of the pink jersey he could "fly" again. There have been a lot of great talents who always seem to have a jour sans at the wrong moment and blow their chance at a big win...Tony Rominger (in the TDF), Charley Mottet, JF Bernard, etc. and I always wondered whether it was nerves or bad luck...


And that is the amazing thing about Lance and Big Mig, not once in their reins did they have a day with bad luck or sickness that ruined their chances at winning...amazing!

Basso is a HUGE talent who seems to improve every year and really seems like a great guy. I hope he wins a TDF...after Lance retires. :)

[Elefantino]

Kloden took over T-Mobile last year when Ullrich urped. If Ullrich urps again, this time it will be Vinokourov, who just finished second in the Bayern Rundfahrt in Germany.

Mark me words, boys and girls.

Now I'm going to ride. :banana:

[Dr. Doofus]

fahrt race?

doof could win that

maybe

is it

frequency

volume

or

pungency?