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Levi Leipheimer
Country: USA
Team: Astana
Age: 35
Best Finishing Position: Nil
Giro Stage Wins: 0
Levi has never ridden the Giro before because he has always been concentrating on the Tour de France for his team-mates over the past decade. Lance Armstrong and Alberto Contador. Not competing in the Giro before does not present a problem for him. He was second in the Vuelta to team-mate Contador last year and was third the year before in the Tour de France. Not bad as a domestique. But come Saturday, Levi won’t be a domestique. He will be team leader.
His form this year is superb. He was first overall in the Tour of California for the second year running in February and won the time trial. He was first overall in the Vuetla a Castilla y Leon and again won the time trial in stage two. He was first on stage 2 of the Sea Otter Road Race and just last week he was first overall in the Tour of the Gila where he won stage 1 and the time trial in stage 3. Leipheimer is a solid rider in Grand Tours and he has help of team mate Lance Armstrong who was wanting to go for the overall in the Giro but after a crash in March he is now riding for Leipheimer hoping for the Tour de France. If he rides for Leipheimer now, he will get his support in July. A win/win for both riders.
Lance Armstrong, well, we all know his story. Professional in 1992, struck down by cancer a few years later and won 7 Tour de France’s in a row from 1999 – 2005. He was second overall last week in the Tour of the Gila so he is heading back into form despite his crash. He has come out and publically said that Levi is the leader and all he will hope for himself is a stage win whilst working the overall for Leipheimer. With Armstrong working with Leipheimer with Popovych as the other helper, expect big things from Leipheimer. I think he will win his first Grand Tour this year and that will be the Giro.
Leipheimer Prediction: 1st
Armstrong Prediction: 7th
Ivan Basso
Country: Italy
Team: Liquigas
Age: 31
Best Finishing Position: 1st - (2006)
Giro Stage Wins: 6
A former winner here, Basso turned professional in 1999. Over the last few years however, he has been off the bike. He had a 2 year ban for doping when admitted to his role in Operation Puerto. He returned to racing with Liquigas in October 2008 where his first race was the Japan Cup where he came 3rd. This year his form has been solid. He was fifth overall in Tirreno-Adriatico including a third in stage 6. He won the Giro del Trentino overall and came second in stage 2.
Basso rode his first Giro in 2005 where he finished a respectable 28th winning stages 17 and 18. He came back in 2006 with the intention to win and he won. He also won stage 8, 16 and 20. This is the first time back at the Giro since his win and he is targeting the Giro as the major goal for his season. He has the experience, the local knowledge and the expertise to win the overall.
He has help in his team-mate Franco Pellizotti. Pellizotti turned professional in 2001. Pellizotti was 4th overall in last year’s edition and won stage 16 in the process. He also has another stage win where he was first in stage 10 in 2006 finishing 8th overall. If Basso falters, then look for Pellizotti to take over the reigns of team leader.
Basso Prediction: 5th
Pellizotti Prediction: 9th
Damiano Cunego
Country: Italy
Team: Lampre
Age: 27
Best Finishing Position: 1st (2004)
Giro Stage Wins: 4
A former winner here back in 2004, Cunego is having his best year to date. He was first overall in the Settimana Ciclistica Internazionale (Coppi-Bartali) where he won stages 2 and 3 and was second in stage 4. He was 6th overall in the Tour of the Basque country and in the classics he was 5th in Amstel Gold, 3rd in Fleche Wallonne and 7th in Leige. Cunego started his professional career in 2002.
Regarding the Giro, Cunego has always performed well here. He won in 2004 and won 4 stages. In 2006 he was 4th overall and 2007 he was 5th overall. He has always performed well on the big stages and this year he is bringing the best form he has had ever into this race. He has a reasonably strong team with him.
He has a solid team-mate in Marzio Bruseghin who came third in the Giro last year and has won two stages. Marzio will have to help Cunego as much as he can. He turned professional in 1997.
However, Cunego is riding in awesome form and is a major force to be reckoned with. It was a toss up between Cunego or Leipheimer for the win but I went the big American basically because of the time trials in this year’s edition covering nearly 100km.
Damiano Cunego Prediction: 2nd
Marzio Bruseghin Prediction: 12th
Danilo Di Luca
Country: Italy
Team: LPR Brakes
Age: 33
Best Finishing Position: 1st (2007)
Giro Stage Wins: 6
Danilo Di Luca is another former winner having a go to win his home tour multiple times. He started his professional career in 1998. His best result so far in 2009 was 8th overall in the Giro del Trentino where he grabbed a victory in stage 4. That was a handy time to come into form as that race was only 2 weeks ago.
Di Luca has always been solid in the Giro. He was 4th overall in 2005 taking stage wins in stages 3 and 5. In 2007 he won claiming stages 4 and 12. He can climb. He is a local and he knows the road. His only worry is lack of team support. But with him starting to hit top form and the fact that he has a good record here and wants to perform well in front of home fans, I see him finishing top 5.
Prediction: 4th
Country: USA
Team: Astana
Age: 35
Best Finishing Position: Nil
Giro Stage Wins: 0
Levi has never ridden the Giro before because he has always been concentrating on the Tour de France for his team-mates over the past decade. Lance Armstrong and Alberto Contador. Not competing in the Giro before does not present a problem for him. He was second in the Vuelta to team-mate Contador last year and was third the year before in the Tour de France. Not bad as a domestique. But come Saturday, Levi won’t be a domestique. He will be team leader.
His form this year is superb. He was first overall in the Tour of California for the second year running in February and won the time trial. He was first overall in the Vuetla a Castilla y Leon and again won the time trial in stage two. He was first on stage 2 of the Sea Otter Road Race and just last week he was first overall in the Tour of the Gila where he won stage 1 and the time trial in stage 3. Leipheimer is a solid rider in Grand Tours and he has help of team mate Lance Armstrong who was wanting to go for the overall in the Giro but after a crash in March he is now riding for Leipheimer hoping for the Tour de France. If he rides for Leipheimer now, he will get his support in July. A win/win for both riders.
Lance Armstrong, well, we all know his story. Professional in 1992, struck down by cancer a few years later and won 7 Tour de France’s in a row from 1999 – 2005. He was second overall last week in the Tour of the Gila so he is heading back into form despite his crash. He has come out and publically said that Levi is the leader and all he will hope for himself is a stage win whilst working the overall for Leipheimer. With Armstrong working with Leipheimer with Popovych as the other helper, expect big things from Leipheimer. I think he will win his first Grand Tour this year and that will be the Giro.
Leipheimer Prediction: 1st
Armstrong Prediction: 7th
Ivan Basso
Country: Italy
Team: Liquigas
Age: 31
Best Finishing Position: 1st - (2006)
Giro Stage Wins: 6
A former winner here, Basso turned professional in 1999. Over the last few years however, he has been off the bike. He had a 2 year ban for doping when admitted to his role in Operation Puerto. He returned to racing with Liquigas in October 2008 where his first race was the Japan Cup where he came 3rd. This year his form has been solid. He was fifth overall in Tirreno-Adriatico including a third in stage 6. He won the Giro del Trentino overall and came second in stage 2.
Basso rode his first Giro in 2005 where he finished a respectable 28th winning stages 17 and 18. He came back in 2006 with the intention to win and he won. He also won stage 8, 16 and 20. This is the first time back at the Giro since his win and he is targeting the Giro as the major goal for his season. He has the experience, the local knowledge and the expertise to win the overall.
He has help in his team-mate Franco Pellizotti. Pellizotti turned professional in 2001. Pellizotti was 4th overall in last year’s edition and won stage 16 in the process. He also has another stage win where he was first in stage 10 in 2006 finishing 8th overall. If Basso falters, then look for Pellizotti to take over the reigns of team leader.
Basso Prediction: 5th
Pellizotti Prediction: 9th
Damiano Cunego
Country: Italy
Team: Lampre
Age: 27
Best Finishing Position: 1st (2004)
Giro Stage Wins: 4
A former winner here back in 2004, Cunego is having his best year to date. He was first overall in the Settimana Ciclistica Internazionale (Coppi-Bartali) where he won stages 2 and 3 and was second in stage 4. He was 6th overall in the Tour of the Basque country and in the classics he was 5th in Amstel Gold, 3rd in Fleche Wallonne and 7th in Leige. Cunego started his professional career in 2002.
Regarding the Giro, Cunego has always performed well here. He won in 2004 and won 4 stages. In 2006 he was 4th overall and 2007 he was 5th overall. He has always performed well on the big stages and this year he is bringing the best form he has had ever into this race. He has a reasonably strong team with him.
He has a solid team-mate in Marzio Bruseghin who came third in the Giro last year and has won two stages. Marzio will have to help Cunego as much as he can. He turned professional in 1997.
However, Cunego is riding in awesome form and is a major force to be reckoned with. It was a toss up between Cunego or Leipheimer for the win but I went the big American basically because of the time trials in this year’s edition covering nearly 100km.
Damiano Cunego Prediction: 2nd
Marzio Bruseghin Prediction: 12th
Danilo Di Luca
Country: Italy
Team: LPR Brakes
Age: 33
Best Finishing Position: 1st (2007)
Giro Stage Wins: 6
Danilo Di Luca is another former winner having a go to win his home tour multiple times. He started his professional career in 1998. His best result so far in 2009 was 8th overall in the Giro del Trentino where he grabbed a victory in stage 4. That was a handy time to come into form as that race was only 2 weeks ago.
Di Luca has always been solid in the Giro. He was 4th overall in 2005 taking stage wins in stages 3 and 5. In 2007 he won claiming stages 4 and 12. He can climb. He is a local and he knows the road. His only worry is lack of team support. But with him starting to hit top form and the fact that he has a good record here and wants to perform well in front of home fans, I see him finishing top 5.
Prediction: 4th
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