Giro start list and random predictions:

After spending the last days talking about the most random topics of the world (which included Jakob Fuglsang and Mark Cavendish's girlfriends, Berlusconi's trials and the wedding of Prince William), the moment has finally come. The moment in which I'll show everyone that I'm a true cycling blogger; a blogger who can analyse races, read team strategies, understand whether a rider feels good or not and predict the exact outcome of a race. No more random topics here. We'll just talk serious stuff from now on. So, let's start: what gear are the riders going to put on their bikes on the Zoncolan day? I'd go for a 39x25, what do you think? Will the riders choose other gears? Really, I'm eager to read your opinions.

Ok, perhaps I've exaggerated with seriousness. Don't worry, dear readers: miss Fede was just jooooking. Moreover, she actually has no clue of what gear the riders are going to put on their bikes on the Zoncolan day. Actually, she doesn't even know if 'gear' is the right term to use in order to mean that thing she wants to mean. Oh gosh, this is getting rather confusing, isn't it?

Ok. So. In the last days we've discovered some shocking truths: Fabian Wegmann is married (*Nuooooooooooooooo!!!! Mar, why did you highlight that on your tumblr??? Fangirl was trying to ignore the damn ring, she thought it was a figment of her own imagination, but then you published that pic and she found out that you see the ring too and....Aaaaargh!!*), Jakob Fuglsang has a girlfriend, my dad doesn't know what Prince William looks like and Andy Schleck has a weird hysterical laugh (if you don't know what I mean, check the LT vid in which the riders drive fast cars - you'll be shocked). However, since the Giro starts tomorrow, I think it's time to forget about these things for a few minutes and start analysing the start list of the Corsa Rosa. 'What a boring thing!!', I hear you say. Actually, I must say that I enjoy doing this boring stuff. Especially because some times the predictions I make while writing this kind of posts are correct (check my amazing preview of Sanremo and Tour de France 2010 if you don' believe me).

So. This year Giro. Contador called it 'the toughest Grand Tour I've ever faced' and I think he has a point about it.
This year Giro will be a race in which the GC riders could lose their victory chances every single day. But, unfortunately, it will be a Grand Tour in which the winner will have to keep a terribly high quality standard throughout the whole race: a single day of weakness won't be forgiven.
If I were a rider, I would be scared not just by the long climbs, but also by the long transfers between stages. This is a side of Grand Tours that usually isn't underlined a lot by the newspapers, but many riders actually can't stand the long transfers. And, unfortunately for them, this year Giro is going to cross whole Italy, so they'll have to cope with long transfers almost daily.
As far as the race climbs are concerned, I just tell you that on the Zoncolan day the riders won't have to face just that infamous climb, but also another tough mountain before it. We usually have a carnage when they face just the Zoncolan, I don't want to think about what will happen after they face Zoncolan and Crostis!
As far as time trials are concerned, there are only one team TT, a mountain TT and , on the last day, a 30 kms long individual TT. It is a bit few, isn't it?

Lars Bak said that this year route of the Giro is 'insanely hard'. I totally agree with the Danish rider and I want to remind you that, when I first saw the 2011 parcours of the Corsa Rosa, I wasn't that satisfied with it. In fact, I wondered: how can you create such a hard Grand Tour and then keep on saying slogans like: 'We want a clean Giro' or 'This will be the cleanest Giro ever'? This attitude corresponds to what is usually called hipocrisy, at least in my modest opinion, and I don't like it at all.

Talking about the toughness of the route, I think this could create some very spectacular stages, some unpredictable situations (will they lead to an unpredictable podium like last year?) and also some strange moments. For example, I think the GC riders won't give it all in the first mountain stages, otherwise they'd be too tired in the third week.
Btw, did you know that one stage of the last week ends near Bergamo? And did you know that the following one starts from the place below, which is where I get the bus every day? Wonderful, isn't it?

Anyway. I'm digressing (as usual). So, let's stop chattering and let's finally talk about the start list of this year Giro!

ACQUA E SAPONE: Garzelli, Codol, Corioni, Betancur, Marzoli, Miholjevic, Napolitano, Sarmiento, Taborre. Acqua & Sapone shows its best line-up also at this year Giro. Napolitano will be the team sprinter and there may be some good placements for him. Garzelli will be the GC leader, although he has no chance of winning the race. But still, he could go for a stage win. The same worths for the other riders and, in particular, for Sarmiento. This young, short Colombian rider is really strong, although he hasn't shown his skills in the pro category yet. And what better occasion than the Giro to start shining between the 'bigs'?
BMC: Barton, Beyer, Frank, Kohler, Kristoff, Butler, Tschopp, D. Wyss, Zahner. Because of the doping news coming from Mantova, BMC had to leave two of its best riders (Ballan and Santambrogio) at home. The team is formed by young guys who will go for stage victories. Kohler is a promising cyclist, while Frank looooves attacking. Wyss is a good climber (don't let his childlike look take you in), whereas Tschopp won the Tonale stage of Giro 2010 (*I was there*). A line - up of attackers, no doubts abot it!
AG2R: Nocentini, Berard, Cherel, Dessel, Dupont, Gadret, Gastauer, Krivstov, Montaguti. Don't underestimate AG2r, dear readers. John Gadret is one of the best pure climbers out there and I can see him getting a top 5 placement. Nocentini is a good all-rounder (Italy fell in love with him in 2008) , Cherel showed a good form in Romandie, Gastauer is a promising (good-looking) Luxembourgian and Dessel is a good climber too. Montaguti is a very good all-rounder, just like Krivstov. A very good team, that's for sure!
ANDRONI: Serpa, Sella, Rujano, De Marchi, Ermeti, Ferrari, Ochoa, Rodriguez, Vicioso. The Italian team, abandoned by Scarponi and Simoni, now has its leader in Emanuele Sella, 150 centimeters of pure climbing skills - or at least that's what I try to believe :P Sella is likely to win at least one mountain stage and will be helped by good helpers like Serpa and Ochoa. Ferrari is the team sprinter (well, with a surname like that...) and could be a surprise stage winner (although the sprints won't be many). Ermeti is a very good all-rounder, whereas Rujano last year said that he's the one of the 3 best climbers of the world. Te esperamos, José!!
COLNAGO - CSF: Pozzovivo, Belletti, Modolo, Pirazzi, Savini, Canuti, Stortoni, Brambilla, Frapporti. Don't let Cyclingnews take you in: Modolo, Pirazzi and Brambilla are Italian, auntie Fede says that. This is one of my favourite team and it will have an all Italia line-up formed by young, promising guys. Modolo was 4th at last year Sanremo, while Belletti is a great sprinter (one of the best ones in Italy, I'd dare to say). Pirazzi, Frapporti and Stortoni are very good all-rounders. In particular, Stortoni and Pirazzi are both very brave and good at climbing (Simone was 2nd on the Terminillo last year). Pozzovivo will be the GC leader of the team. He's a very good climber and I think he can make it to the top 10.
EUSKALTEL: Anton, Sesma, Ayala, Isasi, Cazaux, Aramendia, Azanza, Oroz, Nieve. At first Euskaltel didn't want to take part in the Giro, but it eventually had to. The team is formed by good attackers, but the diamond in the line-up is Igor Anton. A top 3 could become reality for this rider, look out for him!
GEOX: Menchov, Sastre, Wyss, Blanco, Cheula, Kozontchuk, Duarte, Ardila Cano, Valls Ferri. In spite of what UCI thinks, GEOX has a very good line-up. Sastre seems past his best days, but Menchov is still the silent Russian we've all learned to know (and love) in the last years. He's already won the Giro once, but I'm afraid that this year the climbs may be too steep for him. Moreover, the TTs aren't many and the TTT won't help him. Valls Ferri, 24, is a very promising climber which shone in last year Tour. Ardila Cano will help Menchov in the climbs, just like Kozontchuk.
HTC: Cavendish, Pinotti, Gretsch, Lewis, Bak, Rabon, Rasmussen, Renshaw, Siutsou. This team is likely to win tomorrow TTT and it's very qualitative. We all know Cavendish and his friend Renshaw, who will be helped also by Bak and Rasmussen. Bak will be a precious helper for Pinotti, just like the young Lewis and Siutsou. Unfortunately I'm afraid that the engineer from Bergamo will not manage to get in the top 3, since the parcours is extremely hard for him (moreover, he dislikes long transfers).
KATIUSHA: Brutt, Rodriguez, Di Luca, Caruso, Moreno, Vorganov, Losada, Horrach, Kuchinsky. The Russian team should have had also Pozzato and Paolini in its line-up, but then they were taken out of it because there is a little war going on between Pippo and Tchmil. However, the team is good. Moreno is a promising climber, Rodriguez may end up in the Top 5 and Di Luca has already won the Giro - with a little help from its friend CERA, but he won it.
FARNESE VINI: Visconti, Failli, Giordani, Gatto, Rabottini, Mazzanti, Favilli, Noé, Ricci. The grandfather of the peloton, Andrea 'Grumpy' Noé (born in 1969, this is his last Giro) races for this team. Together with him there is the Italian champion Visconti and some young sprinters like Gatto, Failli and Favilli.
LAMPRE ISD: Scarponi, Petacchi, Marzano, Ulissi, Hondo, Niemiec, Spezialetti, Righi, Spilak. One of the most complete teams of the race. Scarponi is ready to rock the climbs together with my beloved Niemiec, while Petacchi is ready to show he's still one of the best sprinters out there with a little help from Hondo, Righi, Marzano and Spezialetti. Ulissi is young, brave and promising, whereas I expect some good things from Simon Spilak.
LEOPARD TREK: Feillu, Klemme, Rohregger, Stamsnijder, Pires, Viganò, Wegmann, Weylandt, Zaugg. In spite of Bennati's injury, Leopard Trek could create a good team. Pires is very young, just like Viganò, from which we can expect some good results (in his last race he was outsprinted just by Swift). Weylandt knows how to win Giro stages, whereas Feillu and Rohregger are ready to rock the climbs. Zaugg is a very good climber and this is the first time he'll race not as a team helper, but as a 'free rider', so I'm curious to see what he'll do. Wegmann, Klemme and Stamsnijder are solid riders who may give us some good surprises.
LIQUIGAS: Nibali, Agnoli, Capecchi, Marangoni, Dall'Antonia, Sabatini, Salerno, Szmyd, Vanotti. Nibali has a team that will follow him whenever he goes. The only sprinter is Sabatini, whereas all the other boys are great helpers. Szmyd is strong and experienced, just like Vanotti. Capecchi, Marangoni, Dall'Antonia, Salerno and Agnoli are younger, but they're as good as Sylwester and Alessandro. Nibali dreams of winning this race and, imo, he has all the qualities that the Giro requires from its winners.
MOVISTAR: Arroyo, Konovalovas, Oyarzun, Kiryienka, Lastras, Pardilla, Pasamontes, Samoilau, Ventoso. Movistar has a good team, formed by an exceptional all rounder like Kiryenka, a great time trialist like the Lithuanian Konovalovas, a sprinter like Lastras and a Giro-'podiumer' like Arroyo. I don't think David will repeat last year great result, but I expect good things from Pardilla and Samoilau.
OMEGA: Bakelandts, Blyth, De Greef, De Clerq, Dockx, Kaisen, Lang, Veikkanen, Lodewyck. Most of the Omega team for the Ardennes is on holiday, just like Greipel and some of his helpers (Sieberg, wo bist du?). Most of the riders on the team are solid all rounders, whereas Blyth is a promising sprinter and De Greef is a good climber.
ASTANA: Kreuziger, Tiralongo, Masciarelli, Kiserlovski, Gouroz, Jufre, Dyachenko, Petrov, Stangelj. One of the best teams at the start of the Giro. There isn't Vinokourov, but Astana guys surely make up for it. Kreuziger is strong, but has he got over his lack of continuity? Kiserlovski is very strong too, but has he got over his cracked vertebrae? These are the questions that disturb the dreams of Astana supporters. However, fear not: Tiralongo is very strong, while Masciarelli is one of the best Italian pure climbers. Moreover, the other riders are excellent all-rounders. What about winning tomorrow TTT?
QUICK STEP: Chicchi, Cataldo, Ciolek, Reda, Engels, Malacarne, Pineau, Seeldrayers, Vandewalle. Focused on sprints and breakaways, the Quick Step line-up for the Giro has its fastest men in Ciolek and Chicchi. Seeldrayers won the White jersey a few years ago, but this time I think that Porte and Kiserlovski will create him problems in the young riders classification.
RABOBANK: Graeme Brown, Flens, Kruijswijk, Clement, Slagter, Tankink, VanEmden, Van Winden, Weening. Rabobankers have a solid team formed by all rounders, time trialists (Flens) and a sprinter (our dear Graeme Brown). What about winning tomorrow?
SAXO BANK: Contador, Didier, Gustov, Hernandez, Klostergaard, Porte, Navarro, Tosatto, Morkov. One of the best teams of the race. The race route seems to send kisses to Contador, who will be helped by his trusted Navarro and Hernandez in the climbs. Porte will be the special helper, whereas Didier is one of the best young riders out there. Tosatto is one of the best all-rounders of the peloton and he's very experienced, just like Gustov. Moreover, the team could get a good result already tomorrow.
SKY: Lovkvist, Barry, Carlstrom, Cioni, Downing, Apollonio, Nordhaug, Kennaugh, Possoni. Sky has Lovkvist as a team leader and has a very good team as far as TTTs are concerned. Lovkvist is strong, but imo the Giro climbs are too steep for him. Cioni is a former mountain biker, whereas Appollonio and Kennaugh are young sprinters. Barry is a good time trialist, whereas Possoni is a good climber.
GARMIN CERVELO: Farrar, Lancaster, Peterson, Fischer, Le Mevel, Cameron Meyer,, Millar, Stetina, Wilson. A very complete team, Garmin already has a chance of victory tomorrow. Farrar and Lancaster are good sprinters, just like Fischer adnd Meyer. Stetina and Wilson ae young, whereas Le Mevel is already looking forward to the climbs. Imo, he can get a top 10 placement.
RADIOSHACK: Popovych, McEwen, Machado, Beppu, Cardoso, Deignan, Selander, Hunter, Rovny. Radioshack has a very good climber (the young Machado) and some other very good all-rounders (Popovych and Deignan). McEwen hasn't been winning a GT stage since years, whereas Hunter could be dangerous for the other sprinters.
VACANSOLEIL: Carrara, Bozic, Belkov, Golas, Hoogerland, Lagutin, Ongarato, Selvaggi, Veuchelen. Dulcis in fundo, Vacansoleil, the team that will give us a lot of fun. Hoogerland's key words for the race will be 'attack, attack and attack!', Carrara is a good climber (and comes from Bergamo), Bozic is a fast sprinter.

So, these are the riders that are taking part in the Giro 2011. My podium prediction is: Contador, Nibali, Scarponi. Other options: Anton, Rodriguez and Menchov. Also Sella, Le Mevel, Gadret and Machado will offer us a lot of fun.
My crystal sphere tells me that the best young rider will be one between Kreuziger, Kiserlovski and Porte. Best stage will be the San Pellegrino one (I'm jooooking! ;).

So, that's all from me for the moment. Enjoy the last hours before the start of the Giro and feel free to talk about your race predictions. But, most important, let's hope that all of the riders will ride a good, clean, exciting Giro!