Is it possible that Tommy D will step up as the Discovery team leader at the Giro or will Johan stick with his "we'll see who is the strongest" rider? Popo? Contador?

Is it possible that Tommy D will step up as the Discovery team leader at the Giro or will Johan stick with his "we'll see who is the strongest" rider? Popo? Contador?

Gotta wait until the latest round of Puerto shakes out, somewhat likely that one or two of those guys might get hit as well.

Popovich is going to be the guy. Not sure he has the climbing chops for a Giro this hilly though. Tommy D may be a good option if they were not using him for the Tour as a climbing dom.

I think the "little prince" may come back and haunt Simoni again- which should make him even crazier.

I'm pulling for Cunego, but it'd be nice to see Popo step up and legitimaize himself as a Grand tour winner, nit just a future contender.

Is it possible that Tommy D will step up as the Discovery team leader at the Giro or will Johan stick with his "we'll see who is the strongest" rider? Popo? Contador?

With Basso gone, Discovery will probably just go for whatever prizes they can get. They are trying to bag a big sponsor for the next few years, and nobody cares if they get 9th on GC. Stage wins and jerseys will be the important thing. I'll bet the race numbers go out alphabetically and there will be no "leader." Danielson can go for GC, but he won't be supported unless he manages to do really well.

I don't know if they want to "burn" Tommy D for this Giro when (I would think) they want to save up their best climbing domestiques for the Tour -- e.g., Contador, Tommy D, Chechu -- to support Levi. The team is going to be under serious pressure to secure a podium spot for Levi.

And the post above is right, they're going to show up because they have to show up at the Giro, and Popo has had some pre-ProTour Giro success on the Giro GC, but I don't see Disco investing a lot of their best GC riders for the Giro. They're going to want to save them up for the Tour to give Levi best team possible. Here's my revised Disco TdF team:

1. Levi (sole captain)
2. Hincapie
3. Contador
4. Danielson
5. Chechu
6. Popovych (will be tired from Giro but they'll expect his services)
7. Noval
8. Padrnos
9. Devolder or Egoi Martinez

Isn't Contador on the Puerto list? Not sure he will be allowed in the Tour, might as well give him the go for the Giro... if he doesn't get banned before.

I would think Popovych would be the one they name "Leader." As I stated in another thread, they'll state they're going for "Stage wins", which means "Hey, we're here because the UCI is making us.

I don't think they have to worry about "burning up" a dom here. Savoldelli won the Giro then helped Lance to his final win.

Is it possible that Tommy D will step up as the Discovery team leader at the Giro or will Johan stick with his "we'll see who is the strongest" rider? Popo? Contador?

Jani for the Giro/Vuelta?

I wish that people would stop pretending that Danielson could ever win a grand tour. It isn't going to happen in his career. Ever. He might get stage wins. He will win some shorter stage races. He doesn't have the legs, or the race smarts to win a grand tour. There is a good chance that Levi is the same way. Right now, Disco doesn't have a good contender for the grand tours this year. Who they should be grooming, and I think they are, is Janez.

There is a good chance that Levi is the same way.

Levi far and away is their best GC candidate for the TdF. He has the poise and leadership skills to do the job. Yes, he has historically struggled in three-week tours, but that doesn't mean he can't get the podium. Their only other legitimate TdF GC hope would be Contador. Let's not write Levi off so quickly yet.

Levi far and away is their best GC candidate for the TdF. He has the poise and leadership skills to do the job. Yes, he has historically struggled in three-week tours, but that doesn't mean he can't get the podium. Their only other legitimate TdF GC hope would be Contador. Let's not write Levi off so quickly yet.
It's not exactly quickly he is written off. He has had since 2002 to show that he is the man to bet the farm on and has not delivered any of those years.
Often in the 5-10 but still an very long way to go to the top.
One bad day is all it takes and it seems Leipheimer always has at least one in a 3 week race, which is the case for most riders.

It's not exactly quickly he is written off. He has had since 2002 to show that he is the man to bet the farm on and has not delivered any of those years.
Often in the 5-10 but still an very long way to go to the top.
One bad day is all it takes and it seems Leipheimer always has at least one in a 3 week race, which is the case for most riders.

Nor has Levi had a team with the GC firepower he will have this July as he had with prior teams (i.e., Rabobank; Gerolsteiner) in prior Julys.

See the Tour de Romandie line-up . . .

Discovery Channel

Fumiyuki Beppu
Janez Brajkovic
Trent Lowe
Benjamin Noval Gonzalez
Pavel Padrnos
José Luis Rubiera Vigil
Jurgen Van Goolen
Matthew White

No Popovch will be the leader brajkovic will only do the Vuelta this year they want to bring him along slowly...No reason to burn him too soon...

giro: popo
tour: levi
vuelta: jani/danielson

I wish that people would stop pretending that Danielson could ever win a grand tour. It isn't going to happen in his career. Ever. He might get stage wins. He will win some shorter stage races. He doesn't have the legs, or the race smarts to win a grand tour. There is a good chance that Levi is the same way. Right now, Disco doesn't have a good contender for the grand tours this year. Who they should be grooming, and I think they are, is Janez.
True that. On that issue, let's wait to coronate all future winners until they, um, win.

What I want to know is, how can Brajk... um. I can't spell his name.

Brajkovich?

Anyhow. HOW does he TT so fast, with legs the size of most guys' arms? It's impressive...

Nor has Levi had a team with the GC firepower he will have this July as he had with prior teams (i.e., Rabobank; Gerolsteiner) in prior Julys.
What are the teams going to do on the time trails where he has been spanked in 2004, 2005, and 2006?

See the Tour de Romandie line-up . . .

Discovery Channel

Fumiyuki Beppu
Janez Brajkovic
Trent Lowe
Benjamin Noval Gonzalez
Pavel Padrnos
José Luis Rubiera Vigil
Jurgen Van Goolen
Matthew White

This is basically a mixed roster and with no implication on who is doing the Giro.

I would think Popovych would be the one they name "Leader."
Good call.
http://www.velonews.com/race/int/articles/12167.0.html

Good call.
http://www.velonews.com/race/int/articles/12167.0.html

the 3rd he was a kid riding for Landboukredit Colnago

I've always liked this guys moxy and panache

I've sort of been suprised that Disco hasn't put hime out there at the forefront more after they acquired him as a guy who did so well in the Giro. It seems like they were grooming him for the Tour, but I don't really know.

Isn't Contador on the Puerto list? Not sure he will be allowed in the Tour, might as well give him the go for the Giro... if he doesn't get banned before.

Someone else told me that too. But I was unable to find his name on the first list. Maybe the second list which is due out in May?

See the first list
http://www.eurosport.com/cycling/sport_sto917127.shtml

The May 7 list for DC is:

<small>DISCOVERY CHANNEL
111. Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr)
112. Volodymyr Bileka (Ukr)
113. Steven Cummings (GB)
114. George Hincapie (USA)
115. Pavel Padrnos (Cz)
116. José Luis Rubiera Vigil (Sp)
117. Brian Bach Vandborg (Dk)
118. Jurgen Van Goolen (B)
119. Matthew White (Aus)

</small>

Considering recent developments, I think Popo should race for 2d or 3d, and let the legal process work its magic until he wins years later.

Someone else told me that too. But I was unable to find his name on the first list. Maybe the second list which is due out in May?

See the first list
http://www.eurosport.com/cycling/sport_sto917127.shtml

its on the wikipedia.. or google it "alberto contador operation puerto"


Legal repercussions

On July 26, five Astana riders have been formally cleared by Spanish courts. These riders were forced out of the 2006 Tour de France because of alleged links to a blood doping investigation. The five Astana team members: Joseba Beloki, Isidro Nozal, Sergio Paulinho, Allan Davis and Alberto Contador, each received a written document officially clearing them of any links to the ongoing Operación Puerto, the Spanish newspaper El Diario Vasco reported.[18]