Giro poll results

Fortunately there is a 27% of you that liked last Giro. You are a minority here but not in the real world: comments I got around are quite positive. People were moved by the the death of Wouter Weyland, amazed by Contador's dominance and excited by Hoogerland's brave and crazy attacks. Rabobank perseverance in defending its pink and white jesery was apreciated in spite of the final result and the hard spelling names of its riders. 

That's true. On the other hand there is a lot of disappointment about Italian racers. Scarponi excluded -but sometimes accused to have made an alliance with Contador - the main contenders for the final victory didn't played as hard as expected. And you too here (29%) agree that nobody really dared Contador. The Big Accused is Vincenzo Nibali, who defends his result saying Contador was too strong, on a different level. That can mean many things. Anyway a 21% of you share this opinion. Exactley the same % thinks the intinerary wasn't balanced: too many mountains in the last week made the fight for pink thrilling and hard - maybe - but prevented many sprinters to end the race and that is kinda unfair. 

71% of you agree with me it was a boring Giro and the most think isn't Contador's fault (or Zomegnan's). Nibali, Scarponi, Kreuziger...gave the impression to fight just for the podium, not for the top step. Second row Italian racers failed to get even a stage victory, like Visconti, nat. chanp. Splendid exception: Diego Ulissi. 

From this Giro I'll keep some memories and some names: Wouter of course, sadly. Rujano: you can't say he didn't dare Contador even if his final GC doesn't show all the brave work he did. Gadret: last Giro surprise, even if we knew him already. Kruijswijk, 9th in the final GC, 2nd in the BYR... yeah yeah I like him! Nieve and Kyrienka, for their amazing stage exploits.

My personal disappointments: Cameron Meyer - where was he? I expected something more! - Emanuele Sella - but Androni had many cards to play, Vicioso and Rujano were in a better shape and/or had a better luck, Roman Kreuziger: I LIKE him! WTF! white can't be his color anymore! Liquigas: compared to the team we saw last year, that one was a pity. Poor Vincenzo, I can't complain: in my opinion he's right to say Contador was too strong. And here I stop.

Just to remember...

Final GC

1	Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Saxo Bank Sungard	84:05:14
2	Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre - ISD	0:06:10
3	Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale	0:06:56
4	John Gadret (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale	0:10:04
5	Joaquím Rodríguez Oliver (Spa) Katusha Team	0:11:05
6	Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Pro Team Astana	0:11:28
7	José Rujano Guillen (Ven) Androni Giocattoli	0:12:12
8	Denis Menchov (Rus) Geox-TMC	0:12:18
9	Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team	0:13:51
10	Kanstantsin Sivtsov (Blr) HTC-Highroad	0:14:10
11	Mikel Nieve Ituralde (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi	0:16:08
12	Hubert Dupont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale	0:18:06
13	Dario Cataldo (Ita) Quickstep Cycling Team	0:18:23
14	David Arroyo Duran (Spa) Movistar Team	0:26:56
15	Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Team Garmin-Cervelo	0:32:08
16	Johann Tschopp (Swi) BMC Racing Team	0:35:20
17	Matteo Carrara (Ita) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team	0:37:08
18	Igor Anton Hernandez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi	0:37:39
19	Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Pro Team Astana	0:38:21
20	Tiago Machado (Por) Team RadioShack	0:39:59

Stages
1 Pinotti
2 Petacchi
3 Vicioso
4 ..............
5 Weening
6 Ventoso
7 De Clerq
8 Gatto
9 Contador
10 Cavendish
11 Gadret
12 Cavendish
13 Rujano
14 Anton
15 Nieve
16 Contador
17 Ulissi
18 Capecchi
19 Tiralongo
20 Kyrienka
21 Millar

Poll results

The most boring Giro I remember

Yep, Contador was too strong	11 (21%)
Yep, nobody really dared Contador	15 (29%)
Yep, the itinerary wasn't balanced	11 (21%)
No! I liked it!	14 (27%)