THE 2014 GIRO D’ITALIA gets under way tomorrow in Belfast with Nairo Quintana and Joaquin Rodriguez shaping up as the men to beat.
Quintana finished second to Britain’s Chris Froome at the 2013 Tour de France, and the 24-year-old starts as a hot favourite. Movistar said they were ready to provide Quintana with the support he would need.
“The team has been formed to support him. The aim is to fight for the podium,” team manager Eusebio Unzue said.
“After his second place at the Tour he is ready (to win) but we aren’t forgetting that this is the first time he has such responsibility from the start — that he will tackle a grand tour as a leader.”
Michele Scarponi is set to start the Giro d’Italia as the host nation’s best hope of winning.
The 34-year-old Astana rider, champion in 2011, is considered one of the favourites for the race, which starts in Belfast on Friday.
While Scarponi said there were riders who were a bigger chance than him, he believes the Giro is an open race.
“I will try to give it everything in order to get a good result,” he told Ultimo Chilometro. ”The Giro d’Italia is the race that I like the most, the one in which I can express myself better.
“It’s hard to conquer, there are many riders who can win it on paper and definitely bigger favourites than me, but I’m prepared.”
Cadel Evans (BMC Racing) and Rigoberto Uran (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) are among the others considered a good chance of winning.
The race starts in Belfast and heads to Dublin before the first of three rest days, which will be followed by the first stage in Italy. The main mountain stages come either side of the May 26 rest day, including a 225-kilometre one from Valdengo to Plan di Montecampione.
Cannot wait for this.
watching this in Tenerife on Sunday can’t wait COYBIB
Cian o Sullivan won’t start Sunday.
Looking forward to it, should be a great game
Great looking bench !!! …would be nice if full team plus subs could parade ….it’s a 15 plus subs game nowadays
Come on the DUBS!
Still 31 against 1. That’s cool! We Dubs are invincible!
Hope the traffic wasn’t too bad for you heading home for the weekend!
Please park responsibly when you come to Dublin for the All-Ireland! You ain’t at home, we’ll clamp your a$$!
Come on you Boys in Blue
johnny cooper to be booked within first 20 mins then taken off in second half to avoid being sent off
Think Michael Fitzsimons is unlucky not to start, he may not be the most naturally gifted player, but he is the one Dub that can keep Gooch out of the game with his exceptional marking ability.
Not deserving of an all Ireland win..Kerry to show their greatness
Why are they not deserving of an All Ireland win?
How they disgraced themselves against Mayo
If you remember both teams disgraced themselves in the drawn game ! In the replay the game was played in the spirit of the sport and the dubs came out on top ! Jealous and petty dub bashers
One of the top 2 teams in the country. Anyone that tries to say they’re not deserving of an All Ireland based on one game where BOTH teams were far from behaving like choir boys is talking waffle. As for the original comment, you’re from Tralee, that answers my question.
Brian are you deserving of your mot
I cant wait till sunday.hopefully quieten these fellas for a decade. #sammightaswellhavestayedathome #hopehegotareturnticket
Winning on Sunday will quieten us for a decade? Haha ok then! Oh and save the hashtags for Twitter.
#we’llsee #superiormidfield #superiorforwards #whatstheoddsofconnollylastingthegame #mustbesomethinginthewater #surewe’lltakethemarkhamcupalso
You uninteresting bore.
Never met an interesting one to be honest.
Well Bernard! Hope you got to put your feet up on the empty seat booked for Sam’s return trip home?? I think those ‘superior forwards’ of yours must have left their kicking boots at home! Brian, what happened to this greatness Kerry we’re going to show us?!?!
Kerry for your holliers Dublin for the Sam! Wan the Dubs!!!!!!!
Two players from the South side, yeah lets split the county in two.
3 actually
3 actually, o carroll, o Sullivan and Bastick.
Thumbs up there Eamo
Macauley , McManamon,Byrne .Ó Conghaile and Fitzsimons as well
3 from south side clubs which is how it would be divided I presume.
Kind of goes to show what a stupid idea it would be.
And one from Meath
We’ve actually annexed Meath so your comment is null and void.
We’d love an all-Ireland….all Ireland would hate that…..C.O.Y.B.I.B.
We’ll be marching down from Ringsend,
And from Ballyfermot too.
From Eastwall and Marino,
To support the boys in Blue.
For 2 long years we’ve waited
and there’s nothing left to prove
So lets here it now from Dublin
Gavin’s army’s on the loose.
The Jacks are back!
Not much of a march from eastwall to Marino.
Will be interesting to see if O’Sullivan starts. If he’s not fully fit don’t start him, not worth using a sub earlier than planned because he’s not fully fit. Fingers crossed he’s ready and able!
He is starting Aideen
No, he’s named to start. Whether he starts on the day is a whole other story. Team sheets can change on the day.
Aideen the only way you can start an individual in the GAA with questions over fitness is from the start. There is no other way. If he has to be subbed so be it, but if you don’t start him, bring him on as a sub and he has to come off again, your down another sub.
Fair point! I should have worded that ‘if he’s not fit don’t play him’.
That depends on the nature of the injury to be fair, it’s a blow if he’s skinned and gone after 10 mins but if he has an hour of football in him it’s worth a shot.
But there’s no way of knowing if he has an hour of football in him till you put him out there and hope. I can’t imagine he’s been able to prove himself by running rings around everyone in training, it’s only been 12 days – it’s all about deciding whether it’s worth the risk I suppose!
Two superb teams.losing Marc and Paul murphy massive body blows for us but IN FITZ WE TRUST.. CIARRAI ABU
IMO McAuley should be starting
both defences to be in bother! kerrys better forwards to shade it In my view
It will be a game of bench warfare very tight to call. whoever gets the most impact from the bench will win hope its the dubs . . . COYBIB
Kerry hoping to give Dublin a game.
Unusual to hear Kerry given a hope, ye must be rattled!
Do the business, Dean Rock
Michael dara is goin to start for certain
I wouldn’t be so sure. Bastick is better at playing the holding role and generally a bit better defensively than Michael dara. McCauley could be the winning of it if it’s still tight in the last 20 mins if he comes on fresh. At his best he’s a nightmare to play against and would give Dublin a huge lift and Kerry won’t love seeing him come on fresh if the game is still in the melting pot
Come on the dubs!!!!!!!!!
Yerra, hopefully we’ll keep it close in the first half, and shur we’d be delighted to come within ten points.
gavin has never started the 15 he picked on friday he’s fooling nobody
Osullivan done his hammer less than two weeks ago he can’t possibly play on it , he’s gonna make it worse and miss the club championship doubt hel be risked but if so start him and see how long he lasts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4VTn2PCxn8&sns=em
Michael Donnellan of Galway would walk onto that team