Each day the talk on “Processo alla Tappa” is if the Giro is truly over or not. Each day everyone including Ivan Basso himself procliams that the Giro isn’t over especially with some brutal stages coming up in the next day. Each day however Ivan Basso crushes the competition so thouroghly that everyone is left wondering just where their trainint went wrong. Gilberto Simoni seems to be climbing back up the GC, but he simply cannot match the speed at which Ivan Basso climbs. Paolo Savoldelli is holding his own, but each climbing stage finds him more minutes behind the incredible Basso.
So what is the difference this year where Ivan Basso looks super strong? Last year Basso was a great climber and time trialer, but this year he seems to have upped the skills to another level. Mot of this has to do with taking Lance Armstrong’s playbook for Tour de France domination and running with it.
Here are the facts. Basso has increased his cadence this year. Davide Cassani of RAI points this out incessantly. Last year Basso would have been pedalling at 65 rpms up a mount climb such as Bondone. This year he is pedalling at around 85 to 95 rpms. His style on the bike is super smooth, he only gets up to accelarate and when he does he shifts up a gear. His climbing speed was further enhanced by motor pacing up climbs. Usually motor pacing is done on flat land, but this method definatley shows the results as Basso is climbing up the climbs as if he is on a motorcycle.
Next, he has a beefed up team and launches him up the climbs. Guys like Sastre, Voight, Julich etc are strong on their own, and they prove to be a fearsome force to guide Basso in the mountains. Today Jens Voight was rolling the CSC train for much of the early part of the Bondone climb. He was later releived by Carlos Sastre who set an equally bristering pace. For most of the climb until the Simoni/Piepoli attack, CSC had at least four riders at the front while the peloton was losing riders.
Finally, after years of close placings and mistakes, CSC seems to finally have their act together. Basso suffered stomach problems just when he looked to run away with the Giro last year. This year, CSC is taking no chances as the brought down their own chef.
The Girocertainy isn’t over as the Plan de Corones climb could throw a curveball to Basso and company, but each day Ivan Basso is crushing the competition at every opportunity.