Giro d’Italia: The riders

The Peloton

Cycling’s first grand tour Giro d’Italia kicks off today from Verona, Denmark. Just like race of any other sport, this race has its own share of contenders. Though, in a cycling grand tour, there’s much more than just being an overall winner. Each rider in the peloton has his own specific objectives; objectives other than to win the race. So, here we look at different types of riders based on their roles in a grand tour.

Sprinters:

Grimacing to victory

Analogy: Sports Cars with high speed and quick acceleration

These heavily built riders are known for their short bursts of speed. Much like the sports cars which boast of very high top speeds, these riders can dig in their reserve to gain speeds as high as 90Km/h. They ride on this strength to win closely contested sprint finishes in flat stages of the grand tour.

Objectives in the race:

1) To win flat stages

2) To win Sprinters Classification (To survive in mountain stages is implied)

Well Known faces: Erik Zabel, Mark Cavendish, Thor Hushovd, Tyler Ferrar

Faces in this year’s Giro: Mark Cavendish, Thor Hushovd, Tyler Ferrar

Time Trial Specialists:

Cancellara in action!!

Analogy: F1 Qualifying specialist- The technically gifted adept in tackling the corners at high speeds.

Time Trial Specialists are riders who excel in Time Trials. The chronomen, as they are called, have the capability to maintain high speeds for longer duration of time than the sprinters. When riding alone against the wind as in case of Time trials, the aerodynamic position of a rider on the bike plays a very important role. Needless to say, these specialists possess the most adept aerodynamic positions.

Objectives in the race:

1) To win Individual Time Trials

2) To help team win Team Time Trial

Well known Faces: Tony Martin, Fabian Cancellera (The Spartan), David Zabriskie

Faces in this year’s Giro: Taylor Phinney, Alex Rasmussen

The Climbers:

The hardest part of the ride

Analogy: Marathon Runners

Like a long distance runner, these riders are known for their endurance. These riders ride exceptionally well in the mountain stages; the steep roads with the gradient varying from 6% to 25%.

Obectives in the race:

1) To win Mountain Stages

2) To win King Of the Mountains (KOM) classification.

2) To help his team leader in the mountain stages (if he is not the team leader)

Well known faces: Joaquim Rodriguez, Andy Schleck, Samuel Sanchez

Faces in this year’s Giro: Joaquim Rodriguez, Frank Schleck, John Gadret, Jose Rujano

The GC contender (Team Leader):

The best

Analogy: Mahender singh Dhoni, who can bat, bowl, keep and pick up trophies.

A grand tour is decided in the mountains and in the time trials. The finishing times in these two kinds of stages differentiate the race winner from the last man. So, to be a GC (General Classification) contender, the rider has to be a great climber and a decent time trialist.

Objective in the race:

To win the grand tour.

Well known faces: Alberto Contador, Cadel Evans, Denis Menchov

Faces in this year’s Giro: Ivan Basso, Roman Kreuziger, Michele Scarponi, Frank Schleck

Domestiques:

Jens Voigt helping his leader Andy Schleck

Analogy: Defensive Midfielder- The labour dog.

This quote aptly puts across the significance of Domestiques.

It is team tactics which so often win or lose races – and the lieutenants and the dog soldiers who expend their energy blocking chasing moves when they have riders up the road in a position to win. It is they who ride out into the wind so their aces can get an easier ride tucked inside their wheel. Rare indeed is the major victory that cannot be credited in large part to the groundwork laid by the domestiques

Even the helpers have a hierarchy. The best helper is called the Super Domestique- Team leader’s right hand man.

Objectives in the race:

1) To assist Team leader in times of need

2) To execute team strategies (With other Domestiques)

Well known faces (Super Domestique): Floyd Landis, Roberto Heras, Andy Schleck

Faces in this year’s Giro: Damiano Cunego

Breakaway Specialists:

Chavanel- The breakaway specialist!!

Analogy: Darren Sammy- Given his talent and abilities, cricket purists find it hard to consider him as either a bowler or a batsman. But nonetheless, he continues to score runs and take wickets.

A small group of non-sprinters, well aware that they stand no chance in a bunch sprint, breakaway from the peloton early in the race to have a shot at the stage victory. With no comfort of peloton to avoid the winds, these riders in the breakaway spend lot of energy in their ride.

But, more times than not, all those efforts turn futile as the peloton catches the breakaway group before the finish line. But for these riders, a stage victory is worth the risk.

Obejctives in the race:

1) To win flat stages on the breakaway

2) To get coveted ‘Most combative rider’ title.

Well known faces: Jens Voigt, Sylvain Chavanel, Jeremy Roy

Faces in this year’s Giro: Hard to predict!!

In most cases, a rider plays more than one of the above roles. A climber will also be an overall contender. A time trialist will work for his team leader as Domestique.

PS: ‘Team Strategies’ mentioned above will be discussed in later posts.