Why Not Me? Denis Menchov

by ursula on Jun 30, 2009 5:39 PM EDT

If I were true to the Man this post would contain no words whatsoever. But please let me say just a few words on his behalf.

Why he'll win

Three time Grand Tour winner. Only Lance excees that and he's like old.

Three other times 6th or better in a Grand Tour.

But those placings are so much window dressing. But really , why will he win? One word: Passion.

Here''s what Chris (and the late Girbecco) wrote about Denis mid-Giro:

1. (2) Denis Menchov, Rabobank ↑

Last time: "Menchov is content to make early moves and hold on. If he bests Levi on stage 10 or 12 and gets into pink, they'll have to literally rip the jersey off his back."

Now: Good god! He's the story of the Giro so far, by a longshot. Yeah, Di Luca's exploits were exciting from a day-by-day kind of view, but there has been one decisive mountain stage and one decisive time trial, both won by Menchov. And now they will have to literally rip the jersey off his back. I'm not sure his team is terribly weak either; he has Ten Dam and Ardila to help him over the hills. Losing Horrillo, a true hammerhead, hurts more than just to think about though.

Girbecco Says: "Hm, those Rabobank jokes don't seem very funny right now."

This Tour sets up nicely for Menchov: an opening hard TT, an early mountain stage in the Pyrenees to get a lead and game over. No one, once again, will catch him. His biggest threat, Bert, he'll shadow up Ventoux. And when he wins in Paris you dear reader will call him the best Grand Tour rider in the world.

Why he'll lose.

Oh he'll get top-five. Maybe the podium. But winning that just completed Giro is nothing like winning this Tour as the competeition there sucked. That's one reason he won't win.

Go back to last year's Giro for reason #2 where The Accountant walked off the beach and tore Denny a new one in winning that race. And now Bert is actually like prepared. And Bert knows all about stage 7.

Then there's the fact that the Saxo machine ground him down last year even better than they did Cadel.

Prediction:

A podium place for Denny but no brass ring.

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Comments

Agree with you in general about Menchov's chances

But to be fair he was using last year’s Giro mainly as training for the Tour.

Bit harsh to use his performance against Bert there as a yardstick.

by Mark T1979 on Jun 30, 2009 6:11 PM EDT reply actions

menchov knew he was going to the giro last year long before a week prior to the race start... as compared to conta

"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind

by umwolverine on Jun 30, 2009 6:21 PM EDT up reply actions

Menchov working at limit

is an amazing site …. I am a fan

sometimes life is a false flat

by Willj on Jun 30, 2009 6:43 PM EDT reply actions

Denis, with one n.

by tedvdw on Jun 30, 2009 6:57 PM EDT reply actions

And competition with one e.

Crashdan: "Veni Vidi Vici beats Wing Kong Exchange... … and I’ll change my signature to a backwards smile for a month."
Frining "It's what he thinks.. But he always do.. I eat my shoe if he ride top 15 in le Tour" about Devolder

by Frinking on Jun 30, 2009 7:18 PM EDT up reply actions

It's funny that the one word is "passion"

because without that post-Giro win display of joy, we all would have looked at you like you were crazy.

by Sui Juris on Jun 30, 2009 7:08 PM EDT reply actions

Don't you anyway?

by ursula on Jun 30, 2009 8:27 PM EDT up reply actions

he ment

crazyer

"Never swing a small stick. " Andy Hampsten

by Hons on Jun 30, 2009 8:48 PM EDT up reply actions

Ah.

That’s reassuring.

by ursula on Jun 30, 2009 8:54 PM EDT up reply actions

The real question is

If he wins, thereby gaining that rare double of the Giro and TDF in one year, will he still be overshadowed by HWMNBN in the press?

I’d wager that this year, this man, gives us the most likely chance of the Giro/TDF double in years and probably in the near future. For that fact alone I’m hoping that he wins; that and just the sheer pleasure of watching him struggle – almost as much fun as watching Evans struggle; makes them both seem somehow more human….

"Age and treachery will overcome youth and skill" - Fausto Coppi

by muk on Jun 30, 2009 7:08 PM EDT reply actions

If he wins the double

the answer to that question is “Who cares?” He won’t care. I won’t care. You won’t. The wider sports press can babble on about LA, but I don’t think it will take anything away from a Menchov win. Plus, it’s not like Menchov was going to pick up any of LA’s endorsement deals . . .

by Sui Juris on Jun 30, 2009 7:10 PM EDT up reply actions

ask yourselves

what would it take for the bobblehead press to STOP talking about Lance? Nothing coming to mind.

Your power is turning our darkness to dawn,
Roll on Columbia, Roll on!

by Chris Fontecchio on Jun 30, 2009 7:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Right

It’s so far past annoying that it’s not. I mean, I’d feel bad for, say, CVV if he won and USA Today was all “LANCE FINISHES TOUR”, but that’s about the extent of it. I save my annoyance for those I expect something out of.

by Sui Juris on Jun 30, 2009 7:20 PM EDT up reply actions

That is so true about the bobblehead press.

by sminer on Jun 30, 2009 8:03 PM EDT up reply actions

Yup

Well put, Sui Juris.

by tgartner on Jul 1, 2009 12:16 AM EDT up reply actions

This is not the Giro.

and Danilo DiLuca is not Alberto Contador. Menchov will not win.

by Huntero on Jun 30, 2009 8:04 PM EDT reply actions

Di Luca certainly lokked like Di Luca in the mountains..

Pronlem for menchov: Contador rocks in time trials. But Menchov improved. He showed that in the 61.5 km tt.
Yhink a big problem for Menchov is that he hasn’t race any race after the Giro. That blow your legs in the first tt. 14 or 16km. He’s going to lose time on the others. But here’s hope. If he attacks he can do something. He just must not wait for the end. (Is it readable?)

by Frinking on Jul 1, 2009 3:12 AM EDT up reply actions

How well does Gesink have to perform for Rabo to throw their support behind him?

If Gesink handles the Tour as well as some expect, are Rabo going to have an internal problem?
Any educated guesses from the dutchspeakers?

by Jens on Jul 1, 2009 8:53 AM EDT reply actions

You were probably not pointing to me.

But hte question is asked to Gesink.
He looked at E.Dekker who said something like:
We have 2 classementsriders. Gesink and Menchov. If Menchov fails in the first mountain stage Gesink is allowed to ride for his own. Time will tell who’s better.

But the chance on this scenario is small in my opinion. Think Gesink is going to do well but top 15.. Think top 10 is out of his range

by Frinking on Jul 1, 2009 9:03 AM EDT up reply actions