[Francis Cebedo]

Ok, this man deserves his own thread. He is the surprise of the Giro.

What do you know about him and his history?

What are his strengths and weaknesses? What does the future hold for him?

How does he complement or threaten Floyd Landis?

francois

<img src="https://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2006/giro06/giro0616/fs-024.jpg">

 

[Dwayne Barry]

"What do you know about him and his history?"

Been a pro since '98 with little success early in his career. Known as a TTer but his few wins have mostly been road stages. Stage 20 of the Vuelta in 2004 probably his biggest win. He's never been anywhere in the GC of a Grand Tour, and only a few decent placings in shorter stage races.

"What does the future hold for him?"

I would say a doping bust but I'm cynical. This guy has been around a while, never producing anything like this ride he's pulling in the Giro. IMO, too good to be true, just like Santi Perez in the 2004 Vuelta.

 

[zosocane]

So is Gutierrez is another flash-in-the-pan like Andreas Kloden? Or is he the real deal?

 

[Francis Cebedo]

So is Gutierrez is another flash-in-the-pan like Andreas Kloden? Or is he the real deal?

That's what I want to know!

Looking at the photo, the guy has a big carcass to haul up the mountains. Has he lost weight in recent years? Maybe that's why he's done well climbing this year.

francois

 

[Dwayne Barry]

So is Gutierrez is another flash-in-the-pan like Andreas Kloden? Or is he the real deal?

Kloden has flashed in the pan a few times now.

 

[JGUTZ]

Was with Kelme for a few years and was a middle of the pack guy overall, but good TTer as previouslly mentioned.
I only remember him because we share the same last name, and my uncle's name is, you guessed it: Jose Gutierrez.

 

[Argentius]

From Pezcyclingnews: "The incessant attacking by Simoni and Piepoli finally caused a nuclear meltdown from Gutierrez, who for one moment looked like both wheels flatted and both legs had left for the beaches of the Costa del Sol. All looked lost, but the surprise of the Giro kept on surprising, as he quickly regained composure, found his legs in the woods, and rocked ever upward, limiting his losses in admirable fashion."

Hah.

 

[OnTheRivet]

"What do you know about him and his history?"

Been a pro since '98 with little success early in his career. Known as a TTer but his few wins have mostly been road stages. Stage 20 of the Vuelta in 2004 probably his biggest win. He's never been anywhere in the GC of a Grand Tour, and only a few decent placings in shorter stage races.

"What does the future hold for him?"

I would say a doping bust but I'm cynical. This guy has been around a while, never producing anything like this ride he's pulling in the Giro. IMO, too good to be true, just like Santi Perez in the 2004 Vuelta.

I don't know, I always figure that a good TT'er should be able to climb if the weight is correct and more importantly the head is correct. I've seen it a few times where all of a sudden somebody figures out, " hey, I can hang with these guys" and then they get over that mental barrier.

 

[terzo rene]

At 79kg his weight is in the off season Ullrich territory. He is either going to get nailed for doping or be a flash in the pan and rapidly go back to showing his name only a couple times a year in small stage race TTs.

Still, hearing the RAI guys spouting about Il Bufalo on the Mortirolo was entertaining (and an accurate visual description).

 

[magnolialover]

This year's Rujano?

Ok, this man deserves his own thread. He is the surprise of the Giro.

What do you know about him and his history?

What are his strengths and weaknesses? What does the future hold for him?

How does he complement or threaten Floyd Landis?

francois

I think that he might be this year's Rujano. Rides one good race, then fades back into obscurity and domesticity for his annointed team leaders.

I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt though, and say that he might have another good race somewhere along the line, but he's been around for awhile, and hasn't really had too many good races, and now he just busts out with this one? Makes one wonder where that performance came from. I'm not saying it's not possible, but looks "suspect". I predict he'll go back to shagging water bottles for others in the near future.

 

[nenad]

I think that he might be this year's Rujano. Rides one good race, then fades back into obscurity and domesticity for his annointed team leaders.

I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt though, and say that he might have another good race somewhere along the line, but he's been around for awhile, and hasn't really had too many good races, and now he just busts out with this one? Makes one wonder where that performance came from. I'm not saying it's not possible, but looks "suspect". I predict he'll go back to shagging water bottles for others in the near future.

This is not an isolated case. Where was Di Luca all these years? And all of a sudden, last year, he wins a couple of classics and ends up third in the Giro. And this year ? What about Cunego? Won Giro in 2004, and since then? I am trying to think of other examples...

 

[OnTheRivet]

At 79kg his weight is in the off season Ullrich territory. He is either going to get nailed for doping or be a flash in the pan and rapidly go back to showing his name only a couple times a year in small stage race TTs.

Still, hearing the RAI guys spouting about Il Bufalo on the Mortirolo was entertaining (and an accurate visual description).

Nope, check out his palmares, while he hasn't been a prodigious winner he has been there or thereabouts in a number of big races....climbing races.

http://www.cyclingbase.com/palcoureurs.php?id=301

 

[Dwayne Barry]

This is not an isolated case. Where was Di Luca all these years? And all of a sudden, last year, he wins a couple of classics and ends up third in the Giro. And this year ? What about Cunego? Won Giro in 2004, and since then? I am trying to think of other examples...

Those are bad examples. Di Luca was suppose to be the next big thing in Italian cycling for years now, and usually chased stage wins at the Giro. He's a Ardenne's classics type of rider in the vein of Rebellin and last year was the confirmation of his talent. Unfortunately he had that incredible ride at the Giro and got delusional, he should go back to his forte now unless he's truly delusional and obsessed with the Giro. Cunego basically won the Giro out of nowhere when he was suppose to be a domestique for Simoni because he was so strong (can you say Ullrich and Riis). Last year was loss to mononucleosis. I think he's only 24, and had a good build up to the Giro but maybe overcooked himself and was stale for the big show.

 

[foz]

I´ll join in on this one... '****' is from Vinalesa, a village a few miles from Valencia, Spain, where I live. My group usually coincides with him and his brother at least a couple of times a year while they're training at home in Jan-Feb. Sometimes Oscar Sevilla comes down too (old friends from Kelme). **** is basically a top bloke, nice guy to talk to and ride with (until he decides it's time to put the hammer down - then we really get reminded what pain is!) As is clear from the photos, he's not a small guy - I'm 6'1" and he's another couple of inches taller than me, and a lot beefier too (I'm 165 pounds). drafting behind him is effortless, but following him on the climbs is quite the reverse. He's had some solid results over the last few years, but this year was only designated leader of the phonak team when landis chickened out of the giro to concentrate on the tour. Dare I say it, but I don't think landis would even have got on the podium in the giro...
the family has a bike shop in valencia - www.gutibici.com

foz

 

[philippec]

err....

Overheard by the Guarda Civil a few days ago... <a href="http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?p=644500#poststop">"One must bring meals to the buffalo in Italy"</a>. That's all I'm gonna say about how a big boy like this becomes a elite-class climber.

A+

Philippe

 

[OnTheRivet]

He's had some solid results over the last few years, but this year was only designated leader of the phonak team when landis chickened out of the giro to concentrate on the tour. Dare I say it, but I don't think landis would even have got on the podium in the giro...
the family has a bike shop in valencia - www.gutibici.com

foz

That's a funny one, "Landis chickened out". That's like saying a soldier chickened out of a paintball game so he could concentrate on going war. Floyd would have gone by Guti so fast on the climbs the breeze would have given Guti a cold.

 

[Dwayne Barry]

Nope, check out his palmares, while he hasn't been a prodigious winner he has been there or thereabouts in a number of big races....climbing races.

http://www.cyclingbase.com/palcoureurs.php?id=301

So after almost a decade as a pro he goes from being there or thereabouts to a clear second at the Giro only beaten by ET? Outclimbing everyone save Basso, Piepoli and Simoni?

I remain quite suspicious and wouldn't be surprised at all to see his name come up in the affairs in Spain (or has it already?).

 

[philippec]

I remain quite suspicious and wouldn't be surprised at all to see his name come up in the affairs in Spain (or has it already?).

It looks that way, see below...

 

[terzo rene]

I think it would be more appropriate to compare him to Ivan Parra than Rujano who only turned pro about 2 years ago. Parra had been around a long time before last year's Giro with little before or since, other than an argument in a breakaway this year.

 

[Dwayne Barry]

That's all I'm gonna say about how a big boy like this becomes a elite-class climber.

If it does come out he was using autologous blood doping this can't be new? Didn't he ride for Kelme early on, and now he rides for Phonak? Between them they probably have a dozen riders who have been caught doping. Manzano talked about using blood doping techniques at Kelme along with quite a bit of other methods (many of which are supposedly detectable).

I wonder if the anti-doping pressure is really having an effect and we've gone from a pretty level playing field in the mid to late '90s because everyone was doping to one where riders are less likely to use and are forced to use less and less effective techniques (microdosing EPO, autologous vs. homologous blood doping, etc.). However, for riders with the access and willingness to take the chance the rewards could be potentially great.