Giro Update (stage 9 & rest day) by star

There wasn't a race for stage 9, but there was. The riders neutralized the stage after the first circuit, but then sprinted for the win. No points or time cuts were made. A wise man once said "If you're not first, you're last", yesterday was a perfect example of that.

I'm not a cyclist and don't know how dangerous the stage was, but I'm glad the cyclist stood their ground. Race organizers keep trying to make races more and more difficult, but want the riders to race clean. I would think that any race is as hard as the riders make it. Ok stepping down from the soapbox.

Observations from week one:
-Columbia-Highroad & LPR like to win. A lot.
-Cycling is not for the faint of heart.
-I would be totally digging Columbia if George Hincapie was there. He's so cute.
-I got a lot of funny looks at work when I mentioned the Giro.
-Tommy Voeckler likes to be on TV.
-Chechu is the best looking cyclist in the peleton. Oh wait, I observed that long before this week.
-Nothing against Universal Sports, I'm happy there's coverage of cycling, but really, really, really I miss Phil & Paul. And Bobke!

Can't wait for stage 10 & 12!!!

Go Gilles!!

Giro Update (stage 3) by star

Well the maglia rosa has found it's second pair of shoulders to rest on. A crash (no one was hurt) with 10 K to go kept Mark Cavendish and most of the rest of the peloton out of contention of the finishing sprint. LPR's Ale-Jet ended up getting the sprint and the pink jersey over Garmin's Tyler Farrar. Update: Tyler broke his rear derailleur in the same crash that took out Cav. Layman's translation: he couldn't shift gears on his rear tire for almost 10 K. And after watching the stage, in the last 500 meters Tyler could have taken Ale-Jet for the win!!

I'm sure we will have a new leader tomorrow since they are heading straight for the mountains tomorrow.

On a sad note Christian Vande Velde went down in a different crash midway through the stage along with Dave Z. Dave got up and finished the stage, unfortunately Christian didn't. Poor VdV ended up in a ambulance with 2 broken ribs and a bruised and strained back.

My main man Chechu got caught up with Cav's group and is now sitting 55th, 1:56 back

Star, via Lil's non-blocked work computer

A Lil' Giro by Star

A little Giro D’Italia preview, if you want more of a preview you wouldn’t be looking here to begin with.
There is an opening day TTT (Team Time Trial). I’m hoping that, like last year, Garmin-Slipsteam takes it to the European peloton. But unlike last year I hope Dave Z doesn’t crash the next day and break his back and then Christian loses the Maglia Rosa all on the same day. Talk about an emotional roller coaster.
There will be some flat stages that the sprinters will try to win, then the road will head uphill and the mountain goats of the peloton will take over. There is an ITT in there somewhere, they’ll go to Austria for a short visit, more flat stages, transitions stages, more mountain stages, another ITT. They’ll go all over Italy on bikes for 3 weeks, eating and drinking a lot.
What will be interesting to watch is LA riding as a super domestic to Levi. Will ‘he whom shall not be named’ be able to ride shotgun for a whole Grand Tour. I don’t know that he ever has.

A few fearless predictions:
- Mark Cavendish will win a stage, or 10, depending on how he’s feeling. But it will be interesting to see how Tyler Farrar does against him. Tyler has taken a stage from under Mark’s nose earlier this year.
- Jens Voigt will go on a crazy break for 100’s of kilometers, and be laughing the whole time.
- Fabian Cancellara will ride really fast during the TT’s, and/or try a Jens impression.
- Janez Brakajic will be mistaken for a fence post and accidentally be pissed on.
- Chechu Rubiera will look cute the whole time. Sigh.
- Ivan Basso will make my eyes happy, but my mind disappointed. Just as long as they don’t communicate with each other I’ll be safe.
- LA will win a stage & it will get more media coverage in the US then when Levi or Christian were to make it on the podium.