Giro d'Italia 2013

Giro d'Italia 2013

We are now just a handful of days away from the Giro d'Italia 2013. Starting in Naples and taking a tortuous route through the many ups and downs of Italy, this year's race looks to be an absolute classic.There are some real contenders this year:

Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) is the great Italian hope, after winning the Tirreno Adriatico and the Giro del Trentino this year and looks in really strong form
Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin) is last year's winner - the first canadian to win a grand tour and looked in great form at the Liege Bastion Liege.
Samuel Sanchez (Euskatel)
Cadel Evans (BMC) has had a quiet time in 2012 since winning the Tour de France in 2011 and is talking about being in form. Menawhile Taylor Phinney his teammate and one of USA's great hopes will be ready to go if Cadel turns out to be off form just one iota.
Bradley Wiggins (Sky) of course. Sir Brad has opted to focus on the giro this year, but the arguments between him and Chris Froome just grow and grow. Despite the message that Brad would lead at the Giro and Froome at le Tour, Brad has recently come out and said that he wants to try to win both. This has created another twitter slanging match with Froome's fiance again leading the attacks. It looked like Froome could have won le Tour last year with his strength in the mountains, but team orders called him back to protect Brad - we shall see!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/10029172/Chris-Froomes-fiancee-reveals-fury-over-Bradley-Wiggins-Tour-de-France-claim.html

http://road.cc/content/news/82091-wiggins-and-froome-clash-over-tour-de-france-leadership

I am surprised by Brad saying what he has said, as it is either the greatest demonstration of team leadership by Sir David Brailsford, or the worst. Only time will tell, but it certyainly makes for interesting watching.

Brad was looking very strong during the Giro del Trentino until a mechanical (apparently a stuck electronic gruppo) ended his day. He had a very petulant throwing away of his bike, which rolled spectacularly away and self-parked against a wall, delighting all the usual twitter cycle fans and sparking off endless quips about his puny arms.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1uZ2M9f6Iw&feature=youtu.be

And here's a real bike toss from Bjarne Riis :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFzteK_y1b4&feature=youtu.be

Giro guide:
http://road.cc/content/news/82062-giro-ditalia-2013-preview-our-guide-all-21-stages

Giro d'Italia preview video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=BXB3r7tGkuE#!

And a video from Rapha talking with Brad:
http://www.rapha.cc/sir-bradley-on-the-giro

I am hoping to go an watch the Giro in person in Florence. Need to decide where to watch, but thankfully its a Sunday so should be perfect!

Guide to the Giro:
http://www.gazzetta.it/Speciali/Giroditalia/2013/download/Garibaldi_2013.pdf

And there's even a song! Mezza Estate!!
http://inrng.tumblr.com/post/49421918908/the-giro-has-an-official-song-its-called-mezza

And I invested in a cheeky Rapha Paul Smith maglia nera jersey in honour of the legendary last finishers in the giro. And beautiful it is too! Picked up some kudos in Sardegna for wearing this, as it sold out in under 24 hours online :)
http://road.cc/content/news/80694-rapha-and-paul-smith-collaborate-new-giro-d%E2%80%99italia-maglia-nera-jersey

Check this blog for some fantastic classic giro stages:
http://www.cyclingtips.com.au/2013/05/great-moments-in-giro-ditalia-history/

Meanwhile, in more depressing news, the results of the Operation Puerto trial were announced in the last few days and they are really disappointing. This was an opportunity to clean up, kick out and be open and honest but the Spanish government are being absolute idiots here. Not only cyclists but tennis and football players are implicated, but the spaniels have ordered destruction of the blood bags so that the names cannot be identified. WADA are trying to challenge this, but I hold no hope for this. Very very disappointing indeed.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/10027763/Operation-Puerto-judge-sparks-outrage-by-ordering-destruction-of-blood-bags.html

Amusingly, to find humour in this sh1testorm, Jesus Manzano was quoted as saying that he had so much animal medication that "some days you are barking and other days you are mooing".
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/drugsinsport/9867727/Spanish-cyclist-Jesus-Manzano-says-he-was-given-dog-cattle-and-horse-medicines-by-Eufemiano-Fuentes.html