Giro D'Italia 2013 wrap up
1st June 2013
Wow - what a giro it has been. I think I am a changed man - after seeing the tifosi (fans) and the scenery and the toughness of the race, I really think that the giro is just fundamentally better than the tour de france or la vuelta. I love it.
I'm not qualified to talk great and wax lyrical about riders, and there are countless people who have done this far better than I ever could - so I am just giving a few things from my view.
Here are some real articles about it:
Tifosi
I honestly belileve that the Italians are the biggest cycling fans in the world. Cycling is embedded in the culture, from racers, early history, and designers and manufacturers of bikes. They have been througha rough few year with doping scandals, and their bikes going rapidly downhill, and actually it's great to see an Italian winning the giro d'Italia clean. Vincenzo Nibali has come up and up through the ranks and seems to be an honestly clean contender and I am delighted he won. His tifosi have been so passionate about him, flags everywhere of Nibali and his shark image. Wonderful. I am delighted he won.
The fans were also proper mental on the snowy climbs, particularly that of Tre Cime de Lavardeo where we saw semi naked guys runner after Nibali. Amazing
Doping
I don't want to talk about doping but I will. Danilo Si Luca was kicked out of the giro after testing positive for EPO. The guy is another unrepentant doper and I am glad to see him go. He is famous for the "pipi deli angeli" when his hormone levels in his urine were so low, undoubtedly due to the masking agents he was using, that it was like the urine of a small child.
As said, I am convinced that Nibali is clean and we are seeing a brave new world of Italian cycling - great clean riders who are role models, great bikes, great kit, and great cycling clothing. Also, Nibali won on Campagnolo - the first major win for quite some time, coming close to Campagnolo's official 80th anniversary.
TV
It is all over Rai TV - easy to watch both on tv and online. Love it. On live from 14:30 every day. Perfect. Great set up for the likes of Davide Cassani to interview riders every day with Cadel Evans and even Mark Cavendish saying a few words in Italian!
Bradley Wiggins
I am sorry he didn't do well, but as an Italian resident I am happy that an Italian won. He struggled in the wet, and really his performances had not been that great in the run up and I was surprised that he was favourite. I like him and hope to see him at the giro in future.
He got mooned by some guys, probably Nibali fans during the TT - brilliant!
He admitted to descending like a bit of a girl - and then promptly upset all female riders - who can descend much better than he!"
At the same time - the race was absolute carnage and even great descenders like Nibali fell - although he was up and back on his bike in seconds rather than going slow and losing big time.
.PNG)
.JPG)
Cavendish
What can I say? 5 stage wins, with or without help form his team, red jersey - the guy is a legend. No more no less.
Route and weather
My word the route was stunning, from Napoli to the mountains via the deep south and little islands, it just had everything. The one thing it could have done without was the rain rain rain rain. This spring has been the worst I have ever seen - there is still snow in the UK in late May and even in Italy the weather has beenabsolutely terrible. Rain has favoured the brave, the very brave, and hampered the weak. Wiggins and last year's victor Ryder Hesjedal also withdrawing early with illness. Michele Aquarone laid on a superb race, and managed to move routes when it got too snowy -
I'm excited for next year already!!
Maglia Nera
I'm happy to see they still support the quest for the maglia nera, although it has changed somewhat in the last century!
.PNG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
No comments:
Post a Comment