The Giro reaches the Alps and we’re in for a week climbing with a variety of uphill finishes. Today doesn’t reach high altitude, instead it compensates with steep gradients and scenery, passing through the Zenga Oasis park before the finish at the Oropa Sancturary.
Month: May 2014
App Review: Mountain High
I’ve enjoyed the Mountain High book and its sequel Mountain Higher. On the back of this the publishers have released an app for Apple devices. Armed with a friend’s iPad I took a look.
Giro Stage 13 Preview
A short transition stage to take the race to the foot of the Alps only without the foothills. It’s flat and one of the last chances for the sprinters.
Predictable? Yes that’s why today’s preview also includes a tale about the Calabrian mafia plus the the nearby Colle del Nivolet, the highest mountain pass in Europe you’ve probably never heard of.
Giro Stage 12 Preview
So far the “fight for pink” has been a group hug with riders marking each other. Exclude Domenico Pozzovivo’s 30 second raid to Sestola last Sunday and most of the time gaps on GC have been created when the riders weren’t racing together, whether in the team time trial or following the Montecassino crash. All change today as riders are forced to show their form.
Giro Stage 11 Preview
A lot of riders will have had today’s stage marked in their diaries for months. Too hilly for the sprinters and not decisive enough for the overall contenders. Perfect for a breakaway.
Different Viewpoints for On Bike Cams
The clip above is from last Sunday’s final stage of the Tour of California but it’s also a glimpse of the future. We get a new angle of racing and an additional soundtrack too.
For the devoted fan any extra footage is good but there’s plenty of work to be done before on bike cams and race footage from the peloton becomes essential viewing.
Giro Stage 10 Preview
Stage 10, we’re in to double digits now. Today’s stage is a mini gastronomic tour starting in the vinegar capital of Italy and including a ride straight through the city of Parma, city of hams, on to the small spa town of Salsomaggiore.
It could almost be a tourist spin. But it’s a stage for the sprinters even if that little bump at the end is perfect for a late attack.
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Who Can Break The Hour Record?
Who can break the hour record? Tony Martin? Bradley Wiggins? Fabian Cancellara? Taylor Phinney? All four can do it but the record is now open to hundreds of riders around the world. Chile’s Carlos Oyarzún can probably do it.
How so? The UCI announced a change of the Hour Record rules last week. There are two conclusions. First a rider can use any approved UCI track bike complete with tri bars, disc wheels and clothing rather than the classic “Merckx” bike with drop bars and low profile rims. Second the hour record has been re-established at 49.700km. Roll up, roll up.