Do you have a morning routine? With the Giro d’Italia on there’s nothing better than starting the day with some Italian coffee and La Gazzzetta Dello Sport, the official newspaper of the Giro. Here’s a look at the newspaper, it’s history and what it’s like to read.
Today’s finish has cobbles, flagstones and an uphill finish. A touch of spice but probably a day for the sprinters before tomorrow and the first summit finish of the race.
So far, so predictable. Now the Giro returns to Italy and today’s stage offers a difficult finish that’s going to thwart many of the sprinters. Can Marcel Kittel keep his hold on the pink jersey?
There’s something wrong with a foreign start of a grand tour. The Giro starting in the Netherlands is the equivalent of ordering a pizza with toppings of herring and gouda. Yet each time these foreign starts happen they’re a success enjoyed by thousands.
Fast and flat and potentially a repeat of yesterday’s stage, only if Marcel Kittel can win again he’ll take the overall lead in the race.
A dream start for Tom Dumoulin who gets the big win the home crowd wanted. Now the race heads for the packed roads of the Netherlands and a probable sprint finish.
With Fabian Cancellara suffering from stomach problems the way is open for local hero Tom Dumoulin to do the dubbelslag, the “double strike” of the stage win and the pink jersey.
There are three races within today’s Giro opener: the time trial specialists who want the stage win, the overall contenders who want to take time or just avoid gifting too much of it to their rivals and a third contest among the sprinters as the best of the sprinters gets a head start on for collecting time bonuses and the chance to seize the overall lead in the coming days.
Is Vincenzo Nibali in form? Can Mikel Landa limit his losses in the time trials? Will Alejandro Valverde prove consistent enough. Can Ilnur Zakarin carry the form from Romandie into the Giro and stay consistent for three weeks? Will Rafał Majka deliver the grand tour win he’s been aiming for? Is Rigoberto Uran back to his golden form of recent years? Six contenders in search of answers, it could be a Pirandello play but it’s the Giro d’Italia. This uncertainty is to be celebrated as it promises surprises between now and the end of the month.
Etixx-Quickstep still top the table but a charge by Movistar sees the Spanish team go from five to 18 wins since the last look at the rankings at the end of March. April has more race days than any other month with plenty of chances for teams big and small to start collecting the trophies and bouquets.
As well as the stats it’s a chance to review some wins, lob in some transfer gossip and explore the problems at Cofidis.
Here’s the Giro d’Italia guide. There’s a concise preview of every stage, with my quick take on the day added. Use the links to find your way around the stage previews, the rules and the other points. From now until the end of the race you’ll find the page linked at the top of the screen, desktop users can look for “Giro” in the bar at the top and if you visit via your mobile then “Giro” on the drop-down menu.
There will be daily stage previews and more on the race and Italian cycling in the coming weeks.