NEWSFLASH: the 2010 Giro d’Italia is to start in the well known Italian city of Washington DC. No, no and no. This is just wrong on every level:
– Washington is not in Italy, it’s not even in Europe. You probably knew that.
– the transfer is going to be a pig, the cyclists – rememeber them – are being ignored.
– the character of the Giro is being sold out to the highest bidder.
Above all, this is the result of petty politics. Now that Tour of California has been moved to a slot in May it will attract more teams, not just because of the weather but because many teams can get crucial exposure to the US market. RCS is deliberately trying to “steal” riders away from Cali by offering teams TV airtime in the US with this one-off sensation. It’s exactly what the UCI is supposed to avoid.