Giro d'Italia | The Inner Ring

Giro d’Italia Guide

Thursday, 5 May 2016Tuesday, 3 May 2016

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.

Giro iCal

Monday, 2 May 2016Monday, 2 May 2016

The Giro starts on Friday Just as there’s a season-long calendar of all the major men’s and women’s races to download, here’s the stage by stage Giro ical for your phone or electronic diary ahead of this Friday’s grande partenza in the Netherlands.

The calendar file proves surprisingly popular for each grand tour. It lists each stage along with the distance and a stellar rating. The Giro awards stars to each stage to indicate the difficulty or importance, from one to five stars for the biggest days.

Three Weeks To The Giro

Thursday, 14 April 2016Thursday, 14 April 2016

The Giro is three weeks away and it’s time to take a quick look at the various contenders and see where they are. Vincenzo Nibali is probably the top pick now but on reputation alone because he’s not shown convincing form. The upcoming Ardennes races and the Giro del Trentino will give us more clues but until then here’s a quick scan of where the riders are.

Gazprom-Rusvelo To Ride Giro d’Italia

Monday, 18 January 2016Monday, 18 January 2016

What was it about the team sponsored by a $40 billion company that attracted RCS to give Gazprom-Rusvelo a wildcard for the Giro? You probably can’t name a rider on the Russian team and if you could you’d know they’re not exactly “must have” riders that the Giro needs to send ratings soaring. So the invitation is a surprise. It’s probably down to money but the real concern is collusion between this team and Katusha as both share the same DNA.

Highlights of the Year – Part IV

Monday, 9 November 2015Monday, 9 November 2015

The Giro d’Italia had plenty of action including a lively opening week where the main contenders and their teams were already trying to take control of the race. Among the three weeks of action was Stage 16, the Mortirolo stage from Pinzolo to Aprica.

Albert Contador had already taken control of the race and wore the maglia rosa but he used the hardest climb in the race to stick it to Fabio Aru and make a point.

2016 Giro d’Italia Route

Monday, 5 October 2015Monday, 5 October 2015

It leaked out the other day but RCS have today given full details of the 2016 Giro d’Italia route. All the stages are online at the Giro website but here’s a closer look at the route, the highlights and the likely contenders.

The Rise of the Vuelta

Friday, 14 August 2015Friday, 14 August 2015

The Vuelta a España has long been third of the three grand tours. Now it’s changing, helped by a startlist with more stardust than the Perseid shower, combining the best of the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France. The exception is 2014 winner Alberto Contador yet his absence could be the best thing to happen for the Vuelta in the long term.

Double Trouble

Friday, 26 May 2017Tuesday, 2 June 2015

Can Alberto Contador do the Giro d’Italia – Tour de France double? It’s the big question right now. With the Giro in our minds and in his legs, much of the talk is of managing the fatigue and peaking again in July. Surely Contador’s biggest problem isn’t the success he’s just enjoyed nor the tapering and training, it’s the challenge of trying to beat Nairo Quintana, Chris Froome, Vincenzo Nibali and others in July. Talk of “the double” implies a parity between the Giro and Tour that doesn’t exist.

The Moment The Race Was Won: The Giro

Monday, 1 June 2015Monday, 1 June 2015

Was there a winning moment? Alberto Contador won the 2015 Giro d’Italia after beating his rivals day after day, both out on the roads and in their minds. There were moments where he could have lost the race but these were used to muddle his rivals. Take the climb of Monte Ologno where Contador attacked not because he needed to or because there was a stage win waiting, he went because he wanted to teach Astana a lesson.

Contador wins the Giro after winning the Vuelta last year and now bids to win the Tour de France which starts in five weeks.

Giro Stage 21 Preview

Sunday, 31 May 2015

The final stage of the Giro. This year’s edition has seen a daily battles and drama but this is surely a procession into Milan. Still there’s a sprint finish and the points jersey is up for grabs.

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