This should be a piece detailing the finances of the Giro d’Italia but it turns out the event and its finances are mere footnotes buried with the accounts of RCS Mediagroup, an Italian media conglomerate. As great as the Giro is, it is no money-spinner.
Money can be made though and the Giro’s heritage is being exploited for new revenue opportunities in the Middle-East and perhaps beyond where a brand new short stage race can prove more lucrative than an established grand tour.
Almost a rest day. Certainly fans and grand tour contenders alike can stand down from full alert and watch a sprint finish.
The first uphill finish of the Giro. The climb to Abetone isn’t normally that selective but the way Tinkoff-Saxo and Astana are riding at the moment we could well see a GC showdown.
Yesterday’s stage had the action concentrated mid-stage, today’s finish includes a very difficult climb near the finish.
A sprint finish? Probably but with a good chance half the field struggles to stay in contact on the hilly parts.
The race begins its anti-clockwise lap of Italy with a 177km jaunt along the coast to Genova, much of it retracing part of the Milan-Sanremo route in reverse. A sprint finish looks likely.
Italy’s most famous finale in Sanremo is the starting point for the Giro with a 17.6km team time trial. As well as the race to win the stage and take the race lead there’s also the battle not to surrender too much time to rivals.
Covering the contenders for the Giro is like trying to preview the dessert course of a meal because the GC riders will be serving up their specialities late in the race, biding their time until the final week and the race’s final sweep across the Alps. Before then many will animate the race so here’s a look at some of the names likely to liven up the race in the coming weeks.
With Nairo Quintana out of the picture the 2015 Giro d’Italia is likely to feature Fabio Aru and Rigoberto Urán again but they’ll have to confront Alberto Contador and Richie Porte too. Four riders in search of a podium? It could be a Pirandello play but it’s the 2015 Giro d’italia.
With the Giro coming up in a week’s time who is the in-form Italian of the moment? Davide Rebellin is an obvious pick following his summit finish win in the Tour of Turkey earlier this week. His CCC-Sprandi team are riding the Giro and the Italian would make an obvious pick given his nationality, form, experience and is a match for the opening week’s hilly finishes. Only he’s not going and the rumour is he’s been blocked by Giro organisers RCS.