Thomas Voeckler’s got over 15,000km of racing in his legs this year. But other riders have more miles… air miles. 2010 has seen the sport start with the Tour Down Under, then go to the middle-east, travelling to California and last weekend saw two races in Canada. That’s before the Worlds in Australia. And don’t … Read more
Cadel Evans has gifted one of his World Champion “rainbow” jerseys to the Madonna del Ghisallo chapel near Bellagio in Italy. In an interview with La Gazzetta Dello Sport, Evans says he’s honoured to hand over the jersey but admits he’s an atheist. The chapel’s priest, Don Luigi, is apparently praying that Evans stays upright … Read more
Was this year’s Giro d’Italia one of the best editions in living memory? Certainly it was for me, especially once the race returned to home soil we saw some impressive racing. The epic stage on the strade bianche, the numerous summit finishes including the near-insane Zoncolan climb. I can remember other moments, the giant breakaway … Read more
Just a word on Michele Scarponi. He was rumbled for involvement in Operation Puerto and suspended for two years. I have some sympathy for him as unlike many others, he confessed and took a ban. All whilst he was on a team programme: he was busted and banned yet few team mates got the same … Read more
Before the Giro sections of the Italian media were asking why Cofidis and Bbox were starting the Italian tour. After all, like Cervélo Test Team and BMC, both squads no longer have a ProTour licence but they don’t have a GT contender. “Shouldn’t spare places go to Italian teams?” asked some? Certainly I would not … Read more
Weather permitting, the Giro’s going up the Mortirolo pass today. Just the name is bad, morte means death in Italian, the name seems derived from sinister meaning. It’s a very difficult climb, the Passo del Mortirolo has sections at 22%. The Giro only went over the climb for the first time in 1990. In 1994, … Read more
Damien Monier should never have won today’s stage of the Giro. It was Tristan Valentin’s late withdrawal that saw Monier was drafted in with just three days to go. No matter, Monier said after the stage that he was feeling strong for the third week. Twice a pursuit champion of France, Monier is from Clermont-Ferrand, … Read more
Basso romped up the Zoncolan on Sunday to win with a 1:19 advantage over Cadel Evans. Based on numbers supplied by Aldo Sassi to La Gazetta Dello Sport, Basso is pumping out 395W or 5.68W/kg but analysis by French coach Frédéric Portoleau suggests the figure could be 410W. Measured pain This is still 50W less … Read more
A great photo courtesy of cyclingnews.com. For some time I’ve always thought Basso looked as if he wasn’t trying, his face was part smile, part gurn. Clearly this was a superficial opinion, he’s not spent the last year on a cycling travel holiday but yesterday’s stage up the dreaded Zoncolan showed a new face. Just … Read more
It’s proving to be a great race that brings up surprises almost every day. But the final stage, a time trial, has one final spectacle, an arrival in the arena of Verona. A special bridgeway is being built to allow the riders in and they will enter the arena in a theatrical atmosphere with an … Read more