The Inner Ring - Part 130

Hidden Motivations

Tuesday, 8 May 2018Tuesday, 8 May 2018

The default reaction to hearing that a grand tour will starting outside its home country is a firm “no”. As said here before to see the Giro starting in the Netherlands was to imagine a pizza topped with Gouda and herring: it’s just wrong. Then it happened, you see the crowds and everyone enjoying themselves and it began to look worthwhile.

Israel? The crowds didn’t look that big and often the race was riding past barren landscapes but if this looked boring, maybe this was what they wanted, a chance to show alternative images of Israel to the ones you see in the news. The last three days seemed more of a grande bonanza than a grande partenza with talk of large hosting fees and the usually hidden aspect of appearance fees briefly going public.

Giro Stage 4 Preview

Tuesday, 8 May 2018Tuesday, 8 May 2018

The Giro resumes in Italy with a quintessential Italian route packed with hills, worn out roads and all before a tricky uphill finish.

Giro Stage 3 Preview

Sunday, 6 May 2018Sunday, 6 May 2018

A long hot day across the desert before a likely sprint finish in Eilat to conclude the Giro’s visit to Israel.

Giro Stage 2 Preview

Saturday, 5 May 2018Saturday, 5 May 2018

A likely sprint finish awaits, one of the rare chances for the sprinters in a race with few opportunities and consequently few sprinters. There’s a good chance of the first Italian stage win too.

Froome and the Giro’s Risk

Friday, 4 May 2018Friday, 4 May 2018

As mentioned in the post looking at the overall contenders, to cite Chris Froome is to mention his ongoing case with the UCI following the adverse analytical finding for salbutamol in the Vuelta. While all riders have to watch out for the climbs, descents, corners, bad weather and more over the next three weeks Chris Froome runs the added risk of being taken out of the race by a tribunal or seeing his result disqualified after the race finishes in Rome, an obvious concern for the event itself too. The probability of these events is unknown but the risk exists which is awkward.

Giro Stage 1 Preview

Friday, 4 May 2018Friday, 4 May 2018

We’ll return to the politics, propaganda, business, appearance fees, anti-doping tribunals and more in the coming days but it’s sometimes important to remember the Giro is a bike race too. It begins with a time trial through the streets of Jerusalem and already the contenders for the overall classification in three weeks’ time face a big test of their form. For others it’s the chance to win big, to take the stage and wear the maglia rosa for several days.