The decisive stage of the 2013 Giro? No, let’s not hype things up too much but after a week of light sparring, time for the first heavyweight contest.
Stage 8 will define the race for some time to come but it shouldn’t determine the race. But it’s made the race what it is because the prospect of a 55km time trial was an invitation for Bradley Wiggins to ride. Only Wiggins is now late to the party, his losses yesterday change the script for the race.
With the 55km maxichrono time trial tomorrow many of the big names will aim to rest today. Easier said than done given the stage profile above resembles a traumatic electrocardiogram.
But if the big names think about tomorrow, for others today is their day, a chance to escape and win. So the day promises quantity over quality, the sheer number of riders and teams trying to claim the day should offer plenty of action.
Cycling is popular in many places but few nations claim a trade surplus when it comes cycling goods. Sure there is China’s mass-production but Italy seems unique with a range of premium brands.
In fact you could go for a ride with 100% Italian products. From your helmet to your shoes and a bike with a frame complete with every component. Can any other country match this? Probably… but only just.
Why is this so? Well it seems Italy has a thriving number of small and medium sized firms that rely heavily on blending the personal touch of family ownership with modern machinery and big investment in research and development.
It’s ascension day on the Catholic calendar – Italy’s national religion – but today offers one of the flattest stages of the Giro. It’s a festival for the sprinters, Stage 6 allows the race to make northerly progress and probably a day without incident.
Normally a flat stage without features would be greeted with indifference but the sprinters have so few chances in this year’s race and today is the only flat stage left in the race until the final day’s finish in Brescia.
Another day, another stage that sweeps along the coast before heading inland with some climbing to spice up the finish. But each day is subtly different and instead of long drags, Stage 5 includes a short, sharp climb near the end followed by the climb into the unique town of Matera.
These climbs could be just enough to ruin the day for some sprinters… but not all of them. Here’s a preview of the day plus a look at the phenomenon of the thousands of unfinished construction projects, from simple houses to giant bridges, that blight Italy, especially the south.
How come Orica-Greenedge made the podium after the team time trial when they finished ninth? Well in addition to podium ceremonies for the stage winner and the jerseys there are many other prizes given out each day in the Giro. No other race seems to offer as many awards.
You can be fluent in Italian or an ardent follower of pro cycling or both but it’s unlikely you’ll know your team classification from your Superteam, or your Fuga from your Fairplay.
If Italy is shaped like a boot, the Giro reaches the metatarsal area. The second longest stage in the race, Stage 4 rolls along the coast for 190km before turning inland for some climbing. This isn’t a summit finish but it does gain altitude fast and there’s only a short descent to the finish.
It offers another chance for exciting racing although yesterday’s frantic action is unlikely to be repeated because the roads are more straightforward.
Luca Paolini won a stage of the Giro but he and his Katusha team weren’t supposed to ride. The UCI had originally denied Katusha a licence for 2013, only for Katusha to win back their place in the World Tour via an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Now the full ruling from the CAS is available and for the first time we can see the reasons why the UCI wanted to exclude Katusha. It turns out it was on both financial and ethical reasons. We can also see the behind-the-scenes work done by the Katusha team to win back its licence as it attempts to turn around the worst record in World Tour for doping.
So far, so predictable. After a set piece weekend with an opening criterium and the team time trial and accompanying logical results, Stage 3 brings plenty of risk and uncertainty.
A scenic start in one of Italy’s most prized tourist destinations sees the race head south to wilder terrain. There’s some surprisingly steep climbing on the way to thwart the sprinters – how does 16% sound? – and a twisting high speed descent on a narrow road to the finish. Oh and the forecast says it could rain too.
The French say riding your first grand tour is worth an extra tooth, un dent de plus. The idea is that you come out stronger from the race and can turn over a bigger gear, shift one sprocket. FDJ’s Laurent Pichon has gone about things a different way, he crashed hard yesterday in the opening stage of the Giro and knocked two teeth out of his mouth. Emergency dental work done, he started the team time trial with two brand new teeth. Here’s hoping he gets a third tooth in Brescia, this time on the cassette rather than the gums.