VeloResults

Ah, to the victor, the spoils… (0)

When Sci’Con set out to celebrate the victory of Danilo di Luca in the 2007 Giro d’Italia, what better way than with an all-pink Aerotech Evolution Art. 70 rigid bicycle case, produced as a single specimen colored to match the Giro d’Italia winner’s jersey.

As Luciano Fantin, the firm’s founder and chairman, notes “it was the least we could do after this big sporting result, to show him our appreciation for all the advice he has given us during all his travels using Sci’Con products. Aerotech Evolution is an icon in the sector of rigid bicycle carry cases and can now also boast the right to being the most winning one!” he added.

Giro d’Italia – Day 7: Stage 6, Tivoli – Spoleto (0)

It’s our last stage today, it’s Friday morning and we’re in Tivoli. Yesterday was an up and down sort of day, although by the sixth grappa last night it seemed fine.

We left our hotel (as featured in George A Romero’s movie – Zombies, Dawn of the Dead) and headed for the stage start at Teano, we would never have found it if we hadn’t tagged-on to the Mavic neutral service cars.

Giro d’Italia – Day 6: Stage 5, Teano – Frascati (0)

Thursday 08.30, Caserta. We’re in Italy’s answer to that hotel where Jack Nicholson lost the plot in ‘The Shining’.

Huge, empty corridors, plumbing and electrics that have a mind of their own, plus the world’s most disinterested and rude staff – maybe they are zombies? Still, we were glad to lay our heads down here late last night: it was a long day.

Giro d’Italia – Day 5: Stage 4, Salerno – Montevergine Di Mercogliano (0)

“Rest day”, that’s a misnomer right away. The ferry was late into Civitavecchia; we had to do a death march with our bags across town to get our Hertz car; then there was a 300 K drive south; the Permanence in Mercogliano wasn’t set-up (there were mountains of rubbish in the streets, so maybe it wasn’t surprising) and to finish-off we had to pad the streets of Salerno until we found an internet cafe.

But we found one eventually and got our pics off to Pez.

Liquigas in pink: First Gasparotto, then Di Luca, then Gasparotto again (0)

The Liquigas team has certainly left its mark in the first stages of the Giro d’Italia.

The “Green Machine” took first place in last Saturday’s team time trial that opened the 90th edition of the pink race. The first to cross the finish line in La Maddalena was the ex-Italian National Champion Enrico Gasparotto who took an unexpected pink jersey.

Giro d’Italia – Day 4: Rest Day (0)

It’s 05.00 hours, Tuesday, in the Tirrenian Sea, somewhere west of Civitavecchia – that’s the sea port for Rome.

“An ugly and forgettable port that’s best avoided” according to the ‘Rough Guide to Italy’, so we won’t be lingering here!

Giro d’Italia – Day 3: Stage 2, Tempio Pausania – Bosa (0)

It’s 06.30 on Monday morning and we’re in Macomer, Sardinia. It’s going to be another beautiful day; there’s not a cloud in the sky and the sun has begun its climb.

Yesterday was one of those days that makes you realise, you only think you know about pro bike racing.

Giro d’Italia – Day 2: Stage 1, Caprera – La Maddalena (Team TT) (0)

It’s now 19.45 on Saturday evening, and we’re sat in the car listening to The Pioneers, ‘Let your yeah be yeah’ – crucial, John.

The ferry port at Maddalena is grid-locked, but we’ve got our reggae and a cold Dreher beer, so waiting for the ferry isn’t so bad.

We shared the ferry out with CSC and Saunier, but they are long-gone on the first ferry out. It’s been a cracking day, weather and gig-wise. I think we broke our record for looking at bicycles today – around five hours.

Giro d’Italia – Day 1: Getting there (0)

Sardinia is hot, damn hot, real hot, but our Peugeot 107 has air-con and a CD which plays John Hardie’s 70’s compilations just fine.

It’s 09.10 and we’re north-bound to catch the ferry from Palau out to the island of Maddalena, where tomorrow’s TTT takes place.