Baby it's Cold Up There

Tre Cime di Lavaredo.

via brakethrough Media

The Tre Cime di Lavaredo climb was epic.

The rain on the lower slopes turned into a white out as the riders all rose to the occasion of providing plenty of action on the penultimate stage. The Shark Nibali showed his consistency turning up the hurt around the 2 1/2 kilometer mark with a classy attack. As the temps got colder he turned up the heat on Evans and Uran leaving them. A strong Colombian trio formed and I thought wouldn't this be something if one of the three can pull off the stage. The last Colombian to win up Tre Cime di Lavaredo was the great Lucho Herrera in the 1989 Giro.

Lucho winning on top of Tre Cime di Larverado

Giro 1989 stage 13.

from my archives

Duarte and Betancur soon joined Uran and the fast moving train was on it's way to the finish but unable to catch the Shark. The Colombian train rode to two positives: giving Uran the second place he wanted, providing Betancur (riding miraculously back from a mechanical) a 41 second lead over Majka in the young rider classification.

It was so cold Scarponi crossed the line reportedly screaming, "Freddo! Molto freddo!"

Heroic riding today...

I think it was the first time ever, on a mountain stage, that I witnessed riders putting on clothing. The opposite is always the norm. But, this Giro is far from ordinary. The Tre Cime was first introduced back in 1967 only to be cancelled due to ... snow and over-zealous tifosi pushing riders. The following year, the Cannibal made history winning the Tre Cime stage and his first grand tour.

For the mountain stages, like Tre Cime, the riders use a dizzying array of features to help them up; carbon wheels with carbon spokes, compact chainset, wider cassettes-32's, Blanco runs 36-tooth inner ring


So, I'll give Eddy Merckx the final words. When interviewed at the 80th anniversary celebrations of Campagnolo, he was asked if he wished he had the compact chainset when he raced over the Dolomites, he unabashedly replied, "When I was a cyclist -  I didn't need a compact."

via Graham Watson

Friday File: Prost! Dope! Stage 20 Upcoming? 163 MPH! NYC Bike Sharing!

Prost!

Friday File...


Time for a beer. It is Friday.

Gerhard Ciolek tasted the fruits (or the hops) of his labor today by winning stage 3 of the Bayern-Rundfahrt. For first year  South African Pro Conti team, Qhubeka it was his second win of the season since winning Milan-Sanremo. "It is something very special that we could get our first yellow jersey here. Many thanks to Qhubeka and our sponsors. We are proud that we can publicise the work Qhubeka does here in Germany." Fine win and love the liquid trophy!

Ciao Killer,

Third time... unlucky!

I'm bowed over like everyone else over the Killer's ulterior motives and thus his demise. Frankly, I was surprised to see him at the start of the Giro. And I didn't pay particular attention to him until now. One thing that is hard to understand is if he was tested before the Giro started (April 29th) why was he allowed to race the Giro? The test results should have been made before allowing him... or not to race.

The new Stage 20.

I woke up early this morning to catch stage 19 and discovered the stage was cancelled and of course the Killers' demise. Now that's drama. Tomorrow is a truncated 'queen' stage 20, only two climbs of the original five will be climbed: Passo Tre Croci and the Tre Cime di Lavaredo. I'm expecting some more drama to happen.

My prediction: Fabio Duarte, Carlos Betancur, Domenico Pozzivivo.



How about some lighter news?

Allez!

I like fast as much so -  this is French cyclist Francois Gissy breaking the World Land Speed Record at 163 mph! That's a strapped on hydrogen peroxide rocket to the frame of a mountain bike at abandoned runway in northeast France. Gissy broke the rocket-powered bike record of 150.74 mph set in 2002.

Hang on!

New York has received their share bike program called Citi bikes... 

Now, how long until Vancouver joins the revolution?

Another form of bike sharing...

Gavia and Stelvio Out, Epic-less?

New change for Stage 19

The web cam imagery from the Stelvio is enough to make me throw another log on the fire.

See live cam here.

The Passo dello Gavia and Stelvio is cancelled due to snow. In it's place a longer stage (160km from the scheduled 139km) including-le the 'smaller' climbs of Passo del Tonale and Passo Castrin await the riders.

It may look like a lesser stage, removed of the epic Gavia and Stelvio, and Saturday's four climbs are covered in snow threatening to be a truncated stage. There's still a battle for podium between Evans, Uran and Scarponi. The way Nibali is riding, the race is for second and third. The young riders classification is a wicked duel between Rafal Majka (currently leading by 2 seconds) over Carlos Betancur.

...Lots of drama left!

The Campagnolo Experience

Vicenza celebrations along

with a few champions!

via campagnolosrl

Campagnolo's 80th anniversary celebrations was given a pleasant jolt today. Giovanni Visconti won brilliantly into Vicenza, hometown of famed Campagnolo and component sponsor for Movistar.

I have joined the Campagnolo Experience ever since 1987, happily using the smooth running Nuovo Record groupset for years. Today, I no longer use the Nuovo Record groupset and now run the 2011 Veloce groupset on my 1987 Marinoni.

Mr. Indurain...

Just a few of my favorite Campy things.

photo Cyclingart

Founder, Tuillio Campagnolo passed away on February 3rd, 1983 and Eddy Merckx delivered this stirring eulogy at his funeral. 

If there's any indication that snow is threatening Friday's stage...

Wall of snow at the Passo Gavia.

I wrote in a previous post, that bad weather = great cycling photography -  include SUFFERING! 

Two dramatic images from stage 15 on the Col du Galibier...

Domenico Pozzovivo...

Francis de Greef.

via brakethrough Media

Sick Leave and More Brutal Days to Come

Brutal and Beautiful,

Col du Mont Cenis

photo: Yuzuru Sunada

The Giro is turning out to be a test whether Vincenzo Nibali will ever falter off his pink perch.

Enduring this particularly brutal Giro has been taxing on all with two notable abandons; Wiggins and Hesjedal. The cold and wet as just cause to wreak havoc on the immune systems to infection. For Sir Wiggins struggled with a head cold and chest infection that force his withdrawal. Today, we finally found out that Ryder Hesjedal suffered from an upper respiratory tract infection (sounds familiar). Team physician Phil Stawski news release stats, "It appears that Ryder had been exposed to the virus affecting many in the peloton during the first week of racing."

This upcoming Friday/Saturday are two feared mountain stages that will give the riders nightmares. Friday presents the Passo  Gavia, Stelvio (Cima Coppi) and Val Martello climbs and Saturday, well only the strong will survive; five brutish climbs finishing up the mythic Tre Cime Di Lavaredo.

The crazy cold weather is the real culprit causing abrupt changes; too much snow and the elevated worry for the riders safety. If the snow threatens, there's already some talk that RCS Sports is thinking about cutting the Gavia and Stelvio passes out of Friday's stage 19. I hope the snow subsides just enough for us to witness the drama.



It's too early to tell whether we will see Sir Bradley and Ryder at the 100th Tour de France. If they do show up what kind of form will they have? Will it be enough to help their respective teams battle for supremacy? One things for sure, rest is high on the menu and ...watching the final outcome of this brutal and exciting Giro.

via Girod'ltalia

Today's stage 16 to Ivrea was marvelously won in fine fashion by Benat Intxausti. Dedicating his win to Xavier Tondo, who died tragically almost two years ago. Intxausti said, "It's May 21st today and May 23rd is sad but special day for me because it's the second anniversary of what happened. I'm sure he would have celebrated my victory and so this win is for him, my grandfather and my team."

Here's a video from the race doctor about how the brutal conditions have tested most of the riders and the doctor on duty has his hands full.