It is hard to believe that it has been 1 week since the Giro d'Italia started. In that time the Pink show logistical nightmare has led to riders, bikes and media being uplifted half way across Europe and the riders having already ridden half way down the Italian Peninsula from Veneto to Campania.
In the lead up to the race, several journalists had pointed out that cyclists were skipping the Giro for the Tour of California. Others were suggesting that the Giro and the Tour could not be won in the same year again.
I think that the Giro's first week has dispelled some of those stories. There are not enough superlatives to describe the first Giro under new race director, Michele Acquarone. And the true Alp stages have yet to commence.
The first week marked three notable firsts:
- the first time that the Giro has started in Denmark and the first time in a Scandinavian country;
- the first time that Orica-GreenEDGE has won a stage of a grand tour; and
- the First time that a Canadian has worn la maglia rosa, Ryder Hesjedal from Garmin - Barracuda
Stage 3 Horsens-Horsens - What will be stage 3 be remembered by : was it that crash or was it Matt Goss (Orica-GreenEDGE) winning his first, and GreenEDGE's first grand tour stage win.
The tactics of GreenEDGE were exceptional. They controlled the race. The sprint train after all the training at the Tour of Turkey was in prime position. They fired Matt Goss to the front. Cavendish was cranking up into top gear and then bang. Ferrari decided moved across the road and took out Cavendish's front wheel and the Peloton went down.
Watch the bike handling skills of Demare (FDJ-Big Mat) and Favilli (Farnese Selle Italia). Amazing evasion skills at such a high speed.
A rider to watch in the Future: Forget about Thibaut Pinot, the next big prospect coming out of France is sprinting superstar in the making Arnaud Demare (FDJ-Big Mat). He is a huge talent and one to put France's sprinting prowess back on the World Stage. The under 23 road race world champion and winner of a Stage of Qatar stage is participating in his first grand tour. He secured a fourth place in the crash marred Stage 3 and then a ninth place in Stage 5 Fano. Watch for him in the Tour de France in 2013. He has bucket loads of skill and the extra year under his belt will serve him well in 2013.
What happened to the Italians - Italians have made the Giro their own race, winning 66 editions of the Race. Yet in 2012, they have been very inconspicuous. That was until Stage 6, when little known Adriano Malori (Lampre-ISD) took the maglia rosa. He is the current Italian Time Trial Champion. Before that Malori was probably better known as the 2010 winner of the Tour De France's Lanterne Rouge. Scarponi and Cunego suddenly went from Co-Captains to domestiques to Malori. That was short lived, and Malori lost the maglia rosa on the seventh stage.
Tiralongo - A late bloomer - It took eleven years for Paulo Tiralongo (Astana) to win his first stage of the Giro d'Italia. His first win in 2011 was a thank you gift from Alberto Contador on Stage 19. Yesterday, Tiralongo showed that he was capable of winner a stage of the Giro without Contador's assistance. Scarponi (Lampre-ISD) must have been licking his lips only to see victory taken away from him by a rider that was more hungry for a stage win. Next time Scarponi, race to the end of the road.
Hushovd - A fallen champion - Thor Hushovd was a surprise withdrawal from the Giro on Friday. His reason was fatigue and he had nothing left 'to give'. As a former world champion, it was a disappointment to see Thor withdraw especially given that the Giro had not even experienced a high mountain stage. This was certainly a career low light for Hushovd. For a fan, I wonder if he has the motivation or the fire in the belly to continue in this high level. He may be feeling rejected, given the BMC has the likes of Gilbert and Evans in their team and therefore limiting the opportunities for Hushovd. It was made worse by Phinney win the maglia rosa during the first stage, which meant team resources were spent protecting the jersey rather than supporting Hushovd. Prediction of 2013. Thor Hushovd will not be in BMC colours in 2013.
It has been a great week. The Giro enters Campania today, the province of my wife. Stage 8 will certainly be the day of Scarponi if he wants to show that he can be a back to back winner of this great race.
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