The way we read yesterday is that Alberto is due a big favour from Astana whilst Landa is due one from management and Aru.
Alberto is happy, he’s still going to win the Giro and absloutely nothing has changed in his world, the organisation is happy with Aru in second and Aru is happy – especially since he’s been wasted for days.
Visconti’s ride was a good one, snatching the climbers’ jersey from Kruijswijk but whether he can hang on to it today is another matter – he left an awful lot on the road, yesterday.
We had set up shop at around 10 K to go and had tucked in nicely on the convoy – all was going well for an early arrivo at the hotel and our dinner before 10:00 pm but the race organisation and police had different ideas and with around 1200 metres to go we got stuck in total traffic chaos.
To add insult to injury, then we couldn’t get to the hotel because it was through the finish area where the barrier crews were tearing the grandstand down.
Net result – arrival at restaurant at 10:00 after 10 rounds with a recalcitrant wi-fi system, the joys.
We started off driving the percorso today, to get to Finistre, the dirt roads and the action – but the routing crews aren’t out as early at the Giro as they are at the Tour and we gave it up as a bad job and are now on the autostrada hurtling towards Susa and the foot of the Colle delle Finestre – wish us luck!
Ed and Martin, our top team! They try to do the local Time Trials, the Grand Tours and the Classics together to get the great stories written, the quality photos taken, the driving done and the wifi wrestled with.
Annemiek Van Vleuten crosses the line after a 60 mile solo – local legend, the late, great Beryl Burton would be proud of this ride on her Yorkshire roads. The Orange-woman is immediately mobbed by a pack of feral photogs, but instead of being led away by the UCI podium guys, she effects a tricky clamber over the barriers and into the arms of mum and dad for a huge embrace.
Carlos Barredo's grandmother wells up, 'my God, my God' she keeps repeating as Carlos's amigo hugs her - the man himself hurtled past just seconds ago to join the immortals as a winner on the Lagos de Covadonga. They're standing beside us at the 150m to go mark, and in the mist and cloud once again, QuickStep have done the job. The break survivors limp by before a snarling Ezequiel Mosquera flashes past, intent on putting as much time into the other 'heads' as he possibly can.
We're on the percorso early, today. Montevergine is the destination - the first real mountain top finish of the Giro. At the top it's 1,260 metres above sea level, it's 17.1 K long with a total altitude gain of 856 metres, average gradient 5% and maximum gradient 10%. It's always good to 'work the start' - get some pictures and quotes in the 90 minutes or so between the team buses arriving and the roll out but today we just don't have time.
"Sanremo al debutto Cannonball fenomeno" says today's La Gazzetta Sportivo - that's its Sunday name. "Cannonball," every rider must have a nickname for the continental press, I suppose. If he keeps up his line of progression it'll only be a short while before The Mail is calling him, "Cava."
In the first part of our interview with Australian ace Don Allan we discussed his road career, for the second part we talk about his 107 Six Day starts - that's 642 days on the boards; 92 weeks.
Henk Vogels is an Australian with a very Dutch heritage and a long and varied career. We managed to track down the super-experienced rider on the Gold Coast to hear about his past and present. It’s perhaps appropriate that his first big wins came in the Flatlands, where his father was born, and his last victory should come in the New World where he spent half of a career which criss-crossed the North Atlantic.
Demonstrating that the Scottish 'Cross scene is in burgeoning good shape, there were lots of riders in each category at the Scottish Cyclo-Cross Championships, with the Senior riders going off last and enjoying the nicely churned course in drying but ever-colder conditions.
We humbly ask for your help to support our dear friend and beloved colleague Ed Hood. Ed suffered a devastating stroke in February last year and faces an uncertain future.
As a result of the stroke, Ed has lost his ability to speak, and to read, and has lost movement on the right side of his body. He’s working with speech and physical therapists on rehabilitation but all strokes are different and each patient responds differently, so unfortunately recovery is one day at a time.
Ed ran his own business installing windows but will not be able to work again and his financial future is uncertain, so please consider joining us to make a contribution to the GoFundMe page to help stabilise and secure Ed's future. Thank you.
It was nice to wake up in the shadow of the Matterhorn this morning; imposing, snow capped and stunning against a picture post card blue sky.
