VeloVeritas

Giro d’Italia 2012 – Stage 10: Civitavecchia – Assisi 187km. Impressive Rodriguez(0)

Giorgio Moroder’s ‘The Chase’ from Midnight Express pumps out across the Civitavecchia sea front. A huge fibre glass sculpture of a nurse succumbing to the charms of a sailor – ‘Unconditional Surrender’ it’s titled – towers over us. The whole scene is surreal, topped off by Pippo ambling past in shorts and T-shirt. He broke his hand yesterday and is out – but he still looks cool.

Giro d’Italia 2012 – Stage 9: San Giorgio nel Sannio – Frosinone 171km. Pippo causa una caduta!(0)

It looked to us like Cav and Goss were out of it anyway. There were a lot of riders round that wild bend before we saw Matt on the deck and Pippo looking a tad sheepish as he stood in the road checking to see how that nice MCipollini had stood up to being dropped.

Scottish 10 Mile TT Championships 2012(0)

The Jason MacInyre Memorial Trophy stays on Dooleys Cycles’ Arthur Doyle’s mantlepiece for another year, after he edged the win this morning in the “10 Champs” by a single second from teammate Iain Grant, with Gavin Shirley in 13th place backing them up for the Team prize in a time which we think is a new Scottish Competition Team Record by four seconds.

Paisley Velo’s Ben Peacock was third a meagre four seconds back.

Giro d’Italia 2012 – Stage 8: Sulmona – Lago Laceno 229km. We’re There!(0)

Canada’s Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Barracuda) retained the overall race lead. Spain’s Joaquin Rodriguez is second at just nine seconds.’

So said the official Giro press release – you’ll read that again, on various websites. Press releases are where much of the daily content on web sites come from. The difference with us, is that we tell you we’re quoting them.

Giro d’Italia 2012 – Stage 7: Recanati – Rocca di Cambio 202km. Ryder!(0)

I didn’t manage to see stage seven – it fell on ‘D minus one’ for the VeloVeritas annual excursion to Italia. The loose ends were many and instead of having plenty of time to pack my bag and watch the Giro, I was ‘running aboot daft’ in the van.

And Saturday evening rituals still had to be observed – a wee bite to eat and a movie. It’s not as if you can say; ‘I’m off to Italy the morn love, so we’re no’ going out tonight – I have a bag to pack and a Giro stage to skek !’

Giro d’Italia 2012 – Stage 6: Urbino – Porto Sant’Elpidio 207km. Rubiano and Malori Take Over(0)

It was a tough one – Farrar, Feillu and Hushovd all go home. The dream is over for Navardauskas – he lost 15 minutes. But his Garmin team mates Ryder Hesjedal and Christian Vande Velde move up to third and fifth on GC.

Garmin will burn up the watts in search of more pink – they know it’ll be harder to come by when the Gazzetta stage ranking is a 5* and not a 3*, as yesterday’s was.

Giro d’Italia 2012 – Stage 5: Modena – Fano 199km. Cav is back!(0)

I have to be careful with this one. Cav: I think I might be turning in to a fan! There ! – I’ve said it.

To take his first stage, he had to display coolness, decisiveness and pure speed.

Giro d’Italia 2012 – Stage 4: Verona (TTT) 32.2km. Garmin’s Day(0)

A sore one for Phinney – he’s conducted himself well, but once those cycling Gods single you out, they don’t let go, easily.

He struggled on the climb and then overcooked it on a left-hand bend, there’ll be pics everywhere tomorrow of that grass sprouting from his rear mech. Garmin were no surprise – just a pity that Alex Rasmussen got the mallet, it would be nice to say I had a friend who’d worn the pink jersey.

Giro d’Italia 2012 – Stage 3: Horsens 190km. It’s Not All Ice Cream & Fairies(0)

My club mate Davie Gardiner, in the Kirkcaldy and District CC, back in 1971 used to say that when he meant things were going swimmingly well; ‘it was aw ice cream an’ fairies !’ Cav had one of those days, yesterday. Not so, today.

Rainbow jerseys, Sunday Times ‘richest sportsmen’ lists, bouquets and praise for team mates all fell by the wayside as his little body slapped hard onto that Danish tarmac.

Giro d’Italia 2012 – Stage 2: Herning 206km. Cav is King!(0)

Cav is King.

If these were Medieval times I’d have to throw myself on his mercy. Prostrate myself at the foot of the steps to the Sky bus, next Monday in Frosinone. Trust that in the joy of his re-confirmation as king of Denmark he’d be merciful.

How could I doubt him ?

Giro d’Italia 2012 – Stage 1: Herning (ITT) 8.7km. The Head Says Phinney(0)

‘My heart says Alex, but my head says Phinney,’ my statement as I walked out the door of our rented cottage in search of a stable wi-fi connection.

I would have loved Alex Rasmussen to win, but something told me that he wasn’t ‘sparkling.’

And the same voice told me it was too far for Geraint Thomas.

Nokere-Koerse 2012(0)

Francesco Chicchi (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) started his season well with two stage victories at the Tour de San Luis in Argentina in February and the opening road Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen last week, and he continued his great form with a superb sprint victory in Nokere-Koerse today, using his knowledge of the finale to distance Kris Boeckmans (Vacansoleil-DCM) and Boy Van Poppel (UnitedHealthcare) in the uphill gallop to the line.

Scottish National Road Series, Round 1 – Gifford(1)

On a bright but sometimes cold and blustery Saturday afternoon in beautiful East Lothian, the Scottish National Road Race Series got off to a surprising start as Velo Ecosse junior, Tom Arnstein beat all the favourites to win; outsprinting tester supreme, Arthur Doyle (www.Dooleys-Cycles).

Arnstein stuck to the golden rule of Scottish road racing-’never ignore the early break’-a tactic which paid off handsomely.

Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne 2012(0)

From the point that his Sky Procycling teammates took up station on the front of the peloton with 60km to go, Mark Cavendish never looked like losing today, and so it proved as he swept to an easy bunch sprint win over FDJ-Big Mat’s Yauheni Hutarovich with Vacansoleil-DCM’s Kenny Van Hummel in third.