Tag Archive for ‘Giro d’Italia 2008’
We’re Disappointed in You, Gabriele (1)
“Our pal Bosisio positive,’ said the text from Dave.
Gabriele Bosisio of LPR Brakes and Italy was the subject of a UCI out of competition test; “the adverse finding was a direct result of a targeted urine test, conducted immediately after a blood test triggered an unusual blood profile within the biological passport program,” said their statement.
On the Kroonplatz time trial stage of the 2008 Giro, we gave Gabriele a shout as he came down off the mountain, after his ride.
Giro d’Italia – Day 10: Stage 21, Cesano Maderno – Milano (Individual Time Trial) (0)
Today’s Gazzetta has Emanuele Sella’s little face smiling out at us with a headline that makes a play on his name: “S(T)ELLA” = star.
Life is so much easier when Germans don’t win stages! Inside, a headline says; “Bruseghin da podio. Di Luca si arrende.” I ask our hotelier what ‘arrende’ means; he slumps his shoulders, drops his arms to his side, puts his head to one side and let’s his tongue hang out – yes, we can understand the translation.
Sella apart (on a 9 out of 10) the Gazzetta isn’t fullsome with stars for the other Italian riders, whilst Bert gets 8. Simoni gets 7 for his fruitless attack, Bruz is on 7 – but as a “chronoman” he couldn’t be expected to do anything but wait.
Giro d’Italia – Day 9: Stage 20, Rovetta – Tirano (0)
Paolo Savoldelli 10 out of 10, Danilo Di Luca 9.5 out of 10: the Gazzetta gave Friday to LPR – and so they should. Stage racing at it’s best; even if Contador wins on Sunday in Milano, Di Luca can hold his head high.
Ricco gets a 9; if he can keep his feet on the ground then he must surely win a giro – but not this one. Contador on 6.5; as Diquigiovanni’s DS, Savio told us yesterday; “Perhaps Contador will have a bad day.”
The problem for Savio, was that his contender, Gibo Simoni also had a forgettable day, dropping from third to tenth on GC and earning just 5 out of 10 from the Gazzetta – he must attack today to salvage something from this race.
Giro d’Italia – Day 8: Stage 19, Legnano – Presolana/Monte Pora (0)
Buon giorno !
Another German stage win and the Gazzetta front page says – “three days of truth waiting to attack Contador” – old Jens doesn’t get so much as a mention until the fourth page of Giro reports, deep in the paper – like I said yesterday, the Italians just love the Germans winning their tappas…
Contador is given a 55% chance of final overall victory, Ricco 20% and Simoni 20%. There are 480.0 kilometres left to decide the race, of which 28.5 K is against the watch. Today’s stage is 228 K with three GP Montagna, including a mountain top finish; it could be a seven hours job.
Giro d’Italia – Day 7: Stage 18, Mendrisio – Varese (0)
We belled Viktor from Verbania last night…
We were feeling quite mellow; words and pics sent, a nice plate of pasta, a glass of beer and a stroll by Maggiore in the warm air.
“The only reason I watch the race is because there’s nothing else on TV, those photos you take are holiday snaps, Sella looks like a schoolboy, ‘certain of the GB rider’s’ aren’t proper pros, the scenery is terrible… “
Giro d’Italia – Day 6: Stage 17, Sondrio – Locarno (0)
The girl in the petrol station where we just filled up, was stunningly beautiful – I sent Dave back in to buy Coke, so he could see her; why don’t they have girls like her in the filling station at Wester Hailes?
The Gazzetta is on my lap as we head for ‘partenza’ in Sondrio. Even though you can’t speak Italian, you can get the jist of most of what’s being said; “Sorpresa Van Den Broeck, delusione Savoldelli.”
The stats are great too, ideal for saddos like us, particularly the ‘rating so far’ – “Bert” on 9 out of 10 and “The Killer” way back on 5; he won’t like that!
Giro d’Italia 2008 – Day 5: Rest Day (0)
“When you hear the tootin’ of the whistle, you never have to guess; it’s Casey at the throttle of the Cannonball Express” – Dave and I were just debating the lyrics of the Casey Jones 60′s TV programme, if anyone can give us the full lyrics, we’d be much obliged.
Sorry, on long transfer drives like this, you get to talking about all sorts of things.
You left us at San Lorenzo, now we’re en route to Sondrio – not a huge distance, maybe 250 K but on B roads and involving two mountain passes. The weather is glorious today, 23 degrees and we’re at 1000 metres plus as we head east across the north of Italy.
Giro d’Italia 2008 – Day 4: Stage 16, San Vigilio di Marebbe – Plan de Corones (Individual Time Trial) (0)
The balcony from our digs has the most perfect views you can imagine. It was a hassle to find, but now that we’re here it’s simply magnificent, it’s like looking out of a plane, we’re so high and the view across the valley is so spectacular.
The Plan de Corones stage made for great TV and if we’d had mountain bikes with us and no deadlines to worry about it would have been great to be up there on the dirt section.
However, in the ‘real world’, we knew it would be nightmarish trying to get down off the hill after the finish and there are deadlines to meet.
Giro d’Italia 2008 – Day 3: Stage 15: Arabba – Passo Fedaia/Marmolada (0)
“The best laid plans of mice and men gang aft aglay,” Rabbie Burns must have had a premonition about the Giro when he wrote that.
It should have been a short hop over the Pordoi Pass from the digs to the start at Arabba. The jobsworth policeman at the top of the Pordoi settled our hash though; “No, you stop now, road closed, no journalists, only team cars!” Aye, cheers pal, you’ll soon get that job you want in the riot squad, bludgeoning students. Sorry…, I was ranting, wasn’t I?
We had to turn the little Matiz around and head back down the Pordoi to take route B to Arabba, via three alternative mountain passes.
Giro d’Italia – Day 2: Stage 14: Verona – Alpe di Pampeago~Val di Fiemme (0)
Another long one, it’s 11.35 pm local time, Saturday and we’re still in this pizzeria at Pozza di Fassa.
The stage finished down on schedule and by the time we walked off the mountain; got set up in the press room, fired the pics away, completed the words, drove here, found the hotel and checked in, it was well after 10.00. The hotel is nice, this is ski country and the Austrian border isn’t far away so it’s all chalets, wide eaves and timber – very picturesque.
The owner was doing a fair Hank Marvin impersonation on the electric guitar when we arrived, entertaining some of his guests. He has good patter; “Are you the owner?” Reply; “No, I just look after it for the bank!”
Giro d’Italia 2008 – Day 1: Stage 13, Modena – Cittadella (0)
Ciao ! Ciao ! It’s 9.30 pm here in Verona, city of opera, Romeo and Juliet and Stage 14 of the 2008 Giro.
We’re sitting outside our hotel with our “welcome drink” – not a bad beer, as it happens. It’s been a long one – up at 03.30 am; car to Turnhouse; Easyjet to Stanstead; Ryanair to Brescia with two screeching Essex girls in the seats in front of us, then hire car to Verona.
We threw caution to the wind and bought a map of Verona on the way in to the city at a filling station; finding the hotel was a breeze. I’ve got all the hotels pre-booked this year; it won’t be as much fun as driving around Italy at midnight looking for a bed but we’re a year older and getting soft.
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