Thursday, April 18, 2024

Tag: Giro d'Italia 2009

Giro d’Italia 2009 – Day 8: Stage 21, Roma

"Super Grinta," Denis, Roma and Ignatas Konovalovas. That was what the Gazzetta said about Danilo after the Vesuvio stage; "grinta" is the quality of physical and mental toughness that the true greats have - "Super Grinta" - great expression.

Giro d’Italia 2009 – Day 7: Stage 20, Napoli – Anagni

How is it that a country which spawned Campag, Ducati, Ferrari and Armani can't get the plumbing to work? Last night's hotel had the electrical switch for the shower just a couple of inches from the shower head; the difference between being scalded and freezing was two microns on the control.

Giro d’Italia 2009 – Day 6: Stage 19, Avellino – Vesuvio

It's 12.25 and we're headed for a road that the men's lifestyle and driving mags rave about; The Amalfi Coast. Amalfi, Porto Fino, Sorrento - playgrounds of the rich and famous.

Giro d’Italia 2009 – Day 5: Stage 18, Sulmona – Benevento

Ciao from Benevento! To go in the "it's a small world" file - when we left you last night, we'd narrowly escaped running out of gas en route Sulmona. After a bit of messing around, we found the apartment; who answered the door?

Giro d’Italia 2009 – Day 4: Stage 17, Chieti – Blockhaus

I woke with a start, in the middle of the night, damn! I thought, things I should have mentioned, in the diary - Blockhaus; today's mega climb, we caught sight of it yesterday morning as we hurtled down the Autostrada.

Giro d’Italia 2009 – Day 3: Rest Day

I just don't feel right in the mornings at the Giro d'Italia 2009 'til I get my Gazzetta. Dave drove past a couple of newsagents this morning, I could see the pink pages, but not get to them - it was terrible! Dave predicted that Carlos would get 9 out of 10 - he was spot on. Levi got 4 and the man that the Gazzetta loves to hate; Gibo Simoni didn't even get a mention. Silvi Marina was the destination; Dave battered the Peugeot down the Autostrada for our rendezvous with Rubens Bertogliati, Ben Swift and Dario Cioni.

Giro d’Italia – Day 2: Stage 16, Pergola – Monte Petrano

La Gazzetta Dello Sport doesn't like Gibo Simoni, he gets a 3 out of 10 for yesterday's effort, where he contrived to drop 17:59 on the stage - ouch! Saving it for today's stage to Monte Petrano? We'll see.

Giro d’Italia 2009 – Day 1: Stage 15, Forlì – Faenza

Coming down the stairs at 05:00 am to the find the car had been broken into wasn't a good start to the day. But that's life. The M8, M77, Prestwick, Ryanair and here we are; in the 37 degree heat of Bologna, heading south to Faenza and our credentials.

At Random

Gent Six Day 2009 Finalé-Revisited

The Gent Six Day 2009 kicks off next week, so as a way to build the excitement we thought we'd revisit last year's finalé, with VeloVeritas' own Ed Hood there and working for the Danish World Madison Champions, Saxo Bank riders Alex Rasmussen and Michael Mørkøv, as well as Swiss star Franco Marvulli. Read on!...

A Weekend in the Flatlands; Het Nieuwsblad 2013 and a Cancelled KBK

VeloVeritas and chums were over at the Belgian season opening Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne Brussels Kuurne semi-classics. Unfortunately the latter was cancelled but we still snapped away – here’s a selection of our favourite images from the weekend.

La Vuelta a España 2012 – Stage 11: Cambados – Pontevedra 39.4 km ITT

We're in Cambados, mulling over how could we overlook Fred? He won the TT in the Tour of Switzerland - beating Cancellara in the process - then pushed TV hard for the polka dot jersey in le Tour.

David Solari – Australian AND Italian Champion!

National Champion of two different nations at the same time? Is that possible? If your name is David Solari then the answer is ‘yes’ – and the man made six Worlds podiums in four different disciplines to boot.

Stuart Balfour – Racing 2021 with Swiss Racing Academy

David Rayner Fund 2018 ‘rider of the year,’ Heriot man, Stuart Balfour was busy post the 2020 ‘lock down’ and season 2021 sees him step up a level to UCI Continental team, Swiss Racing Academy which boasts former multiple World Time Trial and reigning Olympic Time Trial Champion, Fabian Cancellara as it’s patron.

Youcef Reguigui – the Tour de Langkawi 2015 Winner Tells All

Millionaires living in Monaco and the late, great Alan Van Heerden apart, the recent Tour de Langkawi saw perhaps the best ever result for an African cyclist with Algerian and MTN Qhubeka climber/sprinter Youcef Reguigui taking the penultimate stage up Fraser’s Hill, grabbing the leader’s jersey and holding on to it through the frantic last stage criterium in Kuala Lumpur.