Nov 9, 2005
Giro Rumors Include Team Time Trial
The 89th edition of the Giro D’Italia will e presented to the world this weekend on Saturday November 12 from Milan. As is usual from a Grand Tour presentation there are lots of rumors. What is know is that the race will start in Belgium and stick around the Walloon region for a few days to give joy to the 200,000 Italians living there. According to Tuttobici, once the Giro is back on home soil, there is a rumored Team Time Trial from Piacenza to Cremona. This must have been made with Ivan Basso and team CSC in mind. For 2006, CSC stacked it’s lineup for the TTT by signing Fabian Cancellara. The Tour de France presentation must have dissappointed CSC and some fans who will not see a steam train that includes Jens Voight, Bobby Julich, David Zabriske, Fabian Cancellara and Basso. This group probably won’t ride in the Giro, since all eyes are on the Tour, as is well documented in past Velochimp posts.
The Saturday presentation will be of interest to many riders who have pledged to ride the Corsa Rosa. Miguel Indurain recently encouraged Roberto Heras to go for the Giro and Tour double, but depending on what happens with his drug issues, we may not be seeing Heras anywhere near a bike for a while (hope this indeed was a lab mix-up). Here is a listing of Giro stages as speculated by Tuttobici.
LE TAPPE DEL GIRO
6.5 Seraing (crono ind.) km 6
7.5 Mons – Charleroy/Marcinelle, km 203
8.5 Perwez – Namur, km 202
9.5 Wanze – Hotton, km 182
10.5 Riposo
11.5 Piacenza – Cremona, km 38 (cronosquadre)
12.5 Busseto – Forlė km 160
13.5 Cesena – Saltara, km 230
14.5 Civitanova Marche – Maielletta, km 150
15.5 Francavilla a Mare – Termoli km 170
16.5 Termoli- Peschici, km 165
17.5 Riposo
18.5 Pontedera – Pontedera (crono ind.) km 36
19.5 Livorno – Sestri Levante, km 181
20.5 Alessandria – La Thuile, km 210
21.5 Aosta – Domodossola, km 226
22.5 Mergozzo-Brescia km 205
23.5 Rovato – Trento (Monte Bondone), km 206
24.5 Termeno – Plan de Corones, km 158
25.5 Dobbiaco (Sillian) – Gemona, km 256
26.5 Pordenone – Passo San Pellegrino, km 224
27.5 Trento – Aprica, km 221
28.5 1^ semitappa: Bellagio – Ghisallo (cronoscalata), km 10
2^ semitappa: Cambiago – Milano, km 127
TTT in Giro would be great…But I don’t think that CSC will focus on Giro even if there will be a TTT since they want to throw everything they can into TdF…..