Velochimp: Astrochimp on Cycling

AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati
It’s down to four seconds between the reigning Tour de France champion and the young “Cobra” Ricco going into an epic weekend that features a brutal mountain stage and final time trial in Milan. This Giro could be one of the closest in memory after a week that featured a brutal uphill time [...]

Hmm, maybe David Millar won’t be doing promos for SRAM’s chains anytime soon. Bonus points for getting some good distance on the bike. Bjarne Riis would be proud. After 4 plus hours in a breakaway having your chain snap just as you are about to make a sprint has got to be the most frustrating [...]

(AFP/Damien Meyer)
Rain Sicilian roads made for a slick crash filled stage. The processional pace must have been a result of the crashes and recovery from the previous two stages. Passing from Catania to Messina there were many crashes highlighting the Giro coverage. Bradley McGee is the latest early exit from a nasty crash. That is [...]

(AFP/Damien Meyer)
One of the exciting aspects of the Giro are these brutal climbing circuit finishes that bring out the small Italian sprinting/climbing types. The Davide Rebellin’s Danilo Diluca’s and Paolo Bettini type of racers that can power up brutally steep climbs and sprint to win in a small pack. The new kid on the block [...]

Photo (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)
The Giro is upon us once again. The funnest Grand Tour started today in Palermo, Sicily with a Team Time Trial. Twenty years after Andy Hampsten last wore the Maglia Rosa in Milan to win the 1988 Giro D’Italia witha young American 7-Eleven team Christian Vande Velde wears the Maglia at the [...]

(DiLuca is ticked at Gasparotto: AP Photo)
When you hear Italian cyclist speak they always talk about being calm or serene in their racing or training. It is almost like they are talking about going to a spa instead of an intense bike race. This is particularly interesting since Italians are know for their hot tempers. [...]

GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP/Getty Images
Ivan Basso looked like he redeemed himself yesterday with the honest admission of working with Dr. Fuentes and admitting that he is “Birillo”. But Basso has a career and palmares to think about. The Giro victory was a major milestone that was ripe to be taken away now that Basso admitted to doping. [...]

The Giro D’Italia will feature only 18 of the 20 ProTour Teams and will make the final announcement on February 12. This is a move that signals a large fissure in the battle between the UCI’s and the three Grand Tours. This situation was not helped much when Pat McQuaid made some very odd comments [...]

Ivan Basso may have sparked the latest trend in cycling of racing both the Giro and Tour de France. Basso was unable to ride the double last year due to some doping investigation, but with the Giro win in his pocket he was able to get some trophies from the adoring Italian press by [...]

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