So Long Simoni: Gibo Bids Farewell with Classy 2010 Giro d'Italia Ride

Gilberto Simoni, capping an amazing career, completed his final Giro d'Italia today, ending a love affair with the Italian stage race that has lasted longer than a decade. A slower, far more humble Simoni tackled the final week of the Giro with his usual flair, and although he was unable to wring one final stage win out of the race his presence was felt strongly throughout as the legendary Italian wrapped up his story book career.

Gilberto Simoni will go down in history as one of the best stage racers of his generation, remembered as a fearsome climber capable in his prime of dropping the best climbers in the world. He won his two Giro d'Italia's behind fierce accelerations on the steepest climbs, and always took the time to thank his teammates who supported him along the way. Outspoken and brash, Simoni was never afraid to speak his mind, and his comments over the years brought both controversy and praise alike from all of the cycling world.

Back in 2006 Simoni famously called out Ivan Basso as an extra-terrestrial after Basso won stage 20 of the Giro by more than ten minutes. His accusation, later withdrawn, proved true in the coming months though as Basso was eventually implicated in the Operacion Puerto scandal ahead of the Tour de France.

Simoni was followed for a documentary during his 2003 Giro run, and the film is well worth watching. The name of the film is "The Quest". The film does a great job of putting you inside the head of an elite cyclist in the absolute prime of his career. The viewer sees a Simoni who is undaunted by his competition of the parcours, a man utterly confident in both himself and his team. And throughout the film, the viewer also comes to understand that Simoni is a deeply introspective man, in love with his family as much as his bicycle.

To see Gilbert Simoni retire now is bittersweet. It will be sad to see such a vibrant personality in the sport retire, but at the same time it is clearly correct that he retire now. His best kilometers are surely behind him, but his memory will live on, at the Giro specifically. Hopefully Simoni will find a way to stay involved in the sport. If not though, we wish him the very best in the next stage of his life. A great champion parts ways with the sport today, but his memory will love for many years in the minds of all those that saw him dominate years ago.