Giro d'Italia Week Three: The Good and Bad in Italy

This year's Giro seems to lack a bit in drama as Alberto Contador has ruled the GC battle with an iron fist. No one has come close to the Spaniard thus far in the three week stage race, and "El Pistolero" looks poised to roll through the final week unchallenged as the "Patron" of this year's Giro. There are other story lines to follow though, a few of them listed below . . .

Too bad to see Thomas Lovkvist so far off the GC battle. Sky's main hope for the GC has been a big disappointment thus far, and unless he manages a stage win his 2011 Giro will be looked back on as an abject failure.

The ever-aging duo of Denis Menchov and Carlos Sastre has not yielded the results that Geox management would have hoped for. Menchov is nearly 10 minutes behind Contador while Sastre is buried in 29th place, nearly 45 minutes behind. Expect a retirement announcement from Sastre at the end of the year as he is clearly done.

Vincenzo Nibali and Michele Scarponi were clearly game to try to thwart Contador, but they, like every other cyclist in the world, are several pedal strokes slower than Contador. The two have fought hard and remained resolute in their approach against Contador, but nothing they do has worked. Had Contador not been at this year's Giro, it probably would have turned out to be one of the closest GC battles in years.

John Gadret out of nowhere. Nice to see a Frenchie riding high on the GC in a grand tour.

Roman Kreuziger has a long way to go before he becomes a serious GC threat. A nice first stab at leadership, but not ready yet to be considered among the elite.

Not a very good Giro put in by Tiago Machado. The Radioshack rider was considered a strong candidate as a dark horse for a strong GC showing, but it just hasn't happened. Perhaps he should focus on the shorter stage races?

There is no reason to believe that Stefano Garzelli can't return next year to the Giro. He is still a strong rider, and his character adds flavor to his home tour.

Danilo Di Luca is 1 hour and 44 minutes off the pace of Contador. He should retire effective immediately.

Chris Horner Takes AToC: Tour de France Next?

To those in the know, Chris Horner has long been considered one of the best riders America has ever produced. He has garnered top ten placings in both stage races and one day classics alike, and this past weekend he added the overall Amgen Tour of California title to his palmares.

Horner has been riding his bike professionally for a very long time, yet in all of those years he has never once been given the chance to ride as a leader for a grand tour. Thanks to his victory in California this year, that is all set to change.

Horner, along with Levi Leipheimer, will be a protected rider for Radioshack in this July's Tour. So focused is he on a podium placing, Horner has decided not to ride this weekend's US Pro Championships in Greenville, so that he can concentrate on re-building his form for France. Providing he comes to the Tour in similar shape as he was in California, Horner should have a legitimate shot at a top 5 placing.

When thoughts shift to his entire career, one can't help but wonder what could have been for Horner had he not decided to join the Francaise des Jeux team in 1997. He had just come off a stellar domestic season in the USA, and was eager to cut his teeth at the next level. Unfortunately though, the atmosphere at FDJ was just not conducive to an American boy used to eating cheeseburgers and listening ot rock music back home. He became alienated within his own team, and by the time his contract was up he had no other takers in Europe for a contract extension.

Horner headed back to the states and picked up where he left off, dominating the scene for the next several seasons. He eventually was able to catch back on with a ProTour team, but by that time he was 33 years old and heading into the final few years of his prime.

Still, Horner made the best of things and has managed to elongate his career arc. At 40 years old he is heading to the end of the line, but he clearly has plenty left in the tank. He'll head to France this year with higher expectations than ever, but he seems ready to lead his team in the world's biggest bike race. In the past few days Horner has stated that he doesn't believe anyone except Alberto Contador can drop him in the high mountains. Come July, he'll get his chance to prove it.

Tyler Hamilton Comes Clean: The Awful Truth

From an exchange with Tyler Hamilton dated June 26, 2006:

Tyler,

I have been an avid fan of cycling for 25 years, since I was five. I have enjoyed watching the sport over all these years, despite the various doping scandals over the last ten years. I remember your selfless work for Lance Armstrong during your years with Postal. I noticed how humble you always were, always the diligent Gregario for Lance when he needed you.

Tyler, as a small child I was taught that a man owns up to his mistakes, no matter what the fallout may be. In light of the recent "Operation Puerto," it seems now more than ever that you are guilty. If and when the information comes out that you were in fact doping, how will that make you look to your loved ones and fans? It is never too late to admit your mistakes, unless someone reveals them before you do. Be a man Tyler, and be honest. Stand up and take responsibility for what you did. I had your posters on my wall for years. They are in my basement now.

Sincerely,

Briggs


Dear Briggs

I cannot now and will not ever admit to something that I did not do. I have been honest and I will continue to fight to vindicate my name.

I hope that someday I will be able to prove to you that you will want to move your posters from your basement to your wall again.

I wish you the best of luck

Tyler Hamilton


Tyler,

Thank you for your reply. Please understand that I do not write these things to upset or put you off. It is extremely hard for me to tell one of my heroes that I don't believe him. You have to understand that your die-hard American fans have a huge amount invested in you. You are the antitheseis of Armstrong. Quiet, humble, a team player, you grew into a leader instead of being annointed as one. You represent the underdog, the supporter, the one no body notices as he moves mountains. This gives the rest of us hope that there is more to competition than just winning. When I would climb a tough hill, I never imagined myself as Armstrong. I pictured myself clawing back to the lead group in the green and yellow of Phonak, as the warrior, as Tyler Hamilton.

Another thing about your die hard fans is that they follow your career very closely. Most people in America don' t have any idea what the Giro d'Italia is. They watch the Tour de France every year, but they have no idea that other huge races happen. I am not one of those fans. I watched as you took the overall in the Dauphine, with Lance's support. I observed you come agonizingly close in Italy, barely losing to Salvodelli because you couldn't get out of the saddle to climb with him due to your collar bone injury. I watched with goose bumps as you won Liege. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe that you had finally made it, through hard work and perseverance. When you came to the Tour to beat Armstrong, I felt positive that it would happen. You were in shape, on your own team as sole leader, seemingly ready to topple the champ. When you abandoned after injuring your back in a crash, I remembering feeling as though it was just one more hurdle for you to climb towards your inevitable victory one day in France. Then, you won gold in the Olympic time trial. You seemed to get stronger each month, each year.

When your positive test happened, I was devistated. For the last two years I tried to believe all of your arguments. They make sense and may prove to be true, but you still could have doped. Miller never failed a test, yet was a cheat. Barry Bonds in baseball has never failed a test, but common sense says that he is probably guilty. Maybe you are innocent. If so, I will be happier than any one.

-end

Sometimes reality sucks. Today was one of those days for EuroPeloton.

Amgen Tour of California 2011: Early Takeaways

Another addition of America's premiere stage race is upon as, as the 6th running of the Amgen Tour of California commences in several day's time. As ever, the line up for the event is solid, but with more climbing on the docket many of the world's top sprinters chose not to ride the event this year. Instead, the race will feature a line up of more climbing oriented specialists, as teams look to win the event in the high mountians that will be featured throughout the race.

The mainstream cycling media has already covered some of the more obvious story lines regarding the GC battle, but what else should the average fan be looking for during the race? Here are some items to keep in mind while viewing the beggest race in America . . .

We already know that Levi Leipheimer and Chris Horner will be protagonists in the race, but are we also watching the last stand of each rider as team leaders? With a host of youngsters nipping at their heels, 2011 could be th efinal chance for both Americans to lead their squad at their home tour. Both riders though seem to improve with age though, so seeing them mentioned among the favorites next year wouldn't be a huge surprise.

The Garmin team seems to have the strongest squad, at least on paper. Vande Velde and Zabriskie will be motivated, but so will Dan Martin, Andrew Talansky, Tom Danielson and Ryder Hesjedal. When the race hits the most decisive moments, expect to see Garmin at the front of the group taking control.

The 2011 AToC should be the official "welcome to cycling's elite" party for Tejay Van Garderen. The 22 year old will lead HTC for his home race, and looks to be in position for a top 5 finish on the GC. He should be a Tour de France competitor in about 3 years, but for now he'll settle for shooting for the win at California.

If in shape, Lars Boom could surprise as a possible GC darkhorse. He'll need to be on huge form though to stay in contact for the alpine stages.

As usual, the American-based teams look outgunned. Hopefully someone can make a big impression by taking a stage win at some point. Perhaps Paul Mach in a breakaway?

Despite a drop of in sprinter quality, there are still some big names coming to contest the flatter stages of the AToC. Goss, Hushovd, Haedo and Freire will be the most marked fast men, while others to watch include Liquigas' Daniel Oss, United Healthcare's Robert Forster, Team Tyle 1's Ino Ilesic, Jamis' Alejandro Borrajo and Kelly Benefit's Alex Candelario.

Will the weather hold in the mountains? The Sierra Nevada mountains often see snow in May, and a significant storm could ruin the first foray into the mountains for the AToC. Fingers crossed . . .

The Grim Reality: Weylandt's Death Reminds Elite Pros of Real Danger of Competitive Cycling

Absolutely crushing news form the Giro d'Italia today as Leopard-Trek's Wouter Weylandt died after crashing on the third stage of the Giro. Weylandt was a well-liked pro who will be greatly missed by the cycling community. His death is another grim reminder of the harsh reality of elite cycling.

As fans, we watch cycling for the spectacle. We love the colors, the teamwork, the brave individual efforts and the hopeless breakaways. We love the raw power and dogged perserverance of the riders. Yet as we watch them race week in and week out, we rarely remember the danger the riders are in at all time.

Weylandt's death serves as yet another stark reminder that pro cyclists are extremely exposed while out on the road. Wearing little protection except a helmet, riders careen down steep grades and hairpin turns, in contant danger of a life-threatening impact from a crash. Unfortunately, there is little to be done to ensure their safety. Riding fast downhill is dangerous and always will be, that's just the way it is.

With most of the Giro left to be ridden, it will be very difficult to focus on anything other than Weylandt's passing. At 26, he was taken well before his time, he did not deserve to lose his life at such a young age. It is likely that finish line celebratoins will be muted and podium ceremonies hushed as the tour continues.

It is unfortunate that such a tragic event has impacted what is shaping up to be an amazing Giro. Hopefully the peloton will band together and neutralize stage four, allowing the Leopard team to ride together over the line. 2011 will forever be remembered as the Giro that saw a great rider, and person, struck down by bad luck and poor circumstance.

Giro Hero: Stefano Garzelli

It's hard to believe that Stefano Garzelli is still riding as an elite professional. The Italian battle ax has seen his share of wars on two wheels, yet he comes back year after year and seems always to be a player in his home tour. This year, as ever, he'll lead his team at the Giro, where he'll no doubt hunt for stage wins and perhaps the climber's jersey in one of the toughest Giro editions in recent memory.

Garzelli has had an amazing career, and once he finally decides to retire he'll go down in Italian lore as one of the best all-around stylists of his generation. He has found success in stage races and one day tests alike, and in recent years has used his brains as much as his brawn to win races. The case will be the same again this year, as he'll need shrewd tactics to win what would be the 9th Giro stage of his career.

Garzelli's career trajectory has been an interesting one, as the beginning of his time as a pro cyclist was unbelievably successful. Learning under the super-doped Marco Pantani as a neo-pro, Garzelli won his one and only overall title at the Giro way back in 2000. The best he would manage in subsequent years would be a runner-up slot in 2004. He was embroiled in a doping controversy in 2002, and many of his early career efforts scream of doped results.

Around 2005, perhaps a light switched on in his head as Garzelli suddenly was no longer a GC contender. Seemingly overnight he went from a GC threat to an outlier, focusing instead on chasing stage wins and riding within his limits. To those that followed his career closely, it was clear that something physiologically changed in Garzelli during that time, as he was no longer able to stay with the best in the world on the toughest climbs and longer time trials. It seemed, despite little hard evidence, that he had decided to give up the dope.

Since that decision was taken, Garzelli has remained a force in cycling, but in a different capacity. He can't contend for the GC in big stage races any more, but he still manages to impact each race he is in, be it with a stage victory or a race-altering attack. And by making a choice to be a clean athlete, Garzelli has endeared himself to his tifosi with his determination and grit in each race he enters.

As Garzelli enters the final stage of his career, he can feel secure knowing that his legacy will live on long after he dismounts his machine. His bald head will be missed once he decides to retire, and he'll surely leave a void in Italian cycling with his eventual retirement. For now though it's on to another Giro, to the delight of his adoring fans.

Giro d'Italia Pressure: 5 Riders that Need Big Results in Italy

With the Giro just a few days away, there are five riders who must put in good showings at the year's first grand tour. Each of the following riders have specific reasons for why they must perform well, as some are hoping to remain in leadership roles while others are simply looking to be able to extend their careers as elite cyclists. Five to consider for the first grand tour of 2011.

Mark Cavendish will remain an elite cyclist regardless of his performance in Italy, but should he fail to impress at the Giro, the Manxman could find himself playing second fiddle to Matt Goss come Tour de France time. Jus tone stage win should secure him a spot as the leader for HTC in July, and judging by the opening week of the Giro he should get that win in the first week of racing.

Carlos Sastre is bordering on being written off as a rider that can impact a bike race. he is clearly no longer leadership material, but Sastre is also struggling simply to fill the roll of super domestique. Sastre has seen his form turn for the worse over the past few seasons, and a poor showing at the Giro will likely mark the beginning of the end for the small Spaniard.

Danilo Di Luca, like Sastre, needs to ride a strong race in support of his team leader Rodriguez. Di Luca clearly won't ever be a team leader again for a pro cycling team and at this point is fighting simply to be a part of a team in 2012. Di Luca looks in every way like a former doper, and a sub-par showing in Italy will confirm what many already feel: that he couldn't get it done as an elite pro without cheating.

Alessandro Petacchi is long in the tooth and has consistently been barraged by doping allegations. Still, he has managed to stay relevant in the sport, and the wins keep on puring in despite his advanced age. Petacchi has been just a shade slow thus far in 2011, and he needs at least one win at his home tour to deserve protection in France in July. Like Cavendish he'll likely find his way ot the line first within the first week of the Giro. If not though, he is at an advantage as he seems to grow stronger as Tours progress, unlike some of his competition.

Thomas Lovkvist, although still young at under 30 years of age, nevertheless needs to ride into at least the top ten on the overall at the Giro. Lovkvist is the leader for GC for his Sky team, but it will be the last time if he falls flat. He is under pressure to perform, and if he doesn't a career as a domestique to others awaits him.

Giro d'Italia 2011: Bring On the Grand Tours

The Giro d'Italia opens the summer pro cycling season, and as usual it is positioning as the most exciting of the three grand tours. There are a host of GC contenders taking to the start line this weekend, but there are many other riders too who should help make it an exciting and memorable race. Our thoughts below on the first, and best, grand tour of the cycling season.

The GC picture is stacked, but it is Alberto Contador who sits at the top of the favorites heap. Despite luke-warm form for the first part of the season, "El Pistolero" will always be the number one favorite in all stages he enters. His track record over the past several seasons has been flawless, and until he is dethroned in a grand tour he remains the man to beat.

Close behind Contador are a slew of riders capable of taking top honors under the right circumstances. The Italians, as usual, will be ready to shine at the Giro, and Lampre's Michele Scarponi and Liquigas' Vincenzo Nibali lead the Italian charge. Scarponi has been stellar thus far in 2011, always at the front, particularly on the toughest climbs during the spring. Nibali meanwhile has been a bit quieter, but make no mistake: the "Shark of the Strait" will be ready come race time.

Jaoquin Rodriguez will lead Katusha, and after a strong spring campaign "Purito" looks ready for the Giro. He is a strong overall rider who is vicious on the climbs, and a top three podium placing should be well within his reach. With no Pozzato to draw attention away, Rodriguez will be in the spotlight, but after a strong 2010 campaign he is ready for the big stage.

Geox will enter 2009 Giro winner Denis Menchov, and the Russian will surely give everything during the three week event. Time is no longer on his side though, and at 33 he is running out of chances to win grand tours. Nevertheless, he is dangerous and should have a good ride once again in Italy. Having former Tour de France winner Carlos Sastre by his side will help Menchov as well, and should give Geox a nice one-two punch for the climbing stages.

Astana's Roman Kreuziger has long wanted a chance to lead a team at a grand tour, and he'll get that chance for the first time this year. Kreuziger is a hugely talented stage racing hope, but he needs a big result to prove his worth as a front-line contender. Typically his weaknesses are the steepest mountain slopes, but is he can find a way to limit his losses on the toughest climbs he should have a shot at a top five placing.

Sky cycling will back Thomas Lovkvist, and the British team will hope that the 27 year old is finally ready for prime time. Like Kreuziger Lovkvist seems to struggle on the toughest climbs, and he needs a top five result to be considered as a top stage racing threat.

Some other tidbits heading into this week's Giro start . . .

The Garmin team seems to be coming to the Giro largely to support Farrar. Still, don;t be surprised if Le Mevel rides into the top ten or better.

The ageless Stefano Garzelli lines up for yet another Giro. An Italian legend, Garzelli adds color to any race he enters, and his legacy will forever be tied to his home tour.

Emanuele Sella returns to his beloved Giro. How good he'll do without dope remains to be seen.

BMC enters an incredibly weak team. It will be a miracle if they are seen at the front at any point in the three week race. Kristoff is their best hope for a win, as the young sprinter has shown an ability to contend in the sprints.

Can Igor Anton put in a good ride for Euskaltel? If not, the orange Basque team will be largely anonymous.

Danilo Di Luca returns to the Giro, but his only goal will likely be just finishing the three week event. He is a shell of his former doping self, simple as that.

Clearly the Leopard-Trek team are putting all their guns to July's Tour de France. Their team for the Giro looks built for stage wins at best.

Radioshack's Tiago Machado will be a much better known name after the Giro. This is a rider clearly ready to step up to the next level of elite racing. He should be good for a top 10.

Unlike in previous editions, it will be fun to watch the sprinters duke it out over the first week of racing. Between Cavendish, Farrar, Petacchi, Kristoff, Ventoso, McEwen and Bozic should lead to some exciting group finishes over the first 9 stages.

Like Stefano Garzelli, Giovanni Visconti's career is marked by his Giro rides. The reigning Italian champion should be ready for his home tour, and a stage race win should be in the cards for the all-arounder.

Despite a terrible injury a year back, Rinaldo Nocentini should be ready to ride a strong Giro. Not a sprinter or a climber, the most underrated active Italian cyclist should get a chance at some point to shine for a stage win.