Category: Giro d’Italia

  • Bradley Wiggins loses 17 seconds

    Team Sky made out that Bradley Wiggins had lost time on stage four because he’d been caught behind a crash. This was true, but it’s also true that he was in a position where that was more likely to happen. The peloton was stretched like cooked mozzarella due to high speeds on the run-in to…

  • Ryder Hesjedal bothers the peloton

    I’ve spoken before about grand tours basically being a prolonged bout of whittling. They’re not won. It’s more that at the end, one person hasn’t yet lost. As such, most of the significant action actually takes place away from the cameras. Why attack? On stage three, Ryder Hesjedal attacked on the final climb. The focus…

  • Mark Cavendish surrenders Giro lead to Team Sky

    After stage one, I wondered how Mark Cavendish would cope when he realised that hills would be added to corners thus increasing the difficulty of the Giro d’Italia. I got my answer after the team time trial. “It was all left, right, up and down. It was difficult for me and the team.” Cavendish’s Omega…

  • Mark Cavendish defies trying conditions to take the maglia rosa

    The maglia rosa is the Giro’s equivalent of the maillot jaune – only it’s not jaune, it’s rosa. It’s the pink jersey worn by the race leader. Sprinters don’t usually get a chance to wear the leader’s jersey in the grand tours because the races usually kick off with a prologue (a short time trial).…

  • What about Domenico Pozzovivo?

    Some of you may have noticed that I omitted Domenico Pozzovivo from my list of Bradley Wiggins’ Giro rivals. Others among you will be asking: ‘Who’s Domenico Pozzovivo?’ Pozzovivo is one of my favourite riders simply because he is so terrible at almost all of the vital aspects of cycling. He has so many limitations,…

  • Bradley Wiggins’ rivals for the Giro d’Italia

    I’ve looked at the important stages and the Sky team riding in support of Wiggins. Now let’s look at his rivals. I’ll keep this brief, because I don’t think there are a huge number of contenders based on current form. That isn’t to say no-one else can win. It’s more that these are the guys…

  • Meet Bradley Wiggins’ team for the Giro d’Italia

    We’re all familiar with the distinctive cluster of ribs and skin known as Bradley Wiggins, but who’s going to be helping him in his efforts to win the 2013 Giro d’Italia? Chris Froome’s not there this time and nor’s Richie Porte. Most of you are therefore going to be confronted with a few new riders…

  • ITV4 will not be showing the 2013 Giro d’Italia

    This article is about the 2013 Giro. For information about TV coverage of this year’s race, click here. Bad news, I’m afraid. As it stands, ITV4 will not be covering this year’s Giro d’Italia, which means you’ll have to follow Bradley Wiggins’ efforts elsewhere. Live TV coverage Although this is bad news for viewers, it’s…

  • Bradley Wiggins’ preparations for the Giro

    In 2012, Bradley Wiggins won pretty much everything going as he built towards the Tour de France and the Olympics. In 2013, he’s not had the same success. “We all want to win bike races in the same way we want to be able to moonwalk at a party. But it’s not always possible.” This…

  • 2013 Giro d’Italia – the important stages

    This is my attempt to make sense of the first Grand Tour of the year. Normally, the Giro d’Italia passes me by a bit because it always seems to be contested by a load of blokes who I don’t know very well. However, in 2013 a big time trial means that Bradley Wiggins and a…