Woo-hoo Ryder! Aw, Crap, Purito!: okay, I admit it--I'm so happy for the great (and pleasingly non-assholian) Ryder Hesjedal on his (and the first Canadian) win of the Giro d'Italia, but part of me thinks the whole thing blows, because to me, the Giro is fundamentally a climber's race, and for Purito to lose it on the last day in a friggin' 28 k time trial just sucks the mountains' supremacy out of the Giro. But Hesjedal rode truly spectacularly in the mountains, and even Purito could barely shake 'im when he tried yesterday on the Morirolo, then on the Stelvio, and on the all the days before. So despite my disappointment over Rodriguez, thanks to all the boys for making it a nail-biter, a bow to De Gendt for his phenomenal last-minute near-win outta nowhere, but most of all, congrats and huzzahs and ungrudging admiration to Hesjedal and our friends up North--you won it fair and square, and are damn right a "mito" for doing it!
Well, dear reader(s), except for the bloody anarchistic store-destroying arson-fest that's about to start in Milan over the Italians' failure to capture even a podium spot, that's the fabulous Giro d'Italia for this year. Next up, after I stick up some photos/footage on here in a bit: the incredibly prestigious and highly objective 2012 Giro d'Italia Racejunkie Awards!
PS Was anyone else watching Scarponi's intermediate checkpoint times and thinkin', "I call bull!@#$?" Giro gods, please forgive me!
That's probably what it is. They tend to be good climbers and not bad at time trials. Endurance is usual poor at first but a few tours under their belts and they do well.
Why do I love pro cycling? Because it's a chess game at 50 kilometers an hour. Because the last broken man in the peloton makes the best athlete from every other sport look like a 98-pound weakling. Because the women do it without multimillion-euro contracts, tv coverage, podium babes or homage. Because they can climb like they're being lifted by angels and descend like they're being pursued by devils. Because the tifosi will freeze on a mountaintop for six hours just to hand them newspapers to protect them on the downhill. Because a sprint is the cork shooting out of the champagne bottle. Because the exquisite reach of a time trial position is suffering and beauty personified. Because it gives the perfect sense of power and movement to those who can never achieve either. Because I must.
Come and see.
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3 comments:
Another ex mountain biker to win a grand tour :)
It's always the mountain bikers who have the best bike-handling skills, don't you think? I noticed Ryder was particularly good.
That's probably what it is. They tend to be good climbers and not bad at time trials. Endurance is usual poor at first but a few tours under their belts and they do well.
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