Colossal Roman Finish For Giro d'Italia dell'Centenario
The final stage of the 2009 Giro d'Italia, the 100th Anniversary of the
Italian Grand Tour was presented today in Roma, the Eternal City, the
Italian capital and site of the final stage of the Giro this year. "The
stage will cover 15.5 km in the heart of Rome, from Piazza Venezia to
finish at the Imperial Forum, in the shadow of the Colosseum, on a fast
course with just 17 turns," said Angelo Zomegnan, Giro d'Italia race
director. 39 days before the Giro starts, the big reveal today in Rome
showed off an awesome final time test that races through the heart of the Eternal City of Rome.
Il Vittoriano, Mussolini's wedding cake
From a start next to the Imperial Forum, then through Piazza Venezia,
with Mussolini's wedding cake Vittoriano monument to fascism looming in
the backround, the course veers east past the Quirinale, Italy's White House and up to Porta Piu' for the first time check. Then it's
due west along shopping mecca Corso Italia, then north around the
Piazza del Popolo and back west again across the Tiber River and along
the via Cola di Rienzo, then south to St.Peters Square and a salute to
the Vatican, back along the Tiber and back through the Piazza del
Popolo. For the final third of the TT, it's a straight shot back to
Piazza Venezia, past the Vittoriale again, back around the Imperial
Forum via the Circus Maximus to loop around the Colosseum and finish
back in front of the Imperial Forum. It will be a specatuar course to
conclude a spectacular Centrnary edition of the Giro d'Italia.
Armstrong's collarbone repair
The Lance Calculus: A Comeback Comeback?
With just 39 days before the 2009 Giro d'Italia starts in Venice, will
Lance Armstrong be there? Armstrong broke his collarbone one week ago
in the Vuelta a Castilla y León stage race in Spain and was operated on
last week. Despite his doctors orders to take it easy, Armstrong was
already on the home trainer last Friday for a half hour. Armstrong was
already in good shape and if starts his easy home trainer workouts this
week and gradually increases the intensity and duration, he can likely
maintain up to 70% of his fitness. If his collarbone heals well, Big
Tex can probably be back on the road around mid-April and get in 2-2.5
weeks of riding before he has to fly to Italy for the Giro d'Italia
start. But it won't be all beer and skittles for Armstrong in his comeback from his broken collarbone. Not only do the tough
mountain stages start almost right away at the Giro (Stage 4), but
Armstrong will have to stress his healing collarbone in the aero
position required for Stage 1's Venezia Lido team time trial. No longer
a contender for the 2009 Giro d'Italia win, if Armstrong starts, it will be as a support rider for fellow American
Levi Leipheimer, who is in tremendous form this season and must be
considered a contender to win the Giro d'Italia.
Bronzini on the prowl for points in Poland
(Photo: Roberto Bettini)
Georgia On My Mind
25 year old Giorgia Bronzini has captured the Womens Points Race World
Championship in Poland, the third title in five years for Italy after
Vera Carrara won in 2005-06. It was a tight race all the way for
Bronzini who rode fast and smart throughout. Dubbed "Petacchi in a miniskirt" by
the Italian media, Bronzini isn't just a track rider, as she sprinted
to a bronze medal in the 2007 Womens World Road Championship in
Stuttagart, won by her countrywomen Marta Bastianelli.
We Are The Champion! (Photo: Roberto Bettini)
Already UCI Track World Cup champion in the Points
Race, Bronzini said "I was really mad after I got fourth in the scratch
race and Frisoni was fourth in the omnium and keirin. So this win is my
revenge on all that. I knew I could do well in this race, it was that
little extra I was missing. My team manager Dino Salvoldi did a perfect
job and I dedicate this medal to all the team staff who were really
great all through the championship. Thanks for supporting me."
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