Giro jottings 07

The Italian landscape has made for some great racing

'Bjarne's Angels - Fully Loaded', as it's being dubbed on the Giro, that comic action story of ex-professional cycling folk, had threatened to overshadow this year's Giro d'Italia right the way up until the second and final rest day in the shadow of the Dolomites.

It's a testament to this most beautiful of the three Grand Tours that the absence of last year's winner Ivan Basso and the seemingly unstoppable unburdening of tortured Telekom souls has failed to overwhelm this race, a distinct possibility when the Gerolsteiner team lined up on the start ramp for the opening TTT.

Since then we've been treated to a display of guts and glory from race leader Danilo Di Luca. The big question on everyone's lips is 'when will he have his bad day?' So far, he hasn't.

I've always liked Di Luca as a rider. He is full of fighting spirit and tactically very astute. On stage 15 finishing at Tre Cime de Lavaredo his sheer bravado was breathtaking to watch. He bullied, cajoled, exhorted and sweet talked his rivals into leading the chase, watching to see who would panic first. It certainly wasn't going to be him, even as Mazzoleni rode away from the group to take 2nd overall on GC and move to within striking distance of the pink jersey.

And the weather has been mostly good, so far

Di Luca's Liquigas team-mates have also been mighty; just ask Discovery Channel's Giro rookie Steve Cummings, who has spent much of his first Grand Tour following and observing the super-organised men in green.

Steve must be the only rider on the Giro I've spoken to who enjoyed the opening TTT. Not so his room mate, Matty White, whose stream of Antipodean invective left little room for doubt about his feelings for the twisting, technical course.

It's been a bit hard keeping up morale in the Discovery camp over the last two weeks. Not only has their Number One man parted company with the team under a cloud instead of defending his Giro title but replacement leader Yaroslav Popovych bruised his pride when he clattered down the street after falling on the opening day and then battered his knees and a wrist in the mass pile up at the end of stage 11.

Matty has done his best of course, buying a whole catering sized box of ice-creams on the road the day after Popo went home.

Sprints have been incredibly quick and hard-fought

"Not any old ice-creams mate," he proudly informed me at the end of the stage; "the best mate, the best...bloody Magnum Whites!"

It's been even tougher at T-Mobile, the sense of resigned disappointment all too obvious in the voice of my friend Allan Peiper, on duty here as Director Sportif for the team. Allan utterly believes in the clean way forward that the organisation under Bob Stapleton's management is working hard to develop in cycling, but back in Germany the rumblings are of sponsors questioning the value of cycling as a marketing tool and, disturbingly, that German television are on the brink of dropping cycling as a televised sport altogether.

How wonderful then to see such an outspoken and honest rider as Marco Pinotti donning the Maglia Rosa for the team and then defend it so well.

The race now goes into the last big week with just 2 stages on the riders' minds: the 43km ITT on stage 20, but first the fearsome stage 17 in the mountains.

Onwards and upwards to the Zoncolan!

David Harmon
While not writing for letourguide.com, David can be found commentating on Eurosport