Montessori stage racing at the Giro today. The bunch decided the Milan Show 100 circuit was too dangerous, so they rolled around town for four hours like a pack of cyclo-tourists before deciding to “race” the last of 10 laps. Mark Cavendish was first across the line, but everyone got a cookie and a hug afterward just the same, including maglia rosa Danilo Di Luca, who coasted across the line some two minutes and change in arrears with the rest of the contenders.
Bor-ring. Graham Watson had time to dig up to dig up Michelangelo and snap a few pix of him sculpting a statue of Di Luca before this snoozer ended, more than an hour behind schedule. The stage took so long, Mario Cipollini’s suit went out of fashion. How slow was it? A guy doing a trackstand actually passed Tyler Farrar at one point. I tell ya, it was slow.
The Associated Press says a certain Tour-winning Texan was behind the rolling protest, and race organizer Angelo Zomegnan was not amused. Said Zomegnan: ”This circuit required explosive bursts. It required riders to get their butts up off the seats of their bikes, and some riders who are not so young anymore apparently don’t feel like doing that anymore. Instead, it seems like their legs became shorter and their tongues longer.”
Mad Blog Media 
Zing!!!!! from Zomegnan. I love it!!!
Especially after the riders claimed that their “safety” was in danger. They’ll continue to pop pills, inject ‘roids or HGH or whatever, but once they have to race around parked cars (what? haven’t they seen some of the races in Belgium?!?!), trolley lines, on-coming traffic and safety cones they go toddler on us. I do that EVERYDAY I ride to work, the coffee-shop, or the roads of America.
Thank Yahweh/Budda/Abrahim/Joe that hockey was on today. Now let’s hear about ‘safety’ in a sport where fighting, hitting and bruises are a part of the game. Oh, and not to mention vulcanized rubber wafers zinging around at over 100 mph.
Sheit, if the pros are going to race so slow that Mickey is sculpting statues then the level of “pro” is pretty sad, in my humble opinion.
What would Chuck Norris do????
There was a not-so-brief moment when I could have been at the front of the pack of the Giro.
Any word on Horner’s reaction?
He was talking about crashing, then racing the last 115 km on a leg that was 75%, and the only thing he had to say was, and I quote, “Bummer.”
James: Add not wanting to wear helmets to that list of yours.
SteveO,
I think Patrick wouldn’t want anymore of my ranting on helmets. I had a fun time with that one on VeloSchnooze years ago. I think it came down to “self-preservation.” Either that or “if you crash, and your grey matter is all over the road, I’ll ride on by.”
Okay, maybe not that extreme, but still??
On a somber note, I read today that Davis, CA homeboy Steve Larsen passed away last night while running in Bend. My condolences to his friends, family and loved ones. I know how hard it is to lose someone so young. My earliest memory of Steve was seeing his name in the SacBee, oh in 1987 maybe, about being an up-and-coming cyclist who could be “the next Greg LeMond.” And every year after that whenever I saw his name it brought back that memory.
In a lot of ways, he was the “next Greg” because he never really was a huge star (oh I know Greg was but stick with me here), but he always gave 120% whenever he did race, ride, compete or show-up.
Who could forget his shaved head covered in helmet stripes at the Utah NORBA race a few years ago? Or his 4+ hour time at the Lake Placid Ironman on the way to a course record? Or the local story about him riding the entire Davis Double as a teenager in just about 8 hours?
Much like the kid from up Reno way (that’d be Mr. LeMond), Steve was a competitor. But like all the greats – he let his riding do his talking.
No tweets needed. Steve was a local legend on the bike. He will be missed.
RIP