What was that?

Something unusual happened today, I darn near fell asleep watching a stage of the Giro.

Did Angelo Zomegnan decide to have a boring stage so that the Tour de France didn't feel inferior for having its first week Lunesta-fest.

The mad Dr. Zomegnan must have gotten tired of dreaming up unique and interesting stages and thought, "Hell, let's just have the boys ride along the Adriatic for 200km" Thursday's stage looks just as boring.

A couple boring stages are not so bad. Once the race hits the Alps, the race turns back into a madhouse. Dont believe me? They put up snow fencing and wrestling mats to keep the guys from plunging off the descent of Monte Crostis.

Early Giro thoughts

I have a few thoughts about the early part of the Giro. Mostly about he team presentation.

1) It can only be a matter of time before Tyrolian hats sweep onto the fashion scene in the US. They make you look quite dashing.



2) If you are organizing a big event and hire some precision military planes to fly overhead, it would be good if it was a clear day so the planes were visible.


3) Why did Italian broadcaster RAI hire Dr. Drew to discuss cycling.


4)This Farnese-Vini "team presenter", for lack of a better term, has hair that is a hot mess, but she is one of the few women in Italy with eyebrows more neatly trimmed than Giovanni Visconti


5) Stage Two today was the usual Garmin-Cervelo cluster. Jonathon Vaughters showed his racing genius as the race reached the final few km's. Vaughters tweeted... "This sprint will not be controlled. HTC+Garrrmin-Cervelo burned a lot of matches early. Very chaotic, for sure". You should know Jonathon because your team manages to screw up races with great frequency. So, it was no surprise when Garmin hit the flamme rouge with four men on the front of the peloton only to get swarmed and finish in 7th place.

It is early May and that can mean only one thing, April just ended. It also means the Giro d'Italia is about to start in all it's beautiful, nutty glory. The Tour has gotten a little more creative with their courses in the past few years, but they don't even dare think of a race like the Giro. This year alone, the Giro has a stage over the dirt/gravel Strade Bianca of Tuscany, two ascents of an active volcano, a 240km stage with 20,000 feet of climbing and the usual plethora of tiny roads. Not to mention the not so uncommon rain and snow that falls in the Italian Alps at this time of year.

I am a little disturbed by recent developments on the eve of the race. No, not the Mantova drug investigation that has caused half the projected starters to be pulled from the race. I am more focused on motors.

You may be thinking, "Isn't this old news?" Cancellara was accused of using the Gruber Assist last year and most normal thinking people dismissed the accusations as crazy talk. I do still think Fabian was born in Kenya, however.

Today's headlines have made me reconsider the rumors of motor use in the peloton. Fabian, at least, denied using the Gruber but today's Velonews has a disturbing headline about the Garmin-Cervelo team

"Stetina working on his motor at the Giro"

WHAT!?!?!?
Was Stetina doing an oil change? Did the transmission go out? The UCI can't possibly allow this flagrant motor use to continue.

You may think I am taking that headline out of context but consider what happens to Cancellara when he doesn't use his motor. Fabian tweeted this morning...

"Never ride your bike without money or coins... Was in the climbs training and left without food and water..."

If only Fabian had not loaned his motor Peter Stetina he could have turned on the motor and putt-putted to the nearest On The Run convenience stor and picked up some PopTarts to eat. Surely, the attendant would recognize Fabian and give him some complimentary goodies in exchange for a portrait on the wall.