I am a hard core road cycling fan and have been for years. Fortunately for most of my friends, I have a friend who also likes cycling, and we can go on and on to each other about race tactics, the riders, the prize jerseys, and complaints about how all the team kits all look alike this year, so we can't tell one team from the next, thus sparring the general public.
I have been to the Tour de France several times, but I have also always wanted to go the Tour of Italy--Il Giro d'Italia, and today I got to do that. When I booked my trip I did not know that the race would start one stage in Genoa, but when I found out, I determined to attend and found a place in the city that the riders would go through that was within easy walking distance.
The stages start with what they call a neutralized zone to let the riders warm up and sort out any mechanical issues they may have before they start racing. It also allows the peloton to get out of the cities, their narrow streets, and obstacles before they go up to speed. I was in the neutral zone as the real racing began outside the city in a place I could not get to.
This is the experience of standing by the side of the road at a bike race. One waits a long time. Then the publicity caravan rolls through. At the Tour de France they pass out goodies from the sponsors, but in town they just drove past. I tried to take a picture (not very successfully) with my phone. See above.
Then the team cars paraded past. I support Team Visma Lease-a-Bike, but I also favor some of the other teams and riders. After a very long wait we got the riders. They ride fast, and if you blink, you miss them. Yep. All the waiting for about forty seconds of gratification. I had the company of a charming young Italian woman, and we agreed it was worth it. We also are both fans of Julien Alaphilippe. She asked me who would win the stage. I said, "A sprinter. I'm rooting for Olav Kooj. He's cute." He's also Team Visma-LAB.
Pil, we have No Idea who these guys are.
Your loss, Bud.
Barring accident the winner of the Giro is already known. The Prince of Cycling is the Slovene Tadaj Pogacar, who has already won the Tour de France twice, plus a number of other stage and one day races. He has not won the Tour the last two years, but this year he hopes to "do the double," i,e, win both the Giro and the Tour a feat last achieved by Marco Pantani in 1998. I was at the Tour finale that year and saw him do it.
So I am watching the rest of the stage in the comfort of my apartment having a nice apero of red wine and cheese.
Pil, what is this peloton of which you speak?
Oh. It's the French word for fleet, so it's applied to the big bunch of riders riding together.
Pil, you realize, don't you, that you are insane. They are a bunch of guys riding bicycles. What's the thrill?
You think so because you don't get it. Here. Let me explain . . . Hey where're you going?
Maybe I can interest you in what I'm having for dinner instead. I'm taking a short break from pesto and will have some tortellini dressed with garlic and extra V olive oil. The presence of garlic and oil will instantly turn any pasta into wonderful health food, which also has the advantage of being extremely tasty. I really like my pasta doused in oil. I tasted the oil I bought, and it made me cough, so The Good Stuff.
Ciao for now
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