Cycling continued

[Garden Kitty]

This would be a spoiler if you're planning to watch Flanders later today on VS, but this video clip of the reaction from the winner's team car makes me giggle every time I see it.

[Garden Kitty]

Wheeeeee, It's Giro Eve!!!! One of the funnest days in the cycling calendar.

You can't top the TdF for prestige and the presence of the "big names", but it's hard to top the Giro for beauty and mad, crazy climibing (plus maddeningly long transfers). The presentation of the teams is today and will be streamed live on RAI (around noon EST) and the race starts tomorrow. Extensive free tv coverage on Universal Sports, and live and on demand online coverage for a fee also on Universal.

Steephill TV has a dashboard with tons of useful links

and this will also be Cavendish's first GT since he's started posting on Twitter. He already called Renshaw's a** fat so who knows what he'll come up with once the race starts.

And Contador is riding even with the CAS appeal hanging over his head. Will this be the only GT he rides this year? If he does make it to the TdF, how will doing this race impact him? Basso, the Schlecks and Evans are taking a pass to concentrate on the TdF, but Nibali has targeted this race. Also, the usual suspects among the sprinters will contest the few sprint stages available, but alas beautiful Daniele Bennati is out with a broken collarbone.

What other race this year will have a major climbing stage on a volcano? Got to love the Giro!!

Their march to the presentation looks a little, errr, crowded.

Just a few people show up for the teams presentation

[Garden Kitty]

Tragedy today at the Giro as Leopard Trek rider Wouter Weylandt killed in a crash on a descent. So sad and this really highlights the issue of rider safety. While his crash couldn't have been avoided with a radio, a radio would definitely help other riders avoid crashing into the cars and vehicles around the crash. Hate to see what might have happened without radios.

[itsartemis]

Tragedy today at the Giro as Leopard Trek rider Wouter Weylandt killed in a crash on a descent. So sad and this really highlights the issue of rider safety. While his crash couldn't have been avoided with a radio, a radio would definitely help other riders avoid crashing into the cars and vehicles around the crash. Hate to see what might have happened without radios.

I am just speechless and so sad. I was watching the race live and I am so shaken. What a terrible day for cycling. RIP Wouter Weylandt.

[zhenya271]

What a terribly sad accident. My heart goes out to his family, friends and fans. I don't follow cycling, but heard about this accident through Italian football news bloggers and then read up story - just heartbreaking.

RIP Wouter Weylandt

[kia_4EverOnIce]

I was watching the race too when I heard the news, it's just too sad
RIP Wouter Weylandt

[Theatregirl1122]

Just caught up with the Giro today (was a few days behind) and felt sick when I heard the news. How absolutely horrifying. My thoughts are with his family and friends.

[Garden Kitty]

Tyler Farrar, who was extremely close with Wouter, is leaving the race after today's neutralized stage. The team is sending one of its staff to be with him as well. The team led a moment of silence, and will cross the finish line first as a tribute.

ETA: clip of the end of the tribute stage with Tyler riding with Leopard Trek across the finish.

Trek is pulling out of the race.

[Garden Kitty]

Very touching article by Jonathan Vaughters about Craig Lewis's accident a few years ago.

[Theatregirl1122]

Odd ending today with Petacchi basically stopping pedaling with a few meters to go. It seems like he just popped.

[Garden Kitty]

Tour of California starting today, in snow. Only cycling can bring you stages with molten lava and snow on the same day

AToC photog took this pic while he was out photographing some riders on a prep ride.

http://yfrog.com/h8eiwthj

ETA: Stage one cancelled due to the snow and ice. Apparently 6 of the motorbikes sent out to check the route crashed, and some riders doing a practice ride reported their breaks froze open on the mountain.. Stage 2 is also in danger of being cancelled or shortened.

[Theatregirl1122]

Finally got caught up on the Giro. WOW is Contador dominating. And to Cav for his two wins!

[Garden Kitty]

Riis having a bit of fun while DS'ing on the Zoncolon

Contador is clearly dominating, but Nibali and Anton are racing for a possible CAS awarded win when Conta's case is heard in June.

[skatefan]

And another apparently freak accidental death of cyclist Xavier Tondo this morning

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/oth....html?ITO=1490

[Garden Kitty]

How very sad. He always seemed like such a nice, modest guy

ETA: link to a column by Vaughters about Tondo a few months ago

[skatefan]

Thanks for posting the link Garden Kitty, it was very interesting to read some background information.

[itsartemis]

The Giro is over! It's been a great race, even though for me it couldn't top last year's fantastic race. I just think it was too tough this year and there was one rider much stronger than the rest. Congrats to Contador. I just hope with all my heart CAS clears him otherwise this is going to be a very tough year for Cycling. Wouter Weylandt was honored in the podium design and the Leopard Trek team won the Bonacossa Trophy. I'll never forget this.

The Giro organizers managed to play the wrong Spanish anthem for Contador. I watched Gazzetta TV and I felt so sorry for him. They played the fascist version with lyrics. It has not been used since Franco died in 1975. I just can't believe how it could happen. What is it with cycling organizers and national anthems? Poor Contador has been the victim of it twice as we all remember them playing the Danish anthem on the Champs-Élysées in 2009. Thor Hushovd got his big moment cut in half as the Australian organizers butchered the Norwegian national anthem at Worlds in Geelong last fall. Can it really be that difficult to get the right anthem and play it properly? Every other sport manages to do it!

Here are some big pictures from the stage over Colle delle Finestre yesterday!

[Garden Kitty]

It's not like Contador winning was a big shock on the last day and they had to scramble to find an anthem at the last minute.

This Giro was surprisingly dull since Conta had it wrapped up pretty early, but there were some lovely moments. The tributes to Wouter were very touching and Kiryienka's stage win in honor of Tondo was also very moving. And even though it was a gift, Tiralonga's stage win on Stage 19 was a happy moment, a career domestique getting his only stage win in his mid-30's - what's not to like about that. Conta may have been building up good will for the TdF, or he may have been thanking a guy who buried himself for Conta last year at the Tour, but Tiralonga's joy was very cute - and he did beat everyone but Conta so it was a deserved victory.

Last year's Giro was hard to top, with some amazingly close stages, and even an epic ending in the Verona colisseum, so it would have been hard to top that race, but I'll miss it tomorrow.

[itsartemis]

Last year's Giro was hard to top, with some amazingly close stages, and even an epic ending in the Verona colisseum, so it would have been hard to top that race, but I'll miss it tomorrow.

I already miss it. What to watch now? There's always something special with a GT.

Here are some big pictures from the Giro.

[Garden Kitty]

I already miss it. What to watch now? There's always something special with a GT.

It's no GT, but the Dauphine Libere is already showing up in my tivo.