I just found out that Danilo Di Luca, 2nd in the Giro tested positive twice for doping with CERA (the same version of EPO that Ricco used). For more details check here. First of all, what a cunt-face. Second of all, this is a win for the biological passport system recently employed by the UCI. Third of all, a quote from Di Luca after he was found out: "Would I be so stupid as to take CERA at the Tour of Italy one year after (Ricardo) Ricco, (Emanuele) Sella and (Davide) Rebellin were caught." Well, clearly yes, you cheating bastard. Fourth of all, extra congrats to Menchov for beating a drug cheat (despite him falling off about 4 times in Le Tour, maybe hes been taking some happy drugs). Fifth of all, (wow, thats getting a realy tired sentence intro, maybe I should use something else) CNN, learn to quote properly, there needs to be quotes at the start and end of your quotes. Sixth of all, I hope its not 3 months until we find out the cheats from Le Tour (I'm looking at you Wiggo).
Thats almost all for today, just wanted to express my disgust at Di Luca.
The 2009 Giro D' Italia was decided today, with Denis Menchov and Danilo Di Luca pushing to the limit on wet, cobblestoned roads in Rome. Denis started with only a 20 second lead over the final 14 odd kilometer time trial, with Di Luca Menchov crashed in the final kilometer, and showed great guts (and top class a mechanic) to get straight back on a new bike and get home in time. I tried to cut together a video of this from my tv tuner, but windows movie maker does rather suck, so you'll have to do with the youtube version, with the Pommy comentator who sucks so much that SBS put a pair of local commentators on after the first couple of stages. Seriously, he sounds like he's trying to be monotonous, like he's describing a historical parade, not a bike race. And the Youtube video spells Menchov wrong on the title (even when it's displayed during almost the whole video) and has an odd pause around the crash. All credit to Denis, he deserved to win. Di Luca threw everything he had at him up Vesuvius and couldn't shake him from his back wheel.
Next stop Paris for the Tour (which SBS shows close to full stages of) and then the Vuelta (which I hope SBS will do the same thing as the Giro and show daily highlights). Armstrong started to show some good form towards the end of the Giro and should be strong enough for a top 10 in the Tour, but I don't reckon he has the legs to match Contador and will be stuck in a supporting role to him. Be interesting to see how Astana handle their riders in the Tour, with definately Armstrong and Contador and possibly Leipheimer contenders. They might get stuck like Liquigas did in the Giro, supporting too many riders and getting 3rd and 4th instead of 1st and 10th. CSC Saxobank showed how 2 leaders can work with Schleck and Sastre last year though.
Finally, Mick Doughty has done enough in his recent tagging roles to get off the Shit list, and Denis Menchov gets on the legends list for his effort as shown above.
I reckon its smashing the easybeats and quitting when you have to take on the tough challenges. Look at the English cricket team. They have smashed the West Indies who barely deserve to be called a test team, but will get beaten by the Aussies when it really matters. England's football team has a history of not winning a major title since the 1966 World Cup despite inventing the game and having probably the strongest domestic competition. They always get partway there before quitting when they face some real opposition. This brings us to England's great quitter: Mark Cavendish.
Cav quit the 2007 Tour De France in the 8th stage. That's not even half way. He then quit the 2008 version of the race after 13 stages, citing a need to rest up for the Olympics. He was the only British track cycist not to win a medal at those Olympics (alteast according to wikipedia), so obviously he didn't quit early enough. Cavendish has just recently quit the Giro D'Italia after the 13th stage. He apparantly needed to rest up for the Tour. How does he need to rest for an event in which he will probably manage half the stages? No wonder a former team mate, Roger Hammond said early in 2007 "To be honest, he started the season so catastrophically that the staff were wondering what they could enter Mark for so that he could finish the race."
Now onto some better riders in this year's Giro. The contenders should be down to 3, unless someone like Basso does a Oscar Pereiro. Denis Menchov holds the pink jersey by 39 seconds from Danilo "The Killer" Di Luca. Carlos Sastre looked strong yesterday, and won stage 16 to move to 2 minutes 19 seconds behind Menchov. The Blockhaus stage tomorrow should decide the winner. I expect Sastre to attack hard for the mountaintop finish. Di Luca and Menchov have to react and stick with him after yesterday. Di Luca should be capable of doing it, but Menchov might be dropped. I tip Di Luca to be wearing pink after tomorrow.
There is only one more stage that might affect the general classification after that, stage 19 finishing on Vesuvius. Expect lots of attempted attacks without much success as the shorter climb will not allow much in the way of time gaps.
One big disappointment for this year's Giro, from an Aussie perspective has been Mick Rogers. he has done as expected in the climbs, not quite having the weaponary of a Sastre or Di Luca, but for a former 3-time world time trial champion to lose 2:46 on stage winner Menchov and even 28 seconds on Sastre, who is not a noted time-triallist is very disappointing. Atleast Simon Gerrans flew the Aussie flag by winning stage 14.
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