ON THE ROAD TO MILAN

(Originally written on May 19th, 2008 after the first week of the Giro d'Italia)

Looking back on the first week of the Giro I just have to say, WOW! Is it me, or has there been an unusually high number of “ODD” crashes? It’s almost as if the roads have magnets embedded in them and the riders don’t have a fighting chance. Dave Zabriskie crashed out in dramatic fashion by fracturing his L1 vertebra. Then CSC loses 2 riders in one day with the broken collarbones of Bradley McGee and Stuey O’Grady. On Sundays Versus coverage, one rider crashed into the bushes and another crashed into a ditch. Both riders remounted but the “ditch” guy didn’t get very far before being swept up by the Broom Wagon. Even Astana wasn’t immune to the crashes. We lost Steve to not one, not two, but THREE crashes. Poor guy, isn’t once enough? Even a Tour Champion was brought down.

But, despite all the misery the guys have gone through this week I have to say that it’s been a very exciting race so far. What I mean by this is that you can feel the momentum building. I’ve rarely felt that watching a race before, maybe on a particular stage or in one day classic, but never in a Grand Tour. There are 8 riders that seem to be talked about the most as possible overall winners: Contador, Kloden, Leipheimer, DiLuca, Simoni, Ricco, Savoldelli, and Menchov. Some of these guys aren’t the best Time Trialists and so I’m guessing the winner is either going to be Contador, Kloden or Leipheimer. Yes, I’m biased, but I can be. They are 3 of the best riders in the Pro Peloton, and they’re all willing to give up their chances to ride for the strongest man. You know, like The Three Musketeers: “All For One and One For All”.

The Team may have been put under pressure by getting a last minute invite but it has afforded them the opportunity to come into the race with more to prove and, therefore, more motivation to win. I like our chances!!