2014 Giro d'Italia ! Pro Racers ONLY Welcome ?

For 16 seasons i have ridden the Routes of the Grand Tours .

This year i completed my 15th Giro d'Italia , although i did not ride  every stage after Tarvisio , Nature played a large part in that failure . I had to laugh after getting out of bed in the Val di Non , intending to ride the Friday Etappe and saw snow on the fields outside . No point going any further after my Host told me that the Passo Tonale was already snowed in . I later saw another rider post a photo of the top of the Passo Tonale , i guess he rode his bike there but i had gone back to bed .

This year the Giro d'Italia seems to have broken their normal traditions . Not only do they start on a FRIDAY in Ireland , but they finish in Trieste . In addition to this they have 3 Rest days ! Looking at the flight from Dublin to Bari ( at a guess ) , it seems to need a rest day to get over the change in Cultures , let alone a probable change of weather conditions ? For Racers , it doesn't matter about the costs involved , in their stay in any Country , but living off my savings , a visit to cold & wet Belfast , is not the ideal start to nearly a month of travelling .

Those Racers that know me , will know that since 2010 , i have had the little green Citroen available as back up for Medical Emergencies. My dose of P.E. after the 2009 Tour de France and repeat in Feb 2011 at the Tour de Med has reminded me that i am getting on in years and Medical Assistance with Hospitalisation is not the best of Ideas . The first bout entailed 10 days in the Schwaz Hospital but the second bout only required 2 Nights since i opted to drive non stop from Monaco to Schwaz , since i knew their records would be able to shortcut any unnecessaryly repeated exploratory work .

From COLD & WET Belfast and Dublin  , with their grey granite buildings to the South of Italy with 30c+ temps and Mediteranean architecture overnight , quite a contrast ? I recall the transfer from Wet & gloomy Belgium , years ago to Bergamo , with a tad warmer but gloomy weather that lasted until the Team Time Trial of Cremona to Piacenza , that was run the next day  in mid 30s sunshine . The contrast was very welcome for me .Several visits to that area since have always produced comfortably warm sunny conditions .

The choice for me is to depart Dublin by air , or to head to Bari and enjoy the warmer conditions as i watch the RAI TV all day broadcast , as they dart in and out of various aspects of the matters surrounding the daily events .

Today RCS had the Formal Presentation of the 2014 Giro Route . Various Racers were on hand , although which of them actually race will not be determined until after the 2014 Tour de France route is revealed .

Here is the daily schedule :

2014 Giro Route :   Total Distance 3450 km

1/ Friday, May 9 21.7 km
Belfast (IE) → Belfast (IE)


2/ Saturday, May 10 218 km
Belfast (IE) → Belfast (IE)


3/ Sunday, May 11 187 km
Armagh (IE) → Dublin (IE)


TRansfer Monday, May 12
Rest day


4/ Tuesday, May 13 121 km
Giovinazzo → Bari



5/ Wednesday, May 14 200 km
Taranto → Viggiano



6/ Thursday, May 15 247 km
Sassano → Montecassino



7/ Friday, May 16 214 km
Frosinone → Foligno



8/ Saturday, May 17 174 km
Foligno → Montecopiolo

9/ Sunday, May 18 174 km
Lugo → Sestola

Rest Day Monday, May 19
Rest day

10/ Tuesday, May 20 184 km
Modena → Salsomaggiore



11/ Wednesday, May 21 249 km
Correggio → Savona



12/ Thursday, May 22 46.4 km
Barbaresco → Barolo

13/ Friday, May 23 158 km
Fossano → Rivarolo Canavese



14/ Saturday, May 24 162 km
Agliè → Oropa



15/ Sunday, May 25 217 km
Valdengo → Montecampione


Rest day Monday, May 26
Rest day

16/ Tuesday, May 27 139 km
Ponte di Legno → Val Martello



17/ Wednesday, May 28 204 km
Sarnonico → Vittorio Veneto



18/ Thursday, May 29 171 km
Belluno → Malga Panarotta


19/ Friday, May 30 26.8 km
Bassano del Grappa → Monte Grappa

20/ Saturday, May 31 167 km
Maniago → Monte Zoncolan

21/ Sunday, June 1 169 km
Gemona → Trieste



  Total Distance 3450 km

2014 Giro d'Italia ! Pro Racers ONLY Welcome ?

NAMING and SHAMING

The Cycling Silk Blog today reminded me of a blog entry that i posted in February 2010 when i had been annoyed by some dangerous driving. Luckily i was able to avoid a collision and injury on those occasions but in May i was seriously inconvenienced when in collision with a car on the route of the Giro d'Italia. That incident left me with a broken helmet, bent handlebars and unable to walk without pain for nearly a week and thus unable to ride any distance for the days between Novi Liguri and the rest day at Plan Corones. Damiano Cunego had seen me in Piacenza shuffling/limping around the team hotel and was surprised to find me riding alongside him and his team mates up the time trial course on the rest day as they recognoitered the climb.

Below is the comment i made to the posting:

"This posting of yours reminds me of a posting i did on my blog in february 2010.

http://parrabuddy.blogspot.com/2010/02/team-pygmy-ridicule.html

With your legal training and expertise it should be possible to set up a Nationally Known Web site where Cyclists can report incidents that a Coop of interested volunteers can review before publicising specific incidents thus Naming & Shaming the Employers who show a disregard to the vunerable in the community !

Too many people have experienced harassment but do not have the tools to enable them to carry forward a successful prosecution of the offenders. Funding is needed and whilst there are some who are able to Donate their time there are others who should be recompensed by the Courts for the work done in processing the matter.

When miscreants see that they can be successfully prosecuted and not only do they have to pay substantial fines for their actions but also that they have to reimburse their victims justifiable expenses, then perhaps it will dawn on these cowardly bullies that there are consequences for their anti social behaviours.

Those volunteering to work with this website would initially review complaints and their time would have a nominal monetary value attached to any complaint and then it would be passed to experts such as yourself for a decision as to whether further expenses can be justified in carrying it forward towards a successful prosecution. Obviously this scrutiny would sift out suspect and frivilous cases and occasionally there will be victims of traffic incidents who will be disappointed that their case was not strong enough to persue to a satisfactory conclusion. "

As you will appreciate there is little i can do alone, just as you will experience the same difficulty, but when like minded people cooperate with each other then there are many possibilities that can be explored. Those who consider what i am proposing worthwhile should at least leave a comment, maybe even sign on as followers or even volunteer your interest direct to Martin who may be persuaded to take up this idea with his following even if he has little time available himself.

Feel free to contact me on skippi@ausi.com with suggestions and advice.

Best wishes to all for the festive season and i hope Santa is kind to you and safe and incident free cycling in the New Year.

NAMING and SHAMING