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Giro d'Italia, Italy

Stage 19, Savigliano - Sestriere (Le Valli Olimpiche), 190K

28 May

Dust Devil's Daily Wrap
Emotions Run High at the Giro

Stage List, Dust Devil's Daily Wrap

Oh my god. What can you say after a stage like that? Pick any superlative and it's not sufficient to express the drama and emotion that happened today on the stage into Sestriere. This is the essence of professional cycling, and more specifically, the essence of Italian cycling. Today's stage had it all: passionate fans, stellar athletic achievement, phenomenal scenery...

Okay, so lets get down to business. Going into today's stage 2 separate battles had emerged. First, Savoldelli would have the fight of his life for the overall victory from Simoni, who was only 2'09" down. Second, only 13 seconds separated the third thru 5th placed riders so we would be treated to a battle royale for the final podium spot. It was great seeing the big heads of state (Savoldelli, Simoni, Di Luca) fighting tooth and nail for glory, but lets be honest, who wasn't out of their seat cheering when little known Rujano dropped Simoni on the final run in? Everybody loves an underdog and The DD is no different. But apart from that, Rujano's small budget Selle Italia-Colombia squad was the quintessential underdog squad. They were only at the Giro by a wildcard invitation. They had nobody of note on their roster yet they went on to win 3 of the most prestigious stages, the climber's competition and a final podium place. I don't know about you, but I am thoroughly in awe.

What can you say about Di Luca? The man was absolutely on the rivet the entire stage, yet managed to stay with perhaps two of the best climbers in the sport. Not bad for somebody who was not considered a GC contender for a grand tour. I got to say that I was not surprised when he gave up the ghost on the stage finale though. He may have lost his coveted podium spot to Rujano, but you can bet that the handsome man from Spoltore will be back with a vengeance next year.

Savoldelli's old director sportif at T-Mobile, Walter Godefroot, has got to be at a loss for how Bruyneel managed to take Savoldelli and turn him into a Giro champion straight away. If he had stayed at T-Mobile he probably would have toiled away in underachiever hell for the remainder of his career. He's far too classy a rider to suffer such an ignominious decline. His stellar descending skills and bravado in the mountains have help to make this one of the best ever Giro d'Italias.

So, yet another Giro d'Italia draws to a close, but what a ride it has been. We have been treated to an amazing race that has covered some of the most awe inspiring scenery in the world. Viva Italia!
The Dust Devil