Giro d’Italia 2009
The 100th anniversary of the Giro d’Italia, which first ran in 1909, symbolically starts on May 9. The presentation for the centenary Giro was announced from the golden gilded La Fenice Theater in Venice, restored to its original splendor after a terrible fire in 1998. It’s an edition filled with symbolism, of rebirth and rebuilding after disaster. Two of the heroes who will be battling it out on the road both have had to struggle with their own personal dramas: Lance’s challenge with cancer and his miraculous recovery, Ivan Basso’s return to racing after two years of disqualification and rehabilitation. Other big names, Carlos Sastre, Damiano Cunego, Danilo DiLuca, Gilberto Simoni, and perhaps even Cadel Evans, will be in the hunt for the pink jersey, while specialists like Fabian Cancellara will challenge on the time-trials.
The stages have been designed to give homage to the great legends of cycling, to historic postwar challenges that great racers heroically faced in a country where asphalt on the roads was considered a luxury. The Giro and Italian cycling wants desperately to regain credibility after the disastrous damage caused by doping scandals. In fact, last year’s winner Contador was able to claim victory without even winning a stage because his main adversaries in the mountains, Sella and Riccó, tested positive and were expelled! Hence, Giro 2009 will be a race of superlatives and hyperbole, all aimed at regaining the fame and glory of the past and surpassing the expectations of fans worldwide.
What do the racers say about the Giro? Lance will be riding it for the first time. He’s lived in Italy before and is pleased that he’ll finally be able to participate. It’ll be a real jolt back into reality when they hit the Dolomites in the first stages: in the Tour it’s in the warmth of midsummer and there are usually 10 days of relatively flat stages to get in rhythm before the mountains. One of his concerns is the weather in early May, it can be cold and snowy. He even suggests that Basso is the favorite, reiterating the view he expressed when he retired.
We’re proposing 2 separate weeks, one focusing on the Veneto & Dolomites, May 9–16, the other on Piemonte (Piedmont), May 16–23.
Week 1—Veneto & Dolomites
For the first week, we’re especially lucky that the initial stages are right our backyard! How convenient and appropriate. Convenient because we needn’t make any special arrangements to go to view stages: all are easily accessible right from our home base. Appropriate because the choice of the Veneto region underscores the its preeminence in the country’s cycling tradition. Our favorite rides—the Prosecco wine country leading to Valdobbiadene, the famous climb to La Rosina above Marostica (the “chess town”) and passo Croce D’Aune on the way to San Martino di Castrozza—are all part of the race. It will indeed be a very special year, a tribute to the Veneto, to the spirit of cycling and to the riders who have inspired, motivated and become legends in a sport that is a metaphor for life: sacrifices and fatigue will eventually lead to victory, or at least to the conquest of a mountain, obstacle or challenge that is in our way.
Pricing and services: $1,700/person double-occupancy. Add $300 for a single room. Price includes transfers from/to Bassano del Grappa train station, all breakfasts and dinners, Italian Basso or Wilier road bikes with Campy Ergo 3x9 drivetrains, and guided rides. Optional taxi service between Venice airport and our hotel can be arranged; the cost is approximately €120 each way. Participation limited to a maximum of 12 people. Please contact us first to verify availability.
Prices are subject to change without prior notice to adjust for significant variations in the US dollar-Euro exchange rate.
- Stage 1: Venezia–Lido TTT Sa 5/9
- Stage 2: Jesolo–Trieste Su 5/10
- Stage 3: Grado–Valdobbiadene Mo 5/11
- Stage 4: Padova–San Martino di Castrozza Tu 5/12
- Stage 5: San Martino di Castrozza–Alpe di Siusi We 5/13
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Week 2—Piemonte & Liguria
The heart of the 2nd week takes place in Piemonte and Liguria. Piemonte is home of cycling legend Fausto Coppi. In fact, the Torino–Arenzano stage goes by his hometown of Castellania, where his house is now a museum dedicated to his life and career. The Cuneo–Pinerolo stage commemorates the legendary 1949 Giro stage won by Coppi with an 11 minute margin over his perennial rival Gino Bartali after a solo breakaway lasting 192 km.
April 8, 2009—unable to have a ban on traffic on the descent from Col de Larche into France removed, nor to ensure a safe alternative crossing at Colle dell’Agnello into France, nor be assured of radio communications in France, the Giro organizers have regrettfully revised the Cuneo–Pinerolo stage to remain entirely in Italy. The stage now features a climb to Moncenisio, while retaining the Sestrière climb in Fausto Coppi’s memory.
The final leg in northwestern Italy is the time-trial from Sestri Levante to Riomaggiore. This is a tough one, as time-trials go. Not only is it not flat (2 KOM/GPM locations), but also it’s long, at 61.7 km. These characteristics may a gift to Lance, playing to his strengths as a time-trialer.
Pricing and services: $1,700/person double-occupancy. Add $300 for single room. Price includes morning transfer from/to Nice airport in France, all breakfasts and dinners, and guided rides. Inquire about available rental road bikes at additional cost. Minimum of 4 participants required, maximum limited to 8. Please contact us first to verify availability.
Prices are subject to change without prior notice to adjust for significant variations in the US dollar-Euro exchange rate.
- Stage 10: Cuneo–Pinerolo Tu 5/19
- Stage 11: Torino–Arenzano We 5/20
- Stage 12: Sestri Levante–Riomaggiore ITT Th 5/21
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