Giro Stage 2 Preview: Alba -- Parma, 244km

by Chris Fontecchio on May 7, 2011 11:44 AM EDT in Giro d'Italia

Nom nom nom... I can't wait for the processo, and chances are neither can the riders. Today is a Big Media Day for the Giro, the first road stage, and there is absolutely no chance that the host city for the finish will pass on the opportunity to remind the world what they have to offer. The only question... do they go with parmesan cheese or prosciutto? Right now it's a mystery, but the sprinters' teams will be licking their chops in anticipation Sunday.

Pretty straightforward day. The map (on the flip) doesn't betray any late twists and turns, and if I'm reading the cronotabella (timetable) right, the last 2.1km are straight into Parma. No breakaways, hopefully no crashes (though see yesterday's warning about tram tracks in urban areas). Just a big, fast power finish.

Stage Battle: This will be one of the biggest stage battles of the entire Giro. The sprinters won't get many better chances, and there is always more adrenaline on opening weekend than, say, stage 10. This is as big as it gets for guys like Mark Cavendish (HTC), Tyler Farrar (Garmin), Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre), Francesco Chicchi (Quick Step), Francisco Ventoso (Movistar), Graeme Brown (Rabobank), Robbie McEwen (Shack), and Borut Bozic (Vacansoleil). On a big boulevard, leadouts will be all the rage. The gap is narrowing, but until further notice nobody does it better than HTC and Cav.

Maglia Rosa Matters: As long as nobody is foolish enough to get in the way of the sprinters, this stage has zero significance to the overall.

Cue Opera for: The early breakaway riders. There's a funny dynamic of hope among these guys, funny in the sense that when you hear them talk it sounds like they really believe they have a chance, whereas the rest of the world is thinking no freakin way. Today? No freakin way.

Cheese photo by Sputnikcccp via Wikimedia Commons; map courtesy Giro d'Italia

Tweet Comment 11 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Stage will be as boring as it can possibly get. Cavendish will win. Everyone will go ga-ga.

I will remember 2008, when they came right out to bat with an intermediate stage, and go misty-eyed with nostalgia for when Zomegnan got it right.

by UrlaubinPolen on May 7, 2011 11:46 AM EDT reply actions

Zome got it right for tomorrow

as I will be able to go back to sleep after waking up at 6am for the F1 race, knowing that I can catch the stage later and won’t miss much. Plus the next 4 stages afterwards are all quite unpredictable and fun and that is before we even get to serious climbing.

You can't spell epic without Giro

by Phil H. on May 7, 2011 2:58 PM EDT up reply actions

Sprint finishes are plenty exciting to many cycling fans

… and ceratinly no more predictable than a high mountaintop finish.

"It's a lovely thing, feeling that momentum. If you're lucky, it's also about grace." Tim Winton

by sminer on May 7, 2011 10:22 PM EDT up reply actions

+ molto

by Jens on May 8, 2011 2:11 AM EDT up reply actions

It’s not the finish that’s the problem. It’s the 243km before it.

by UrlaubinPolen on May 8, 2011 6:12 AM EDT up reply actions

But it's Italy

here life is beautiful, the girls are beautiful, even the orchestra is beautiful!

Fuck, I thought every time someone got too close. I'm here. You brake but I do not brake. I felt a slap to my right buttock, an Italian called "Occhio" because she wanted along. Will you along? Fuck. I sit here. And I gave my bike a swing to the right so that the brakes had to be Italian. She screamed evil.

Marijn deVries' experience of the RvV

by Monty. on May 8, 2011 7:49 AM EDT up reply actions