Giro d'italia SPOILER

[gavintc]

Sadly, I had some important meetings to attend to so missed the race. I was a little bit grumpy all afternoon. But, my wife went up to Capua to watch (Capua is the town that Spartacus was trained in his gladiator skills). She reports it was wet and fast. There was also less of a cavalcade preceding the race and no hand-outs from the floats that are common on the TdF. But, she enjoyed it, although she got a little bit wet. Incredibly, we had a lovely warm dry day in Naples and the race was only a few miles away in steady drizzle.

She got some good pics of the HTC riders leading the main peleton with a group of Liquigas strung out behind.

Oh well - need to wait till next year.

 

[rich p]

Sounds good and bad Gavin. I'm going to the Dolomites but just after the tour passes through and I'm hoping that the weather will be better by then.

 

[lukesdad]

I don't know why everyone is so down on Sean Kelly - he speaks a lot of sense, has the experience, and seems to call it right most of the time. I can only think it must be lingering English cultural prejudice against his thick Irish accent... it's the guy he's on Europsport with who's the fool (Harmon?).

+1

 

[rich p]

Who's down on him?

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Who's down on him?

You see people taking the piss on cycling forums (not just this one) all the time...

 

[raindog]

I would think most people would have too much respect to take the piss out of Kelly with him being an ex-pro. Harmon on the other hand gets so much hammer I'm starting to feel sorry for the bloke, allthough I don't have eurosport so can't really comment on them myself. We have Jalabert on French national tv and he's pretty good, and Fignon for the Tour, although he may not make it this year due to his illness.

 

[rich p]

You see people taking the piss on cycling forums (not just this one) all the time...

I think most people have come round and respect what he has to say, if not the way he says it. I don't believe it's the accent or racism though, more the dead monotone, hard to hear delivery that people dislike. I've grown fond of him but my main criticism is that he never says anything unless prompted by David Harmon which means that DH has to set him up all the time with slightly clunky, posed questions. I have sympathy for Harmon in that he has to speak off the cuff for 5 hours a day with little assistance from SK and it must be blinking hard to be interesting and different doing that for 3 weeks, often when bugger all is happening in the race for hours on end.
I think SK has also been shown up lately by the brilliant Magnus Backstedt who has done some of the early tours and is articulate, recently involved and offers a real rider's expertise and insight.

 

[John the Monkey]

I don't know why everyone is so down on Sean Kelly - he speaks a lot of sense, has the experience, and seems to call it right most of the time. I can only think it must be lingering English cultural prejudice against his thick Irish accent... it's the guy he's on Europsport with who's the fool (Harmon?).

They are?

I like Kelly, I got the distinct feeling he was enjoying himself during that horrible stage on the strada bianca.

As for Sastre, I just don't think this new, Mountain Bike Giro D'Italia is his sort of race at all. Maybe when the weather co-operates, and the course director stoips pretending he's Henri Desgranges...

 

[Flying_Monkey]

I'm glad to see this forum isn't as full of idiots as some - I've seen Kelly described elsewhere as 'dull', lacking in a sense of humour, only ever stating the obvious, and as making people cringe - none of which is remotely true.

 

[mangaman]

I don't know why everyone is so down on Sean Kelly - he speaks a lot of sense, has the experience, and seems to call it right most of the time. I can only think it must be lingering English cultural prejudice against his thick Irish accent... it's the guy he's on Europsport with who's the fool (Harmon?).

I agree about Sean Kelly but what's wrong with Dave Harmon.

When Duffield was commentating all we had was criticism of him (not recognising riders etc) Harmon is definitely an improvement. I think he's made Kelly more talkative. Duffield never let Sean get a word in edgeways.

It was funny hearing Sean say it was a crappy sprint

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Yawn, what a boring stage today... we've been spoiled with all the excitement of the last week.

 

[Speicher]

I agree about Sean Kelly but what's wrong with Dave Harmon.

When Duffield was commentating all we had was criticism of him (not recognising riders etc) Harmon is definitely an improvement. I think he's made Kelly more talkative. Duffield never let Sean get a word in edgeways.

It was funny hearing Sean say it was a crappy sprint

Yes, that was funny.

I am guessing he meant to say "it was a scrappy sprint".

Also funny, when they were talking about the Patrons of years ago, at point Sean was agreeing with Mr Harmon, but said "Exactly, not". I knew what he meant in context, I guess you had to be there.

I have got used to the fact the Sean's sentences never seem to come to an end.

 

[rich p]

Yes, that was funny.

I am guessing he meant to say "it was a scrappy sprint".

Also funny, when they were talking about the Patrons of years ago, at point Sean was agreeing with Mr Harmon, but said "Exactly, not". I knew what he meant in context, I guess you had to be there.

I have got used to the fact the Sean's sentences never seem to come to an end.

Certaintly they were majorly cooooooked and on the rivet.

 

[Speicher]

Certaintly they were majorly cooooooked and on the rivet.

Indeed

And who is that on the wrong side of the central reservation?
(at approx 46km to go)

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Indeed

And who is that on the wrong side of the central reservation?
(at approx 46km to go)

Just some local rider having a laugh...