2012 Giro d'Italia Swaps Mountains for Sprints

Reigning champion Alberto Contador has given to 2012 Giro d’Italia his seal of approval, after calling it ‘more human’.

New Giro boss, Michele Acquarone, has gone for a completely different approach, to his predecessor Angelo Zomegnan. Compared with this year, which contained only four flat stages, 2012 will have a massive seven flat stages. With so many flat stages, there are sure to be plenty of sprinters hopeful of the red sprinter’s jersey. Mark Cavendish might look for the triple in 2012, with the Giro, Tour and Olympics. It could be possible, with the flatter nature of all of the events.

Riders pay tribute to Wouter Weylandt on Stage 4 of the Giro D'Italia

Tyler Farrar lead the Leopard-Trek riders and the rest of the peloton across the line, as cycling paid tribute to Wouter Weylandt during stage four of the Giro D’Italia.

Weylandt lost his life during stage three, after a crash on the final decent on the Passo del Bocco. It is believed that the Belgian’s pedal clipped a wall, as he turned to look back up the hill. Riders paid tribute, along with viewers around the world, to Weylandt with one minutes silence before the stage.