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.

Video: Peter Kennaugh talks about turning pro

Contador: The Giro-Tour double is possible, but I need a stronger team

Alberto Contador hasn’t been deterred from trying the Giro-Tour double, despite failing to do it this year.

The Spaniard has come out saying he can do the double, provided he has a stronger team around him. Contador was involved in a flurry of crashes, during the tour, but also looked tired from his victory in the Giro. He went on to say that if there were enough stages that suited him, it would be possible, but that the team-time trial wasn’t a strong point.

El Pistolero said if next year’s tour had a mountain time-trial or possible to flatter time-trials, he could win both in the same year. Contador won the Giro d’Italia by a whopping 6 minute gap, to Michele Scarponi, but finished almost four minutes down on Cadel Evans.

The Best Australian Cyclist?: Cadel Evans

Cadel Evans became the first Australian and the first rider from the Southern Hemisphere to win the Tour de France, after he beat Andy Schleck by over a minute.

Evans was born 14 February 1977 in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia to Paul Evans and Helen Cocks. His surname comes from his paternal grandfather, who was Welsh, and was given the name Cadel, after three Welsh kings. He lived with both of his parents, until his teenage years when his parents divorced, when he moved with his mum to Melbourne.

Tyler Farrar wins on Independence Day

Tyler Farrar made it a second stage victory for Garmin-Cervelo and rode in to the history books, as the first American to win on Independence Day.

Farrar’s first tour victory came after help from his teammate, and former green jersey winner, Thor Hushovd and Julian Dean. The American edged out Romain Feillu of Vacansoleil, by half a bike, Jose Joaquin Rojas. Farrar dedicated his victory to his best friend Wouter Weylandt, who was killed in a freak accident during the Giro D’Italia, by putting his hands in a W sign.

Contador secures Giro with stunning time-trial victory

Alberto Contador stormed to victory during stage 16’s mountain time-trial and stamped his authority on the 2011 Giro D’Italia.

Contador looked to be struggling during the middle section on the climb and had to come out of the saddle on several occasions. El Pistolero came home over 30 seconds ahead of closest rivals Vincenzo Nibali and Michele Scarponi. Nibali seemed to have the stage wrapped up with his time of 29:29, which Scarponi couldn’t match.

Alberto Contador attacks on Mount Etna to take over the Maglia Rosa

Alberto Contador claimed his first victory of the 2011 Giro D’Italia, on the slopes on Mount Etna, and the pink jersey with it on stage nine.

Contador left it until 7km to go and left Michele Scarponi and Jose Rujano in his wake, as he powered up the side of the volcano. The Spaniard started the day 13 seconds behind leader Pieter Weening, but the win gives him a bigger 59 seconds over Kanstantsin Sivtsov. Some of Contador’s main rivals, including Vincenzo Nibali, weren’t able to respond and lost almost a minute on the man from Pinto.

The day’s route was one of the most punishing of the tour and scaled Etna twice, while also descending down towards the sea. Peter Kennaugh and Danilo Di Luca were part of a series of brief and unsuccessful attempts at a breakaway. Eventually it was a group of nine riders, including Mathias Frank and Yaroslav Popovych, who made the decisive move. The nine riders managed a maximum break of 5 minutes, but the gap yo-yoed for most of the day.

Oscar Gatto takes his first Grand Tour victory, ahead of Alberto Contador

Oscar Gatto launched a late attack to take his first Grand Tour victory, by holding off a chasing Alberto Contador on stage eight.

Gatto made his move as the race hit the final 700 metre climb, as the peloton began to slow. Contador quickly followed suit and began to close him down, but ran out of road and had to settle for second best. Gatto’s fellow Italian Alessandro Petacchi gained some important points for the sprint Jersey, as he crossed the line in third. The victory will help Farnese after they were snubbed for last year’s tour.

Bart de Clercq holds off a charging Michele Scarponi for his first proffesional victory on Stage 7

Bart de Clercq started his professional career off with a bang by beating the Giro’s finest on Stage 7.

The Belgian attacked, as the peloton collected the breakaway with 7km to go, and managed to hold on to win on the first mountain top finish of this year’s Giro, going in to Santuario Di Montevergine. His teammates Sebastian Land and Francis de Greef took their chance, before De Clercq, taking advantage of the leaders watching each other. Michele Scarponi launched a late attack and almost spoilt the part for the debutant, but there wasn’t enough road for the Italian. Following close behind were Roman Kreuziger, Alberto Contador, Vincenzo Nibali and maglia rosa wearer Pieter Weening.

Pieter Weening takes the pink jersey in a crash filled Stage 5

Pieter Weening held of a charging group the take victory in stage five of the Giro D’Italia and claim the pink jersey.

The Rabobank rider attacked with only 7 km left to go, leaving Martin Kohler and John Gradret in his wake. Gradret and Weening joined forces to track down Kohler, who’d been away since the early stages of the race. The Dutch rider holds the lead by only two seconds in front of Italian Marco Pinotti, after only his second grand tour victory.

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.

Wouter Weylandt: A career cut short

For Wouter Weylandt cycling was in the blood, hailing from Ghent in Belgium it was little surprise that he turned professional.

Weylandt showed early promise and at the age of 20, only his second year as an U23, by winning three world cups. Probably his toughest challenge that year was the Paris-Roubaix Espoir where he finished third, despite suffering two punctures. He was signed up in the same year as a stagiaire, by the Quick-Step Davitamon team.

Wouter Weylandt Dies after Giro Crash

Cycling is in mourning today after the sad news of Wouter Weylandt’s death, during the third stage of the Giro D’Italia.

The Leopard-Trek rider fell on the decent of the Passo del Bocco, just 25 km from the finish in Rapallo. It is unsure what caused the accident, but early reports indicate one of his pedals jammed and stopped him from releasing himself. Medical staff tried to resuscitate Weylandt, who was lying motionless on the ground, for 40 minutes, but were not able to. The few television pictures showed blood coming from the Belgian’s head, while he received cardiac massage.

Franco Pellizotti banned by CAS after being cleared in Italy

Franco Pellizotti may have been forgiven, for thinking he’d got off scot free, after the UCI brought him to court for abnormalities on his biological passport.

The Italian has been convicted by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, after the UCI appealed the original decision. Pellizotti was provisionally suspended, before the 2009 Giro d’Italia, and has had all of his results since then removed.

He had been cleared by an Italian court in October and even went as far as threatening to sue the UCI. The cycling governing body has managed to get their own back, after the CAS lumped the Liquigas rider with an 115,000 Euro fine. The UCI are applauding this as a success for the biological passport; as much as it is a success, it is another case of one court saying one thing and another saying something else. If a rider is to be banned, they should have a total ban, and there shouldn’t be so many decisions turned over.

Sean Yates: Tour de France Contenders Will Miss Giro d'Italia

Team Sky sports director Sean Yates has said that top Tour de France favourites will miss out on the 2011 Giro d’Italia due to the toughness of both.

Yates didn’t name any riders from his squad that might miss the event next May but it is unlikely that Bradley Wiggins will be on the line in Turin. This year Wiggins used the Giro as a warm up for the French event even winning the opening prologue. Race director Angelo Zomegnan announced that Alberto Contador would race in Italy in 2011 last April. This is unlikely, however, after the events of this year and moving to Sunguard Saxo Bank for the new season.

Visit to Etna
RSC sport announced the Giro d’Italia route only four days after the Tour de France route was revealed to the world and both are set to be some of the toughest in years. Yates called, Vuelta a Espana winner, Vincenzo Nibali as the favourite as the Italian finished third in this year’s even behind teammate Ivan Basso. The event will start May 7th in Turin and do an entire loop of the country back up to Milan.