Blog
Giro d’Italia 2010 – Stage 4
Stage Four: Ficarolo (RO) to Lendinara (RO). 90km.
Before Start - Stage 4
As predicted, I woke up feeling like I’d been hit by a truck! Well I guess I was hit by some very fast moving bikes and riders! I can hardly turn my head (sore neck) and my lower back is swollen and bruised- apart from that I’m just coping with the usual throbbing and burning wounds.
After a short discussion with my coach who is in Australia- Warren McDonald we decided I should start and see how I feel on the bike. I thought yeh yeh this is impossible and I had visualised jumping off the bike and into the race car after 10km! I actually felt ok on the bike and rolled in for 13thplace. I positioned myself near the front (with some committed assistance from my team mates) but didn’t want to take any risks in the sprint in case of another fall.
Giro d’Italia 2010 – Stage 3
Stage Three: ITT. Caerano S. Marco (TV) to Biadene (TV). 16.9km.
TT Helmet
I woke up very stiff and sore today and also with a very bad headache after the high speed crash yesterday.
I’m lucky it was only an Individual Time Trial today and I could tolerate the pain for just 17km, the extreme heat made it a tough task! I didn’t push too hard on the pedals, I just took it very easy- I’m guessing I’d have the slowest time of the day.
Giro d’Italia 2010 – Stage 2
Post Race Stage 2
Post Race Stage 2
Stage Two: Sacile (TV) to Riese Pio X (TV). 130km.
Today’s stage was long, hot, and pretty boring until the final few kilometres. My SRM Power Control read an average temperature of 40 degree’s, it’s normally pretty accurate but the race car only read 35 degrees, anyway- it was hot!!
I felt much better during the last kilometres of days stage and I was positioned well and feeling comfortable with 1km to go. Unfortunately I locked handles bars with another rider who was fighting me for position and we came down, clearly we were being too aggressive and didn’t give each other enough space. We crashed at 60km/hr in the final sprint and
regrettably caused a little carnage; fortunately I was released from the hospital in the worst condition without any broken bones. Sharon Laws of Cervelo suffered a hairline fracture to her clavicle.
Giro d’Italia 2010 – Stage 1
Stage One: Muggia (TS) to Trieste. 58km.
Giro D'Italia Stage One Photo:www.cyclingnews.com
I’m feeling a little disappointed after this year’s first stage of the Giro, I finished 10th. It’s not normal for me to finish so far back in a sprint! I can’t really say if my poor finish was due to physical or mental weakness. I felt fit and strong during the race but I struggled to hold position in the final two kilometres, it was a technical finish (which usually suits me) but I kept getting pushed around and losing position, I was squeezed out a few times and grabbed the brakes hard while being swamped, it was a constant fight to move up which shouldn’t have been necessary. I haven’t been in a bunch sprint since the world Cup in China late May; maybe I just need to fire up again!
The race was pretty flat and fast, we rolled over a few small hills in the starting laps but then we hit the flat and picked up the pace. The most well known sprinters took the top ten places with Ina-Yoko Teutenberg, Giorgia Bronzini and Kirsten Wild taking the podium positions.
Let’s hope tomorrow is a better day! Read More
Giro d’Italia Donne 2010 Italy 2.1
Introduction & Preview: 2010 Women’s Giro d’Italia.
From the 2nd to the 11th of July I will participate in my 6th Giro d’Italia. This year we will race in the Northern part of Italy covering 921.9km’s in 10 days.
One other Australian rider- Katherine Bates has ridden 5 editions of the Giro d’talia and retired Oenone Wood has ridden 4 editions.
The Giro’s statistics show that Australia has had 4 stage winners; Anna Wilson (3 stages), Rochelle Gilmore (2 stages), Oenone Wood (2 stages) and Vicki Whitelaw (1 stage).
The two stages I’ve won were in far apart cities, the first was in Cantania, Sicily. Cantania is the second largest city in Sicily to Palemo and is situated on the east coast. My other stage victory was in Salzano- 15km from Venice. Salzano is an old city dating back to 1283.