Four 8 Minute Efforts — FORZA!
1) The Giro d’Italia is one of the three grand tours. Three, weeks, over 2000 miles and 32 miles of elevation.
MILES! The best part is the changing road conditions. From snow, to rain to beautiful sunshine .. all in one day. The Giro d’Italia has it all.
2) This week’s profile consists of four 8-minute intervals. Grown-up efforts to show respect for the Giro d’Italia.
3) Unlike a one-day race, the grand tours are three weeks long. There are daily winners for each stage, but other accolades are earned over the three weeks. The leader of each classification wears a specific jersey described below:
1. Maglia Rosa (Pink Jersey)
Awarded to: Overall leader (General Classification)
Meaning: Worn by the rider with the lowest cumulative time across all stages.
Color significance: Pink reflects the color of La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Italian sports newspaper that founded the race.
Leader jerseys in the Giro d’italia.
2. Maglia Ciclamino (Cyclamen Jersey)
Awarded to: Points classification leader
Meaning: Given to the most consistent high finisher, often favoring sprinters.
3. Maglia Azzurra (Blue Jersey)
Awarded to: King of the Mountains (KOM)
Meaning: Awarded to the rider who gains the most points on categorized climbs.
4. Maglia Bianca (White Jersey)
Awarded to: Best young rider
Meaning: Best cumulative time among riders under a certain age (currently 25 or under).
4) Last year, I attended the first three stages of the Giro in Turin and Novara. Here are some pics:
5) To watch the Giro, go to Max — unfortunately, their pricing just increased. Watching cycling isn’t cheap in America. The official Giro website provides excellent video summaries. Stage 9 of this year’s race was one for the ages.