May 27, 2006
Giro Redux
May 14. Giro d'Italia Stage 8. Passo Lanciano summit finish.
Jacuzzi-sized ESTATHE' containers make their way to the summit of Passo Lanciano.
A mountain-top chock full of Danilo Di Luca tifosi eagerly await his arrival.
A better photo of Gonchar and Pena 350 meters from the Passo Lanciano summit.
At 19:33 behind Ivan Basso, the first large gruppetto makes its way to the summit with Staf Scheirlinckx (Cofidis) resplendent in the Giro's green climber's jersey at the far right. Scheirlinckx would surrender the climber's jersey to Basso at this stage's conclusion. In fact, Basso may already have donned the jersey on the podium prior to Scheirlinckx's arrival.
A super-sized Di Luca looms over Passo Lanciano via jumbo-tron.
Amidst the post-stage tifosi, I cast a glance at Danilo Di Luca's Bianchi atop a Liquigas vehicle.
Bjarne Riis drives Ivan Basso (visible in the passenger seat) off Passo Lanciano.
The glorious life of a ProTour domestique. "It's pissing down rain...My sneakers are buried god-knows-where beneath all this crap...I'm cold, I'm miserable...This car has no leg room...The mechanic has been and continues to chain smoke...Kill me now, please."
May 15. Giro d'Italia Stage 9. Francavilla al Mare stage start.
Giovanni Lombardi signs-in at Francavilla al Mare.
Davitamon-Lotto Belgian Preben Van Hecke (who are you???) signs in at Francavilla al Mare.
Gilberto Simoni exits the sign-in stage. "Yeah, I'm not gonna win this Giro. But at least me and old man Piepoli are kicking the crap out of that punk Cunego."
Paolo Savoldelli gestures to the tifosi amassed in Francavilla al Mare.
Pietro "Zelig" Hymasini signs-in at Francavilla al Mare. Don't laugh too hard, I have a hunch quite a few 2007 ProTour squads will be looking to supplement their rosters. Like their entire rosters.
Everybody wants a piece of Paolo Savoldelli on his way to the start line.
Palms, Adriatic, and Giro d'Italia: A still life.
