2010 Giro d'Italia Start in Amsterdam

The 2010 Giro d'Italia will begin in Amsterdam, followed by two stages also beginning in Holland in the cities of Utrecht and Middelburg.





Previous Giro d'Italia starts outside of Italy were:

1965 Republic of San Marino

1966 Principality of Monaco

1973 Verviers (Belgium)

1974 Vatican City

1996 Athens (Greece)

1998 Nice (France)

2002 Groningen (Holland)

2006 Seraing/Liege (Belgium)





Stories, including cycling trip stories, for the Italian Cycling Journal welcome; contact veronaman@gmail.com

Stage 15: Forli' - Faenza, 161 Km

Sunday, 24 May, 2009, Stage 15 official description:

An all-Romagna stage with the route largely located in the province of Forlì-Cesena, although there is a brief excursion in the province of Ravenna with the stage also ending here. The altitude profile, meanwhile, is very segmented, just like a cardiogram. Both cities, just like the rest of Romagna, have a well-documented passion for cycling, and being a Sunday too, all the ingredients are there for a top-class exhibition in which the spectators will offer the cyclists their traditional warm support and enthusiasm.

Once again this year, just as in 2008, Piazza Saffi in Forlì will be the spectacular and spacious start-point for the stage. In recent years this town, with its ancient basilica of San Mercuriale and other architectural, cultural, historical and tourism-related places of interest, connected also to the rich offer of the surrounding area, has intensified its participation in the Giro d’Italia. Tullo Morgagni, chief editor of La Gazzetta dello Sport and one of the “fathers” of the Giro d’Italia along with Armando Cougnet and Eugenio Costamagna, was from Forlì. The town’s stadium, which hosts a magnificent velodrome track named after Forlì-born cyclist of the 1940’s Glauco Servadei, is also dedicated to Morgagni. Not only was this the right decision, it also appeased the impassioned requests of local administrators, motivated and convinced of the curiously effective role that cycling – and the Giro d’Italia in particular – plays in promoting the local area. Then there is the great Ercole Baldini and his Olympic gold, records, the world championship and pink jersey that colour his town and enrich the cycling heritage of Forlì and its surrounding area – also home to Arnaldo Pambianco of Bertinoro (winner of the Giro that marked the hundred-year anniversary of the unification of Italy in 1961) – which, just like the rest of Romagna, continues to be a prolific hotbed of cyclists and cycling fans.

The stage itinerary is segmented and highly variable in terms of its altitude profile with four King of the Mountains. From the start, the pack heads towards the inland hills via Castrocaro Terme – a place that brings back memories of classic individual time trials of the 60’s and 70’s – before moving onto Dovadola, Rocca San Casciano, the Eremo Pass, the descent towards Marradi and the consequent climb back up to the Colle Carnevale. It is then downhill again towards Casola Valsenio, which was home to Faenza-born writer Alfredo Oriani, one of the first poets to write about the bicycle, then uphill to the Colle Albano. Then, continually rising and falling, the Valico la Valletta and the characteristic village of Brisighella before another ascent to Monte Casale and Modigliana, with its numerous bridges and history/Risorgimento museum. Then onto the famous Monte Trebbio, a well-known climb in Italian cycling, particularly for a classic race such as the traditional Giro di Romagna. From the peak of this mountain to the stage end in Faenza, around twenty-five kilometres away, it is all downhill and flat country.

The stage finishes in the elegant Piazza del Popolo, in among its buildings of historical significance. This is the site for the famous Palio del Niballo each year, as well as the conclusion of the important ‘Cento Chilometri del Passatore’ foot race. Of great architectural value are the Palazzo Comunale, the Cathedral, the Pinacoteca comunale art gallery and the International Ceramics Museum.

The area is known for its high-profile production activities, above all those involving ceramics and majolica. So engrained is this tradition – it goes back over a hundred years – that the French term faïence actually derives from the name Faenza. The town’s agroindustrial sector is pretty lucrative, in terms of production, trade and transformation, as are its mechanical and fashion sectors.

The town is the birthplace of Evangelista Torricelli, inventor of the barometer. Also of note is Faenza’s sporting tradition, particularly in the areas of motoring, wrestling and cycling, with plenty of famous names hailing from here or close-by: Aldo Ronconi, Vito Ortelli, Giuseppe “Pipaza” Minardi and, more recently, Davide Cassani, Fabiano Fontanelli and many others, testimony to the town’s passion for cycling – a part of daily life here. Another well-known name in the cycling world to hail from Faenza was Guerrino Farolfi.

Faenza’s previous appearances in the Giro saw victories for Michele Dancelli in 1970 and Norwegian Kurt Asle Arvesen in 2003. It was the 10th stage, departing from Montecatini Terme, an uneven route just like this year’s. Gilberto Simoni wore the pink jersey here, retaining right through to the end of the race.

After the Giro we'll get back to "regular programming": everything from A to Z about Italian cycling. Stories, including cycling trip stories, for the Italian Cycling Journal welcome; contact veronaman@gmail.com.

Giro Photos: 1926, 1927, 1928, 1930

Top to bottom:

1926 - Group near finish line in the next to last stage, Udine-Verona.
1927 - Alfredo Binda wins in a sprint in the second stage, Torino-Reggio Emilia

1928 - unidentified Giro rider
1930 - the winning Legnano team of the Giro (with winner Luigi Marchisio)

Some photos from 1909 through 1925 can be seen at:

http://italiancyclingjournal.blogspot.com/2009/05/giro-photos-1909-1910-1911-1912-1922.html

After the Giro we'll get back to "regular programming": everything from A to Z about Italian cycling. Stories, including cycling trip stories, for the Italian Cycling Journal welcome; contact veronaman@gmail.com.

Stage 7: Boasson Hagen is Lightning

CHIAVENNA (Sondrio), 15 May 2009 - Edvald Boasson Hagen has won the seventh stage of the Giro d’Italia, from Innsbruck to Chiavenna, 244 kilometres. The Norwegian rider from the Columbia-High Road team, 22 years old on Sunday, winner of the Gand-Wevelgem in 2009, won in a short sprint, with a significant lead on Robert Hunter, Pavel Brutt and Davide Viganò. This is his first victory in the Giro. A few seconds later, Alessandro Bertolini, who attempted a counterattack in the final stretch, crossed the finish line. About thirty seconds later Di Luca’s group arrived.

RANKINGS — No significant changes in the top positions: Danilo Di Luca – third day in pink this year, 21st in his career – is in the lead with 5 seconds on the Swedish rider Lovkvist and 36 seconds on the Australian Rogers, both from Columbia-High Road. Then comes Leipheimer at +43, Menchov at +50, and Basso at +1:06.

THE DETAILS — They took off sprinting almost from the start. The attackers were Facci (Quick Step), Huzarski (Pol, ISD-Neri), Klimov (Rus, Katusha), and Isaichev (Rus, Xacobeo), and they were rejoined by the other riders shortly before the peak of the Maloja pass (40 km from the finish line). In all, a sprint of about 200 kilometres. Bad weather, a bit of fog, wet roads: the downhill stretch was looking treacherous, and it was decided to neutralise the final 3 kilometres of the stage. An attack was immediately launched by Alessandro Bertolini (the oldest rider in the peloton), who, 30 km from the finish had about 40 seconds on the frontrunners of Di Luca’s group. At minus 20 km, the Diquigiovanni-Androni racer had a lead of about 50 seconds. At minus 10 km the situation changed: Brutt (Rus, Katusha), Hunter (Saf, Barloworld), Boasson Hagen (Nor, Columbia), Viganò (Fuji-Servetto) and Bertolini were in the lead. Grivko (Ukr, ISD-Neri) was at +20, and Di Luca’s group at +30. At that point there were five racers contending for victory.

TOMORROW — The 100th anniversary of the Giro d’Italia – 92nd race – continues tomorrow with the eighth stage: Morbegno-Bergamo, 209 kilometres. The final stretch contains the Mountain Gran Prix of Colle Gallo, finishing in Piazza Matteotti, after passing through Bergamo Alta. An ideal stage for surprise attacks.

Photos: Alessandro Bertolini, almost 38 years old, took incredible risks on the wet roads of the descent; winner Boasson Hagen

After the Giro we'll get back to "regular programming": everything from A to Z about Italian cycling. Stories, including cycling trip stories, for the Italian Cycling Journal welcome; contact veronaman@gmail.com.

Astana: Fading Away

The Astana team has started wearing new jerseys in which the Kazakhstan logo on the front is purposefully faded out to the extent it is barely visible. Above is the jersey worn by Armstrong signing in on Stage 2, and the one worn today on Stage 7. This all comes about due to the pending demise of the Astana team.

Here is what team manager Johan Bruyneel said today:

"Since the beginning of the year, our team has had to deal with delays in payment from Kazakhstan. Up till now the situation is that the Kazakh Cycling Federation (KCF) has only paid two months of salary to the management company that runs the team. The only explanation we get from Kazakhstan is that the sponsors aren’t paying because of the economic crisis. They say they are trying to find a solution, but for me it is unclear which action they will take.

The UCI told me that the KCF has a deadline of May 31st to make good on the payments; otherwise the ProTour license will be revoked. We cannot do anything else other than to wait until the end of the Giro.

Of course, I haven’t stopped working on this. I am also trying to find a solution to carry on with this team from June 1st. Last year we managed to resurrect Team Astana. In a short period of time we made it one of the most loved cycling teams. This team structure cannot be lost!

For me personally I am in the same situation as the riders. I am not the owner of the team, and I am on the pay roll. From the beginning of the year payments to me are also late or not paid at all. For me it would be easy to stop. After the 2007 Tour I announced my retirement from the sport of cycling but then this promising project arose. I brought to Astana the infrastructure of the US Postal and Discovery Channel staff. These people still form the basis of the team. I cannot imagine breaking up this group.

There are some options as we approach May 31st. The KCF can fulfill their obligations and we will go on with this team and these sponsors. If not, their license will be claimed and Astana Cycling Team will be no more. If that happens, from then on I will have to find another solution to keep this team alive.

At the moment we are negotiating with some marketing agencies and global companies. When the news was leaked that there were payment troubles in our team, a lot of companies got in contact with me. Our biggest advantage is that we have the most marketable athlete on our team. You cannot wish to have a better representative of the sport. He opens doors to the industry. Especially in the US, a lot of companies desire to link their name to him. Even if Lance himself does not have to deal with the payment troubles since he rides without a salary, he suffers seeing his teammates not being paid. Although everybody is still motivated to continue together, it certainly weighs on the team.

I am confident that this team will be at the start of the Tour de France 2009 in Monaco: maybe under another flag or with another sponsor name, but we will be there. Just before the Tour de France, the biggest sporting event of the year, companies have the unique possibility to link their name to cycling and to jump into the middle of the season with Alberto Contador, Lance Armstrong, Levi Leipheimer and many others as their ambassadors.

What an opportunity…."

After the Giro we'll get back to "regular programming": everything from A to Z about Italian cycling. Stories, including cycling trip stories, for the Italian Cycling Journal welcome; contact veronaman@gmail.com.

Stage 6: Scarponi's Great Escape

MAYRHOFER IM ZILLERTAL (Austria), 14 May 2009 - Michele Scarponi has won the sixth stage of the Giro d’Italia by a lead. After 248 kilometres, on the Austrian finish line in Mayrhofen im Zillertal, the 29-year old Italian racer for Diquigiovanni-Androni – this year’s winner in a stage and in the final ranking of the Tirreno-Adriatico – crowned a 193-km sprint (initially in a group, then alone) obtaining the 12th victory of his career, and his first in the Giro. At +32 followed Boasson Hagen (NOR, Columbia); third was Allan Davis, then came Pozzato, fourth. Gasparotto (Lampre-NGC) was seventh. At +36 came the pink jersey’s group. A group including Lance Armstrong crossed the finish line at about + 1:20 ("Done with stage 6. Uh...wow. That was the craziest last 30k I've ever seen. Long, fast decent at 80k (50pmh) plus then a tight circuit; at one point today we reached 110kph. That's almost 70 mph. CRAZY!"). Danilo Di Luca held on to the pink jersey, which he wore for the 20th time in his career (5 times in 2005, 13 times in 2007). At +5 seconds came the Swedish racer Lovkvist, and at +36 was the Australian Rogers, both on the Columbia team. Then came Leipheimer at +43 and Menchov at +50. Basso was sixth at + 1:08.

THE DETAILS — Garzelli, who finished 6:41 behind Di Luca yesterday, made 7 attempts to break away in a sprint in the first 40 km, but was unsuccessful. After about fifty kilometres, Bonnafond, Gatto, Klostergaard, Scarponi and Kiryienka managed to successfully break away. For the first 4 hours of the race, they drove on at an average speed of 44 km/hour. Nearing the second Mountain Gran Prix of the day, Hochkrimml, Scarponi and Kiriyenka were in the lead, while Garzelli attempted to catch up with them, but gave up 30 kilometres from the finish. Going downhill, the group launched into pursuit of the two pacesetters. Kiriyenka fell behind, also due to a puncture; Scarponi was left alone with 1:20 on the group at 8 km from the finish. At minus 5 km, he was holding on to a lead of 1:08: this was the prelude to his victory.

TOMORROW — The 100th anniversary of the Giro d’Italia – 92nd race – continues tomorrow with the seventh stage: from Innsbruck to Chiavenna, 244 kilometres. The racers take off at 11:00 a.m., and the finish is set for around 5:00 p.m. Only one Mountain Gran Prix, the category three Passo Maloja (1815 metres in height), then almost 40 km downhill to the finish line. Another stage which, at least on paper, seems perfect for sprints.

Top 10 GC:

1 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) LPR Brakes - Farnese Vini 22.11.15

2 Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Team Columbia - Highroad 0.05 back

3 Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Columbia - Highroad 0.36

4 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana 0.43

5 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank 0.50

6 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas 1.06

7 Carlos Sastre (Spa) Cervelo Test Team 1.16

8 Christopher Horner (USA) Astana 1.17

9 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas 1.27

10 David Arroyo (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 1.41

After the Giro we'll get back to "regular programming": everything from A to Z about Italian cycling. Stories, including cycling trip stories, for the Italian Cycling Journal welcome; contact veronaman@gmail.com

Cunego, Armstrong Arrive in Venice

The Lampre-NGC team has arrived in the Lido and have checked into the Park Hotel Perù. The final selection of the Giro squad has been made and will be: Bono, Bruseghin, Cunego, Da Dalto, Gasparotto, Gavazzi, Marzano, Mori Manuele and Tiralongo.

Cunego, who won the 2004 Giro, said, "Can I win? I don't know, I will start off as one of the favorites and then we will have to see what I am capable of."

Lance Armstrong said, "Never been here. Can't wait to experience it."

The team presentations will be tomorrow (Thursday) in Piazza San Marco in Venice beginning at 4:15pm (local).

Photo: Piazza San Marco as featured in Giro d'Italia brochure

Stories, including cycling trip stories, for the Italian Cycling Journal welcome; contact veronaman@gmail.com

Lance Armstrong in Rome

Lance Armstrong arrived in Italy yesterday. Today he visited, in Rome, the Policlinico Gemelli to visit cancer survivors and their families and to launch the Italian portion of the LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Campaign:

Later he met with Italy's Foreign Minister Franco Frattini to discuss the campaign and the support Italy will provide:

Regarding the Giro he said, "At the beginning of the year my objective was to come to Italy and battle for a victory but after crashing (ed. note: in Spain) I don't know if that will still be the case. I envision Basso or Leipheimer as the winner. In any case, during the Giro I'll have the opportunity to discuss important issues such as the fight against cancer, world poverty, and also the beauty of cycling."

Stories, including cycling trip stories, for the Italian Cycling Journal welcome; contact veronaman@gmail.com

Watching the Giro d'Italia via the Internet

If you are living in a country that does not offer TV coverage of the Giro d'Italia take heart. There will be ways to watch it! Free.

http://www.cyclingfans.com/ will collect links to live Internet coverage from many different sources, including European national networks from Italy (RAI and SportItalia), France, Spain, Belgium, etc. These broadcasts will be in their respective languages. There may be coverage in English via a Eurosport link. Typically coverage will begin in the early afternoon Italian local time.

As cyclingfans.com finds a link to the race they will add it to their home page. So, it's a good idea to re-visit the home page to see if a link has been added that has better quality or in a language you prefer. I find that the RAI announcers are the best, and it helps my Italian.

After each stage they will also post the last few minutes of every stage, and of key moves during a stage. If you can't watch a stage live you can at least see the highlights.

Good luck! 3 days, 19 hours before the start!

Stories, including cycling trip stories, for the Italian Cycling Journal welcome; contact veronaman@gmail.com

Unfairly Treated? Italian National Champion Thinks So

Filippo Simeoni, the 37 year-old current Italian national road race champion, today turned in his tricolor jersey to the Federazione Ciclistica Italiana to protest his and his team's non-selection to the Centenario del Giro d'Italia.

"It is unacceptable that the Italian national champion cannot participate in the most important cycling event of his country. The organizer should explain to all fans why national values are not respected, why team selection criteria is not clear, and why commercial interests take precedence over sporting interests."

Simeoni also insinuated that the behind the non-selection was the old controversy involving Lance Armstrong; Armstrong will be racing in the Giro for the first time this year. The old controversy goes back to 2004, Stage 18 - July 23: Annemasse - Lons le Saunier, in the Tour de France. Here is what happened as reported by AFP:

"Lance Armstrong displayed his well-known determined side, but in bizarre fashion today after chasing down an early attack by Italian Filippo Simeoni on the 18th stage of the Tour de France.
The 32-year-old US Postal leader finished the stage with the main peloton at 11mins behind a group of six riders from which Spaniard Juan Miguel Mercado had emerged to sprint home ahead of Vicente Garcia-Acosta and win the stage for his Quick Step team.

Armstrong, who has also won four stages on this year's race, retained his 4min 09sec lead on second placed Italian Ivan Basso, of CSC, and is well on his way to a record sixth yellow jersey.
But despite his total domination, Armstrong also showed his unforgiving side, especially with Simeoni.

The 32-year-old Italian is a key witness in the trial of Italian sports doctor Michele Ferrari, with whom Armstrong has admitted collaboration in the past, and earlier in the race confirmed his intention to take Armstrong to court for defamation.

Simeoni wants to sue the five-time winner over comments made in French newspaper Le Monde in July 2003. The article quoted Armstrong as saying that Simeoni had ''lied'' when he gave evidence to investigators saying was Ferrari who had showed him (Simeoni) how to use the banned blood booster EPO (erythropoietin) effectively.

The comments did little to improve Armstrong's image vis-a-vis Ferrari, who in the cycling world is looked at with suspicion as much as with curious admiration for his knowledge of advanced training methods.

Today the Domina Vacanze team rider's attempts to get into the six-man breakaway were kept immediately in check, as though Armstrong was intent on trailing him wherever he went even though Simeoni is not a threat in the general classification.

And the message from Armstrong seemed clear: 'Me and the peloton don't like what you've said about Ferrari, and we won't let you forget it'.

Race leaders rarely need to chase down such attacks, and although stranger things have happened in cycling it still shed Armstrong in a curious light.

Simeoni, for one, wasn't happy: ''Armstrong today showed everyone the kind of champion he is,'' said the Italian, who has never implicated Armstrong in any evidence he has given about Ferrari.

''If he was truly a big champion, he wouldn't have to preoccupy himself with modest riders like me.''

When questioned, Armstrong later insisted: ''I was protecting the interests of the peloton. The other riders were very thankful,'' he said before hinting at his real motives.

''All he (Simeoni) wants to do is destroy cycling, destroy the sport that pays him.

''I can't say how many riders said thank you very much.

''They understand that it is their job, and they don't want somebody from within destroy it,''

added Armstrong, who took his petulance a stage further by poking fun at the journalist from L'Equipe newspaper who had interviewed Simeoni two weeks ago.

But despite Simeoni's outcry, Australian veteran Scott Sunderland believes Armstrong's behaviour wasn't out of the ordinary.

''That sort of stuff does happen, and it has for years. I remember a lot of rivalries between teams in the past,'' Sunderland said.


The 37-year-old Alessio rider admitted that Simeoni's card had been marked by some in the peloton, and that Armstrong was within his rights.

''Filippo Simeoni spoke out and from what I can gather was throwing accusations around, saying things like you can't win anything on the big Tours if you're not taking stuff (drugs), so I think a lot of guys have just taken offence.

''It was stupid for Simeoni to do that, especially if he's still in the peloton and riding the big races.
''Plus, he's (Simeoni) talking about what happened in 1996 when things were a bit out of control. Since then things have really moved on as far as fighting against doping is concerned,'' added Sunderland.

''As far as Lance is concerned, I think he was on an easy day and he wanted to show Simeoni that if he was going to attack he would find it difficult.

Ferrari, who once claimed that EPO was no more harmful than orange juice, is set to go on trial in Italy for sports fraud and the distribution of banned substances.

The fallout from the trial, scheduled for later this year, could raise further questions about Armstrong's links with the Italian doctor. "

Reading this reminded me, regretfully, that not much has changed when it comes to doping.

Photo: Filippo Simeoni

Stories, including cycling trip stories, for the Italian Cycling Journal welcome; contact veronaman@gmail.com

Book: "Fausto Coppi, un uomo solo al comando"

On the occasion of the Giro del Centenario several other books are being published in addition to "Un Secolo di Passioni" (http://italiancyclingjournal.blogspot.com/2009/04/book-un-secolo-di-passioni.html). We will report on these over the next week.

Yesterday we saw Fausto Coppi in a newsreel video of the 1953 Giro d'Italia so let's learn more about the new book, "Fausto Coppi, un uomo solo al comando". This biography authored by Paolo Alberati, published by Giunti Editore, is based upon years of research and collaboration. The author has interviewed the Coppi children, Marina and Faustino; teammates Sandrino Carrea and Ettore Milano; and Coppi's second wife, Giulia Occhini (the “dama Bianca”, woman in white).

The book covers all aspects of Coppi's life, from his military service in Africa during WWII which interrupted his racing career, his post WWII racing and rivalry with Bartali, to his shocking death from malaria after a visit to the Republic of Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso).

Fausto Coppi won five times the Giro d'Italia (1940, 1947, 1949,1952, 1953), twice the Tour de France (1949 and 1952), and was the first to win the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France in the same year. Among his other victories: World Championship in 1953, the Milan-Sanremo in 1946, 1948 and 1949, Paris-Roubaix, and set the hour record (45.798 km) in 1942. Because of his dominance he was named "Il Campionissimo", champion of champions.

As an aside, in doing some research of my own I learned that Coppi became a prisioner of war in Africa of the British, and of this story: At the prison camp Coppi was given odd jobs to do. The British cyclist Len Levesley said he was astonished to find Coppi giving him a haircut. Levesley, who was on a stretcher with polio said, "I should think it took me all of a full second to realise who it was. He looked fine, he looked slim, and having been in the desert, he looked tanned. I'd only seen him in cycling magazines but I knew instantly who he was. So he cut away at my hair and I tried to have a conversation with him, but he didn't speak English and I don't speak Italian. But we managed one or two words and I got over to him that I did some club racing. And I gave him a bar of chocolate that I had with me and he was grateful for that and that was the end of it."

Photo: book cover

Stories, including cycling trip stories, for the Italian Cycling Journal welcome; contact veronaman@gmail.com

Backlash about Noè's Exclusion from Giro d'Italia

When Liquigas announced that Andrea Noè would not be on their Giro d'Italia squad the news was expected to be "non-notizia" (non-news). However, there has been a backlash from the tifosi all across Italy which are calling upon Liquigas to include Noè in the 100th anniversary Giro. Why?

Andrea Noè is the oldest, at 40 years 3 months old, active Italian professional rider. He is also the active rider to have worn the pink jersey the most years in the past having taken a stage and the pink jersey in 1998 (and by the way, also wearing the pink jersey for two days in 2007). Having started racing in 1993 he was racing then against Argentin and Fondriest. A domestique for Rominger and Olano, Tonkov and Bartoli, Bettini and Di Luca. On Mapei, Asics, Mapei-Quick Step, Alessio, and since 2005 with Liquigas. Fifteen Giro di Italia's in sixteen years.

Noè has remained fit and competitive as he dreamed to race in the Giro del Centenario and now his non-selection has created a drumbeat for his re-instatement. Mapei's sponsor, Giorgio Squinzi, said it best, "To exclude him shows a lack of understanding of certain values."

Photo: Noè in pink

Stories, including cycling trip stories, for the Italian Cycling Journal welcome; contact veronaman@gmail.com

Book: "Un Secolo Di Passioni"

The official Giro d'Italia's 100th anniversary book, covering 1909 up to the 2009 race, began being sold today in bookstores in Italy. There has been a slight name change from the original announcements. The book is now entitled "Un Secolo Di Passioni" (A Century Of Passion); the original announcements referred to the title as "100 Anni Di Passioni" (100 Years of Passion).

Written by Pier Bergonzi and Elio Trifari the large format book has 256 pages and 289 photographs from the archives of the Gazzetta dello Sport. Published by Rizzoli Libri the cost is 14.99 euro.

Photo: book cover

Stories, including cycling trip stories, for the Italian Cycling Journal welcome; contact veronaman@gmail.com