Giro 2009 a Mini Tour

May has once again rolled around, in the cycling world this means the classics are over and it is time for the grand tours to start. Speaking of grand tours, my personal favorite is the Giro d' Talia. It is overshadowed by the Tour de France in prestige and popularity. But somehow, I feel that the Giro is usually a better race. 

The Italian fans or tifosi are as passionate as any fans, maybe more so than the French, and the climbs in the Giro are longer and steeper and more difficult that the TdF.

This is the 100th anniversary of the Giro, 92 editions have been run. This year's Giro promises to be a good one. For the first time in recent memory the Giro does not end in the streets of Milano. The final stage takes place in the historical city of Rome.

Here are the basics of this year's Giro. There will be 21 stages, two rest days, seven stages over 200k, six mountain top finishes, a total of three time trials including a team time trial on day 1. Racing will take place in Switzerland, Austria, and Italy for over 3450 kilometers of climbing, sprinting and crashing. 

Look for these stages to play a role in the overall picture of the Giro. Stage 1 the team time trial. This will determine the first person to wear the Maglia Rosa. There should be an interesting battle between the Garmin squad of Christian Van deVelde and Lance Armstrong and the Levi Leipheimer led Astana team. 

From there after only three days of racing the race goes uphill with stage 4 hosting a mountain top finish. While this stage will not tell us who the winner will be, we will catch a glimpse as to who is prepared. Stage 5 could produce some carnage, the beginning of the stage is mostly down hill anyone caught off guard could be on their way home.  

Stage 10 will be the turning point of the Giro. The word epic gets thrown around a lot but that is the only word fitting to describe this stage. With over 200 kilometers and  and a profile that looks like an x-ray of a shark's jaw, this stage will play a pivotal role in shaping the overall picture of the race. 

There will be a lot of familiar names getting tossed around on stage 12, if they make it, this far. A 60.6 kilometer time trial should separate the top three contenders from the rest of the field Look for Armstrong, Leipheimer, or maybe Fabian Cancellara to end up on the podium here.

At this point the Giro gives us a second helping of mountains. Stages 14,16,17,and 19 are all mountain top finishes. As long as the weather cooperates, hopefully none of these stages will be cut short. These stages are sure to enduce oxygen deprivation and some lactic acid build up. 

All of this will lead us to stage 21 in Roma. A 15.5 kilometer time trial is all that is left for the field. A quick spin through Rome and history will undoubtedly be made.  Perhaps we will see on the second American to come home with the Maglia Rosa?  We'll find out after 21 stages, 3455 kilometers, three time trials, and six mountain top finishes. Now that sounds like a Grand Tour!