Giro 100

written by Herbie Sykes published by Rapha Editions

Sorry Canadian cycling fans. You won’t find any reminiscing by Ryder Hesjedal on his 2012 Giro d’italia win in Giro100. The Victoria native does get brief mention at one point. But that’s it. Montreal frame maker Giuseppe Marinoni appears for a second. His nephew, Beppe Savoldelli, speaks of a bike Marinoni made for his other nephew, Paolo Savoldelli. Actually, a more peripheral (in this case) figure like Marinoni is more in-line with Herbie Sykes’s project than a recent maglia rosa winner like Hesjedal.

Giro1 00, for the Italian Grand Tour’s centennial this year, is a look at the non-headline-making riders or ones who haven’t been in the English press headlines in years. There are two sections on the gregari, one on runners-up, one on folks who worked behind the scenes as well as other chapters. Sykes has his subjects tell their tales in their own words, and then he provides a bit of context. The stories are all well-told. They will not only deepen your knowledge of the race, but give you a better sense of its depth. Think about it: thousands of riders have raced the Giro. Many stories can come out of one stage. So 100 years of a Grand Tour could keep a bunch of Scheherazades busy for more than 1,001 nights. Some tales in Giro100 are funny, such as how Lucillo Lievore hid out in a bar to secure his maglia nera, the jersey for the last rider in the general classification. Some are tragic, such as Claudio Ravasio’s recollection of how a crash cost his brother, Emilio, his life. And there are many more.

I have two minor quibbles with this otherwise great book. One is the design. Maybe I’m a fogey when it comes to layout, but all the sideways type for section headlines is annoying, especially if you are encountering a rider’s name for the first time. Also, the image captions range from silly to almost useless. There’s an image of six men in suits, maybe riders, holding…something. The caption: “To infinity and beyond.” I’m not sure what the connection is between the Buzz Lightyear character who utters this phrase and this black-and-white photo. Something to do with the “trofeosenzafine,” the Giro’s trophy without end? No, that can’t be it. The photo obviously predates the trophy. Then, as with most of the captions, I throw my hands up.

Still, it’s the stories in Giro100 that shine. They’re worth getting lost in.