Giro d’Italia 2015: Contador for Pink
The Giro d’Italia is now down to the final week.
There used to be four contenders at the start Colombian Rigoberto Uran (ETIXX), Aussie Richie Porte (SKY), local boy Fabio Aru (ASTANA) and the 2008 and 2011 winner, Alberto Contador (TINKOFF-SAXO).
After last Saturdays ITT, Contador is now on the helm and not likely give up the pink leader’s jersey. Or rather, the jersey is now virtually out of reach from his rivals. Rigoberto Uran had bad luck and crashes at bad moments. Aru is not only suffering from something (and he’s not telling us), he also needs to go back to cycling school and enrol in, “Cycling 101” major in racing tactics. Porte is a shell of himself, even though he has his own coach to go home to for this Giro. A bad knee as a result of a crash last Friday and a ridiculous penalty, made the Aussie think of packing it all in and concentrate in helping his teammate Chris Froome for the Tour de France this July.
Regarding the “ridiculous” penalty, Porte was docked two minutes for receiving mechanical assistance from a rival team after getting a flat tire. Now how stupid could the UCI be in this case? Porte was already bleeding time as a result of the flat and now, two minutes has been added. You see, in the elite world of bicycle racing, a 30-second loss maybe almost impossible to overcome. And now, the UCI gave Porte two ridiculous minutes! No surprise that Porte wants to go home, compounded by another loss of four minutes in the ITT.
Contador, on the other hand, looks poised to get his second Giro. I say second because his 2011 win was erased from the records due to a doping offence. Unless he crashed and breaks his tibia again, this 2015 Giro will be
his.
RIDE SOUTH Yesterday, i went out for a ride to Naga. I haven't been to Nagai for a few months but I was so surprised by the traffic that started from Talisay City. The traffic made more scary by these motorcycles whose drivers simply dive when a space opens up, not thinking about the other vehicles behind, beside and in front of them. I know I’m like talking to a tree here but i just have to say it. Look people, if we want to change this disturbing pattern, don’t go to government. Instead, go to the nearest mirror you have and tell the person you see that the change should start from him or her.
RILEY B. KING
The King, a.k.a BB King, passed away 10 days ago. He was 89. A lot of young folks haven’t heard of King but if you’re into the blues, he was an icon. The man Rolling Stone said was the sixth greatest guitarist of all time received in 1990 the National Medal of Arts and in 2006 the Presidential Medal of Freedom given both times by President George W. Bush.
I first saw King in the 1993 movie, “Heart and Souls” when he played the guitar when Robert Downey Jr. sang the National Anthem. I was hooked! For me, King was the bridge that took the blues from Robert Johnson to the modern era. He will be missed.