The Team Garmin cyclists must be licking their collective chops on Saturday after learning that the 2009 Giro d'Italia opens with a team time trial in Venice.
An opening team time trial in the Giro last year put the US-based team — then known as Team Slipstream-Chipotle — in the leading position with Illinois-raised Christian Vande Velde in the pink jersey.
The Giro rolls across Italy (with brief visits to Austria, Switzerland and France) for 2,105 miles from May 9 -31. It finishes in Rome with a time trial, the first time the bike race has skipped Milan as the finish since 1989.
Challenges
That last stage time trial means that, unless there is a huge margin at the end, the race will be contested up to the finish of the last stage. A fitting end to the 100th anniversary of the bike race.
The race gets right to the mountains, visiting the Alps on Stage 4 with the first of six mountain-top finishes.
A little past the halfway point of the race, on Stage 12, is a 38.2-mile individual time trial. Although CyclingNews.com says that should benefit first-time Giro cyclist Lance Armstrong, the 38-year-old American said he's never raced a time trial that long.
Leaders
Among the leaders being touted for this year's Giro are Armstrong, Ivan Basso (who Armstrong picks), Carlos Sastre, Gilberto Simoni, Danilo Di Luca, and Denis Menchov. All have won either the Giro or the Tour de France.
Although not mentioned, I'm sure Team Garmin's Vande Velde will be in the mix at the end.
Astana's Alberto Contador, who won in 2008, will not compete in the Giro in 2009.
Mountains
The mountaintop finishes are:
Stage 4 – San Martino di Castrozza
Stage 5 – Alpe di Siusi
Stage 14 – San Luca
Stage 16 – Monte Petrano
Stage 17 – Block Haus
Stage 19 – Vesuvio
More at CyclingNews and VeloNews.
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