Giro d'Italia Stage 9-100th Giro Soft-Peddles Through Milan

Not without controversy the 100th anniversary Milano circuit finished today with team Columbia finishing the 10 lap, 160km circuit first while Danilo De Luca maintained the pink jersey after it was decided individual stage times would not count today due to the urban nature of the stage 9 Giro d'Italia Milan circuit.

The Giro d'Italia typically ends in Milan, but as it is the 100th anniversay of the Giro d'Italia the cyclist will finish entering The Eternal City Rome on May 31.

In the fourth lap, after 40 miles, the cyclists stopped at the finish line, stopping the race, while Danilo DeLuca explained to the audience why the riders had collectively protested the race course thus neutalizing the race and slowing the overall tempo of the race to casual.

LPR's Danilo Di Luca, flanked by seven-times Tour De France winner Lance Armstrong, tried his best to explain the decision. "We did not believe today's route was very safe for our health," said race leader and 2007 Giro d'Italia winner di Luca. "Because of this we asked and obtained an annulment of the ninth stage times from the course directors. We apologise to the public, we hope they can understand our wishes. We move forward."

So the riders took it easy in Milan peddling the paces rather than competing on a Sunday through Milan's streets, lowering the average speed to about 25 mph.

In the last lap there was an exciting sprint to the finish with Team Columbia-Highroad, just an incredible cycling team, continued its winning habit with sprint superstar Mark Cavendish finishing first taking the stage today achieveing his own personal goals, although no points were awarded.

The Giro d'Italia first happened in Milan 100 years ago, making today's Milan circuit extra special. The race today began in Piazza Duomo, where soccer club Inter celebrated last night's win and AC Milan's loss creating even more excitement in Milan's Piazza Duomo this Sunday morning. The racers then headed toward the Sforza Castle before entering the circuit for 10 laps.

For more Milan, Bergamo and Italian lakes video visit WebVisionItaly.com's Lombardy Channel.

Giro d'Italia Stage 9-Milan Circuit

Following the fantastic race around Bergamo, after the picturesque Lombardy countryside the cyclist enter Milan Sunday for the Giro d'Italia Milan Circuit.

Milan is a very quiet city on Sunday, perfect for the cyclist to take over the streets. The circuit begins out near the Milan central train station on Corso Buenos Aires, a main street in Milan full of businesses, shopping, and local trattoria. One of Motorino Man's favorite Milan local trattoria off corso Buenos Aires, open for lunch on Sunday, is Ristorante and Pizzeria Tavola Calda.

The cyclist will then head of Buenos Aires after the public gardens heading toward the Sforza Castle, a Milan landmark named after the powerful Sforza family that ruled the area. The cyclist will pass the Sforza castle, go around the gardens and then head back out toward the Milan train station and Corso Buenos Aires.

Between the Sforza Castle and the Duomo is a straight shot whoch will also see action Sunday in the 100th cycling of the Giro d'Italia.
























For more video and information about Milan Italy visit WebVisionItaly.com.

Giro d'Italia Stage 7-Three Countries in The Alps-De Luca Leads After 1st Week

The Giro d'Italia completed its first week today, after finishing Stage 7 today that included the cyclist passing through three countries from Austria, climbing 200 km into the Alps through Switzerland for another 100km to summit, then the descent into the Lombardy (Lombardia) region of Italy.

The start in Innsbruck, Austria at 600 meter elevation had the cyclist constantly climbing the Alps for the first 5 hours covering 200km, and then after reaching the 1,800 meter summit in Switzerland the Giro cyclist navigating in the rain and fog under snow-capped mountains headed down 36km passing grey lakes reflecting the grey skies on the way to the foothill town of Chiavenna in the Lombardy region of Italy. Lombardy is best known for its cosmopolitan city Milan and the beautiful lakes region like Como. Wines produced in Lombardy include DOCG sparkling white wine, which like Veneto's DOCG prosecco, is Italy's champagna.























The majestic Alps does play tricks with the weather, which today did not disappoint providing the cyclist dry conditions at the outset, with wet roads followed by rain as the cyclists climbed, before a little fog to go along with the rain at the summit, with the wet weather and terrible visibility continuing in Italy for the wild and crazy 36km descent full of hair pin turns and steep descents, which had the cyclist donning warm cloths while organizers decided to take the times for the overall standings with three kilometers to go because of the wet, slippery conditions.

With 30km the rain slowed when 38 year old and 6 time Giro d'Italia racer Alessandro Bertolini with Maglia Rosa descended hitting speeds up to 45 mph to break away from the pack by 16 seconds as the Giro returned to Italy's Lombardy region.














Lance Armstrong played it safe but did make an appearance at the front of the chase pack for a short time at the summit. At the final Armstrong dropped 18 seconds on Di Luca but remains in 25th place, 4:31 behind the leader. And it was not long after Bertolini led the pack into Italy that Brut and Hunter passed him for the final stretch of Stage 7 through the classic Lombary towns and villages at speeds up to 50 mph to Chiavenna.

5 racers sprinted to the finish, with about 43 seconds separating the leaders from the rest of the pack. As the cyclist approached the finish Bertolini jockeyed to the front a few times before the final spring with 1 km to go into town where thousands of people gathered in Chiavenna to cheer for the Giro d'Italia cyclist.

After close to six hours in the saddle it was Norwegian Edvald Boasson Hagen who powered away in the final straight to clinch the seventh stage of the 100th anniversary of the Giro d'Italia.

The Team Columbia rider Hagen, second on Thursday, came in ahead of South Africa's Robert Hunter and Russian Pavel Brutt and the two Italians Alessandro Bertolini and Davide Vigano.

The Giro d'Italia overall standings have LPR's Danilo Di Luca, the 2007 champion, keeping the leader's pink jersey at the end of the 244-km stage from Innsbruck in Austria to the Italian town of Chiavenna. Italian Di Luca was part of a large cluster of riders who were 40 seconds behind the leaders at this point. He remains five seconds ahead of Swede Thomas Lovkvist in the overall standings.

Saturday's eighth Giro d'Italia stage route is another long one of 209 km from Morbegno to Bergamo. Bergamo's people are cycling-crazy promising not only great cycling action tomorrow but also fantastic fan participation for Giro d'Italia Stage 8. See stage 8 route map below:

The Giro d'Italia 100th anniversary edition of the race finishes in Rome on May 31.

Follow the Motorino Man travels in Italy on Twitter @ItalyTravel. For Italy video of the regions and to learn more about the nuances and intricacies on each region in Italy that makes up the culture that is Italy visit WebVisionItaly.com.

Giro d' Italia Stage 3 Standings-Petacchi Takes Grado to Valdobbiadene-Prosecco for Pink Jersey

The Giro d'Italia cyclist raced stage 3 today, after starting Saturday with the time trials on Venice's Lido.

Day 3 was another beautiful day in Italy's Veneto region. Today's Giro stage at 200 km had the cyclist traveling from the picturesque adriatic town Grado to Valdobbiadene, the home of sparkling white wine known as Prosecco, named after the prosecco grape from this region at the foothills of Italy's Alps. Although the cyclists make their way up some hills today's giro stage was mostly flat.

The green fields and hills that lined today's Giro d'Italia at the foot of the Alps are lush with vineyards where the famous sparkling wine grapes are grown from steep-hilled villages surrounding Conegliano and Valdobbiadene in Italy’s Veneto region. Today, about 60 percent of all prosecco — some eight million cases — comes from producers outside the traditional prosecco-growing region of Conegliano-Valdobbiadene, a cluster of villages about a half-hour’s drive north of Venice. The newcomers are not held to the same strict production standards as the traditional producers, which are tightly governed under Italian wine laws. The towns were full of people and the race route lined with people who love the action. And with 35km left, action is exactly what today's Giro d'Italia Stage 3 offered.

The last 3 km to go was a race of races with Bruseghin going for it and the pack following. Bruseghin went to early - Visconti charged, building himself a 100m lead with 1km left. But his legs gave up with less than .2 km left to go when Petacchi came through with a time of 4:45:27.

Once again, stage 3 of the Giro d'Italia did not disappoint setting up a great race circuit. After the jump Giro d'Italia Stage 3 video >

The 162 km Stage 4 Giro d'Italia tomorrow, May 12, has the cyclist beginning from the beautiful canal-town of Padua (Padova) to San Martino di Castrozza in the mountains. We'll be watching the climbers to see who is saving their legs and to see who is peaking too early as the Giro d'Italia stage 4 heads toward the Italian Alps.





















For a little taste of Verona in the Veneto region click below:

For more Italy video of the region where the Giro d'Italia stage 1, stage 2, stage 3, and tomorrow's stage 4 click WebVisionItaly.com - Italy video of the Veneto region of Italy including Padua, Venice, Verona, and Vicenza.

Giro d'Italia 2009 Race Route and Stage Map

Giro d'Italia Route Map. Click for a video fly through of the 2009 Giro d'Italia race route in Italy.

100th Giro d'Italia: 1909 - 2009: Click below for daily recaps and Giro d'Italia current standings:

Stage 1 Venice
Stage 3 Grado to Valdobbiadene
Stage 7 Innsbrook Austria -Switzerland - Lombardy Italy

Giro d'Italia 2009 Race Schedule and Giro d'Italia Race Maps:


Giro d'Italia 2009 calendar is 21 stages and 2 rest days from May 9, 2009 - May 31, 2009.

Below is the Giro d'Italia schedule calendar, stages, and Giro d'Italia stage maps:

Saturday May 9 - map
Lido di Venezia, Venice, 20.5 km

Sunday May 10 - map
Jesolo to Trieste, 156 km

Monday May 11 - map
Grado to Valdobbiadene, 200km

Tuesday May 12 - map
Padova to San Martino di Castrozza, 165 km (uphill)

Wednesday May 13 - map
San Martino di Castrozza to Alpe di Siusi, 125 km (uphill)

Thursday May 14 - map
Bressanone to Mayrhofen, 242 km

Friday May 15 - map
Innsbruck to Chiavenna, 244 km

Saturday May 16 - map
Morbegno to Bergamo, 208 km

Sunday May 17 - map
Circuit Race in Milano, 155 km

Monday May 18 - REST DAY Giro d'Italia 2009

Tuesday May 19 - map
Cuneo to Pinerolo, 250 km (uphill)

Wednesday May 20 - map
Torino to Arenzano, 206 km

Thursday May 21 - map
Sestri Levante to Riomaggiore, 61 km (timetrial)

Friday May 22 - map
Lido di Camaiore to Florence, 150 km

Saturday May 23 - map
Campi Bisenzio to Bologna, 174 km

Sunday May 24 - map
Forlie to Faenza, 159 km

Monday May 25 - map (uphill)
Pergola to Monte Petrano, 237 km

Tuesday May 26 - REST DAY Giro d'Italia

Wednesday May 27 - map (uphill)
Chieti to Blockhaus, 181 km

Thursday May 28 - map
Sulmona to Benevento, 181 km

Friday May 29 - map
Avellino to Monte Vesuvio, 164 km

Saturday May 30 - map
Naples to Anagni, 203 km

Sunday May 31 - map
Rome, 15.3 km - map


Giro d'Italia 2009 teams should be announced in late January/ early February. Rosters will be announced in April.


For more about Italy visit http://www.WebvisionItaly.com, the only TV network about Italy in English.