Giro d'Italia

It’s always nice to be recognised for a job well done, and even better when someone gives you a token of their appreciation for your efforts. However, Washington DC Mayor Adrian M. Fenty has found himself in a bit of a fix after being given a $12,000 Colnago EPS, complete with his own name inscribed on the top tube, as thanks for helping secure the departure of the 2012 Giro d’Italia for the American capital.

Press reports in Italy suggest that the organisers of the Giro d’Italia will tomorrow confirm that the 2012 edition of the race will get under way in Washington DC. Rumours of a planned departure on the other side of the Atlantic have been circulating for months, notwithstanding the immense logistical problems involved, not to mention time differences.

Italy’s anti-doping authorities have hit Danilo di Luca with a two-year ban and fined the cyclist €280,000 as a result of his testing positive for CERA following two stages of last year’s Giro d’Italia.

Di Luca, who spent eight days last May in the race leader’s maglia rosa, which he had won in 2007, finished second in the race, 41 seconds behind Rabobank’s Denis Menchov, but details of his positive result were revealed in July, causing him to be provisionally suspended by the UCI.

Bradley Wiggins is targeting wins in the opening and closing days’ Individual Time Trials in this year’s Giro d’Italia, which gets under way in Amsterdam on May 8, and says he is taking the race seriously rather than just using it as preparation for the Tour de France.

Ivan Basso will return to the Tour de France next year after a four-year absence and will lead the Liquigas team when the race gets under way in Rotterdam next July, according to Italian daily La Gazzettta dello Sport.

Rumours have been building on both sides of the Atlantic that RCS Sport, organisers of the Giro d’Italia, are considering starting the 2012 edition of the race in the American capital, Washington DC.

The route of the 2010 Giro d’Italia was announced yesterday in Milan – but that’s as close as the race will get to the Lombard capital this year in what is seen as a snub to the city after chaotic scenes greeted celebrations of the Giro’s centenary there back in May.

If you think it's bad on the mountain slopes of a major tour these days then take a look at this amazing clip of the 1974 Giro with José Manuel Fuente riding away from Eddy Merckx to a summit finish at the Tre Cime di Lavaredo. It's unbridled carnage: unsurfaced sections, sub-zero temperatures, outriders running over spectators, cyclists crashing into outriders, team cars getting stuck between parked cars, men in suits chasing the riders up the hill... unbelievable

The latest instalment of the season-long documentary following the Cervelo Test Team's first season is now available to watch or download.

The cynic within in me always thinks that the timing on positive dope announcements is set to coincide with the Tour de France, but the logical part of my brain thinks that would be suicide for the sport.

Cycling though has a long tradition of shooting itself in the foot and despite my protestations on the blog the other week about “seeing the sport for what it is” and “accepting that doping exists at the top level”, I can’t let the Danilo Di Luca case go by without comment.