Blog - Giro d'Italia 2009

Denis Menchov (Rabobank) wins the 100 year old Giro d'Italia - a summary of the third week

The third and last week of the 100-year old Giro didn't give many surprises and the Russian rider Denis Menchov of the Dutch Rabobank team has managed -despit a fall in the final time trial- to keep his pink jersey until the end. At 31 years old he wins his first Tour of Italy after having won the Vuelta a España two times already: in 2005 and 2007.

After my article about the first stage, the one about the second stage, the summary of the first week and the summary of the second week of this Giro d'Italia, you can discover below a summary of the third and last week. ...

Giro d'Italia 2009: a summary of the second week

Today, the riders who participate in the Giro d'Italia 2009 had their second rest day before they finish this Tour of Italy with 4 last stages in line and the final individual time trial in Rome.

I already presented you here an article about the first stage, an article about the second stage and a summary of the first week of this Tour of Italy 2009. Today I propose you to discover during this rest day a summary of the second week!

Most important news of this second week were the 3 stage victories for Mark Cavendish (Columbia High Road) and the fact that Denis Menchov (Rabobank) too ...

Giro d'Italia 2009: a summary of the first week

After the start of the Giro d'Italia 2009 from Venice with the team time trial, won by the Columbia High Road team, and the second stage from Jesolo to Trieste won by Alessandro Petacchi, 7 other stages have allowed the riders to get to the spot where they currently enjoy their first rest day in this 100-year Tour of Italy.

I thought it would be a good idea to present you a summary of the first week of the Tour of Italy 2009 at this first rest day.

To summarise this first week in just a few words, I could say that the Columbia High Road and LPR Brakes - Farnese Vini teams dominated the race if you only look at the stage wins. In the general ranking, these teams are highly represented as well, but in the top 10 we also find several favourites for the final win, such ...

Rui Alberto Faria da Costa (Caisse d'Epargne) wins the 4 Jours de Dunkerque - Giro d'Italia : Petacchi beats Cavendish in the sprint

Since the Giro d'Italia 2009 started with a wonderful team time trial won by Columbia High Road yesterday and a stage which was won in the sprint by Alessandro Petacchi ahead of Mark Cavendish (see below), one could almost forget that the 4 Jours de Dunkerque finished today as well. That's a bit strange, especially because the jersey of the leader of this race ... is just as pink as the one which is used in the Tour of Italy!

The young Portuguese rider Rui Alberto Faria da Costa of the Caisse d'Epargne team won this race in the north of France.

The 4 Jours de Dunkerque

Columbia High Road wins the Giro d'Italia 2009 team time trial - Mark Cavendish wears the pink jersey

Under a grey sky, but fortunately without any rain, the first stage of the 100 year old Giro just finished. This stage, a team time trial, was won by the Columbia High Road team.

This team's leader, Mark Cavendish, takes the very first pink jersey of this Tour of Italy.

The Columbia High Road riders, who left first, had two wait for about two hours before they knew they indeed did the best time. They have finished the 20,5 kilometers on the Lido di Venezia island in 21 minutes and 50 seconds, with an average speed of 56,335 kilometers per hour.

Mark Cavendish was thus right when he said at a press conference that the complete focus of the Garmin Slipstream team on this team time trial was disrespectful. Indeed, the team which won this stage last year made this stage its primary goal in this year's Giro d'Italia.

Mark Cavendish said about this yesterday: The thing about it is that the Giro's 21 days. I think it's a bit d ...

The latest news on the Giro d'Italia 2009 - change in one of the stages and start order for the team time trial

Tomorrow the first Grand Tour, the Tour of Italy, finally starts in Venice with a team time trial.

In this article you'll find the latest news around this centenary Giro: the start order for tomorrow's team time trial and a last minute change in the route of the 17th stage between Chieti and Blockhaus.
And as a bonus you'll find at the end of the article a short movie which presents the full route of all stages.

The start order for the team time trial - Saturday 9 May 2009 - Lido di Venezia

The selected riders for the different teams of the Giro d'Italia 2009 - with the numbers

Italy

The Giro d'Italia 2009 route - the Tour of Italy celebrates its 100th anniversary in style

The Giro d'Italia celebrates its 100th anniversary with its 92nd edition next year and will celebrate this at the Piazzale Loreto. Indeed, the place where the first Giro d'Italia started on 13 May 1909 will be visited several times during the 9th stage of the Tour of Italie in 2009.

This article will allow you to discover the route, the start and finish cities and the mountain profiles of the 2009 2009 Giro d'Italia as presented on Saturday 13 December in Venice!

Some history