At the Giro with Gregg Bleakney – start to finish
- By Gregg Bleakney
- Published May. 30, 2011
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2011 Giro d' Italia with Gregg Bleakney - start to finish
A podium girl waits backstage to be called for her appearance. Photo: Gregg Bleakney
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2011 Giro d' Italia with Gregg Bleakney - start to finish
Giro mechanics put in insane hours to make sure their athletes' bikes were in top form. Team Androni's crew were up at dawn and the last to arrive at dinner. Photo: Gregg Bleakney
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2011 Giro d' Italia with Gregg Bleakney - start to finish
This time trial girl had never held a cyclist before. She was put through a few minutes of training with an Acqua & Sapone rider before stage 1. Photo: Gregg Bleakney
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2011 Giro d' Italia with Gregg Bleakney - start to finish
Contador leads Saxo Bank to the starting line before stage 1. Photo: Gregg Bleakney
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2011 Giro d' Italia with Gregg Bleakney - start to finish
Giro fans are allowed easy access to their heros. This member of the Italian Alpine club has a chat with team Garmin. Photo: Gregg Bleakney
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2011 Giro d' Italia with Gregg Bleakney - start to finish
Stage 3, Androni Giocattoli lands its first stage win by Angel Vicioso. However, back at their team car nobody was celebrating as the news of Wouter Weylandt's death had just arrived. Photo: Gregg Bleakney
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2011 Giro d' Italia with Gregg Bleakney - start to finish
The chip on the concrete wall where initial impact likely occurred — leading to the tragic death of Wouter Weylandt. Photo: Gregg Bleakney
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2011 Giro d' Italia with Gregg Bleakney - start to finish
Groups of journalists and local cyclists visited Wouter's accident site throughout the day after his death. Photo: Gregg Bleakney
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2011 Giro d' Italia with Gregg Bleakney - start to finish
Team soigneurs earned their paychecks at this Giro. In addition to their duties of massage, food, and luggage hauling — long transfers before and after each stage kept them behind the wheel for hours on end. Photo: Gregg Bleakney
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2011 Giro d' Italia with Gregg Bleakney - start to finish
While many journalists and cyclists complained about the Giro's long transfers, nary a negative comment was heard about what kept us alert through all of those long hours of driving — primo Italian coffee. Photo: Gregg Bleakney
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2011 Giro d' Italia with Gregg Bleakney - start to finish
Alessandro Petacchi needed a few minutes to catch his breath while sitting on the tarmac before taking questions about his near-stage victory on stage 6. Photo: Gregg Bleakney
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2011 Giro d' Italia with Gregg Bleakney - start to finish
A young boy celebrates new Giro bike glasses with his father. Photo: Gregg Bleakney
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2011 Giro d' Italia with Gregg Bleakney - start to finish
Francisco Ventoso celebrates with Arroyo Duran after his stage 6 victory. This TV reporter managed to get his wires tangled in the middle of Movistar's moment. Photo: Gregg Bleakney
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2011 Giro d' Italia with Gregg Bleakney - start to finish
Contador was all business at stage 8's check-in. The following day he secured the pink jersey for the duration of the Giro. Photo: Gregg Bleakney
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2011 Giro d' Italia with Gregg Bleakney - start to finish
The chase group at 425 meters from the finish, lead by Lampre, charges down De Clercq, who just barely won stage 7. Photo: Gregg Bleakney
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2011 Giro d' Italia with Gregg Bleakney - start to finish
Rujano was the only man to challenge Contador on Mount Etna. His second place finish was a big win for team Androni. Photo: Gregg Bleakney
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2011 Giro d' Italia with Gregg Bleakney - start to finish
HTC sprinters and workhorses exhausted after the Giro's first mountain stage. Cav was accused by Francisco Ventoso and Murilo Fischer of grabbing his team car along the slopes of Etna on stage 9. Photo: Gregg Bleakney
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2011 Giro d' Italia with Gregg Bleakney - start to finish
Pre-pink, Contador did not have to deal with the hassle of mass chase groups of fans, media, or mandatory press conferences — just an occasional jeer here and there. Photo: Gregg Bleakney
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2011 Giro d' Italia with Gregg Bleakney - start to finish
Pre-pink, Contador's world was media scrums and frenzied fans. This little dude (above left of Contador's helmet) snuck by crowd control officials and then pushed his way through the media scrum to snag Contador's autograph — just seconds before the stage start. Photo: Gregg Bleakney
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2011 Giro d' Italia with Gregg Bleakney - start to finish
One to watch — Garmin's Peter Stetina had a breakthrough Giro debut, placing 22nd overall. Photo: Gregg Bleakney
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2011 Giro d' Italia with Gregg Bleakney - start to finish
HTC soigneurs wait with recovery drinks while Cav gives Mark Renshaw a well deserved hug after his stage 10 win — much to the delight of fans. Photo: Gregg Bleakney
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2011 Giro d' Italia with Gregg Bleakney - start to finish
The Zoncolan had plenty of protest verbiage against the UCI's decision not to allow the Crostis descent. Local fans had dedicated hundreds of volunteer hours into putting up nets and padding to make the descent safer. The Giro also allegedly spent several hundred thousand Euros in a last-ditch effort to make the descent acceptable to the riders. Photo: Gregg Bleakney
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2011 Giro d' Italia with Gregg Bleakney - start to finish
During stages in the Dolomites, cycling fans took to the on their own two wheels — here, a group from Thomson Tours spins through the Sella Ronda group. Photo: Gregg Bleakney
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2011 Giro d' Italia with Gregg Bleakney - start to finish
Fans lining the Zoncolan — several thousand cyclists pre-suffered the climb for prime viewing locations. Photo: Gregg Bleakney
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2011 Giro d' Italia with Gregg Bleakney - start to finish
By the second week of the race, many Giro riders were clad in road wounds. Alan Maragoni bleeds through his bandages while suffering up the Zoncolan. Photo: Gregg Bleakney
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2011 Giro d' Italia with Gregg Bleakney - start to finish
By the start of stage 19, after three weeks of being on the road, Allessandro Vanotti was glad to reunite with his family. His little girl cried as he set her down and meandered to the starting line. Photo: Gregg Bleakney
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2011 Giro d' Italia with Gregg Bleakney - start to finish
At the starting line of stage 19, Mr. Santini, owner of the company the manufactures the Maglia Rosa, introduced himself to Contador for the first time. He said, "I am pleased and honored that you are representing Santini in the Pink Jersey. I would be happy to give you some extra jerseys for friends and family." Contador took him up on his offer — the next day, Saxo's team manager called Santini with a request for 30 Maglia Rosas. Photo: Gregg Bleakney
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2011 Giro d' Italia with Gregg Bleakney - start to finish
Clearly, Pantani will live forever in Italy. Photo: Gregg Bleakney
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2011 Giro d' Italia with Gregg Bleakney - start to finish
Ciao Giro — That's a 2011 wrap. Photo: Gregg Bleakney
FILED UNDER: Gallery / Giro d'Italia TAGS: Giro d'Italia / Gregg Bleakney
