Best of the Tifosi

Award: Best Channeling of Inner Garibaldi — The Giro's official press book that lists start times, route information, and pretty much everything else one needs to know to cover the race is officially called the "Garibaldi." But Italy's revolutionary hero also lives on through the race's tifosi. On any given stage, multiple Garibaldi doppelgängers can be spotted along the route. However, this one, found near the end of stage 6 in Porto Sant'Elpidio was smoking a cigar and wearing a hat labeled "Vespa Club," which clearly distanced him from the competition. Photo: Gregg Bleakney

Award: Most Thrilled Receiver of Coveted Giro Swag — For some tifosi, scoring promotional swag from the parade that passes before the race is the highlight of their Giro experience. Gorgeous models gift an assortment of hats, shirts, noise makers, toys, and candy to those nimble enough to out-scramble their peers. But for 2012, the most coveted Giro swag is hands down "a banana in a bag." Thousands of perfectly ripe samples are handed out along the route each day. This man was tickled pink to land one of his own. Photo: Gregg Bleakney

Award: Best Facial Hair — While the bulk of our conversation was lost in translation, there was simply no denying that this man's moustache is a thing of art. He was discovered poking around the BMC team bus before stage 4's TTT start. Photo: Gregg Bleakney

Award: Best Dressed — This owner of a local bike shop in Stage 7's host town of Recanati dominated the 2012 best dressed award with his two-piece Hamburgler outfit and matching black and white Cannondale System Six. Several members of the peloton stopped to have a look en route from the team buses to the starting line. While most onlookers agreed that the Hamburgler was his most appropriate nickname, some Omega Pharma soigneurs dubbed him "Zebra Man." Photo: Gregg Bleakney

Award: Super Fan — The man who invented "granfondo." In 1971 Arrigo Vanzolini straddled his five-speed Bianchi alongside 17 other racers from the seaside town of Cesenatico, birthplace of Marco Pantani, and aimed his bars inland. Their goal was to pedal over the region's nine major climbs, which they called The Nine Hills of Glory, because there would be no prize for the winner. Two hundred kilometers and 27 hard-boiled eggs later, Arrigo completed his journey and unknowingly created Italy's first granfondo. He says that the true translation of the word granfondo, which he invented to describe the experience is: "to dig deep inside oneself." Photo: Gregg Bleakney

Award: The Replicator — Born near stage 5's start in Reggio Nel Emilia, Alberto Cassiani was sporting a near exact copy of Cadel Evans' team kit — right down to the neon yellow Diadoras. He did admit, however, that while his helmet was BMC team-issue, it was not the exact helmet used by Cadel. But we thought it made for better color coordination with his shoes, and that earned him our 2012 Replicator nod. Photo: Gregg Bleakney

Award: The Replicator (Runner Up) — We found Calderom Lauro pre-riding stage 5's route near Faenza in vintage Rock Racing kit. An Italian entrepreneur living in Faenza bought Rock Racing's branding and design rights last year and is producing team kits for sale into the Italian market. We think he will have more success in Italy than in the US. Photo: Gregg Bleakney

Award: Cutest Siblings — Italian tifosi with children often bring the whole lot to the race and tend to dress their lil' fans in matching outfits. When these two brothers weren't punching each other in the shoulder, they were actually pretty dang cute. Photo: Gregg Bleakney

Award: Best Fist Pumping Grandmother — One of my favorite things about cycling in Italy is the fist pumping grandmothers who seemingly appear out of nowhere to cheer you up a hill. These women are the matriarchal backbone of the Giro's tifosi. Our 2012 winner not only biked to the finish line in Porto Sant'Elpidio, she packed a seat cushion and basket of fresh paninis too. Her mock fist pumping, accompanied by a cheer, "die, die, die," sealed the deal for the 2012 award. Photo: Gregg Bleakney

Award: Best High Heels — High heeled tifosi are commonplace at the Giro dItalia, which made this one of the most difficult categories to judge. But for a day of bicycle spectating, it's tough to top these five-inch black pumps studded with faux diamonds. We had no clue who this woman was or why she was wandering freely inside of the restricted area at stage 5's finish line — nobody seemed to mind that she was there. Photo: Gregg Bleakney

Award: Best Roadside Eatery — Tifosi who own restaurants along the route are a critical part of a journalist's existence while covering the Giro. This family's restaurant, called Chicchirichi (which translates to Cockle-Doodle-Do in English), was just a few feet off the road from stage 4's traverse of the state of Emilia-Romagna. The region claims to be the country's gastronomical center and the birthplace of pasta. For 10 euros we enjoyed a multi-course meal of handmade pasta, fried pork chops, salad grown from a greenhouse in the backyard, .5 liters of red wine, fresh baked bread, and a perfect latte for dessert (yes, I know that it's not proper Italian to order milk-topped coffee after noon). The restaurant closed down before the Giro passed so that the staff could watch the race go by. Photo: Gregg Bleakney

See "Award: Best Roadside Eatery" — and the standard Italian dining receipt for the taxman.

Award: Proud Friends and Family — Every year the Giro passes through the hometowns of members of the peloton. When this happens their friends and families gather in mass, paint the roads, carry huge signs, and wear colorful clothing to support their heroes. On occasion, the local star launches an attack and wins the stage. This happened for Domenico Pozzovivo on stage 8. His father (center) and crew of tifosi relatives went absolutely crazy, earning them the proud friends and family award. Photo: Gregg Bleakney

Award: Best Swimwear — This dashing tifosi clearly outclassed his fashionable peers lining the roads of coastal Tuscany with his shadow-enhanced speedo. Photo: Gregg Bleakney