The Giro forced to avoid the Cinque Tere

How sad to read last night that the Giro organisers have had to amend their route to avoid the Cinque Tere after mud-slides hit last October 25 and have made some of the roads impossible to travel on. I visited the Cinque Tere last summer for four days while on my honeymoon and I can honestly say it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. When I seen that it was on the Giro's route for stage 12 of the 2012 race I was looking forward to tuning in to see those helicopter shots of the area as the field passed through. Sadly that won't happen now.

A statement from organisers RCS Sport said the race "had hoped to follow the planned route as a sign of solidarity with the local people who have suffered so much. The new stage route visits much of the area hit by the landslides but only touches the Cinque Terre." I really hope they will find a way to get the Cinque Tere into the 2013 route as a renewed sign of solidarity with those friendly locals.