And I'm not talking about my plans to get three good days worth of riding in this weekend. No, I'm talking about out in Italy were the Giro will be won and lost by those at the very sharp end of the race. And as it should be. There's no final day here for the sprinters to have one last jolly almost as a 'thanks for not quitting in the mountains, have this easy stage to conclude things in which no big names will attack one another'. No. In the Giro, it's all out to the very finish as today proved to be the last day in which a sprinter will get his way. That man was Andrea Guardini who beat out points leader, World Champion and 2012 Olympic champion, Mark Cavendish, who will finish this tour having to make do with a measly three victories. From now on its two summit finishes and an individual time-trial in which the general classification could still be on the line come the final kilometre of racing.
Only 6min 53sec separates 1st to 18th in this tour so legitimately anyone from that group could yet win this thing. Two strong days on the mountains, plenty of attacks and you could yet haul your way up the standings. Naturally the five men who were at the sharp end of the climbs yesterday, Joaquim Rodriguez, Ryder Hesjedal (@ 30"), Ivan Basso (@ 1' 22"), Michele Scarponi (@ 1' 36"), and Rigoberto Uran (@ 2' 56"), will be the hot favourites and wouldn't it be something to see the five of them half way up tomorrow's final climb at the front of the race ready to dice it out?
Someone like Ryder Hesjedal can follow all weekend into Sunday because he'll be the most likely to take back some serious time against the clock, whereas race leader Rodriguez must try put more time between himself and Hesjedal. Even Basso needs to make his move now but whether he can shake the four others is unknown. As for Scarponi and Uran, well they have to do something, so it's safe to say we'll be getting ourselves a nice box of fireworks and letting them off right in the middle of the group tomorrow.
Whatever the next three days have in store, this Giro has been a fantastic watch. There's been endless drama from start to finish and the thing is wide open. The race orgnisors dumbed down the route a little after the brutal course of 2011, but they've timed everything to perfection and here we are turning for the finish with almost every question still unanswered. Even Cavendish's red jersey is on the line with Rodriguez just a handful of points behind and no likelihood of Cav picking up anymore between now and Milan.
