Brief interlude: Quick post-Giro musings

The 2015 Giro is over and not a word written about it on these pages. Times have been busy in 2015, often too busy to get out on the bike so certainly too busy to write a lot about it. Earlier in the year I changed my TV subscription and one of the channels I lost was one that shows a lot of cycling, including the entire Giro. As a result I missed a lot of the spring classics and the race for the pink jersey. It didn't mean I didn't follow when I could: I streamed several races, I read up a lot and I subscribed to various podcasts, but not enough to give stage-by-stage thoughts on here, if, of course, I had the time.

I fully intend on resuming normal service for the Tour (it's on a different channel here in Canada, one that I still have!) and then take the season from there. I may reacquire the channels required to get me Vuelta coverage and in September I'll be in Montreal for the GPCQM race and will report back.

My first aim from a cycling stand point however is to get out on my bike a little more. In just a few weeks time I'm endering the 24 hour summer solstice MTB race for a third straight year and I fear I'm desperately short on conditioning.

But what a Giro it was; how brilliant was Alberto Contador when the chips were down? How about this new kid on the block Mikel Landa in third? Former winner and Canadian star Ryder Hesjedal got stronger as it went on as he is apt to do and finished fifth. And despite Fabio Aru finally cracking under pressure to fall behind Contador, the kid has future GT wins in him, no doubt.

Perhaps in time I'll look back on it in more detail and reflect with words, but not today. As it is, and for the record, below is the final results.

2015 Giro d'Italia final general classification:
3,474km raced at 39.310 km/h

1. Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) 2. Fabio Aru (Astana) 3. Mikel Landa (Astana) 4. Andrey Amador (Movistar) 5. Ryder Hesjedal (Cannondale-Garmin) 6. Leopold Konig (Sky) 7. Steven Kruijswijk (LottoNL-Jumbo) 8. Damiano Caruso (BMC) 9. Alexandre Geniez (FDJ) 10. Yury Trofimov

in 88h 22' 25" @ 1' 53" @ 3' 05" @ 8' 10" @ 9' 52" @ 10' 41" @ 10' 53" @ 12' 08" @ 15' 51" @ 16' 14"

Points: Giacomo Mizzolo (Trek)

Mountains: Giovanni Visconti (Movistar)

Sprints: Marco Bandiera (Androni Giocattoli)

Young rider: Fabio Aru (Astana)

Team time: Astana

Team points: Astana