Giro d’Italia 2013 – Stage 21: Riese Pio X – Brescia 197km. Vincenzo Nibali, la fine meraviglioso

The roofs outside our hotel window were steaming in the morning sun when we opened the shutters on Sunday morning. Vincenzo Nibali is set to take the overall victory…

Much as we felt we’d been part of something special on Saturday in the blizzard on the Tre Cime – it was nice to see a clear blue sky and feel the warmth of the sun on our skin.

The Hotel Trieste is well up the ‘Fawlty Towers’ rankings; it was built by the old patron’s grandfather – and hasn’t been painted since – hot water was at a premium and outside our room, the place was freezing.

But the beds were clean, the room was cosy and the wi-fi was A1.

The run down from the Dolomites to the plains was beautiful with a new photo op. around every corner.

There was so much congestion at the start that we couldn’t get past the team cars and decided just to take the off course route to Brescia.

En route we crossed paths with the peloton early in their day – QuickStep were already up front and Vincenzo looked every inch the Capo.

Brescia didn’t knock us out – maybe if we’d had time to explore it we’d have been more impressed ?

The race caravan hit town as we marched the 4.2 K finish circuit.

We wondered if the boy who was riding the old ‘Eroica‘ bike had ridden it up the Tre Cime?

The finish circuit was flat and fast with QuickStep laying down the law from the start.

During the entire seven x 4.2 laps we only saw one man away – Giairo of Androni, but that was snuffed, PDQ.

Bardiani had Modolo and Cannondale, Viviani so they were there too, keeping the speed way up.

Nibali was cucumber cool; next year we perhaps won’t see him here – he has to take a serious tilt at le Tour as he comes into his best years.

We saw the Omega boys after the finish and can assure you that there’s no problems with morale or team bonding in that squad.

Iljo Keisse was very impressive on the circuit, seemingly always in the first three in the chain gang.

A Grand Tour in his legs will do his Six Day endurance no harm.

We saw Pippo after the finish – not a great Giro for Lampre, despite two in the top 10.

Adam Blythe was looking a little spaced out; no wonder, a warp speed criterium the day after a frozen high mountain stage – I keep saying it, but there’s no other sport like it.

Big Canadian, Svein Tuft looked tired too, as did Australian road race champion, Luke Durbridge – men their size were never designed for the Dolomites.

Uran looked happy though, second in a Grand Tour isn’t bad for a ‘support rider.’

In cycling terms it was a good Giro for Sky with two stage wins and a podium place.

But in terms of the British public it means little; Daily Mail readers don’t get excited about Colombians with too much hair.

Elia Viviani is fast, but Cav is faster – his face showed the disappointment of trying to beat a man who you know that you can’t beat.

And with no one left to photograph, that was about it for VeloVeritas and the 2013 Giro.

We hope you enjoyed our rantings – and remember . . . it’ll soon be le Tour!

Ciao, ciao.

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Results - Giro d'Italia 2013 - Stage 21: Riese Pio X - Brescia 197km