Tag: World Championships 2010

Despite an Olympic Road Race, two World Hour Records, a World Amateur Pursuit Championship, two World Professional Pursuit Championship medals, a World Professional Road Race Championship, a Giro d'Italia, a GP des Nations and four Trofeo Baracchi many believe that the best of Ercole Baldini – who died on December 1st at the age of 89 – was never seen.

Felice Gimondi, Grand Tour conqueror, Classics winner, ‘chronoman’ of quality, stylist, gentleman and all-time great, rest in peace sir.

Each year we publish memories and tributes to those involved in cycling that have passed, out of respect and to try and honour their memory. Usually, of course, the majority of the obituaries remember ex-riders who have enjoyed 'a good innings' but this year we seem to have run more of these than normal. There have also been complete shocks, tragic events which hit everyone in the sport hard such as the terrible hit and run which killed Davide Rebellin, and we have lost personal friends to these horrible, unforeseen tragedies too; Steve Beech, Rab Wardell and Richard Moore. We miss them a great deal and to mark their passing we've chosen Richard's article as our pick for 2022.

We had a feeling that Quintana would find it very hard to continue in this Vuelta – whilst the man is hugely talented he’s not at the level he was in the Giro and to make up three minutes on Messrs. Contador, Rodriguez and Valverde was never going to be easy. His morale was in his boots anyway but then fate intervened, down he went on the stage from Pamplona and the Media can stop asking daft questions about imaginary feuds in the Movistar camp.

It's the last day of school today; the six day circus goes to ground until October when-God willing-we head south to Grenoble with its blue skies, snow capped mountains, Follies girls, great bread and French riders who smile, shake your hand and give you a 'ca va?' every time they see you-they may not be fast but they're nice guys. It's unlikely there will be any surprises tonight, Alex and Michael are well in charge; I hope that Jens and Marc hold on to second-they deserve it.

The sprinters are denied - but it's a sprinter who wins. It was big smiled Aussie, Michael Matthews (Orica) kicking to glory from Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) with Edvald Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data) in third spot – a podium of real quality from the big day-long breakaway. And whilst Sagan may not have taken the stage bouquet he took the stage by the scruff of the neck and thrust himself back into green – possible all the way to Paris, now.