2008 Giro d’Italia Route Formally Announced

                                                                                         

The Giro d’Italia is a professional road cycling stage race which takes place at the beginning of May and lasts for three weeks covering most of the country of Italy. In the early beginning the organizers of the race were inspired by the Tour de France; this is how the Giro was born. The first Giro took place on May 13, 1909 and it had eight different stages; adding a total of 2,448 kilometres.

For those riders in the competition there are different jersey categories they will wear throughout the competition. For example; the overall leader wears a “pink jersey”, the rider who has best performed on the mountain routes wears the “green jersey”, the leader of points classification wears the “mauve jersey”, and the best young rider wears the “white jersey”.

Over the past months, there has been much excitement due to the announcement of next year’s Giro’s route but finally it is out. The Giro will begin in Palermo next May 10th, with a 28.5 time team trial which will then have the riders head North to Rome, Tuscany and Verona then the final week it will be full of mountain stages including the individual trial of Plan de Corones ski station and the incredible vertical steep Mortirolo ending a few days later in Milan.

Due to the recent scandals surrounding the sport of cycling; the Giro is expected to be a clean and a doping free competition as it is one of the major races; it will be a symbol of authority and integrity as well as the beginning of a new era for athletes, the sport and the fans.

As part of the new regulations implemented the riders will need to carry a blood passport with their latest blood results in order to be able to compete in any race. Blood samples will be collected to make individual medical profiles which will help prevent any wrong actions.

"We need to look the riders and team managers in the eyes and make the necessary changes. We've asked the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) that the riders selected for 2008 Giro will have the new 'biological passport'." "We want riders who are honest and who will avoid any short cuts." Said on Saturday race director Angelo Zomegnan.

Among those favourites to win the competition we find the Italian Danilo Di Luca former 2007 Giro Champion, as well as fellow riders; Ricardo Ricco, Damiano Cunego, and Gilberto Simoni.

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