Here is a scene from today's final stage of the Giro d'Italia. The time trial was through the streets of Rome. It rained off and on, which made the cobbled streets slippery. Denis Menchov went into the stage with a 20-second lead over Danilo Di Luca. When Menchov fell, his three-week Giro was in jeopardy. The team car following him supplied a bike very quickly and Menchov rode in to victory. I'm glad. I don't think even Di Luca would have wanted to win a race as a result of a fall by his rival. Then again, the fall was Menchov's fault. Di Luca negotiated the same turn just minutes earlier, without falling.
Addendum: Levi Leipheimer finished sixth overall (of 169 finishers) and Lance Armstrong 12th. Leipheimer did well for someone who reached his physical peak three months ago (his main goal for the season was to win the Tour of California, which he did). Armstrong did extremely well for someone who (1) has been retired for three years and (2) broke a collarbone a few weeks ago. I didn't think Armstrong would finish the Giro, but he did. It'll be interesting to see what happens to his team (Astana) in the next few weeks. The team is having financial problems. I predict that Armstrong and some associates will buy the team and that Alberto Contador will move to another team before the Tour de France. That would clear Armstrong to be the team leader. Can Armstrong win the Tour? I don't know. It'll be difficult. Contador is in the prime of his career and can climb like a mountain goat. Armstrong is feeling the effects of age. But we're talking about a special athlete. I would never bet against the Texan.
