It’s not the sandwich; it’s the Giro!

Yes, that’s G-I-R-O; not G-Y-R-O. Okay, okay, but I’m hungry! Let’s munch on our gyros while we learn a bit about the Giro.

Like the Tour de France, it was begun as a way of increasing sales of a newspaper; an advertising gambit, if you will. The first TdF was held in 1903, and the initial Giro was in 1909. H’mm. Did Italy get the idea for the Giro from the TdF?

Also like the TdF, the Giro is three weeks long. There are time trials, flat stages, and mountainous stages. Again like the TdF, the Giro riders must deal with less than ideal weather conditions at times. Riding in cold and rain is miserable, especially without wet-weather gear. I’ve gotten caught in caught in cold and rain often enough; and it saps my energy. That, when I usually have about six miles to ride. Imagine pedaling through it while racing for miles up the side of a mountain!

With weather like that, I’ll bet the riders are all glad when the race is over. But if I ever rode the Giro, I’d love to win that pretty pink jersey. And even though the race is not the sandwich, I’d love to chow down a gyro to celebrate.