Il Giro Sette: Prologue

WELCOME, WELCOME!

Come in, pull up a saddle and grab a slice of pizza (don’t worry, no pineapple), because it’s high time I introduce you to the writebikerepeat.com coverage of this year’s Giro d’Italia.

HOW ARE WE HERE ALREADY? The Classics have come and gone in a flurry of solos, surprises, crashes and rain – a lot of rain – and Grand Tour season is upon us. Three weeks around Italy stand before us and as usual, the hype is real – the Giro always sets pulses racing with exciting encounters on the road, stunning scenery, and a healthy dose of chaos – this is the Giro after all.

Myself and my intrepid team of creators will be bringing you treats and delights, incisive analysis and fun side quests, basically a bit of everything that you could possibly desire in SEVEN yes SEVEN feature length magazine-style posts across the span of the race – for the maths-brained among you, you might be able to work out that this equates to one every three stages!

So you will get quality AND quantity this year, brought to you by a team gathered from across the globe – well, the UK, France and Denmark to be precise. So without further ado, it’s time to introduce you to the team, the segments, and the race itself, as we begin with a short and snappy preview, and dive into the content in this bonus Prologue edition of ‘Il Giro Sette’.

Giro #107

What does the 'Il Giro Sette' mean, anyway? Well for those of you without basic Italian skills (yes I am one of them) the name means ‘the Giro Seven’ – because there are seven issues, and also seven team members. But the number 7 has a greater significance this year, as this is the 107^th edition of the Giro d’Italia, and we’ll be bringing you some irrelevant but loosely connected information based around this number in every issue.

Rider 107

Rémi Massart will introduce you to the rider finishing in 107^th position every day. Of course the number is both meaningful – because it’s the 107^th Giro – and arbitrary – in the sense that it has absolutely no bearing on the race at all. Part of the beauty of a Grand Tour, though, is that every rider plays their part over the course of the race, and while the broadcast and the media focuses all their attention on the riders contesting the front of the race, very little mind is normally paid to those riders lower down the pack. So we will get to know a little about them in the hope that after 3 weeks, you’ll know more riders than you did before. And of course, once the peloton finds out about this incredible opportunity, they’ll all be battling for position 107.

Rider 107… Nick Schultz!

Also big up Israel-Premier Tech’s Nick Schultz, who literally wears the number 107. As a result, we are adopting him for the entirely of the Giro and will keep track of his progress. Personally, while I wish the Aussie all the very best I also kind of hope he finishes in position 107 one day, just for the sheer beautiful symmetry of it.

The Australian has proven he’s in great form this season and let’s not forget, he’s already beaten Pogacar once this season, getting the jump on the Slovenian on stage 1 of the Volta Catalunya – maybe it was foreshadowing of the most epic order? Let’s go Nick!

What happened at km107?

Another seemingly arbitrary segment derived from this year’s edition of the Giro, we will take a daily screenshot of something that happens 107km into the race (except on TT days because let’s face it, no-one wants to ride that far on their own against the clock). Will it grow to have some significance in some kind of strange law of attraction scenario, or simply present an abstract series of images of a peloton floating along an Italian highway? All will be revealed.

Preview 107

OK it’s just getting silly now. But bear with me. Given we’re only releasing 7 issues, we can’t waste time going into huge depth about the stages still to come – let’s face it, you can find this information on [insert mainstream cycling media site of choice here]. But if you want a quick look ahead to see what’s coming up in the next 3 stages, look no further than my 107 word previews. Not 107 words per stage, no,  that would be too easy! 107 words. Per three stages. Snappy! Here are your first three… (mainly just to see if it’s even possible)

STAGE 1 / STAGE 2 / STAGE 3 – IN 107 WORDS

A punchy first stage features a trio of climbs that will thin the peloton – perhaps. A gritty collection of sprinters take the start this year and many can handle themselves over a few climbs = reduced bunch sprint.

Stage 2 and we’re already tackling a summit finish – WHAT?! There’s several ways to say ‘Pogacar will win and take pink’, but I’ll stick with the one I just wrote down. Because it would be a big surprise if that doesn’t happen.

First chance for the pure sprinters comes on stage 3, a battle royale between Milan, Kooij and Tobias Lund – there’s your top 3 (you pick the order).

Throwback Thursday

Yes, at least two of the issues will be coming out on a Thursday so this isn’t a total misnomer. In this segment, Mathieu Fraisse will take us back down memory lane as we reminisce about an iconic win from Giro history for each and every stage number. Meanwhile, Jo Murray will revisit the locations on the route that the Giro has taken us to in the past, and find out what went on before when we were all mini future bike fans in waiting. OR MAYBE NOT EVEN BORN YET!

The Things We Saw Along the Way

by Anna McEwen

As the peloton sweeps through the Italian countryside in pursuit of Giro glory we are treated to a wealth of incredible vistas and breath-taking landscapes. In this segment we will be taking a look at the places along the way, and with a country that is so steeped in culture, art and history there is a lot to choose from so here is just a brief snapshot of what we can expect to look forward to, on the first three stages.

Stage 1

We cannot not look past starting with Turin, or as it is known locally Torino. In 1645 the Regent Christina Maria wanted to build a residence for her son and so construction of the Royal Palace of Turin was begun. It is now a museum that attracts tourists from all over the world and is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site List. The building houses a wealth of art and antiques and probably is most famous artifact is The Shroud of Turin, which is kept in the Chapel of the Holy Shroud which reportedly shows the image of Jesus Christ.

Stage 2

At around 65Km this stage passes by Santhia, home of the Santhia Carnival - an ancient celebration which some sources state dates back to as early as 1430, and although its origins are clouded by time, some attribute its roots to an incident when a group of young men dressed a donkey in priest's robes and led it into a church. 

For wrestling fans keep an eye out for Cigliano at 49km, not only it is a region famous for its wine, but it was also the birthplace of Pietro Bollea Sr, the paternal grandfather of Hulk Hogan.

Stage 3

At 97 km we pass Montegrosso D’Asti, a medieval hilltop town that was formed when survivors of the plague that was sweeping through the region gathered together to try and escape the epidemic. A picturesque town full of architectural beauty, that is now famous for the wine it produces.

I Magnifici Sette

by DJ Momo

Seven magnificent Giro gazettes coming up!

It’s time for another round of Il Giro d’Italia, another round ‘round Italy (no, today’s choices will NOT feature Sugababes aptly titled Round Round…) and with that, another soundtrack for our three week trip around Italy.

As this year’s bulletin format is leaning heavily on the 7 in 107th edition of the race, we obviously start pretty much where I left off last May, namely with another classic Western movie score - Elmer Bernstein’s Theme from The Magnificent Seven, and as an inevitable chaser, The Clash with their variation of the title theme… Which brings us around to Thursday’s theme presentation, where the slightly surreal set-up of a multi-host entertainment show featuring dance performances, (random) models in team jerseys, 176 ridiculously fit guys on expensive race bikes aaaand… pouring rain over the Torino crowd. It felt like a bit of a dejá vu from last year, but hey, the weather can only improve from here, right? Right?

Anyways, one of the tunes played during the presentation was indeed The Clash’ Magnificent Seven in a mix that skewed heavily in favour of easily recognisable intro riffs from both classic and newer rock favourites, some remixed, some untouchable bangers in their own right. There was a lot of Van Halen, lots of 80's and early 2000's vibes, even some skatepunk and NIN along the way, and yes, I did attempt to Shazam the whole thing, and that annotated playlist may follow separately if there’s a quiet sprint stage next week.

Featured in the mix was The Hives’ TickTickBoom (fitting for kicking off a grand tour, no?), AC/DC’s Thunderstruck (let’s hope it’s only metaphorically), ZZ Tops’ Legs (let’s hope everyone brought their best ones), The Black Keys’ Lonely Boy (hopefully Pogačar won’t be too lonely at the top of the GC too soon…) and Survivor’s Eye of the Tiger, which should require no introduction.

With the team presentation out of the way, we’re getting ready to race. Ready to Get The Party Started as Pink, who would be a fitting choice colourwise, and Dame Shirley Bassey, who feels more fitting for Il Giro due to her iconic diva vibes, would say! It may rain. It may be hard to see any favourites outside of the overwhelmingly Slovenian threat. It will certainly be chaotic along the way. And Italian. And I bet we’ll all enjoy it nonetheless. Could it be because we love the Giro? Must be, right? So obviously there’s only one song to end this warmup mix on. The song that forever will remind me of Italian races and as such, always feature in these mixes, come rain or shine; Ricchi E Poveri’s Sarà Perché Ti Amo!

Andiamo al Giro, tutti! Let’s hope it’s a good one this year as well!

Giro 'Duos'

Welcome to our exciting new league table format for the Giro 2024! Sam Mould will be keeping track of team standings based on the average time of their top two riders. Think of it as a leaderboard that showcases the best of the best – or perhaps, the best AND the best (they come as a pair after all). We’re calling it Giro Duos. Get ready to see some fierce competition and thrilling races as teams battle it out for the top spot. Stay tuned for updates and see who will come out on top in this exclusive new format.

Which team are you backing to come out on top?

Animals of the Giro

Does what it says on the tin! Looking out for the furred and feathered friends that make an appearance along the way to Rome. Hopefully no dogs running across the road this year, though. And we already have an early entry, with Ben O'Connor meeting a cat!

Social Media Power Rankings

It’s the race to the top that really counts. The battle of the team social media teams. Who will rate most highly and who will end up in the gruppetto? We will bring you the best of the previous three days’ content from the teams themselves, featuring the highlights and deciding who wins the maglia rosa for content.

Let’s start with the team announcements! There have been the usual range of efforts spent on this increasingly interactive element of team social media, from the sublime to the ridiculous – here are our top three announcements:

1. Spaghetti soup, by Lidl-Trek

HOW many tins must they have needed to gather all of the correct letters to spell out 'Ghebreigzabhier'? It's simple, topical, and funny.

2. Teammate tattoos, by Team Jayco-AlUla

This one didn't get anywhere near enough love, in my opinion. It's quirky, fun and a bit edgy, in keeping with the Aussie team's general ethos, and Eddie Dunbar rocking up at the end is just so random, what's not to love?

3. Stylish video with tense classical music, by Groupama-FDJ

It's not flashy but it's crisp, clean and sets the pulse racing. I like it.

So who missed the mark? Well, I'm not about to diss anyone for doing their job because it's not my style. Props to all the nicely designed posters, and there were plenty of those – Soudal Quickstep, Cofidis, Israel-Premier Tech who had a fun postcard-style announcement, and even UAE Team Emirates who don't normally go in for this sort of nonsense and keep it straightforward but the Pogi sense of fun really brought their cool into video to life. More social media fun to come in Issue 1 on Monday.

Rompicapo

(Italian for 'brainteaser')

Like every good magazine, there are some puzzles for you to get stuck into at the end! Courtesy of Anna McEwen, solve anagrams and answer quiz questions – do as many or as few as you like – but keep all your answers in one place for a chance to win a limited edition writebikerepeat Grand Tour casquette and bidon in a free prize draw taking place at the end of the race.

Vital Statistics

In total 176 riders from 30 nations take on the Giro this year, a third of them debutants (59). VF Group-Bardiani CSF- Faizanè claim the youngest rider, 20-year-old Giulio Pellizzari and the oldest, 41-year-old Domenico Pozzovivo – this is just a flavour of what to expect, as in each issue there will be a stat or fact to make sure that if nothing else, you learn something that might one day be of use in a very, very niche pub quiz.

ARE YOU IN?

How does this sound? I’m hoping by now you’re feeling excited by what we’re offering – namely something different, something fun, something informative, and a way for you to navigate your way virtually around Italy learning more about the riders and locations of the Giro d’Italia in 2024.

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE RACING?! I hear you cry. Don’t worry. Of course there will be discussion of the race itself threaded throughout each magazine, beginning with my opening editorial which will function as a ‘where we’re at now’ in terms of the race situation. This may evolve as we go along. So stick with us – make sure you’re following us on social media so you don’t miss each issue when it drops or better still, sign up to the website and you’ll receive an email when each issue goes live.