Giro on RAI2

[dbrk]

Is anyone else watching the Giro on RAI-2? Today's coverage is filled with interviews and even historical pieces with lovely footage of Coppi and others, all quite interesting. My Italian will improve this month.

We have for the past few years travelled to Italy in May and June but not this year. Watching RAI makes me "homesick" and I love pink. I'm with Bove on this. Dario is making me a pink bike...soon he promises!

dbrk


Go Michael the Canandian Goose!! Go Andy!!! (oops, flashback)

[93legendti]

Just bought it! Boy, am I missing Tuscany and Umbria!

[Climb01742]

Dario is making me a pink bike...soon he promises!

which model, douglas?

[dbrk]

As you may recall, ClimbPal, I have Emma in orange "Scripts" with a Pro Peloton Reynolds fork. I'm disinclined these days (and likely in the future) to have too much interest in "race" bikes or competition bike designs. Over the past year I have sold off nearly everything---and I am preparing to sell the IF Crown Jewel and a DeRosa Neo Primato, which will leave me with Emma and two Hampstens (Z1 and Strada Bianca Ti). I see the Z1 as a longer distance bike as well as the VERY comfortable Strada Bianca, but if I'm thinking of more than 60 miles I'm not taking a race design but rather a randonneur...All of which is to say that I asked Dario for a GGM in the Jaco Pastorius design in pink. Why the stiff steel bike? Because it's truly a distinctive Pegoretti and what with it's very oversized tubes and this more or less outrageous paint job, it suits my notions of a race bike design in very...uhh...modern tastes. It's not likely to go out for centuries and it seems suited to shorter, faster rides which is sort of on order for today (stuck as I am inside grading ENDLESS papers till I am finished, so only an hour or two outside...and it's PERFECT here today!!!! Ouch!!! )For subdued in Italian I have the Luigino (ahhhhhhh....soooo beautiful...) in Legnano colors. Pegorettii is the only non-lugged bike that I am the least bit interested in any longer and this is likely the last hurrah in race bike designs. But if Dario comes up with something else in the future there is always space somewhere for his genius. Pegoretti just spins my wheels, that simple.

dbrk
awaiting a big batch of 32c Avocet slicks!!! Now thems what I call tires...

[Keith A]

Douglas -- are you watching on your dish or on the Internet? I've tried the Internet broadcast and have yet to see any cycling :confused:

[Climb01742]

douglas, how does a GGM compare to a marcelo?

[weisan]

Si-cuse-mi-moi, what's RAI-2?

I only know R2-D2, but that's Star Wars, not cycling.

[jerk]

douglas, how does a GGM compare to a marcelo?

not to speak for his pal dbrk but...
ggm is a marcelo on steroids. "it's a holy sh#t that thing is stiff" kind of bike. ble's are tough... but ggm's are the nastier older brother who will tear your head off... integrated headset, bigger seat-tube....smaller stays...no down tube reinforcements. the jerk tried one once, powerful bike. felt harsher than an emma....just as stiff...a wee-bit heavier but could be wrong. nice lines too with the integrated hset. short course bike for a bigger more powerful rider.

jerk

[weisan]

In other words, PURRFECT for Magnus Backstedt (http://www.crazynot2.com/host/magnusbackstedt.com/profile.php)...or Sandy-my-man (http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=8282).

Somebody, please answer my question...what's RAI-2? (I ain't kiddin', our TV at home don't normally get turned on for more than 2 hrs-max a day, we only have basic cable, and yes! don't force me to "google" you.)

[dbrk]

not to speak for his pal dbrk but...
ggm is a marcelo on steroids. "it's a holy sh#t that thing is stiff" kind of bike. ble's are tough... but ggm's are the nastier older brother who will tear your head off... integrated headset, bigger seat-tube....smaller stays...no down tube reinforcements. the jerk tried one once, powerful bike. felt harsher than an emma....just as stiff...a wee-bit heavier but could be wrong. nice lines too with the integrated hset. short course bike for a bigger more powerful rider.

jerk

Oh yes, this is exactly what I expect. But it's more for the few days when I want about an hour of rip-roarin' hell raisin' grappa swillin' fun. I confess it's also because, as the jerk so astutely points out, it's got really cool lines and big, big tubes: so imagine it in pink with Jaco paint.

Not to sound, I dunno, just sound...many years ago I played frisbee with Pastorius before a Weather Report concert. I told Dario this story and he was so excited to hear it...I was sort of a Weather Report junkie before and after Jaco... I think Dario and I both regard Pastorius, as Dario put it, "... rebellious, passionate, genial, almost heroic." So to combine Pegoretti with Pastorius and some stiffer than grappa steel bike named after a Zappa song...I dunno, I can somehow connect to that. It's not like it's my only bike, right? How long do we live to have this much fun?

dbrk

[Climb01742]

not to speak for his pal dbrk but...
ggm is a marcelo on steroids. "it's a holy sh#t that thing is stiff" kind of bike. ble's are tough... but ggm's are the nastier older brother who will tear your head off... integrated headset, bigger seat-tube....smaller stays...no down tube reinforcements. the jerk tried one once, powerful bike. felt harsher than an emma....just as stiff...a wee-bit heavier but could be wrong. nice lines too with the integrated hset. short course bike for a bigger more powerful rider.

jerk

whoa. a marcelo is plenty stiff for me. i better stay out of that neighbor. a ggm will steal my lunch money.

[coylifut]

I've been working, but I did watch the oln coverage this Sunday. The finish looked really dangerous. Very narrow and twisty. So far, I've found the Giro to be very exciting. I especially liked Bettini's escape and the selection that was made over the 6km climb near the finish of today's stage. The landscape they've been covering has been beautiful. I've never been to Italy, the Giro makes me want to visit. I'm sure that's part of the plan.

[Ozz]

...when I want about an hour of rip-roarin' hell raisin' grappa swillin' fun...
Now you've got my attention! I'm glad you have found some time to drop in on us once in awhile. :beer:

BTW - did you ever sell your CSI and / or your Legend?

[hybridbellbaske]

Weisan- RAI 2 is the second channel of the Italian national TV broadcaster.

Pastorius- amazing genius. How about his playing on Joni Mitchell's Hejira, and the live album Shadows and Light? I may be a big wuss (sp?) but I get tears in my eyes every time I listen.

By the way, in my view Grappa is the solution to the world's fuel crisis. I'd rather put it in my car than drink it- that's for sure.

[BBB]

Except of course in our great southern land, grappa is somewhat more expensive per litre than petrol, gas etc.

[weisan]

Weisan- RAI 2 is the second channel of the Italian national TV broadcaster.


hybridbellbaske, you are swell! Thanks for answering my very important question. Now, I can go and start learning italian. Hopefully in time for Cipo's visit to Austin one of these days. How do you say, "Please sign your name on my butt." in Italian, anyone?
:cool:

[dbrk]

hybridbellbaske, you are swell! Thanks for answering my very important question. Now, I can go and start learning italian. Hopefully in time for Cipo's visit to Austin one of these days. How do you say, "Please sign your name on my butt." in Italian, anyone?


I am sure that someone can do better than this but try "Irmi prego il vostro nome sulle mie natiche..." next time you see Cipo...

Watching RAI now in the USA (in contrast to Italy) brings a few things to light. First, the Italians are as Petacchi-crazy as the Only Lance Network is, well, what it is. Second, the Italian commentators are as incessant and, as far as I can tell, as inane as Phil, Paul, and Bobby: every moment is filled as if it were horror vaqui (check with Flyhest about that Latin...). Last, I MUCH prefer the "lower" production values of the true Italian feed. It has made me realize that when we watch most sports in America we are watching the production as much as the event. There is less production here, more like the C-Span of Sports approach though not that purist. Anyway, I like it better than anything we have, especially if it is done in that obnoxious Fox Sports style with the constant graphics, zooming sounds, loud music, and everything else that makes me wish sports really were on C-Span.

I'm going for a ride with the wife whose able steed will be the HelloKittyKirk. Pink rules (well, it certainly rules me...)

dbrk

[zeroking17]

We used to watch RAI's Giro broadcasts on satellite during Pantani's glory years. Those telecasts were "all Marco, all the time." I've seldom seen such open adoration of a sports star.

Is RAI still using the cycle cam? On each stage a few riders would have a small camera mounted to their frames -- typically on the head tube facing forward or on the seat stays facing backward. A credit-card-sized antenna behind the seat transmitted the signal up to the heli.

As cool as this idea sounds in theory, in practice it was a dud. Because the rides chosen to carry the cam usually were pack fodder, most of the shots came from deep inside the bramble of the peloton. Additionally, the lack of a clear point of reference led to a video stream consisting of disembodied tangles of flailing legs, extreme close-ups of the bony a** of a rider just ahead, and endless raw footage of spinning wheels on the tarmac. Cyclysm indeed!

[weisan]

I am sure that someone can do better than this but try "Irmi prego il vostro nome sulle mie natiche..." next time you see Cipo...

THANK YOU Professor! Especially for taking some time off from grading papers to provide me with the translation. I went over to Google and plucked that into the translation tool, it came out as: "I pray for your name on my buttocks."
Yup! That's close enough for me. :p

I MUCH prefer the "lower" production values of the true Italian feed...There is less production here, more like the C-Span of Sports approach though not that purist...makes me wish sports really were on C-Span.

I know what you mean. I enjoyed watching an old video production about Eddy Merckx called La Course En Tete (trans: Head of the Field) when there are long segments that contain nothing but just the background noise, it's either her six-years-old daughter running down the stairs, or the people chatting in the cafe and watching the tour on TV, or the whizzing sound of wheels as the peloton rolled across the fields. None of the non-stop chatter of the commentator, what a change, love it!

I'm going for a ride with the wife whose able steed will be the HelloKittyKirk. Pink rules (well, it certainly rules me...)

May I suggest you and Tom Byrnes arrange a special ride for the wives to meet on their HelloKittyKirks. ;)

weisan

[zeroking17]

I was watching the end of Saturday's stage on RAI, and just as the final climb was beginning, the metronomic rhythm of the day's coverage was broken: "Attenzione, Attenzione" blurted the announcer (think of a lucid Harry Caray), "Pantani's in trouble!" The overhead shot zeroed-in on a frantic Pantani, fumbling about with his chain and rear derailleur. The neutral Shimano support car was the first on the scene, but by then Marco had disentangled the chain himself and the mechanic dropped the spare wheel he had brought and instead gave Pantani a big push.

The helicopter's camera quickly panned up the road to where two of Pantani’s Mercatone teammates had come to almost a complete stop while waiting for their leader. As soon as Pantani reached them, the three began pedaling furiously. Cut to the front of the pack, where Jalabert and Gotti were hammering, thinking that this was just the opportunity that they’d been waiting for. Cut back to Pantani, who was now being pulled by four of his teammates. The camera shows Panatani reaching down and tightening the straps--first the right, then the left--of his shoes. After five minutes of frantic chasing, only two of the Mercatone riders were left. The main pack had been reeled in, but Jalabert, Gotti, and now Heras, were still off the front.

In the pack, Pantani was now methodically picking off his few remaining rivals -- Savoldelli, the baby-faced Saeco climber; Jimenez, the virtual "no show"; Virenque, still in denial. At the front, Jalabert had ridden away from Heras and Gotti. Bald-headed Pantani, "running" his Bianchi uphill, sweat dripping off his chin and looking uncannily like the legendary German silent-film star Max Schreck (Nosferatu), was now smelling blood. As he caught and then motored past Gotti, Gotti remained stone-faced, not daring to reveal the sinking emotions that he must have felt (this is the same Gotti who has just days before reminded everyone that "when we were junior riders, I was always able to ride away from Marco on the climbs. There's no reason I can't do the same now”). Gotti must be getting used to the taste of humble pie.

Meanwhile, Heras had not the self-control of Gotti; he couldn't help but glance to the right as Marco came by. For his part, Pantani never looked back, keeping his eyes focused straight ahead, where only Jalabert remained. At the eight minute mark, Jalabert looked back, saw Pantani gaining fast, ceded his position by pulling off to the right side of the road and let Pantani pass by on the inside. Jalabert's two-meter swing out signaled Pantani's psychological victory (and Jalabert's surrender). A review of the tape shows Jalabert's right hand flicking the shift lever twice, hoping that his downshifts would allow him to spin behind Pantani for a stretch and recover his spirits. But after just twenty seconds, Jalabert could no longer hold Pantani's wheel and he drifted back like an unhitched caboose.

But Pantani clearly was riding against the mountain, not his fellow cyclists. He kept his head down, standing on the pedals most of way as the road climbed through the narrow streets now lined by his adoring tifosi, many of whom were nearing screaming "pantani, pantani" and gesturing wildly as their hero passed by. Only the names of the (mostly) Italian, (mostly) unknown riders painted on the roadway accompanied Pantani for the final three kilometers. Even when he crossed the line, Pantani refused to show any emotion, keeping both hands on the hoods and barely acknowledging this incredible ride in which he had left many of the world's greatest riders shaking their heads in disbelief. The whole event, from the chain mishap to the end of the stage, lasted only twenty minutes by the clock, but it was, at the same time, timeless, as are all transcendent occasions

[fiamme red]

Wondelful narration, zeroking17!!! You ought to be a professional cycling journalist. :)

[shaq-d]

i wasn't there, but after reading that, i think i was. :banana:

sd

I was watching the end of Saturday's stage on RAI, ...t it was, at the same time, timeless, as are all transcendent occasions