Imo at Amgen Tour Stage 5 Intermediate Sprint

Parked ON the sprint line,

I'm O on the spot stage 5

Tour California

Weather is breezy

Townsfolk are still unaware

What is soon to come

TAPPA 13 Giro d'Italia 2013

Tappa 13 Giro d'Italia 2013

The two major contenders

Found illness race enders

Wiggo and Ryder

have abandoned the struggle

illness gave them too much trouble

The psychology of being 

number one

is sometimes not all that much fun

They started the race in perfect

shape

Winning only contemplate

Expectations weighing heavy

The champions' tax was levied

Supermen but human in the end

They must go home and try to mend

Uran Uran will try for Sky

I like his name

I like the guy

He must enjoy this fateful turn

Allowing him laurels to earn

Ryders' ride was just plain sad

His hopes dashed by feeling bad

Double proof that all can see

Championship can bring tragedy

 Last year this happened to Cadel

I really hope he remains well 

Today's stage is long and flat

Mark Cavandish is up for that

Looking for stage win one hundred and one

For him being champion is still fun

The sun is shining tentatively

A welcome sight for all to see

This stage is the longest

We now have a climb

Boem sets a sturdy pace

Mark C hangs in with grace

Vini Fantini sets the time

25 miles 'til the finish line

Mark seems strong on the incline

Quick Step begin their bell to chime

In the saddle for 200 miles plus

Riders' strength amazes us

Endurance and focus off the charts

They also must have giant hearts

Not speaking just of cardio

A mighty love must make them go

All the way to Cherasco

An attack by Bongiorno

From the Italians lots of brio

Omega Pharma Quick Step

Marks' ambitions they protect

A late race break nine men strong

Would like to sing a different song

Lastras works with the wisdom of age

Oh, would he love to win this stage!

Niboli has maintained his cool

Can Quick Step take this break to school?

Katushas' Caruso attacks from the break

Mark is alone but in great shape

He wins by a hair and celebrates

His climbing and sprinting both first rate!

Mark admits to being tired

For being human he won't be fired

TAPPA 12 Giro d'Italia

Tappa 12 Giro d'Italia

Another stage of slogging

Through torrential rain

A stage short and flat-ish

But weather will bring pain

A finish for a mass sprint

if they're not all washed away

Should we propitiate the weather gods

For a break today?

A cold is circulating 

through the peloton

On days like this you must ask

How can they go on?  

With backers backing off

It's no time to go soft

Sean puts it neatly

"their morale is in their socks"

Not wishing to get into

a sympathetic grumble

I'll brew a pot of coffee

And watch the sprinters rumble

60 KM to go

Markey Mark his cheeks does blow

They're talking about editing

the final ten KM

In any case the deluge

divides the boys from men

A climb is coming soon

Montello Vittoria

Mark will have to pull it

To sprint on to gloria

A second cup of coffee

brose spiked to a T

Allows me to observe affairs

with equanimity

OPQS keeps Mark C in good place

The five man break sets a good pace

30 seconds up

With under 10 to go

Will one attack?

We don't know

They hang in 'til the final 1

They're gone 

but a fine race they've run

Cavendish takes it

Stage 12 was a bitch

Bradley unable to scratch 

his itch

Go to the bus, lads

Take a hot drink

Pro-racing is tougher

than you would think

TAPPA 11 Giro d'Italia 2013

Tappa 111 Giro d'Italia 2013

Wiggo has a head cold

He's under weather foul

Garmin-Sharp took this 

time to howl

 Ramunas Navardauskas

Lithuanian stalwart

took the stage with

Degenkolb home, hurt

Oss came two

Pirazzi three

No internet made 

today sans for me

TAPPA 10 Giro d'Italia 2013

Tappa 10 Giro dItalia 2013

Rest day is done

Now for the fun

Of steep climbs 

And a finish uphill

Astana in front

The pace they pump

A test for everymans'  will

By the end of the day

We'll be be able to say

Who can make the grade

A strong break begins to fade

'Tho here it's only 6:15 AM

I'm already exhausted for these men

Pellizotti leaps forward

Ryder's in the rear

For his Giro must we fear?

Cadel and Scarponi  looking good

Brad seems composed

as he should

Rodriquez leads across the top

Henao has been dropped

Nibali descends neatl

Sky Team to unseat

The final climb beckons

The day will be reckoned

Altopiano del Montasio

Finish fantastico

A test for one and all

Gesink, Wiggins, Nibali, Evans

feel the stress as sixes and sevens

Lots of good climbers

Grade of 20 percent

Big suspense is what is meant

Uran makes a move

Nibali must choose

Cadel looks swell

Uran is impressive

as he climbs along

Bradley struggles on 

the steep slope

Rigoberto Uran

Emerges the man

Betancur two

Congrats to you

Nibali from Sicily

Wears Pink for Italy

Coming in three-fully

Brad loses a minute

Is he still in it?

Experts say he's not out yet

But to Uran goes the fete

Evans rode this stage 

quite gracefully

But can he rely on team BMC?

TAPPA 9 Giro d'Italia 2013

                                          Tappa 9 Giro d'Italia 2013

Once again 

a lot of rain

If Pirazzi moves 

to Pink today

Astana could still parlay

Nibali to gain some time

On Wiggins further down the line

Mount Vallombrosa deals out pain 

Chalapud and Pirazzi dual in the rain

Belkov  joins them--hard to explain!

This is for the KOM 

They fancy themselves mountain men

9 KM it's all uphill

Tests their soggy Sunday will

Points for Pirazzi--Bardianis' lad

Not a GC threat

He should still feel glad

Maxim Belkov proves he's bad

The rain and darkness descend as well

A fun day from bad weather hell

Astana leads the peloton

Hopes that Nibali holds on

Belkov forward 

Sky cold and damp

Is Brad losing his chance?

They fight to bring him back 

BMC and Garmin make no slack

Pantano is looking frisky

on the final ascent

Hesjedal is getting dropped

Sky's winning hopes seemed blocked

Belkov takes more mountain points

lactate coursing through his joints

High anxiety all round

Can Maxim hold his ground?

Firenze my favorite city

Drenched by rain still very pretty

Belkov wins this Tuscan trial

He'll be smiling for a while

A losing day for Hesjedal

And has Sky lost their winning style?

After Monday's day of rest

will Wiggo revive with real zest?

The GC top ten looks quite hardy

for week two the Giro party 

TAPPA 8 Giro d;Italia 2013

Tappa 8 ITT

Alex Dowsett, sturdy Brit,

grabs the TT aces it

Nibali ends the day in Pink

He did well, don't you think?

Bradley flew despite a puncture

His Giro still lives at this juncture

Cadel, Scarponi, and Hesjedal

frolic in GC corral

Gesink, Henao, and Uran 

avoid being 'also ran'

Ditto Santambrogio

Niemiec is still on deck

'Though 6 and 4 respectively

This Giro's uphill for

Ryder and Bradley

With top talent crowded tightly

An interesting week for the GC

As we approach Tappa Nona

No man nor team stands out alone-ah!