The RoadBikeRider.com Newsletter is e-mailed without cost or obligation each Thursday to road cyclists around the world. Click for a free subscription and a complimentary copy of the eBook, 29 Pro Cycling Secrets for Roadies. E-mail a friend   Tell other roadies about this newsletter Printer  Here's a newsletter format that's easy to print Subscribe   No cost or obligation, and a free eBook too E-mail the editor   We like to receive your comments This Week's Content Click to comment on what you read in this issue! Weekly Dispatch  Bike-to-Work Week; Rookie Commuter Cycling Shorts  Busy Lawyers Scott's Spin  Green Machine Classifieds  (2 new) Best of Coach Fred  Should I Do Hard Group Rides? Racing Roundup  Surprise! Astana (and Levi) in Giro Uncle Al  Steal of a Deal Try This on Your Next Ride  Ride Faster When You're Tired RBR eBookstore  HOT LIST: The Week's Bestsellers   RoadBikeRider.com Newsletter Issue No. 342 - 05/08/08:  Bike to Work Now ISSN 1536-4143     Produced almost every Thursday by RBR Publishing Company. E-mailed without cost or obligation to more than 60,000 roadies around the world. ______________________________________   Win a CERVELO P3Carbon or a set of ZIPP 404 Wireless PowerTaps! Want both? Enter for each as many times as you wish. Each entry is another chance to win. Details at http://www.accelsport.com/rbrtwp ______________________________________   1. WEEKLY DISPATCH   Ed's Note:  For years Gary Kirkland was a popular columnist for the Gainesville Sun in north-central Florida. I'd lived in that town for a spell and worked at the newspaper, so he wrote about me when I rode the 1996 Team Race Across America. He spelled P-a-v-e-l-k-a right and we've been friends ever since.   It did me proud when Gary became a cyclist, even though his bike of choice was a recumbent. (Just kidding -- hey, anything with pedals is righteous.) I felt doubly good when he told me last fall that he was planning to begin bike commuting.   Next Monday, May 12, starts National Bike-to-Work Week in the U.S., culminating with Bike-to-Work Day on May 16. The primary sponsor is the League of American Bicyclists along with member clubs across the land. More information is available at http://www.bikeleague.org   Is this the month you give commuting a try? We highly recommend it. It's the perfect time in terms of weather, daylight and gas prices to ride to work and discover that those impossible obstacles you imagine are quite easily overcome.   To illustrate, RBR asked Gary, 57, to write a piece about his first 4 months as a bike commuter. We hope you enjoy his story, gain several useful tips, and join him on the road next week. No more excuses! ______________________________________   Tales of a Bike Commuting Rookie By Gary Kirkland   "It's got such a great floor plan," my wife said as we walked through the house that would become our current home. I nodded with a smile as visions of a nearby bike lane danced in my head.   Like many cyclists, I'd long toyed with the idea of a pedal-powered commute to work. Every year Bike-to-Work Week would come and I might try a couple of days, but I'd soon fall back to my old four-wheeled habit.   But the seeds were planted for bike commuting, and the news at the gas pump and of global warming helped nurture them.   With the move to that new floor plan in November, the cycling stars finally aligned. I was now close enough to work that it would be almost embarrassing not to ride there. There was an on-street bike lane nearly all the way. And a downsize-inspired career change from the newspaper put me in a job with a more predictable daily travel schedule.   So, on December 31 -- getting an early jump on a New Year's resolution -- I found myself climbing aboard my bike with my lunch and work essentials in an old backpack. I was on my way.   That short ride served up my first surprise. It's 2.5 miles (4 km) door to door and it took me, a devout and practicing slowpoke, about five more minutes to pedal than to drive. And it was fun, not a word I'd used with my car commute. I'd burned a few calories, but felt energized.   It was also a cycling culture shock. As a weekend rider whose routes were mostly rail trails and backcountry lanes, my full immersion into rush-hour traffic was a bit scary. A Saturday morning peaceful connector has a much different personality on Monday.    I encountered my commuting route with new eyes -- and ears and nose. The bike lane seemed to be the depository for broken glass and loose change. A sun-cured, one-day-dead armadillo sharply announced its presence, but so did the fragrance of bacon and coffee from nearby homes, bread from a bakery, and spring brought honeysuckle and jasmine -- delights that would be lost in a car.   Instead of a radio or CDs I've been serenaded by the cry of suburban red-shouldered hawks and carried on conversations at stoplights with folks in convertibles. And my resolve has been strengthened as I pedal past my neighborhood gas station and spy the rising price of fuel I'm not burning.   Tall in the Saddle   My first-string bike is a recumbent. I love it, especially for long-distance rides. But I didn't feel comfortable in heavy traffic rolling along below rearview mirror level, so I'd purchased an inexpensive comfort bike that helped me see and be seen. But based on my two-wheeled company on the road, it's obvious that just about any bicycle will work for commuting. I've shared the bike lane with fast road machines on skinny tires, fully suspended mountain bikes and department store tanks.   I quickly learned the truth of tales of distracted drivers. The champion multi-tasker so far was a woman with coffee in one hand, a cell phone wedged between her ear and shoulder, who was applying mascara while we were stopped side by side at a light.   I've also learned of another source of distraction. I'm constantly spotting those little plastic one-string harp gadgets littering the bike lane. People are flossing while driving, not a real comforting thought.   Within the first week I'd encountered my first no-look right turn across my path, but my slow speed helped me avoid a collision. I also learned to look for the flash of a dome light in a parked car, the signal of a car door opening.   The 40% Solution   My commuting resolution didn't take the all-or-nothing approach. I determined, to warrant my new-bike investment, I would need to ride at least twice a week during 50 weeks of work, math that even a journalist could calculate at 100 riding days. And two days per week would equal a 40% reduction in car commuting.   While I'd been told that racks, fenders and bags were the essentials for bike commuting, I went barebones for my launch: a mirror, some almost bulletproof tires (I didn't want to fiddle with flats) and some straps to keep my britches out of the chain were the only additions. I already had a helmet and an inexpensive set of lights to boost my visibility, so I was set.   I purposely didn't add a computer to the handlebar. I didn't want to obsess on speed or distance. I wanted to enjoy the ride.   In keeping with my KISS approach, I rode in my casual work clothes -- no ties, but no jeans. My office has no showers, no locker room, and over these first months riding in office attire has worked well. My goal is to arrive sweet-smelling and then not worry about sweating on the way home.   Weather or Not   Because I live in North Florida, starting commuting in midwinter didn't present climatic challenges, although some mornings were a bit below freezing. My wife has described my mustard-yellow vest as looking like a picnic table cloth, only uglier, but she was impressed with the boost in visibility it provided. When coupled with a blinking taillight I was hard not to see.   Speaking of taillights, I see a lot of my fellow commuters using them, but not all are getting a good bang for their buck because bike bags, shirttails or jackets block the beam. I found the higher the mount, the better the visibility.   Rain was a concern but I've been able to put it in perspective. The question isn't, "Will it rain today?" Instead it's, "Is there a dry window to get to work?" It's not a long ride, so I check the local radar and carry an inexpensive rain suit just in case, which apparently gained me style points from a co-worker who told me, "You look like a highlighter in that thing." Again, getting wet while riding home isn't an issue. I was born washable.   What to do with the bike once you get to work? I got the OK to park mine in my office, but I'd also scoped out a stairwell, a janitor's closet and the room that houses our building AC units as alternate possibilities.   Reward System   As for that list of "must haves" for bike commuting, I worked out a reward system. After one month of riding to work, I treated myself to fenders, which do a great job of keeping the bike clean and helping me arrive muddy skunk-stripe free.   The backpack on cold days added some cozy insulation. On warm days I found that setting the straps as loose as possible allowed it to tilt off my back, making for a cooler ride. And when I did get to the office, it converted into a handy door stop.   After three months I treated myself to a rack and rear-mounted panniers, which, with the afternoons already heating up, made for a more sweat-free ride to work and a more comfortable trip home.   I adopted a bag-within-a-bag system. All the notebooks, pens, and other office supplies I carry go into a gallon-size re-sealable freezer bag, along with my wallet, cell phone, spare change, keys and iPod. One, this adds stay-dry insurance in case of rain, and two, on those days when I do need the car, my stuff comes out in one nice neat bundle that can slip into a backpack or briefcase.   Commuting into Summer   As I've turned to the May page on the calendar, I'm already getting some not-so-subtle reminders of the long hot summer ahead.   I'm hoping for at least one month more of mornings that are cool enough to pedal in office clothes, but I have a back-up plan. With the help of a spring-loaded shower curtain, I've turned the top of a storage closet into a space where I can hang fresh clothes. The panniers have room to carry office duds back and forth.   Now that the days are growing longer, and I've got the hang of it, I'm feeling inspired to build some longcuts into my ride home to get more of a workout. There may be more commuting challenges ahead, but another lesson I've learned is that problems I expected or worried about turned out to be just minor bumps in the road.   And I've also learned bike commuting can be addictive. Several Sundays I've ridden to church, and errands once done on four wheels are now done on two.   Each day I ride I put an "R" on my calendar. The goal of 100 bike commuting days in 2008 now looks much too low.   Not only is commuting fun, it's made a few of my coworkers curious about trying it. So it's a contagious healthy habit. Maybe you can plant that seed next week.   Comment ______________________________________   Bonus for Future Commuters   RBR has an eBook that will help you do like Gary and make a gas-saving, fitness-improving commitment to bike commuting. We want to remind you in time for National Bike-to-Work Week, May 12-16.   We're talking about Ed Pavelka's helpful "how to" manual -- Bicycle Commuting for Fun & Profit. In its 50 pages, Ed solves 21 common concerns (excuses) that stop would-be bike commuters from taking that first ride.   Normally, this eBook sells for $12.95. That's cheap -- you'd earn it back with the first 4 gallons of gas you don't burn by riding to work.   But let's not allow even modest cost to be a barrier to doing something so good for yourself.   For the next 8 days, we will GIVE you a copy of "Bicycle Commuting for Fun & Profit."   It's our way of helping you get out of that gas-burner and onto your bike for work, school or errands. A free copy of this helpful eBook is yours when you make any purchase from RBR between today, May 8, and the conclusion of Bike-to-Work Day on May 16.   Here how it works:  Buy an eBook, eArticle, Premium Site membership or renewal, or the Cycling Science CD and we will add Bicycle Commuting for Fun & Profit to your customer account. No charge!   Please do not actually put Bicycle Commuting for Fun & Profit into your shopping cart. When we see your order we'll add the eBook to your account's inventory within 12 hours -- probably sooner -- and confirm it's there by e-mailing you. Then you can download it as you would any of our e-publications.   See what you'll get in Bicycle Commuting for Fun & Profit -- and read an excerpt -- at http://www.roadbikerider.com/bc_excerpt.htm. Take advantage of this offer and you'll have all the information and inspiration you need to become a bike commuter.   Comment ______________________________________   You have an RBR customer account if you've purchased an eBook or eArticle in the last 4 years. You'll find 4 additional free downloads of every title in your personal "digital library," allowing you to upgrade to new editions without charge or replace your e-publications for any reason. A customer account is automatically created during checkout for each first-time RBR purchaser.   o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o   2. CYCLING SHORTS Quick Tip:  Divide and Conquer.  Here's an effective long-distance strategy that's especially good when you're attempting a distance you haven't ridden before. Let's say it's a century. Standing at the start and thinking about 100 miles (161 km) can create a mental load that makes the physical one even tougher. So instead, think about riding 25 miles (40 km) four times. You know what it takes to do 25 and that isn't scary. Your confidence will be higher. Then during the ride, stop at each quarter-distance goal (perhaps there will be aid stations) to walk a bit, stretch, eat and fill your bottles. Ride 25 more miles and repeat, all the way to the end. This "divide and conquer" strategy was used by none other than Seana Hogan when she began riding long distances. It worked pretty well by making 100 miles doable. She went on to win the Race Across America 6 times. New on the website:  Uncle Al has written about the importance of using a torque wrench when working on modern lightweight road bikes. Now he reviews the first one that's both pro-quality and bicycle-specific, the Effetto Mariposa GF Torque Wrench. See his test report & rating at http://www.roadbikerider.com/producttests.htm   No charity here.  The Lance Armstrong Foundation is in a legal wrangle with an Oklahoma business called Animal Charity Collar Group, Inc. Its founder, Chris Ohman, has a 2007 patent for a "pet collar with an embossed slogan for encouraging charitable contributions." The LAF has been selling dog collars bearing its "LiveStrong" slogan to raise funds for cancer research. Ohman's collars, sold by animal groups to raise money, say "PurrStrong" or "BarkStrong." The LAF sued Ohman and now Ohman has countersued, claiming patent infringement. He has requested a jury trial and is seeking damages that will be "adequate to compensate for the infringement, but in no event less than a reasonable royalty." Lance himself wasn't named in Ohman's suit.   Heavyweight fight.  "The two cycling giants may not be suing each other directly, but this contract-law proxy war might be the next worst thing," says an online feature article by the New York Daily News, summarizing the feud between Greg LeMond and Lance Armstrong. "The case is still young, but the suit appears to have the potential to drag some of Armstrong's skeletons out of the closet, maybe with the help of secretly taped phone calls involving one of his biggest supporters." That key person is said to be Trek CEO John Burke, talking to LeMond. The article attempts to explain the acrimony between LeMond and Armstrong and between LeMond and Trek, which has filed suit to end its business relationship with Greg and the LeMond bicycle brand. There is some seriously nasty stuff going on, and the drug-free reputation of Armstrong -- just named one of Time magazine's "100 Most Influential People in the World" -- may hang in the balance. http://tinyurl.com/66hrae ______________________________________   Overheard: "I intend to use every piece of evidence we have to clobber Trek in court." -- Chris Madel, a lawyer for LeMond. ______________________________________ The 2008 Ride of Silence is scheduled for 7 p.m. on May 21 at hundreds of locations worldwide. The silent slow-paced procession (maximum speed of 12 mph or 20 kph) annually honors cyclists who have been injured or killed while riding on public roads. It also tries to raise awareness that cyclists should be extended the same rights and respect as other road users. Most rides are 12 miles (19 km) or shorter. A ride finder is available on the event's website at http://www.rideofsilence.org   Our recent weekly poll found that 91% of RBR readers wear a helmet every time they ride. Interestingly, we just came across a couple of articles with opinions on helmet use. One quotes the executive director of the League of Illinois Bicyclists and has sound safe-cycling tips: http://tinyurl.com/3s7a5r. The other was written by a moron: http://tinyurl.com/4al3cu   Cycling rose from 8th to 6th in sports participation in the U.S. last year, according to the National Sporting Goods Association. After falling 13% percent in 2006, cycling participation rebounded slightly from 35.6 million to 37.4 million riders in 2007. Although cycling is down 9.1% overall from 5 years ago, ridership last year rose from 5.7% to 11.7% in the 18-24 age group. "If bicycling can be seen as cool by any generation I think it's a great thing," says Fred Clements, executive director of the U.S. National Bicycle Dealers Association. "I think coolness probably drives a lot of the decision making in that age group." These statistics don't break down cycling by type (road, off-road, urban, etc.). In 2007, bike riding was behind exercise walking, exercising with equipment, swimming, camping and bowling (in that order) in total participants. ______________________________________   Overheard:  "You don't have to be training for the Tour de France. If you ride your bike, you're healthier. There is less car traffic, less dirty air. So just get out there -- on the trail, on the road, on the way to school or work, wherever, and ride your bike." -- Lance Armstrong, about to open Mellow Johnny's, his downtown Austin bike shop catering to cyclists of all levels, on May 10. ______________________________________ How do you feel about your weight? That's the essence of an online survey by a sports science group at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. The group is researching the attitudes of endurance athletes about body weight and weight management. The survey has 23 questions, and it took us about 10 minutes to complete. Responses are anonymous. If you'd like to participate in this research, click http://tinyurl.com/6m9q4d    Wholesale prices of cycling products from European companies Colnago, Sidi and Vredestein will rise 10% in the U.S. on June 1, according to importer Veltec Sports. The company cited the dollar's 16% devaluation against the euro this year. The increase is expected to have an elevating effect on retail prices for these brands beginning next month. ______________________________________   Comment of the Week:  "In addition to the good advice you offered about preventing seatpost slipping, there's another 'cheap trick' that often works well: hair spray. Just clean the post and the frame, spray the post with hair spray (and a little down the seat tube if it makes you happy), install the post and give it a little time to dry. This is a very low cost solution that often is all you need." -- Kerry Irons   Share your thoughts about stuff you read in this issue of RBR's newsletter by clicking here.   o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o   3. SCOTT'S SPIN   Green Machine   What's your carbon footprint? And I don't mean your cycling-shoe size.   No, I'm talking about the color of the moment: green.   "Puh-leeze," you say, "I ride a bike. I'm greener than a hung-over Carnival Cruise passenger in a hurricane."   Is that so? Then you won't mind taking this climate-change quiz designed just for cyclists:   I commute by bike . . . (a)  every day (b)  couple times a week, if it's not raining and the alarm goes off (c)  I no longer commute since getting fired for making fun of the boss's Prius   My frame is made of . . . (a)  steel, aluminum, carbon or titanium (b)  bamboo, hemp or old Clorox bottles (c)  spent nuclear fuel rods, covered in baby seal fur   I only eat energy bars made from . . . (a)  endangered white-rhino meat (b)  locally grown, fair-trade, organic ingredients (c)  ethanol waste products   I clean my chain with . . . (a)  jet fuel (b)  citrus-based degreaser (c)  nothing, thus allowing it to exist freely in its natural state   After cleaning my chain, I . . . (a)  hose the drippings into the nearest storm drain, which empties into the local orphanage's playground (b)  take the gunk-filled degreaser to the recycling center (c)  like I said, I don't clean it, you fascist chain murderer you   When my water bottle gets moldy, I . . . (a)  chuck it in a roadside ditch (b)  cut off the top and recycle it as a planter (c)  use it to plug the exhaust pipe of Hummers   If I can't ride my bike someplace, I . . . (a)  drive my SUV there as fast as possible, with my tires under-inflated and the AC blasting out my open windows (b)  walk, car-pool or take bio-diesel-powered public transportation (c)  ride the indoor trainer while watching my Al Gore videos   Comment   (If you like Scott Martin's column, you may want to contribute to his livelihood by purchasing Spin Again, a new eBook containing 181 of his witty, wacky and occasionally weird observations on road cycling. To read 3 more Spins and donate . . . er, place your order, click http://www.roadbikerider.com/sa_page.htm.)   o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o   4. CLASSIFIEDS   Also see the Classified Ads page on the RBR website and please support these advertisers that help make this newsletter free for you. ______________________________________   NEW http://www.SDVbikes.com -Titanium bikes & components. Starts at $3,999 for a SDV*Ti / Ultegra sport road bike. Titanium performance for less! ______________________________________   Challenge your cycling skills and live the dream! Ride across the Pyrenees and back - 1,000 miles - 94,000 ft. - 14 days. http://www.lostendetours.com ______________________________________   "I like ViewPoint best because it's inconspicuous." Check out Jim Langley's review of the CycleAware VIEWPOINT mirror at CycleAware.com ______________________________________   High-Precision Bicycle-Specific Torque Wrench! Precision carbon parts require precision tools. Info & Purchase at http://www.cantitoeroad.com/gf ______________________________________   Lightweight Summer Wool! Wicks well and it's odor-resistant. Bases, jerseys, bottoms, and warmers. Check our Weekly Specials. http://www.joneswares.com ______________________________________   Light & aesthetic REFLECTIVE BANDS for road bike wheels. Be visible! An original idea by SDV *Ti which could avoid you many troubles! http://www.RoadBikeSafety.com ______________________________________   Ride the California Coast & support the Arthritis Foundation. 500-mile ride on Pacific Coast Highway, SF to LA 9/20-9/27/08. http://www.CaliforniaCoastClassic.org or 800-954-2873 ______________________________________   New England Classic 150- and 550-mile rides! July 12-13 or July 12-18. Scenic routes, fully supported, friendly groups. Indoor lodging - reasonable fundraising. Benefits the American Diabetes Association. Full details at http://www.newenglandclassic.org ______________________________________   CueClip - Map/Cue Sheet Holder. World's best! Club discounts. Emergency LED Lights, Saddle Leather Care Products, and the Cyclewallet. http://www.cueclip.com ______________________________________   The Right Road Bike at the Right Price. From used & starter bikes to dream bikes from Colnago, Pinarello & DeRosa, we will meet your budget and your needs. http://www.aroadbike4u.com ______________________________________   Also on Classified Ads, these Roadie Ads:   ---Visit the Unc & Coach Fred (new this week) ---Rocket 7 road shoes ---2005 Scattante CFR road bike ---SCU Quad County Metric ---Wanted: RBR cycling writers   o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o   5. BEST OF COACH FRED   Should I Do Hard Group Rides?   Q:  I bought your Complete Book of Road Bike Training and use one of your suggested schedules. It calls for sprinting on Tuesdays, longer rides on Wednesdays and intervals on Thursdays. However, there's a group ride here on Wednesday evenings. It's an opportunity to practice pack skills with race intensity, but it's much harder than the prescribed longer ride. How should I fit it into your plan? -- Tom G.   Coach Fred Matheny Replies:  First, think about your goals. If you want to get better at pack riding because you want to race better, going with the Wednesday group makes sense. But if you're aiming at centuries, tours or time trials, it would be better to do long solo rides on Wednesdays.   First rule:  Make sure that training matches your goals.   Let's assume that racing is your objective. In this case, if you have access to a fast and responsible group ride on Wednesdays, go for it. You'll probably find it more fun than training by yourself. But you must be aware of how much such rides can take out of you. They often require race-like efforts.   Count the group ride as your interval training and move the endurance ride to Thursday. But you'll need to make other modifications too.   Cut back on the Tuesday sprints. Do the Wednesday group ride, then evaluate how you feel on Thursday before actually going for a longer ride. Consider your general energy level and how much life is in your legs. If you're fatigued, ride shorter and spin easily.   Also consider what you're doing on the weekend. If you're racing or doing hard group or solo rides, they might be too much combined with the weekday hard efforts.   Second rule:  Listen to your body and trust what it says.   Comment   (Fred Matheny's Complete Book of Road Bike Training includes the Coach's doable year-round workout schedules for three types of roadies -- fitness riders, fast recreational riders, and racers. Pick a program to take you where you want to go this season.)   o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o   RBR's Question of the Week   Every RBR newsletter contains training tips. We want RoadBikeRider.com to be one of your best "how to" sources for riding better and getting more fun and fitness from your time on the bike. To help us know if we're hitting the mark, please tell us . . .   What's your MAIN training objective?    We give you 10 ways to answer at http://www.roadbikerider.com/poll, where you can also find an archive of previous poll results. Please click, vote and come back to finish reading.   o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o   6. RACING ROUNDUP Gleaned from news sources worldwide. Credited where exclusive. Sunday was a super day for Team Astana. Just hours before Andreas Kloden won Switzerland's Tour de Romandie, the Giro d'Italia reversed course and declared that the powerhouse squad of Kloden, Alberto Contador and Levi Leipheimer could enter after all. Coming just 6 days before the start of the 91st Giro, the about-face sent the Kazakhstan-based team into a tizzy. Kloden is obviously in prime condition, having taken Romandie by 35 seconds over Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas) on the strength of his stage 3 time trial victory. But the announcement came with Contador, the current Tour de France champion, recuperating from dental work and Leipheimer (third in the 2007 Tour) at home in California. Previously, the Giro said Astana was not welcome due to the team's past association with doping, although that problem occurred with different riders and staff. Now the Tour stands alone among the 3 grand tours in barring Astana, which has also been welcomed to the Tour of Spain. Astana is the top-ranked ProTour team but, interestingly, neither Kloden, Contador nor Leipheimer have ridden the Giro -- adding greater challenge to Astana's hurry-up offense. The 3,473-km (2,153-mile) Giro starts May 10 in Palermo and concludes June 1 in Milano. Twenty-two 9-rider teams will compete, including U.S.-headquartered High Road and Slipstream-Chipotle. ______________________________________   Overheard:  "I haven't had the opportunity to take an in-depth look at the course, but I know we'll tackle some big climbs. I've also read that there are four time trials, which leads me to believe there will be some great opportunities for a rider like me." -- Levi Leipheimer, reacting to the news that he is ticketed for the Giro. ______________________________________ The Giro is indeed loaded with time trials (it even begins with a team TT) but the third week's mountains are expected to have just as much say in who wears the final pink jersey. The race also is loaded with grand Tour winners, including defending Giro champion Danilo Di Luca and a pair of two-time champs, Gilberto Simoni and Paolo Savoldelli (a Di Luca teammate on LPR Brake