Giro d'Italia carnage continues

Windy, exposed roads are all part of bike racing and when the bunch is lined up in the gutter it's a matter of who has the strength and willpower to hold the wheel and who'll let it go.

But some of the roads the race organisers chose were asking for trouble. Everyone knows the Netherlands can be a difficult place to run a bike race. Although it is a country seemingly dedicated to the bicycle, the regular cyclists, whether training or commuting, use the bike lanes. And, because there are so many cyclists using the bike lanes, the priority is to keep the speed of the traffic reasonable, which means a large number of islands, humps and narrow chicanes to slow vehicles.

SHOOT: Excellent article this. Click on the link below for the full article. Meanwhile, I am looking forward to Wednesday when the race resumes on home soil with a team time trial to Cuneo.

clipped from www.cyclingweekly.co.uk Tomorrow [Tuesday] is a rest day and on Wednesday the race will resume on home soil with a team time trial to Cuneo. It is a miracle that of the 22 teams it looks like only two will start the 33-kilometre stage a man light. Cadel Evans of BMC Racing lost Martin Kohler to a crash on Sunday and Garmin-Transitions lost Christian Vande Velde today (Monday), with a broken collarbone. What were the odds? Vande Velde crashed out on exactly the same stage (three) on the same day (the first Monday) in last year's Giro. His absence will dent Garmin's chances of beating Astana and Saxo Bank by the couple of seconds they need in order to put David Millar in the pink jersey. WHO LOST OUT? Vincenzo Nibali, Alexandre Vinokourov (the new pink jersey), David Millar, Stefano Garzelli, Ivan Basso, Michele Scarponi and Vladimir Karpets all finished in the front group of 26. But who lost time? 46 seconds Cadel Evans (surrenders the pink jersey) Damiano Cunego Xavier Tondo Carlos Sastre 3-59 Bradley Wiggins