Flat Stanley Went to Italy - Episode 3 - The "Giro d'Italia"

Flat Stanley Went to Italy - Episode 3 - The “Giro d’Italia”

Note from Ermes: If you don’t know Flat Stanley, you can find his presentation to the community in this post: Flat Stanley Went to Italy - the prologue

The “Giro d’Italia”

Hello, my name is Stanley, “Flat” Stanley.

I was drawn two months ago in california, then my classmates then put me in an envelope, and I reached Ermes in Italy.

One week ago Ermes was watching the “Giro d’Italia” (in English: “Tour of Italy”) on TV. What I saw was many cyclists, all dressed in bright colors, riding a bicycle in narrow streets, with many people around, enthusiastically cheering them on.

It seemed impossible to think that, with all those people around, those funny cyclists could proceed without falling. Also because it’s true that they were funny, but they went at breakneck speed, and they did it for many miles, on climbs that seemed tiring to me even on foot :cold_sweat: .

Why is everything pink?

I could think of a lot of questions to ask Ermes: What is the Giro d’Italia? What is it for? Why do they pass in those narrow and dangerous streets instead of traveling in wide flat streets? But I waited to ask, hoping that while I was watching the race I would understand by myself.

At one point the scene on television changed: The cyclists were now going through a village, and on the side of the road everything was colored pink. There were silhouettes of bicycles, silhouettes of animals, pink bicycles hanging from the railings of the houses and from the light poles. Everything was pink. These are crazy, I was thinking, and besides, why is everything pink?

While all these questions were spinning in my head I saw one thing and I froze. “Hey, I know that place!” I said to Ermes, “We were there last week photographing the flowers” (As a reference: Flat Stanley - Biodiversity Day 2023 - Share your Biodiversity .

Can we go there?

Can we go back there?” I asked. The answer was “yes, we’ll go tomorrow”.

Yes! Yes! Yes! :muscle: I couldn’t wait for tomorrow!!

What is the Giro d’Italia?

During the trip I asked all those questions that I had in mind, and I learned that:

The “Giro d’Italia” is a cycling race in stages, which crosses all of Italy, from North to South and back. In Europe there are three great stage races, and they are called “The Grand Tour”:

  • The “Tour de France”, in France
  • The Vuelta in Spain
  • The “Giro d’Italia” in Italy.

All three last three weeks, and the strongest cyclists in the world participate.

These races pass through secondary roads and small villages, so that these unknown villages for one day have a lot of notoriety and are seen on television. For this reason each village spends days preparing for the event, in order to show the best of itself on television, even if only for a few minutes. All inhabitants and businesses participate in this preparation.

Pink is the color of the “Giro d’Italia” because the sports magazine that invented it (in 1909) has pink pages. The color of the Tour de France is Yellow, and Red is the color of the Vuelta. The race leader wears the pink jersey.

Now I understand, that’s why everything is pink, and that’s why the animals. We are in a mountain village, where there are sheep, deer, fawns, foxes and bears. I like it. :smiley:

We arrived and took a lot of photos, and on this occasion I went to meet the inhabitants who most resemble me. They are made of wood and cloth. Not really my brothers, but still my cousins, right?

I’m definitely impressed, it’s all beautiful, and I can’t wait to tell my brothers about it.

Google Maps and the race

But I still have questions to ask, and this time I want to put him in difficulty. "Can you tell me the route of today’s race", I asked him then?

Instead, he doesn’t worry at all, and in a few minutes he shows me the route in Google Maps, with the distance to cover (162 Km), the time for a cyclist (13 hours and 3 minutes) and also how much one has to climb (3928 meters) and descend (2428 meters).

13 hours? Are we crazy?” I say. “No, the winner did it in 4 hours and 25 minutes. But he’s a champion, and Google Maps is made for regular people like you and me”

Ok, I get it, and just thinking about it already makes me feel tired :sweat: .

Do you like cycling?

And you? Do you like cycling? Are there bicycle races in your country?

Here in Italy I’ve seen a lot of people on bicycles, and a lot of cycle paths (but I’ll tell you about this another time) . Now it’s time for you to tell me.

I had a beautiful day, and I just wanted to tell you. Bye, see you soon with another adventure

Stanley, “Flat” Stanley

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Hello @ErmesT ,

Stanley is amazing. He does not want to leave any topic unspoken about. His curiosity brings a lot details on the table with the great guidance from you.

Yes, in our country also such cycling races are being organized quite often. I myself is a cyclists and go for cycling almost everyday. I do participate in cycling events locally for fitness and fun. I never participated nor eager to participate in any such race. But cycling is another area very closed to my heart along with photography and travelling.

Good that Stanley brings all such topics up which leads to such wonderful stories. Thanks for sharing.

JAI HO!!!

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hello Flat Stanley.thanks for sharing.hope you will visit more places With @ErmesT :blush: :+1:t2:

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Dear (Flat) Stanley

You are having a lot of adventures with @ErmesT here in Italy! You were like to know about Giro d’Italia.

Waiting for your new adventures

Ciao

Antonella

PS ehmmm… I do not like cycling too much, and in the mountains I am really scared

I like Just walking

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Hi there Stanley, I am from Belgium where bicylcle racing is actually huge. I love watching the “big” races, even if that means sitting in front of tv for hours. A special mention here goes to the “Tour of Flanders” a 1-day race in Belgium (Flanders is the name of the northern part of Belgium) in early April which is one of the so-called “5 Monuments of Cyclig” (2 of which are held in Italy as you no doubt already know: Milan - San Remo and the Tour of Lombardia). Some editions of the Tour of Flanders even pass by the street where I live and it is always amazing to see the speed at which those guys (and - in increasing amounts - girls, as women’s cyclig is getting quite big too) race by.

This year I was especially keen to follow the Giro d’Italia as there was a very realistic chance that a belgian cyclist might win the Giro (the previous belgian winner was in the 1970’s or so). And Remco Evenepoel (that’s the belgian cyclist I was referring to) actually won 2 stages (both time trials) and was wearing the pink jersey when… Covid hit him and he was forced to retire from the race :sob:

The first few days after he left the Giro, I completely lost interest in the race and did not watch it - but then my curiosity got the upper hand again and I followed most of the remaining stages (most of them by watching a summary in the evening, but some also live on a tv set installed behind my laptop). It turned out the remainder of the Giro was a very close battle with Primoz Roglic in the end winning it with an incredible effort in the last few kilometres of the time trial on the one but last day. Those are exciting moments, full of emotion for me - you should ask @ErmesT about me, he has met me a couple of times already and will be able to confirm that I usually do not show a lot of emotion; but on epic cycling moments (and other sports too), Stanley, I do really get carried away.

Perhaps next year, I could visit the Giro when Remco gives it another shot at winning another one of the big tours and with a bit of luck we could meet and you could witness my reaction to it :wink:

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Hello @ErmesT and Flat Stanley,

wow, this is very amazing! :star_struck: :biking_man:

I know the Giro d’Italia. :star_struck: :biking_man: :it:

It’s very amazing and it makes me tired too to see what the participants are doing. :star_struck: :hot_face:

I couldn’t do what they do. :blush:

Yes, there is a bicycle race in my city, in Hamburg, Germany.

It is called Cyclassics, the participants are cycling through the city, Hamburg.

They also show it on TV and so everyone has the possibility to see a lot of beautiful places in Hamburg.

The next Cyclassics will take place on the 20th of August 2023. :blush: :biking_man:

Your Local Guides Connect-post is very interesting! :grinning: :biking_man: :bouquet:

Thank you very much for writing your very amazing post! :grinning: :+1:t2: :star2:

I wish you both a great weekend! :blush:

Many warm greetings from Hamburg, Germany! :grinning: :star2: :de:

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Oh, this is nice @Kumaarsantosh .

I’ve seen a lot of cyclists here in the Alps, all dressed with coloured clothes.

Together with Ermes we will write soon a post about cycling routes.

Ermes said that from Venice it would be possible to go to meet his Friend @TorM only using Cycling routes.

identifier.html (763 KB)

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Of course, @Gezendunyali

Today I am going with Ermes to the Italian Sports Festival.

Do you use a bicycle in your life?

There are bicycle races in your country?

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Races are held in my country. It is even held on two continents as it is a bridge between Asia and Europe. I don’t use it much, but I take advantage of every opportunity. :blush: :+1:t2:

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Ciao @AntonellaGr , how are you?

I saw you minutes ago, and you didn’t told me that you also wrote here. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

I can’t go cycling too, but I could stay in yours or in Ermes’s backpack, don’t you agree?

And I think we can have different adventures too.

What about Pizza?

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Hallo, @JanVanHaver

Yes, Ermes told me that you two meet THREE times: In Krakow, In California and in Treviso

I like the photo on the right, it is funny :joy: :joy: :joy:

Yes, I have seen the last stage of the Giro d’Italia, and the victory of the Slovenian Primoz Roglic (maybe @renata1 knows him).

I was tired just watching them :disappointed_relieved: .

I am sorry that your preferred champion got sick, and I am curious about the race in your country. Do you have many mountains too?

I will have to study more about races in bicycle, especially the “5 Monuments of Cycling”.

This seems to be funny

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Mountains? Flanders is part of the “low countries”, so we only have hills, no mountains (the highest point of Belgian is below 900m, and that is in the Ardennes, which is in the southern part of Belgium, not in Flanders). But the Tour of Flanders does have quite a few short-but-steep climbs, making it a very tough race.

The 5 “Monuments” are

  • Milan - San Remo (“the easiest the complete, but the hardest to win”)
  • Tour of Flanders
  • Paris - Roubaix (well-known for the cobblestones)
  • Liège -Bastogne - Liège
  • Tour of Lombardia (the only one in the fall, the other 4 are in the spring)

Only 3 cyclists (all of them from Belgium) have managed to win all 5 during their career.

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Oh, I see, there are no mountains in Flanders. I am very sorry for my question, Mr. Jan, @JanVanHaver .
Ermes always says that I have to study Geography, but I’m already studying Italian. But since I don’t need to sleep, I have to find a way to study at night.

You know, now I’ve found a bicycle that may fit for me :blush: , so maybe one day I can participate too

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Wow, @Gezendunyali

A race in two continents without going outside of the countries?

This sounds a quite unique opportunity.

I think I will have to ask Ermes to send me to you. It seems to be an incredible experience :star_struck:

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Dear Flat Stanley

For sure you can stay in @ErmesT ’ s backpack, but not in mine. Too risky for you!

Ciao

Antonella

Hello, cutie Stanley… Flat Stanley…

I heard that you were born in an accident?

During the night, the drawing board hung above your bed fell on you and you became flat… right? Also, you play with Arthur too… Great!

You are lucky that you can enter locked rooms because you are paper thin… Wow…

Your “Cycle Story” is really interesting.

Having covered, Giro d’Italia… You are enjoying… Happy to hear that…

I’m sure you are enjoying the best hospitality of our dear & respected @ErmesT Ji and @AntonellaGr … Kind convey our special regards to them, please…

Wish you all the success for your next adventure…

We are always with you.

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Hey Stanley,

nice seeing all your adventures, even the Giro D’Italia, wow @ErmesT is treating you very well! Hahaha you made me laugh when you asked why everyone and everything is pink, the color of the Giro D’Italia.

You know it passed also very close to where I live, in Lucca, just on the hills of the Garfagnana, till a few kilometers from the city of Lucca. However it was a very bad weather day with quite some rain so I didn’t go watching it :confused: but I’ve seen some very nice photos of some friends of mine :blush: .

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@ErmesT

Thanks for sharing this post sorry for replying late…

But happy to read & hear about Giro d’Italia .Pink.colout is my favourite also.thank for sharing beautiful college pictures of Stanley in Tambre village & with bycycle.

Convey my message to Stanley his brother & sister are also enjoying they had lunch at Rastov restaurant with my friends & now they are with me at my Mom.house which is 45.8 km from Mumbai they very happy meet mom.

I shall post photo very soon.

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