Event of the Day: Giro d’Italia Day 1
Our event of the day is the first day of the 2018 Giro d’Italia, one of the three cycling Grand Tour races. The 101st edition of the Giro is a historic one as for the first time ever a Grand Tour event will start outside of Europe. Israel hosts the first three stages, starting with today’s 9.7km individual time trial in West Jerusalem. One of the most expensive sporting events in Israel, the Giro Big Start Israel will continue for the following two days with a 167km flat stage and a 233km hilly stage. Following a day of rest, the cyclists will resume the three-week race in Italy and it will end in Rome, on May 27th. 18 UCI WorldTeams and four wildcard UCI Professional Continental teams will take part this year, each with eight riders – one less than in the previous Giro.
The defending champion is Tom Dumoulin of Team Sunweb who last season became the first male Dutch rider to win the Giro and is the current World individual time trial champion. Other main contenders for the prestigious pink jersey are Britain’s Chris Froome of Team Sky, last season’s winner of both the Vuelta a España and the Tour de France (which he has won a stunning four times); and Italian Fabio Aru of UAE Team Emirates, winner of the 2015 Vuelta; Miguel Ángel López from Astana and Thibaut Pinot from Groupama-FDJ. Notable sprinters who will take part in the race are Sacha Modolo, Giacomo Nizzolo, Danny van Poppel and Elia Viviani. We’re in for an exciting start to the 2018 Giro d’Italia.
Honourable mentions around the globe go to the Doha Diamond League meeting at the Qatar SC Stadium in Doha. Highlights include the men’s 200m, 400m, triple jump and high jump; as well as the women’s 100m, 1500m and 100m hurdles. It’s Day 1 of the County Championship Division One match between Essex and Yorkshire at the County Ground in Chelmsford. Also in cricket, in the Indian Premier League, the Kings XI Punjab meet the Mumbai Indians at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore. In La Liga, Sevilla welcome Real Sociedad to the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium in Seville. It’s Day 2 at the PGA Tour’s Wells Fargo Championship at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte. The 2018 Kentucky Derby starts at Churchill Downs in Louisville. It’s Day 5 of the ATP World Tour BMW Open at the Tennis club MTTC Iphitos in Munich. The World Championship snooker continues at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. In the Super League, Huddersfield Giants take on the Widnes Vikings at the John Smith’s Stadium in Huddersfield; while in Super Rugby, the Chiefs clash with the Jaguares at the Rotorua International Stadium in Rotorua. In the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Boston Bruins face off with the Tampa Bay Lightning at the TD Garden in Boston; whilst in the NBA Playoffs the Utah Jazz host the Houston Rockets at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City.
Whatever you’re watching, enjoy!
Fixture
Photos by Giro D’Italia