Event of the Day: Giro d’Italia Stage 16
Our event of the day is the 16th stage of the Giro d’Italia cycling race between Trento and Rovereto. So far through the first 15 legs of this 21 stage race, the British rider, Simon Yates holds a commanding lead of two minutes and eleven seconds. After winning the 15th stage, he is also the first person since 2003 to win three legs wearing the famous Maglia Rosa, given to the general classification leader. Yates’ main competition for this prized jersey is Tom Dumoulin who came in joint second in stage 15, 41 seconds behind, and who also sits second in the overall competition. He is the defending champion after being the first Dutchman to win the Giro in the history of the event last year in 2017.
The rest of the top 5, which are all in striking distance, includes Italian, Domenico Pozzovivo at +2min 28secs, Frenchman, Thibaut Pinot at +2min 37secs, and Columbian, Miguel Ángel López at +4min 27secs. Stage 16 is the final individual time trial of the event and boasts some interesting terrain. The stage runs through many urban areas including starting and finishing in large cities, Trento and Rovereto, as well as passing through Nogaredo and Aldino. Throughout the course riders will encounter many urban obstacles including roundabouts, traffic islands, and 90 degree turns - making this a challenging day as every rider is aiming for their very maximum speed. Overall the section is 34.2 kilometres through the heart of Northeast Italy and should be one of the most intriguing stages of the event so far.
Honourable mentions around the globe go to game four of the NBA Western Conference Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets at the Oracle Arena in Oakland. The first three games of the series have each been decided by at least 12 points, with the Warriors taking game one 119-106, the Rockets bouncing back and winning game two 127-105, before the Warriors stormed back, after returning home, for a dominant victory in game 3 winning 126-85. However the Rockets have the star power with the tandem of all-star guards, Chris Paul and James Harden, to potentially even up the series before returning to Houston. This game like many game fours will likely be a series changer with the difference between 2-2 and 3-1 going into game five, being the deciding factor for the series. Other events for today include, a game between two of the most popular MLB teams, the World Champion Houston Astros and the San Francisco Giants at Minute Maid Park, a Royal London One-Day Cup cricket match between Somerset and Sussex at The Cooper Associates County Ground, and the IPL qualifier for the final between the Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Chennai Super Kings at Wankhede Stadium. Lastly, the final tournaments before the French Opem continue, with the ATP Banque Eric Sturza Geneva Open, ATP Open Parc Auvergne- Rhone- Alpes Lyon, and WTA Nurnberger Versicherungscup and WTA Internationaux de Strasbourg, all taking place.
Whatever you’re watching, enjoy!
Fixture
Photos by Giro d'Italia