Maglia Rosa ― Triumph and Tragedy at the Giro D'italia

The Giro started in 1909, the idea of a seventeen-year-old. It winds through Italy, gathering Italian hospitality, competitive spirit, and good cheer along the way. Even the venerable Tour de France cannot touch it for rivalries, camaraderie, and panache, and year after year it delivers. Here Sykes, a cycling historian and competitive racer, takes readers on an interconnected series of experiences through cycling triumph and tragedy as competitors compete for the maglia rosa, or pink shirt of triumph. He calls upon substantial reviews of archival material, interviews, and his own experience as he describes the exploits of the "Peddler of Charm," Grimaldi, Merckx, Saronnni and Pantni. An imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing. Annotation c2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)