Saturday Night Giro
While John G is providing us with glimpses into his June in France, anticipation is growing for this year’s Tour, can Wiggins do it on a swimmer’s preparation plan? How predictive are Dauphine results for July? Will Bruyneel and the Schlecks make an appearance on Maury? Those are all great questions, but I am still thinking back to the Giro. This year, won in a surprise by Canadian, Ryder Hesjedal, subsequently filling the curling halls with the arguments of Ryder supplanting Steve Bauer as the most heralded Canadian cyclist, I am left with a few thoughts about how in today’s era, the Giro is underrated and undervalued, much like he movie ‘Saturday Night Fever’.
I am a child of the 1970’s; however, I was a bit young when ‘Saturday Night Fever’ came out to understand it. I think it was mixed up with the weirdness of the Ropers on ‘Threes Company‘ and why Klinger, a lebanese guy from Toledo, was allowed by the military to wear women’s clothing in order to get a section 8. I just know that it had a cool fold out full sized artwork album cover with John Travolta striking his iconic pose and a pink pig on the center of the album, but even as a kid I gathered that the movie was very popular because of its fantastic dance scenes and poofy haired star. Later in life after watching it, I found it to be a well told story transcending illuminated flooring and a snapshot of the disco world: well more than people gave it credit.
Let’s start with the obvious, both ‘Saturday Night Fever’ and the Tour of Italy both feature Italians (or Italian-Americans)
They both have players in attention getting suits
They both feature medallions
(Maybe my point is Travolta and Cipo are similar?)
Gotta keep looking good
Their story lines both involve unrequited aspiration of glory and its subsequent disappointments
Whether it is Tony realizing his place in the world, of Cunego on stage 15 of this year finding his place in the world as support for Scarponi, they both show the story of people aspiring to do something more than their current state. The thrill of the glitzy dance floor or thrill of winning a stage or overall of your nation tour.
The Giro is not the Tour in terms of importance, contracts and exposure and which frees the riders to make more interesting moves or tactics. Maybe the average speeds for the stages are lower, maybe the bunch doesn’t ride as hard between the climbs, but there are very human elements I find following the Giro that reminds me of ‘Saturday Night Fever’ that are under appreciated.
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Filed by Two Johns Podcast at June 8th, 2012 under Featured, Podcast