Giro d'Italia 2011 Special

This year's Giro d'Italia was a memorable one, to say the least: from the tragic death of Wouter Weylandt, to the controversial sprints of stage 2 and 17. Alberto Contador showed his dominance when it comes to the hills; an excellent feat, but made for a rather dull Giro for us spectators, though this is a bike race, not Jersey Shore.

All that aside, we're going to take a look at who wore the Maglia Rosa (Pink Jersey) best, and who needs to do their homework.

Best Pink Jersey Wearer: Alberto Contador

Love him or hate him, he was the most stylish when it comes to wearing the leader's jersey. The pink helmet and sunglasses are neat, not to mention the pink Boa reels* on his shoes. Some people may argue that he would look better with a pair of pink shorts, but later on, he did get a pair of shorts with pink bands around the thighs and pink contrast stitching instead, which looked outstanding. 

Worst Pink Jersey Wearer: Mark Cavendish

Mark Cavendish has had better days, in terms of his season and style. The pink helmet doesn't exactly match the pink on the jersey, and the black shoes are shameful. Can we please go back to the white/green shoes? Those looked fantastic with his custom signature socks. 

*The pink Boa reels are available through Boa with a minimum of $10 donation, which goes to the Breast Cancer Network of Strength. If you have shoes with Boa lacing, you should get a set of those. Looking good and helping a good cause at the same time? A win-win situation in my book.

The West Coast Has The Sunshine And The Cyclists Get So Tanned

Summer is just around the corner; the weather is perfect almost everyday. To your arm warmers, knee/leg warmers, and cold-weather gloves: see you next winter! You're ready to hit the pool or the beach, but then you notice that your tan lines are getting more defined; on the arms, thighs and ankles, maybe even around your eyes.

Do you, a) rock the tan lines with pride, or b) go to the nearest tanning salon to eliminate those tan lines? If you picked a), great job. According to OREC, "5. A prominent line where one’s kit ends and where one’s deep tan begins is essential to one's image. Artificial tanning is BANNED. The tan shall reflect the level of training commitment". If it means getting weird looks from people around you, so be it – they're just jealous. 

"Steve Morabito [...] displays the tan lines worn by most full-time pro cyclists." - Cyclingnews

Michael Barry's short tan. Feel free to say "GOD DAMN!"

Some cyclists roll up their sleeves to get rid of their tan lines, but that is like throwing away months of training. Contrary to popular belief, tan lines do make you faster!

Except for Mario Cipollini, he can do whatever he wants.

So keep the tan lines, because you'll miss them when winter comes around. It's a great pissing contest among your cycling buddies (besides who has the most expensive bike), and something cool to show off to your non-cycling friends.

p/s: check out this stylin' t-shirt, you should get one.