Wines of the Giro Stage 6: CAV and Rubino Primitivo

 

http://www.gazzetta.it/static_images/ciclismo/giroditalia/2013/zoom/planimetria_06.jpg

Stage 6: Mola di Bari - Margherita di Savoia 169km
From the Garibaldi:

Mostly flat stage along the coast of Puglia (with some interior). Some narrow roads and occasionally worn road surfaces. The stage passes through inhabited centres with roundabouts, traffic islands and sections of paved road surface. Two final loops 16 km long, more or less square in shape, with very few curves. The last real turn is more than 3 km from the stage finish.
Final 3km mostly straight with two very slight curves at about 2 km from the finish line. Road width 7.5 m, surfaced with asphalt.

Today is the second anniversary of the death of Wouter Weylandt, the 26-year-old Belgian QuickStep rider who was killed after crashing heavily on a descent on stage three of the 2011 Giro. Weylandt's race number - 108 - was retired from the race after the accident.
giroditalia 6:01am via Web

Sprinters marked this day on the calendar. Who is your favourite? #giro

For the record, my fantasy cycling team (yes, really), could use the points that a Cavendish victory today would bring. Plus, I'd also like Taylor Phinney to feel better before the time trial this weekend.

Early on, in the bright sunshine, a two man breakaway formed with Jack Bobridge (Blanco) and Cameron Wurf (Cannondale). With about 105 km to go, the Australian duo had 3:30 over the peloton as they approached the first intermediate sprint of the day. Cannondale worked to set up their man Elia Viviani, who out sprinted Mark Cavendish for third place, giving them 4 and 3 points respectively. Those three points move Cav above Degenkolb in the points standings, so he could be in the red point's jersey tonight. Last year, of course, he lost the red jersey at the race end by a single point, so he may have decided to contest as many intermediate sprints as possible. Though, he seemed to not ride hard for the next few available, missing out.

With about 90 km remaining, the gap was already down to around two minutes and courtesy of Podium Cafe (where I follow all the races), I have a new game: GeoGuessr. 

Apparently is it also Wurf pun day on twitter: 

nyvelocity 6:34am via TweetDeck

Someone need to calculate what all this TV exposure is Wurf.

nyvelocity 6:45am via TweetDeck

Omega must think it's wurf their while to keep this gap manageable.

They continued on and with about 80 km to go, the gap was at almost three minutes. Along the road today: Castel del Monte, a 13th-century citadel.

http://www.podiumcafe.com/2013/5/9/4314796/giro-ditalia-stage-6-live#comments

Back in the race: Omega Pharma Quick Step and FDJ continued to set the tempo as the peloton rolled along the coastline, with vines along the road. The gap continued to drop and with 50 km to go it was at about 1:30. 
And then, a crash with 32.5 km remaining. As the peloton made its way through the finishing straight for the first of two circuits around Margherita di Savoia, the road narrowed and dozens of riders got tangled up. The result was a roadblock that acted as a dam – nobody could get through, including Bradley Wiggins. Wiggins was around two minutes behind the peloton by the time he got back on his bike, however, the peloton slowed and allowed the large Wiggins group to rejoin the pack with about 22km left.
TeamSky 7:48am via web

Luckily, the lead group look to have slowed so the majority of the peloton can join back up with them after that massive tumble. #giro

And once they were back together, it was time for the sprint trains. Would Omega Pharma-QuickStep get it right?

SC_Cycling 8:04am via web

20k out, Omega Pharma train begins dutifully chanting, "I think I can, I think I can..." #giro

inrng 8:19am via web

Wiggins himself is leading the bunch, presumably reciting the 3km rule to himself. FDJ queued on his wheel, like the old days

https://twitter.com/giroditalia/status/332524367449833473/photo/1

Mark Cavendish took his second stage win of the Giro d'Italia, finishing a bike length clear of Elia Viviani (Cannondale) and Matt Goss (Orica-GreenEdge) at the end of the high-speed stage. Led out perfectly by his Omega Pharma-QuickStep teammates, Cavendish never looked in danger.

From the Guardian: After a perfect lead-out, Mark Cavendish likens his team to a Caterham kit-car: "You have all these parts that fit together and I'm just the exhaust ... the last bit that makes the most noise." Nice. In an even classier touch, he asks his interviewer if he's still on live television and, upon being assured that he is, says he'd like to dedicate his win to the late Wouter Weyland.

 Stage: 

Result
1	Mark Cavendish (GBr) Omega Pharma-Quick Step	3:56:03
2	Elia Viviani (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling
3	Matthew Harley Goss (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
4	Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) FDJ
5	Mattia Gavazzi (Ita) Androni Giocattoli
6	Manuel Belletti (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale
7	Davide Appollonio (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale
8	Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) RadioShack Leopard
9	Matti Breschel (Den) Team Saxo-Tinkoff
10	Roberto Ferrari (Ita) Lampre-Merida

General Classification

1	Luca Paolini (Ita) Katusha
2	Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Sky Procycling	0:00:17
3	Benat Intxausti Elorriaga (Spa) Movistar Team	0:00:26
4	Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team	0:00:31
5	Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin-Sharp	0:00:34
6	Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Procycling
7	Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) Katusha	0:00:36
8	Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Col) Sky Procycling	0:00:37
9	Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) Vini Fantini-Selle Italia	0:00:39
10	Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team	0:00:42

 

Rubino Primitivo 'Punto Aquila' 2010 From Biondivino $20.00
 
http://www.tenuterubino.com/en/vino.asp?cat=43

Importer: http://vinitywinecompany.com/

Classification: red – IGT Salento
Alcohol level: 14,00 %  by vol.
Analysis: pH 3,70 – total acidity 5,30 g/l
Grape variety: Primitivo 100%
Production vintage: 80.000 bottles
Vineyards location: Brindisi
Soil characteristics: medium consistency
Altitude: 100 m above sea level
Year of implant: 2000
Training system: Cordon trained, spur pruned
Vines per hectare: 6.000
Yields per hectare: 7 tons
Harvest: first days of September
Fermentation: 10 days in steel tanks
Maceration: 15 days at controlled temperature
Malolactic fermentation: totally carried out
Maturation: 4 months in 40 hl wood tanks
Bottle maturation: 4-6 months
Vintages: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
Serving temperature: 18° C
Glass: red wine goblet.

Colour: dark ruby
Bouquet: this full and enveloping wine shows ethereal, fragrant and rich notes. It displays scents and nuance of cherries in brandy, mulberry jam, blueberry and blackcurrant, humus, tobacco and ginger, black pepper and herbs;
Taste: dynamic, coherent and of strong impact, it shows fascinating mineral aromas that well combine with the powerful structure of the fruit, the acidity and the pleasant and exuberant tannins;
Characteristics: it’s a warm and complex wine with a flighty personality, generous and vibrant, intense and concentrated, surprising while ageing;
Food matches: perfect with 'bucatini' in boar meat sauce, 'pappardelle' in hare sauce, rigatoni 'con la pajata', pork stew,  tripe rolls, stuffed meat rolls with tomato sauce, 'spiedo di manzo al lardo' (spit roasted beef with lard)  and tuna stew with mint. Very good with medium-seasoned cheeses.

I say: A steak wine. Luckily, we had one from 4505 Meats. Powerful and full, yet still graceful.  Minerals and dark fruit.