16:40 CEST The battle between Basso and Simoni yesterday is a big talking point today. Basso won the stage because he wanted to do it for his newborn son, and also because CSC had given away three stages already (well, maybe two, depending on how you classify Piepoli's first stage win on that wet descent). Also, Basso was simply the best rider.
Simoni wanted to win the stage because he hasn't so far in this Giro, and he was on home turf as the stage started in Trento. And because Basso asked him to take it steady on the descent of the Mortirolo. So when Basso turned up the heat with 3 km to go to Aprica, Gibo was not a happy chappy. So he sat up and cruised across the line at 1'17 down.
Simoni is always, and has always, whined and complained. Whining and complaining about Pantani. About Cunego. About the Tour of California officials weighing his time trial bike. I'm sure there are many, many other examples. Now about Basso.
I believe the word you're looking for is, "chump." :-)
Remember 2003 (I think that was the year), where he boasted how he would make Armstrong suffer in the TdF? The only thing he did to redeem his tour that year was win the Loudenvielle stage. The rest of that year's TdF he spent in the grupettos in the mountains.
