Giro week one

So the first third of the Giro is complete and the last few stages have thrown up a little bit of everything. Edvald Boasson Hagen won a crazy stage 7, finishing with the kind of raw power that is beginning to define him as a rider. Already a winner at Gent Wevelgem, he was untouchable as he sprinted clear to take the victory, which came at the end of crazy final 30km that saw the riders take on a super technical descent in the foulest of weather. Rain, wind and cold mountain air made it a day the peloton will never forget, with Mick Rogers calling it "the most scared i've been on a bike". It was gnarly to watch but you have to question the wisdom of the race organisers who must have know that the chance of bad weather was a real possibility when they chose this route. I was just glad that everyone made it down safely. Pedro Horrillo wasn't so lucky the following day, crashing and falling into a ravine, leaving him in hospital with broken ribs and a punctured lung. The stage was won by Columbia's Kanstantsin Sivtskov, with Boasson Hagen grabbing second. The Crit stage in Milan was a step too far for the riders, who felt that their safety wasn't being considered and with Horrillo's crash weighing heavily on their minds they decided to make a protest, stopping after the first lap while the maglia rosa Di Luca read out a statement from the riders. In the end it was decided that times wouldn't count for the GC but those who wanted to contest the stage could race the last lap. Cav licked his lips and then licked the field, winning the sprint comfortably (aided by an awesome leadout that included Boasson Hagen stretching the field to the max as he took a huge turn at the front) and making it three in a row for Columbia. Riders of the Giro so far? I'm going for Chris Horner and Boasson Hagen, who have both been consistently impressive. Tomorrow's stage is a monster and could be decisive...