http://www.tdf-tours.com/ Spyns has never organized trips to the Giro d'Italia (Italy's verion of the Tour de France). While Lance Armstrong participated in 2009, he and other riders aren't competing this year. Why? Contador, Andy Schleck and Lance Armstrong are all sitting out this year's Giro, the podium finishers in last year's Tour de France opting to save themselves for the world's greatest stage race.
"Cycling as a whole is much more specific than it was 30 years ago," Garmin-Transitions manager Jonathan Vaughters told Reuters. "Thirty years ago, all top riders would take part in all the races and it was eventually a competition of endurance. If you do this today, you're up against rivals who are 100 per cent fresh and you can only be mediocre during the entire season. "Cycling is going the way of other (individual) sports. You don't compete 120 days a year."
Many riders ride the Giro and Tour in the same year but they cannot expect to win both races.
"The only one I can think of is Alberto Contador," said Vaughters.
Twice Tour champion Contador took part in the 2008 Giro -- and won it -- only because his Astana team had been left out of the Tour de France because of their doping record.
Last year, seven-time Tour de France champion Armstrong started the event in his comeback year, but only to prepare for the Tour.
Spyns former clients have often asked about Giro tours. Perhaps we'll try it in 2011.
Spyns is an active travel company based in Whister, BC (Canada) and Beaujolais France. Spyns offers active holidays to Europe including trips to the 2010 Tour de France. For more information about Spyns 2010 Tour de France tours, please visit http://www.tdf-tours.com, http://www.spyns.com or call 1.888.825.4720.
