Sports Poets Society

https://www.amazon.it/Football-Portraits-Ritratti-calcio-Agbonlahor-ebook/dp/B01KI1XRO6 di Christian Giordano © Guerin Sportivo   ©  (settembre 2015) Djilkos , il killer. Il soprannome (pronuncia: “gil-kosh”) gliel’ha affibbiato Miroslav “Ćiro” Blažević, leggendario Ct della Croazia terza da matricola al mondiale di Francia 98. L’espressione originale ungherese non lascia spazio a fraintendimenti, ma nello slang croato sta per sfrontato, presuntuoso e, più in generale, poco raffinato. Blazevic lo intendeva nel senso di sfacciato, intrigante: era più un complimento. A Mario Mandžukić non è mai importato granché. A un certo punto però s’è stufato, e in un’intervista rilasciata nel 2011 al quotidiano nazionale Sportske Novosti, dichiarò che l’espressione era irrispettosa e chiese ai media di non essere più etichettato così. Meglio “Mandžo”, allora. Non ingannino l’atteggiamento e il tattoo-look da guerriero: poker d’assi, stelle, una coppia di dadi, un fiore...

Nicholas Roche su Haimar Zubeldia alla Vuelta. Wouter Poels su Edvald Boasson Hagen al Tour of Britain. Il Team Sky fa doppietta, anche se la posta grossa - le maglie di leader - sin qui se la giocano altri. Al Giro di Spagna tutto immutato nella generale: l'olandese Tom Dumoulin comanda sempre con 3" su Fabio Aru e 1'51" su Joaquin "Purito" Rodriguez, entrambi ex maglia rossa di leader della classifica. In Gran Bretagna, un ex team Sky, il norvegese Edvald Boasson Hagen, da quest'anno alla MTN-Qhubeka - no-contest la squadra rivelazione dell'anno - conquista la maglia oro, ma pecca di senso tattico scattando a un km dalla fine. Troppo presto per quel volpone di Poels, 27enne scalatore olandese già vincitore a Castelraimondo prima di consegnare maglia azzurra e Tirreno Adriatico a Nairo Quintana. Errore non commesso invece da Roche, figlio dell'indimenticato e furbissimo Stephen che nell'87 centrò il triplete Giro-Tour-Mondiale. Il 3...

20 Distance: 181km Category: High Mountains Highest point: 1,860m The climbing concludes in traditional fashion with a tough stage through the sierra, north of Madrid. The four first-category climbs aren’t particularly severe individually but could become so if the GC is still in the balance and one or more teams decide to race hard before the final ascent. The roads are good and the descents fast, particularly on the Navacerrada, which features twice. The peloton will tackle the northern and southern flanks of the Morcuera, then the Puerto de Cotos, where there are 7km of flat before the drop down the Navacerrada into the finish at Cercedilla. It’s not ridiculously hard, which might tempt some well-placed riders into a long-range assault. David López As usual, the organisers will be hoping that the race comes down to this stage. The riders know these climbs very well and it’s sure to bring out the final contest between the main favourites, who will find this a long stage h...

19 Distance: 185km Category: Medium Mountains Highest point: 1,420m Previous finishes in Ávila have come after a tough day in the Sierra de Gredos but this one is much more straightforward and should favour the prospects for the break much more than stage 18. Rising for 16km at a touch over four per cent, the second-category Paramera shouldn’t stir up the GC hitters too much. The key point arrives as the riders near the finish and head onto the steep cobbled climb up into the walled city of Ávila. Irishman Philip Deignan won on the Vuelta’s last visit in 2009, suggesting punchy climbers should have an edge. That’s backed up by Luis León Sánchez’s victory here in a 2012 Vuelta a Castilla y León stage that also featured the Paramera. Fernando Escartín Fatigue will be having an impact by this point and I’d expect a breakaway containing some of the stronger riders who aren’t in the GC battle to feature. As we’ve seen before, the cobbled climb up into Ávila is likely to be the d...

18 Distance: 204km Category: Medium Mountains Highest point: 1,750m This is a stage that looks odds-on for a breakaway to make it to the finish, although there’s a possible complication in the shape of the first-category Puerto de la Quesara, which tops out just a dozen downhill kilometres from the line. The stage starts easily enough but begins to roller-coaster after the climb of the Campanario. This terrain should suit the break’s chances but the GC contenders will certainly give the final ascent of the Quesara everything, which won’t suit those out front. They’ll come at it via its steeper flank from Guadalajara. The final 7km averages a modest six per cent but even a small advantage gained by the summit could well be maintained to the finish. David López I don’t know this area at all but the profile makes very clear that it’s going to be a tough day, constantly up and down. I’d almost guarantee that a breakaway with some strong riders will go away and will probably sta...