Giro Tweets: Porte cabin, Flecha watch and spiralling dreams

It’s the first of this year’s Giro Tweets of the Week and we have lots to get through. From trophy gazing to trailer talk, Flecha to Shazam, I’ve buckled up my hip waders to fish them all out of the Twitterstream just for you.

Spiral!

Professional cycling has some amazing trophies – from the Tirreno trident to the Tour of Britain’s giant wheels of cheese – but none is more beautiful and elegant than the trophy that is presented to the Giro champion.

It seems that Mick Jagger and Big Tom have been told not to look directly at the trophy (it’s just too mesmerising). Can you believe this is Boonen’s first Giro?

“Hey baby, I’ve got my own Caravan of Luuurve. Fancy coming back to my place? We’ll be all alone, I promise!”

Nathan Haas has possibly tripped on to the only way Garmin will get to take the lovely Spiral home with them.

With the trophy comes the mascot. A few years ago, the Giro mascot was some sort of, well, alien creature. They’ve since gone with a giant wolf that has one jaunty fang (so pretty toothless as wolves go).

It really is amazing how grown men can hold plushies so nonchalantly.

I’m saying I’m putting this in because of the Porte-plushie combo but let’s face it – it’s because The Ladies Favourite has shaved off that atrocious beard. Hearts were aflutter once again.

Speaking of hearts aflutter, seems that Juan Antonio Flecha‘s new career as Eurosport roving reporter has brought him lots of fans.

He was wearing hot pink jeans the other day, which solicited this tweet. I’m sure there was no double entrendre intended.

There was also a discussion as to who The Flecha looked like. Is it Starsky (sans cardigan)?

Or is it Greg Brady?

And speaking of lookie-likies. Elia Viviani and Alistair McGowan. Uncanny, no?

But there is only one Adam Hansen. His Cheekiness™ is riding to complete his eleventh consecutive Grand Tour. Thems a lot of miles.

Yet it seems there are members of the public who really don’t care that a Grand Tour is on their doorstep.

The picture round

A gallery of the first weekend’s snaps, just for you.

Cadel Evans has a word with Barbie.

Alberto Contador, quite simply, is not going to be taking any sass from anyone.

Don’t know about you guys, but it sure doesn’t look like Bertie wants to be anywhere near this guy. There’s not even a half-hearted smile in those eyes.

Giants on the hot pink carpet.

Wei Yuet caught the ever popular Heinrich Haussler just before stage 3.

Some champagne celebrations – and possibly the most honest thing a cyclist has said in a long time.

PhilGil sharing his Powerbar with a Movistarlet.

Of course, stage 3 was one that had everyone’s hearts in their throats – for all the wrong reasons. Two poignant comments …

We all hope that Domenico Pozzovivo heals quickly and with no lasting problems.

RV talking to me?

Now here’s a topic that’s going to run and run – literally and figuratively. It seems in the quest for marginal gains, Sky have kitted out a luxury RV (apparently that’s not an oxymoron) for Richie Porte to use throughout the Giro, instead of packing and unpacking and sleeping in a different hotel every night. The Campervan of Solitude, if you will. Personally, I think he needs more than marginal gains to win this GT but I also think that separating one team member out from the others – no matter what the reason – can have subtle repercussions for the whole team. So maybe that negates the gains? We may never know. But, hot damn, it was a fun conversation on Twitter.

In my book, you can put as many leather seats in the thing as you want, it’s still a trailer.

Possibly the best response ever.

For anyone who doesn’t know what this refers to, Shazam is not a music ID app but was a teen superhero (Billy Batson) who fought crime while travelling the highways and byways of America with his mentor in a motorhome.