Giro d'Italia - Washington, D.C. Start
2012 Giro start in the USA Capital takes shape with 2 stages...

This finish from the 2008 Capital Criterium would be pretty in pink
Photo copyright 2009 Paul Morse

The working group exploring a possible US start to the 2012 Giro d’Italia released some intriguing details
 today

There are two US stages being considered. The prologue will be set in tourist-centric Washington. Among other internationally familiar landmarks, the proposed course will feature the Lincoln, Jefferson, and Washington monuments, the picturesque tidal basin of cherry blossom fame, the National Mall bordered by the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum, Hirshhorn, National Gallery, the National Archives, the US Capitol, the Presidential Inauguration route (Pennsylvania Avenue), Freedom Plaza, the White House Ellipse, the WWII memorial, and the Reflecting Pool.

Two of the key players in the US Stage working group - Mark Sommers, the Race Director of DC’s Capital Criterium, and g4 Productions, an events promotion company - disclosed that the prologue was designed so that every moment a rider is on the course, at least one of Washington's many iconic landmarks appears in the background.

"The course promises to be one of the most spectacular prologues ever used in a grand tour," said Sommers. "It seems very appropriate that the prologue for the first US start of a European grand tour be held in the heart of the Nation's Capital."

Stage one will stay in Washington DC for a circuit race. That stage will likely see a long, wide-open sprint finish down Pennsylvania Avenue (America's Main Street) and offer spectacular views of the US Capitol in the background.

The circuit race will expand the prologue’s footprint and feature many additional familiar Washington landmarks and places. As part of the circuit, a climb might be included through certain renown Washington neighborhoods, where spectators would be able to watch the race and visit the many restaurants, stores, and places of interest, and possibly top out near the National Cathedral. The circuit route would likely include Luigi Moretti’s Watergate Complex, Congress and the National Library (which feature Constantino Brumidi’s frescoes), and the Italian Embassy in a fitting tribute to the event’s Italian heritage and Italy’s influence on DC.

“It would be an honor to have a such a prestigious US city selected as the first non-European host of a Grand Tour stage,” said USA Cycling CEO Steve Johnson. “The consideration is a testament to the growth of American cycling and the progress of the U.S. in becoming a true destination for the top level of cycling.”

Added American professional cyclist Christian Vande Velde, winner of the 2008 Giro team prologue stage, “that’s just plain cool. Opening a European grand tour in the Nation’s Capital and racing past all the monuments, memorials, and buildings that you see on television every day would be something of Olympic proportions.”

"We are excited about the opportunity to help bring the first stages of the 2012 Giro d'Italia to our nation's capital. In reviewing other major international cycling events, we recognize that the potential economic impact of bringing the Giro d'Italia to Washington, D.C. is tremendous," commented Gregory A. O'Dell, president and chief executive officer of the Washington Convention and Sports Authority. "Hosting this race would not only provide the District with a tremendous economic boost, but further legitimize its status as an international destination for world-class sporting events, conventions, and tourism."

Unlike some other major international sports events that require host cities to dedicate considerable financial resources to build new or modify existing venues, sport complexes, or other major infrastructure such as the Olympics, the proposed prologue and circuit race courses to be used by the Giro would run on the District's existing roads and streets, avoiding the need to create a specific venue.

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