Welcome to the "Tour Tattle Show." We're not quite ready to talk about the Tour, because the Giro d'Italia has just ended, and what an exciting race it was! It was a race full of surprises, and our guests, the Maglia Sisters, were surprised, too.

Q: Rosa, you must have been wondering up until the last minute who you would end up with!

Rosa: Yes, it was quite exciting. The whole last Saturday afternoon I didn't know if I would stay with Paolo S. or go with Gilberto. It was really nip and tuck for a while!

Q: When I interviewed you in January, you said you were "pretty sure" you would end up again with Damiano.

Rosa: What I said was, "As sure as can ever be about a man...." And that tells you something about men, doesn't it?

But, honestly, to have so many men fighting over me - it's an incredible feeling! For a while there I was getting passed back and forth so much between Paolo B. and Danilo that I was getting dizzy! But in the end I settled down with Paolo S. - such a nice, quiet young man.

Q: Azzurra, you said you're the kind of girl who likes change. How did you make out this year?

Azzurra: For a while it looked like I was going to be quite serious about Sven - what is it about these young Gerolsteiners in the Giro? Last year Verde and Fabi, this year Sven and me.

Q: But it wasn't to be...

Azzurra: No, the Italian men just couldn't stand the thought of me being in foreign hands, I guess. Or should I say, on foreign shoulders? And wasn't it sweet how Paolo B. worked to set me up with his teammate Stefano?

Q: Ciclamina, you were expecting a long-term relationship with Alessandro. What happened?

Ciclamina: He just couldn't get it together at the beginning, could he? I never dreamed he would lose so many sprints! And then when what seemed like the whole Fassa team kissed the pavement - well, really!

But he wasn't the only one who let me down - that McEwen did, too. Why, he dropped out of the race entirely and just handed me over to Paolo B!

Q: You changed a lot during the race, didn't you?

Ciclamina: Yes, from Paolo B. to Robbie, back to Paolo B. to Danilo to Robbie to Danilo to Robbie to Paolo B. to Danilo to Paolo B. ...exhausting!

Q: Verde, how did it go with you this year?

Verde: I started out with the Dutchman with the unlikely name - Thorwald, isn't that darling? But he wasn't the one for me. I was just waiting for a Spanish-speaking rider.

Q: First it was Koldo, but then you settled down with Jose.

Verde: Yes, isn't he just the cutest little thing? He's so tiny! But what a climber! And that's what I like in a man.

Q: Ladies, it seems to be that there is a common theme here, at least for three of you - Paolo B.

Rosa: The man is incredible, isn't he? A real all-around talent; no wonder all the girls love him.

Azzurra: Did you see how he sent that Australian flying? That's the sort of thing that makes a girl's heart flutter.

Ciclamina: We all love him so much that we didn't even mind sharing him. But of course you notice which one of us he ended up with...

Thank you, ladies, and I wish you a good summer! Next time we'll turn our attention back to France and find out what the Maillot Sisters are looking forward to in July!

Note: Thanks to Ploner from Cycling4fans for the original idea!