Maglia Rosa and other snippets

This month has been spent mostly watching the Giro d'Italia. For people who are confused its one of the grand tours of cycling with Tour de France and Vuelta Espagna. In my opinion Tour de France is the least enjoyable of the 3 as the riders are very defensive. The title of the post is derived from the pink jersey given to the general classification leader of the Giro.
This Giro was one of the most mountainous with huge climbs like the legendary Monte Zoncolan (Google it and you will see). Eventually it has become about one man 'El Pistolero' Alberto Contador. Arguably the greatest grand tour racer after Eddy Mercx (though I feel Mercx wouldn't have won so many now). Contador really nailed his opponents by attacking on a relatively flat stage with a climb near the finish to come 2nd and then decimated the opposition in the Mountain stages at Mount Etna and Grossglockner where he gifted the stage to the rider who could stay with him till the end. At Monte Zoncolan he came 3rd but ahead of all his serious rivals. Then he put an exclaimation point by winning the mountain time trial by 34 seconds. The rest of the top 10 were withing 16 seconds of each other. He is 5 minutes ahead of his nearest rival and I think the race is over. There are 4 stages still left and it would actually take an act of god for him to lose. 

On the personal front the discussion about the various quizzer friends of mine is being continued where I am going to introduce a few new characters. Firstly the Cold Warrior who is a new addition from the suburban circuit but is an immensly enjoyable individual who was trying to sit in a quiz from a hospital ICU bed. Then there is the indomitable duo of Muffler and Silencer who are amazing as they have recorded the questions of nearly all the quizzes of last 5 years and wonderful people to know. There is the Smoking team who are made up of the engrossed one, the friend of Shaggy, the lord of kailash and the imdb featured one. All the characters turned up at a recent quiz done by the ancient mariner. The quiz was more fun with certain glamourous models coming to cheer for a team. The quiz will be featured in Fox History. Watch this space for further info. Gotta go now. Take care and arrividerci to all. 

Return of The Prodigal

Life was very difficult for last few years with the final conclusion of the disaster which was my marriage in a divorce. Getting back to Calcutta was also a happening which from a career point view did not look very promising but surprisingly has been very fruitful in all ways. The main joy I have is to be back amongst my friends the quizzers and quizzing fraternity. The taxman, the ancient mariner and the doc being the most prominent amongst them. The hairless hessian controller has not been quizzing too much. Some new friends made like the respectable wise one whom I will rename as 100-Nose and the ever enthusiatic DD-Dinda. Some new discoveries like the football-fanatic. Now there has been a new circuit of Calcutta which is the suburban circuit. Got to sign off now. But the tales will continue.Ciao.