(Photo: Gazzetta.it)
The Giro D’Italia, Italy’s grand tour stage race, continues on after the tragic, fatal crash of Belgian racer Wouter Weylandt during Stage Three.
Being such a bike-race-crazy town, local cafes and pubs are showing the race on the big screen. With the race starting to heat up, it’s definitely worth grabbing a drink and tuning in.
“… there are tons of people in Portland who are justifiably nuts about bicycle racing. They deserve a home where they can follow their passion without playing second fiddle to the big leagues.”
— Jesse McCann, Apex Bar
At least two Portland businesses are showing the Giro: Oblique Coffee Roasters (3039 SE Stark) is streaming the race live in the early mornings, then playing recaps in the afternoon; and Apex Bar (1216 SE Division) is playing recaps all afternoon.
Oblique owner John Chandler believes he’s the only business in town playing the Giro D’Italia live, thanks largely to the fact that Giro stages usually finish sometime around 8:00 am – more of a coffee shop hour.
“I had the place packed with a standing-room only crowd at 6:00 am last year for the Tour [De France].”
John, and his wife Heather own and operate Oblique Coffee, a micro-roaster and Café at the corner of SE Stark and 30th Place. They’ve both raced bicycles, and they’re big racing fans.
John outfitted his café with flat-screen TVs and a satellite so he could play bike races. “Plus,” John, — a devout Bianchi fan — added, “my building is Bianchi Celeste Green.”
Apex Bar on SE Division and 12th may not be painted Celeste, but they’re a well-known destination in the community thanks to the generous bike parking on their patio. Apex is playing daily race recaps at noon, 5pm, and 8pm. Why is a beer bar showing bike racing? We asked Apex owner Jesse McCann:
“We’re showing the Giro (and all the other cycling we can get our hands on) because professional cycling is grueling, exciting, and although it doesn’t receive the same fanfare as other “ball sports” in America, there are tons of people in Portland who are justifiably nuts about bicycle racing. They deserve a home where they can follow their passion without playing second fiddle to the big leagues. It’s one thing to call yourself a bicycle bar, but if cycling isn’t taking precedence, then it’s just lip service. APEX is putting its money where its mouth is every day by showing ALL the bike racing that’s available on TV.”
The Giro runs until May 29th this year, with eight mountain stages (compared to the Tour De France’s six), three time trials, and over 95,000 total feet of climbing. The General Classification fight starts tomorrow with the first mountain stage— Stage Six, culminating in a 3,000 foot-climb to a mountain top finish in Montevergine di Mercogliano.
Are you following the Giro? If you know of other good spots to watch it, chime in below…