Danilo Di Luca and evolution

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L.U.C.A, the last universal common ancestor is considered to be the common organism from which we have all evolved and yet you could be tempted to surmise that little Danilo has somehow bypassed that process and he got stuck with genes shared with the dodo.

Two times he's had a warning and two times his sorry ass has been in front of the judges and yet he still hasn't learned the rules apply to him.

That tells us not only is he arrogant but he is incredibly stupid as well. He must have known when he got the surprise test that he was in trouble and yet he still turned up at the Giro d'Italia all smiles and ambitions. Just what was he thinking when he rode past the Pantani memorial on the Galibier? He obviously has no respect for himself, his fellow competitors and his peers because he had the cheek to try to win on that occasion, and yet there he was following the same slippery slope to tragedy.

Didn't that register anything in his few brain cells? On every stage I saw him involved in the final moves I was thinking how can the other riders let him even show his face when it might matter, aren't they going to make sure he doesn't win anything, aren't they going to ride him down after all the previous crap he has brought to their doorstep.

And all the time the slime ball had been sitting there on a time bomb of his own making. Well I suppose he didn't quite make it on his own as he obviously had some kind of supplier who is equally as guilty and stupid as Di Luca. But then again the chemist, doctor or so called training expert isn't risking their health or even thinking about a whole group's employment prospects.

His previous collaborations when caught and the resulting punishments obviously haven't done much to change his thinking and it looks like they haven't changed the attitudes of those advising him either, so guys please if you can't play by the rules then don't play at all. Find something else to do which has nothing to do with cycling.

I'm not going to let one dumb-ass spoil what has been a great week of racing as the last few stages have shown what this Giro would have been if the weather wasn't so dreadful.

It's definitely been Movistar's week with the revival of Visconti and the confirmation of Intxausti, the latter's win at Ivrea coming after a fantastic last hour of attack and counter attack. That reminded me what Italian racing is usually like: entertaining, tactical and above all flat out. Way, way better than watching riders shiver and shake through pouring rain or even worse snow. I know some people think it's part of what road racing and Grand Tours are about, all conditions, all terrains and the best man wins, but having to be wrapped in plastic doesn't make for good competition.

All in all the Spanish speakers have had a better ending to this Giro than they did at the start with Sanchez looking particularly frisky and Uran pushing Cadel Evans hard for the runner-up spot after the Australian's disappointing time trial. Through all the murk and the gloom, the snow and the last minute deviations Astana and the SS Nibali have sailed almost unchallenged to a commanding lead. While everyone else, Scarponi, Santambrogio, Henao, and Gesink have all had some kind of bad day, the home favourite has remained on course at the head of affairs and his mountain time trial victory showed just how strong he is in these final days.

The young riders coming through like Majka, Navardauskas, Puccio and Kelderman show there is a renewal going on but Vincenzo's been the ray of sunshine in an otherwise trying environment.