The 100th edition of the Giro d'Italia opens with three stages on the island of Sardegna - and then quickly logs a rest day to transfer to Sicily at the tip of the boot. I was there in 2008 for the Big Start, and discovered a city and island unlike any other place in Italy, and after my initial shock, my fondness for the place grew 'con molto veloce'.

Attenzione Italian bar tenders with your Negronis and pretty ladies for Daily Distractions everywhere - The PEZ himself is on the ground in Italy and currently en route to Naples for today's Giro presentation. He's reported in that all has started well, luggage, bike and PEZ are all in the same place and he even has a driver all lined up. This Giro di PEZ is not going to be like last time......

Ed Hood signs off our Giro di PEZ with his favorite moments that stood out from the blur of his final week reporting. “It sounds silly, but the thing I miss most about the Giro is our morning ritual with the Gazzetta. As Dave drove our little hire car to our next adventure, I would be quoting those pink pages to him...

There’s no other sport that takes you so near to the everyday life. On the road you meet and mix with a huge variety of unselected people. Some are there to see the Giro itself, others losing time and waiting for the opening of the roads, and still others who just live there.

The Giro is over, and I’ve been back home for 10 days, but there’s a certain sadness that always follows the completion of a Grand Tour. Ed & Ale will agree, and as much as I missed some things about home, I still miss Italy and my favorite race. So much happens each day, that we simply can’t report it all, so here’s a few ‘never before seen’ moments that made week 1 truly memorable…

In Italian we say “Un mazzo cosм!” that can be translated “So mazzo!” to mean you have to sweat a lot for doing something. This “mazzo” is a slang word coming from a card game and gives the idea of the suffering, of the difficulties. Certainly anyone who rode the Mortirolo knows the meaning of “mazzo”.

"No! No! No!" says the old guy where they distribute the car name plates for the time trial. We've asked if we can follow Bruz; "no, no! not last 20!" "Can we follow Wiggins?" I plead - he shrugs; "si."

It's 27 degrees as we drive north up the valley from Lovere, north to - the Passo Di Gavia. It comes 90 kilometres into the 224 K stage, it's just under 19 k long and rises from 1260 metres at Ponte Di Legno to 2618 metres at the summit - the highest point of this years Giro. The "Cima Coppi" prime is on offer at the top, awarded for the first rider to top the Giro's highest point.

I rode both the Passo Gavia and Mortirolo ahead of the race on the May 27 stage 20 at the 2006 Giro. After 7 hours, over 3 hours of climbing, 130km, and some serious pain, I can say that was one of the best rides ever… check this out…