The Giro d'Italia kicked off in Israel last weekend. What was it actually like? What did it mean to Israeli cyclists, and what did it mean to Palestinian cyclists? Matt de Neef filed a dispatch with answers. 

Neal Rogers and Caley Fretz break down the racing of the first week and look ahead to the first GC battle on Etna. 

This week's Nerd Alert includes a chat with Aqua Blue's mechanic about racing at the highest levels of the sport without a front derailleur.