Giro d'Italia

There is a veritable feast of sport on the go in Europe at the moment - Roland Garros being top of my list. However, mention must be made of the Giro d'Italia. I am not a fan of sport cycling (mainly due to the clogging of the roads by practising cyclists) as I have no understanding of the tactical moves. It seems odd that a man who has pedalled his heart out for the last four kilometres would suddenly freewheel and let the peloton go by, but I believe it has something to do with team tactics.
I was advised by a friend that I should be watching the race simply to enjoy the scenery, and so I flicked channels and found myself instantly engrossed in the last 10 kilometres of today's leg (or should that be wheel?). The race was along the shores of the incredibly beautiful Lake Como, lined by villas and picturesque villages that make one want to catch the next plane to Italy to soak up the atmosphere and general ancientness. Towering alps rise almost vertically from the lake, clothed in lush greenery - it must be even more beautiful under a blanket of snow.
The commentator takes the race to a different level. Instead of just a bunch of men on bikes riding along a scenic route, they are brought to a frenzy of competitiveness as the commentator literally shouts himself hoarse with excitement, giving us blow-by-blow feedback as the cyclists increase the pace over the last few kilometres. How he even identifies each one is beyond me, but I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat as they hurtled towards the finishing line, wheels jockeying for position - would one slip on the pedestrian crossing on the corner? would the peloton tumble into disarray? how did they not bump each other as they stood on their pedals in the final dash, swaying from side to side? did he win by the width of a tubeless tyre?
Phew! The commentator must have collapsed in his helicopter!
I still have no idea what the purpose of it all is, as I would not like to ride that distance only to have to hold back for another team member. But maybe it's a team sport. All I can say is, thank goodness they race through such magnificent scenery, enabling us all to be armchair travellers with a little adrenalin thrown in!