Mauro Mondonico, son and apprentice of master framebuilder Antonio Mondonico, has a job we really envy: he drives the car that carries the UCI Commissar in certain Italian bike races. As the commissar has to keep an eye on all parts of the race, so does his car and driver. In this year's (1999) Giro d'Italia, Mauro took some snapshots during various parts of the race, and we show them below. We hope you enjoy them! Mauro apologized to me for the quality of the pictures, but I told him that they had an immediacy that helps convey the flavor of the race. I'll keep making him miserable until he gets us more.

Jalabert is mobbed by the press.

Note the riders in the rearview mirror.

Gavia Pass

World road champion Oskar Camenzind gets ready for a stage.

A rider removing his wool undershirt as the day warms up.

The famous "El Diablo" waits on a climb. You can't read it in the photo, but the van has his name on it, and the the names of the great tours on the side.

 

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