Nibali ready to take on Contador at the Giro d'Italia

Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Cannondale) starts the Giro d’Italia as the leader of the Italian challenge to Alberto Contador, but the Sicilian has insisted that such pressure and responsibility on his shoulders has not affected his mindset in the build-up to the race.

“It’s true that there’s more pressure, but I’m approaching the race with the same calm as ever,” Nibali said at Liquigas-Cannondale’s final press conference. “I’ve arrived in the condition to do well. As always, I’m looking to do my best, and if you do that, then you can’t be disappointed.”

Although Contador rides the Giro with the spectre of a possible suspension looming over him as the Court of Arbitration for Sport deliberates on his positive test for Clenbuterol at last year’s Tour de France, Nibali does not believe the Spaniard will be affected by the matter out on the road.

“We’ve seen him before and we see him now, he’s still the same,” Nibali said. “He hasn’t changed much, and he’s approaching the Giro better than he did in 2008, as he is better prepared this time.”

A popular topic with sections of the Italian press was the impact that the potential of a retrospective disqualification for Contador might have on the tactics at the Giro.

Nibali was careful not to be drawn into speculation about whether riders would be tempted to compete for second place, in the hope of being declared the Giro winner if Contador is subsequently suspended.

“Answering that is a little difficult,” Nibali said warily. “If he drops me, it means that he is stronger. I’ve come here to do the maximum, to do my best. I’m not giving in.”

Inventive race tactics

Nibali acknowledged that Contador’s abilities against the watch and in the mountains make him a redoubtable opponent, but he hinted that he would be inventive in his bid to try and beat him.

“He’s strong in the climbs and the time trials, so we’ll need to look at the circumstances of the race,” Nibali explained.

One area in which Nibali holds the upper hand on Contador is descending, but the Sicilian admitted that it would be difficult to make significant gains.

“The finishes are all uphill,” Nibali pointed out with a smile, before commenting on the treacherous descent of the Crostis. “It’s not worth risking everything on such a dangerous descent.”

The Sicilian was also keen to downplay the possibility of the Italian riders forming an alliance in order to repel the threat posed by Contador.

“Perhaps some alliance could form in the future, but I don’t know,” he said. “That kind of thing arises during a race, so we’ll have to see how things are going.”

While Nibali believes that the fearsome stage 14, featuring the Crostis and the Zoncolan, might well prove to be the decisive stage of the Giro, he also warned of the dangers posed in the race’s opening week. In particular, he is mindful of the challenges posed by the unmade roads the peloton will face on stage five. Last year Nibali lost the pink jersey after crashing on rain-soaked dirt roads near Montalcino.

“There are a lot of traps,” Nibali pointed out. “You only need to think about stages like the one to Orvieto, which a lot of people haven’t done. If it rains, it could be this year’s Montalcino.”

Sinatra's songs are the stars in 'My Way'

More nightclub show than theater, My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra is two hours of pure entertainment. There are no big thoughts to think, no complex plot to follow. Just a slew of great songs, sung by four talented performers, accompanied by two terrific musicians, with a bar in the lobby and a vaguely loungey atmosphere in the audience seating. What's not to enjoy?

When asked what the key to his success was, Ol' Blue Eyes replied, "Sing good songs." Sinatra recorded 1,300 - most of them better than good. Although the My Way cast members pay tribute to the famous style - the rakish hat, the jacket slung over a shoulder - they don't try to imitate him. Fran Prisco directs with a sure sense of how to create glitzy show biz on the small stage of the Walnut's Independence Studio on 3.

The four singers are appealingly different types. Prisco is the white guy: A short, suave (this should probably be pronounced "swayve") pro who can make his lines sound like effortless ad libs and knows how to belt out a song. Carl Clemons-Hopkins is the black guy: Young, very tall (there's a running gag about the height of the mike), with a smooth, sexy style.

The two women are also opposites: Danielle Herbert is exotic-looking, voluptuous, with lots of attitude; Ellie Mooney is a pale, slim blond, with big eyes and a turned-up nose, comedically adorable. Unfortunately, they are stuck in dreadful gowns, but never mind.

The singers are accompanied by onstage musicians: Andrew Nelson on bass and Alex Bechtel, who is also the music director, on piano (his emotive eyebrows are a show in themselves).

But it's the songs that are the stars. Todd Olson's book is full of lame patter, but that's just to introduce the 53(!) songs, some just a verse or two. They begin with "Strangers in the Night" and end with "I'll Be Seeing You."

Everybody gets a showcase: Clemons-Hopkins in "I'm Gonna Live Till I Die," Herbert in "You're Cheating Yourself," Mooney in "South of the Border," and Prisco in "One for the Road." The group numbers, "A Very Good Year" and "I Only Have Eyes for You," are impressive. The first-act finale, "New York, New York" is an old-school knockout. And the title song, "My Way," is sung with patriotic fervor by the full cast.

Wondering How to Find Car Insurance for Yourself?

The internet has improved the way people access information that they need for their day to day lives. The automobile industry has not been left behind. There are many auto insurance companies that post information on their websites that may be relevant to car owners. This has made easy for car owners to purchase auto insurance online. It does not matter whether you're aware of the policy you want to sign up for or not, the online platform is very detailed and you'll be served within minutes.

The auto insurance quotes that are offered online by insurance companies will help you know the cost of your car cover. The good thing with getting a car insurance quote online is that the transaction process are usually not billed. There is a listing that details all the available policies and all you have to is select the one that seems to suit you. You should compare the quotes you receive from various websites and choose the one that suits your budget and car needs.

What Does It Takes to Find Cheap Fleet Taxi Insurance?

When speaking of any type of insurance, the first thing that comes to anybody's mind is higher premium rates, and for those who are new in the taxi business, acquiring auto insurance can be a very daunting task. Most of the reputed insurance companies offer different types of insurance policies with varying amount of coverage for automobiles as well as the drivers. As new investors, it is therefore necessary to purchase the cheapest policy that offers maximum cover. There are some simple yet effective tips which can help to find the most affordable taxi insurance.

In this regard, there are certain things that taxi owners should consider when they opt for auto insurance. While launching a fleet taxi business, the most essential thing to consider is all about making this venture sustained for a long-term. To start a taxi service agency, taxi drivers should have the right kind of auto insurance that keeps them protected as they drive their vehicles on the roads.

For the passengers, they should be able to relax without being stressed out on how much they should be paying their taxi drivers. The truth however, is that as long as passengers give something above the flat rate for their ride, the taxi drivers would usually be quite gratified.

It would be far better to seek taxi insurance from those companies that specialize in private cab insurance, as they offer more extensive plans at much lower price. Having been in this field for several years they know exactly what is required by the vehicle owners, and have custom tailored insurance policies for their clients to select from. It is imperative to do some research in order to find the best insurance providers to deal with. This will help to ascertain what the insurance company can offer. By having gathered references in advance, it would help to know the result that can be expected from them.

Young Drivers Car Insurance - Beating The Quotes

They should turn finding cheap young drivers insurance into a computer game; it's probably more challenging than most. Whether you are a young driver, or one of your brood has just attempted to fly the nest and discovered they can't afford to, you'll be keen to save as much money as possible when it comes to car insurance. The following tips may help!
Additional Driving lessons
Take a Pass Plus course. This is an advanced driving course that covers aspects of driving the standard tests misses out. Night driving, driving in the countryside and driving in poor weather conditions are all covered. The course takes six hours and there may be help with funding available from some local authorities. The cost of insurance can be reduced by up to 30% in some cases, and considering that the most expensive young drivers insurance can be several thousand pounds, this can make a huge difference.
Security matters
If possible, keep your car on a private drive or better still a garage. This will make a difference in the cost of insurance. Adding an immobiliser and/or tracking device will also help. The more security measures you can tick on the application for insurance the better!
Driving Grandma

Taxi Insurance - Questions That May Arise in a Few Minds

Taxis are also like personal cars, so they also need to be insured. There are different kinds of taxi businesses; black cabs, chauffeurs, public hire taxis and private hire taxis. Adequate protection is required against the risks in all types of businesses.

Is taxi insurance a legal necessity?

In the UK, all vehicles are required to be insured, whether it is a personal car or a cab. In case of any type of taxi business, a policy is required for protecting the business, vehicle and the passengers traveling in it.

What types of policies are available?

The various types of insurance available are for taxi, black cab, fleet taxi, private hire, public hire, multiple drivers, chauffeur, and minibus.

How to choose a right policy?

There are many companies providing insurance cover, offering different features in the policies. A detailed research is needed online or offline to make a comparison among few companies and then select the comprehensive policy at the right price.

Research should begin from the type of taxi business a person is running and choose the right kind of insurance from the above mentioned types. Then one should determine the type of risks that are likely to arise.

What level of cover is needed?

Some sort of taxi insurance is needed. However, the level of the cover taken is up to the businessman. Few businesses choose comprehensive insurance, while others save money and just meet their legal necessity of buying insurance.

It is important that one should buy policy for at least common risk factors. The business depends on the cabs and its breakdown cover can relieve the businessmen from a big loss.

The insurance depends on the type of business. For example:

Tips on How to Get Affordable Taxi Insurance

Finding affordable taxi insurance seems to be a daunting task for many vehicle owners. Many people spend hours and even days searching for an insurance policy that best suits their needs and preferences. Of course, individuals can find their desirable rates if they simply spare some time to select the best for them. They should avoid making their decision in a hurry. To get suitable taxi insurance policy is not just obligatory by law, it also requires some sort of basic coverage to help car owners when they require protection in untoward incidents as in case of accidents. There are some useful tips that will help taxi owners to discover a policy that suits their budget and offers them desired coverage at times of need.

The most essential thing is to be familiar with the minimum requirements of the State laws. Every car owner should remember that every state has different laws regarding the minimum taxi insurance cover that fleet service operators need to have. They should at first, be familiar with the minimum requirements for their state they are residing in. The decision is their own, whether they want to have least amount of coverage or more coverage. Those having old vehicles, which are not of much worth, should opt for minimum coverage. However, if they have brand new vehicles, then they should look for comprehensive insurance policy.

Another important thing is to discover the features other insurance agencies have on offer. For this purpose, individuals can look for cheap insurance quotes online from numerous insurance providers. This will help them to avoid the stress of personally visiting multiple companies, as it will help to find affordable insurance plan right from home.