Le Montagne Stanno Venendo
The Mountains are Coming!
Today is the first real mountain stage in the Giro d'Italia and travels from Marostica to Zoldo Alto and covers 150 km.
From the starting gun, Discovery's Benot Joachim went on the attach and after 80 K had about 4 minutes on the peloton. This was a smart move by Discovery to send someone out on the attack early.
We already knew that Lampre, with the two top contenders would want to finish at the front to get back some precious seconds from their rivals. With Joachim up the road, this will cause Lampre to chash and therefore allow Savodelli (Discovery's main GC contender) to sit in behind and save his energy for what I expect to be an attack on one of the last climbs. Savodelli needs to get back 35 seconds on GC leader Di Luca to take the maglia rosa.
With the time gaps falling between Joachim and the chaser Scarselli, from team Selle Italia, another Selle Italia ride attacks the peloton. In a matter of moments, he has caught his team mate and all of a sudden Jose Rujano has caught Joachim.
Unfortunately, the peloton is also catching up and are only 40 seconds behind as the attack reaches the top of the first climb. I'm not sure why Rujano attacked as now, once over the top of the climb, he has sat up and seems to be waiting for the peloton to come up to him. Lampre is still on the front making the pace. Once at the bottom of this decent another mountain climb will begin. 50 seconds isn't much a lead when you have Lampre mountain goats coming up behind you, so I'm not sure Joachim will stay in front too much longer.
Click the Read More link...
Ok that didn't take long, only about 3 k and the gap is down to 18 seconds. It's all over for Joachim, gruppo compatto! Nice work staying away for nearly 100 K.
One of the more odd things I saw while watching the online streaming video was an intersection where the word STOP was painted on the road. I guess "arresto" is to large a word to paint where cars should stop or maybe lots of Italians speak english. Your guess is as good as mine!
Little news break...
Watching the stream, I notice that much of the surrounding area is much like riding through the hills outside of Chico.
It seems there will be no denying Lampre today the way they are riding, though I'm sure the other GC contenders are lying in wait just behind them.
Rujano attacks again and takes Patrice Halgand (Credit Agricole) with him. On the decent Halgand gains some advantage that he takes with him on the next climb building a lead of 40 seconds on the peloton with 30 K to go. Halgand, what an animal, he's going up the climb in the big chain ring and it's at least 8% up to 14% at times!
Lampre lifts the pace once again attempting to pull Halgand back, they have been on the front the entire day. This is bound to take some toll on the team and hopefully allow Savodelli to sneak in an attack toward the end of today's stage.
Oh, Gilberto Simoni attackes and Di Luca goes too. I think there might be some fighting within the Lampre team as Simoni is the old school leader and winner of the Giro a couple of times, though Damiano Cunego won last year. Basso is also up there as the group comes back together. Maybe Simoni was just testing the other rides. This little attack has really broken up the peloton and now there is a group of about 20 at the front with all the main GC contenders there.
The trimming of the peloton is in full effect now as Basso attacks the maglia rosa. But again this was just a test I beleive and the group of about 20 remains together. One thing to note is Garzelli is off the back in the second group, so he seems to be the one GC guy left behind but it only looks to be about 15 to 20 seconds. Not too bad.
Ok shower break for this rider as the Giro riders continue on.
I'm back, and clean as ever ready to complete the report.
Wow, in the time I was gone Basso, Savoldelli, and Simoni have attacked. Basso and Savoldelli have dropped Simoni with 6 K to go. They trade off the work the rest of the way and much to my suprise, Savoldelli takes the win. Amazing, I called it be wasn't sure it was possible. Here are the provisional results as riders are still slowly coming in!
Provisional
1 Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Discovery Channel-Pro Cycling Team 4.13.43
2 Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC
3 Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Lampre-Caffita 0.21
4 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi 1.01
5 Daniel Atienza Urendez (Spa) Cofidis-Le Credit Par Telephone 1.50
6 Wim Van Huffel (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto 2.03
7 Pietro Caucchioli (Ita) Credit Agricole
8 Serguei Gonchar (Ukr) Domina Vacanze
9 Mauricio Alberto Ardila Cano (Col) Davitamon-Lotto 2.26
General classification after stage 11
1 Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC 49.05.20
2 Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Discovery Channel-Pro Cycling Team 0.18
3 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi 1.04
4 Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Lampre-Caffita 2.27
5 Serguei Gonchar (Ukr) Domina Vacanze 3.45
6 Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Fassa Bortolo
Another funny side note... on the podium for the past two stages, the riders being presented haven't been able to crack the bubbly. For whatever reason, maybe they are too tired, but they can't uncork the champagne. Oh well, now's not the time to be drinking anyway!
Today is the first real mountain stage in the Giro d'Italia and travels from Marostica to Zoldo Alto and covers 150 km.
From the starting gun, Discovery's Benot Joachim went on the attach and after 80 K had about 4 minutes on the peloton. This was a smart move by Discovery to send someone out on the attack early.
We already knew that Lampre, with the two top contenders would want to finish at the front to get back some precious seconds from their rivals. With Joachim up the road, this will cause Lampre to chash and therefore allow Savodelli (Discovery's main GC contender) to sit in behind and save his energy for what I expect to be an attack on one of the last climbs. Savodelli needs to get back 35 seconds on GC leader Di Luca to take the maglia rosa.
With the time gaps falling between Joachim and the chaser Scarselli, from team Selle Italia, another Selle Italia ride attacks the peloton. In a matter of moments, he has caught his team mate and all of a sudden Jose Rujano has caught Joachim.
Unfortunately, the peloton is also catching up and are only 40 seconds behind as the attack reaches the top of the first climb. I'm not sure why Rujano attacked as now, once over the top of the climb, he has sat up and seems to be waiting for the peloton to come up to him. Lampre is still on the front making the pace. Once at the bottom of this decent another mountain climb will begin. 50 seconds isn't much a lead when you have Lampre mountain goats coming up behind you, so I'm not sure Joachim will stay in front too much longer.
Click the Read More link...
Ok that didn't take long, only about 3 k and the gap is down to 18 seconds. It's all over for Joachim, gruppo compatto! Nice work staying away for nearly 100 K.
One of the more odd things I saw while watching the online streaming video was an intersection where the word STOP was painted on the road. I guess "arresto" is to large a word to paint where cars should stop or maybe lots of Italians speak english. Your guess is as good as mine!
Little news break...
As some may be aware, in past Giro's there have been police raids on the hotels where certain teams stay. The come either while the riders are out or early in the morning and confiscate medical equipment, drugs, and whatever else they think may be illegal.
This time the NAS were there to greet rides after Tuesday's stage. The Padua NAS agents carried out a raid in the hotel where the teams Davitamon-Lotto and Saunier-Prodir were staying.
The operation, which began at about 4:00 pm, ended at 7:00 pm. The NAS confiscated a Alti Trainer machine, used to modify the percentage of oxygen in the air, was seized from Davitamona, and the team's physician, Daniel De Neve, was brought to the station.
It seems as if this piece of equipment is allowed by the International Cycling Union, in accordance with WADA, the World Anti-Doping Agency, but illegal in Italy. The NAS agents also seized two bags of medicine belonging to the Saunier Duval-Prodir team. "They took away sugar injections. All the material was declared. Anyway, we're tired of this and tomorrow morning we're going to meet with the technicians and physicians of the other teams to take action", explains sports director Pietro Algeri. WOW!
Watching the stream, I notice that much of the surrounding area is much like riding through the hills outside of Chico.
It seems there will be no denying Lampre today the way they are riding, though I'm sure the other GC contenders are lying in wait just behind them.
Rujano attacks again and takes Patrice Halgand (Credit Agricole) with him. On the decent Halgand gains some advantage that he takes with him on the next climb building a lead of 40 seconds on the peloton with 30 K to go. Halgand, what an animal, he's going up the climb in the big chain ring and it's at least 8% up to 14% at times!
Lampre lifts the pace once again attempting to pull Halgand back, they have been on the front the entire day. This is bound to take some toll on the team and hopefully allow Savodelli to sneak in an attack toward the end of today's stage.
Oh, Gilberto Simoni attackes and Di Luca goes too. I think there might be some fighting within the Lampre team as Simoni is the old school leader and winner of the Giro a couple of times, though Damiano Cunego won last year. Basso is also up there as the group comes back together. Maybe Simoni was just testing the other rides. This little attack has really broken up the peloton and now there is a group of about 20 at the front with all the main GC contenders there.
The trimming of the peloton is in full effect now as Basso attacks the maglia rosa. But again this was just a test I beleive and the group of about 20 remains together. One thing to note is Garzelli is off the back in the second group, so he seems to be the one GC guy left behind but it only looks to be about 15 to 20 seconds. Not too bad.
Ok shower break for this rider as the Giro riders continue on.
I'm back, and clean as ever ready to complete the report.
Wow, in the time I was gone Basso, Savoldelli, and Simoni have attacked. Basso and Savoldelli have dropped Simoni with 6 K to go. They trade off the work the rest of the way and much to my suprise, Savoldelli takes the win. Amazing, I called it be wasn't sure it was possible. Here are the provisional results as riders are still slowly coming in!
Provisional
1 Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Discovery Channel-Pro Cycling Team 4.13.43
2 Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC
3 Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Lampre-Caffita 0.21
4 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi 1.01
5 Daniel Atienza Urendez (Spa) Cofidis-Le Credit Par Telephone 1.50
6 Wim Van Huffel (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto 2.03
7 Pietro Caucchioli (Ita) Credit Agricole
8 Serguei Gonchar (Ukr) Domina Vacanze
9 Mauricio Alberto Ardila Cano (Col) Davitamon-Lotto 2.26
General classification after stage 11
1 Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC 49.05.20
2 Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Discovery Channel-Pro Cycling Team 0.18
3 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi 1.04
4 Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Lampre-Caffita 2.27
5 Serguei Gonchar (Ukr) Domina Vacanze 3.45
6 Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Fassa Bortolo
Another funny side note... on the podium for the past two stages, the riders being presented haven't been able to crack the bubbly. For whatever reason, maybe they are too tired, but they can't uncork the champagne. Oh well, now's not the time to be drinking anyway!
posted by Tony Rocha at
5/19/2005
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home