2013 Giro d'Italia - The Official Highlights Stage 1 - 21

2013 Giro d'Italia - The Official Highlights Stage 1 - 21;


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UCI: Mauro Santambrogio is Provisionally Suspended

Statement from UCI:

The UCI advised Italian rider Mauro Santambrogio that he is provisionally suspended. The decision to provisionally suspend this rider was made in response to a report from the WADA accredited laboratory in Rome indicating an Adverse Analytical Finding of EPO in his urine sample collected at the Giro d’ Italia on 4th May 2013.

The provisional suspension of Mr. Santambrogio remains in force until a hearing panel convened by the Italian Cycling Federation determines whether he has committed an anti-doping rule violation under Article 21 of the UCI Anti-Doping Rules.

Mr. Santambrogio has the right to request and attend the analysis of his B sample. Under the World Anti-Doping Code and the UCI Anti-Doping Rules, the UCI is unable to provide any additional information at this time.

Santambrogio (Fantini Vini – Selle Italia) won stage 14 of this year's Giro d'Italia, the stage which ended on the steep slopes of the Jafferau climb in fog, rain and snow. He joins teammate Danilo Di Luca for being caught doping during the Giro; Di Luca was provisonally suspened on May 24th.

What is WRONG with these people? 

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A Team's Logistics at the Giro d'Italia

Team Lampre-Merida discussed what is involved in the organizational support of a World Tour team at the 2013 Giro d'Italia:

-24 people: 9 riders, 1 general manager, 2 sport directors, 1 doctor, 5 masseurs, 3 mechanics, 1 driver, 2 communication managers.

-the automotive crew had 1 bus, 1 truck, 2 vans and 5 cars. They travelled a lot, covering many kilometers: one team car covered 6,000 km, the same distance as from Milano to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, home of former Lampre rider Abdujaparov.

-on the team truck there were 56 Merida bikes:for each cyclist there were 2 Reacto Evo frames, 2 Scultura frames, 2 TT Warp frames. For Scarponi and Niemiec, there was one additional Scultura frame.

-the wheelsets that the mechanics had prepared set before the start were 75 (pairs), all with tubular tires mounted; in addition to which there were 90 extra tubular tires available.

-mechanics used 40 boxes of brake pads and 50 chains, each of 135 cm of length for a total of 67.5 meters.

-auto vehicles, bikes and mechanical parts were clean and shining thanks to use of the washing liquid "Chante Clair": 100 bottles used during the Giro.

-masseurs prepared sandwiches using 470 meters of aluminum foil and they used 2,000 bottles, for a total of 100 liters of liquid, a large part of which was for hot tea.

-Lampre-Merida sent 170 tweets during the race to 10,600 followers, and 170 posts to Facebook to 10,800 followers. 

Photo: Bettini for Team Lampre-Merida

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2013 Giro d'Italia, Stage 21 Results, Race Finish (con't)

Part I

Ten highlights of the 2013 Giro d'Italia (in Italian), promo precedes video:


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2013 Giro d'Italia, Stage 21 Results, Race Finish

Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) has won the 96th Giro d’Italia, the first Sicilian to do so. His Astana team celebrated victory on the road soon after the start of today’s final stage at Riese Pio Decimo. The stage and the Giro overall finished in the city of Brescia, in a bunch sprint won by Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma - QuickStep), who won the first stage, the last stage, and three stages in between, at the 2013 Giro d’Italia.

Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), Maglia Rosa:
"Today has been a day of many emotions. It’s like the final day of the Tour: a long 200km stage, it was spectacular for the crowds along the road, it was inexplicable, incredible, and a great pleasure for me and all of cycling."

"I keep records of my training data, but I’m not very methodical. I don’t count the kilometers: I’m not a maniac about these things. I just try to work well, day after day. And that’s how I rode the Giro: I took it day by day, giving my best, and in the end I have realized my dream."

"I have never stopped being the way I am. I’ve always been like this. I’ve tried to better myself in recent years as a rider, but my character hasn’t changed: I try to be open and courteous to people, even if its hard when you’re racing every day."

Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma – QuickStep), Stage winner and Maglia Rossa:
"I’m addicted to winning, its simple. Since I was a child, in everything I did, it wasn’t enough to be the best I could be, I had to be the best of everyone. Then, when you have a team around you, dedicated to you, you have to give 100%. I’m paid good money and I have to win so, if someone comes along and beats me, I go home and work harder and come back faster."


Carlos Betancur (AG2R La Mondiale), Maglia Bianca:
"Since I started my season in Argentina, it has been a very good year for me. I’ve had some of the best results of my career, and I hope this Maglia Bianca is the start of even better things in the future. Even so, Urán is a rider with a great future, a great climber and fast against the clock, so I think he’ll probably beat me to becoming the first Colombian to win the Giro."


Stefano Pirazzi (Bardiani Valvole CSF Inox), Maglia Azzurra:
"My goal before the Giro was to win the white jersey. Unfortunately I couldn’t, but I‘m proud of winning this Maglia Azzurra, and of wearing it all the way from Florence."

More tomorrow....

Stage 21 highlights:


Final GC:
1 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team 84:53:28
2 Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Sky Procycling 0:04:43
3 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:05:52
4 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre-Merida 0:06:48
5 Carlos Alberto Betancur Gomez (Col) Ag2R La Mondiale 0:07:28
6 Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) Lampre-Merida 0:07:43
7 Rafal Majka (Pol) Team Saxo-Tinkoff 0:08:09
8 Benat Intxausti Elorriaga (Spa) Movistar Team 0:10:26
9 Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) Vini Fantini-Selle Italia 0:10:32
10 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Ag2R La Mondiale 0:10:59
11 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli 0:11:35
12 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:12:13
13 Yury Trofimov (Rus) Katusha 0:12:55
14 Tanel Kangert (Est) Astana Pro Team 0:12:57
15 Robert Kiserlovski (Cro) RadioShack Leopard 0:14:27
16 Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Col) Sky Procycling 0:18:19
17 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Blanco Pro Cycling Team 0:20:18
18 Darwin Atapuma Hurtado (Col) Colombia 0:28:56
19 Damiano Caruso (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling 0:30:56
20 Francis Mourey (Fra) FDJ 0:32:22
21 Francis De Greef (Bel) Lotto Belisol 0:33:20
22 Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:37:14
23 Diego Rosa (Ita) Androni Giocattoli 0:40:23
24 José Herrada Lopez (Spa) Movistar Team 0:40:34
25 Evgeny Petrov (Rus) Team Saxo-Tinkoff 0:41:54
26 Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Blanco Pro Cycling Team 0:42:36
27 Jose Rodolfo Serpa Perez (Col) Lampre-Merida 0:44:17
28 Fabio Andres Duarte Arevalo (Col) Colombia 0:47:37
29 Rafael Valls Ferri (Spa) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 0:54:29
30 Ivan Santaromita (Ita) BMC Racing Team 0:56:52
31 Juan Manuel Garate (Spa) Blanco Pro Cycling Team 0:58:21
32 Hubert Dupont (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale 1:02:05
33 Jorge Azanza Soto (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 1:07:21
34 Steve Morabito (Swi) BMC Racing Team 1:10:16
35 Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Movistar Team 1:10:47
36 Tiago Machado (Por) RadioShack Leopard 1:12:10
37 Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr) Sky Procycling 1:13:17
38 Pieter Weening (Ned) Orica-GreenEdge 1:17:18
39 Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Astana Pro Team 1:18:46
40 Petr Ignatenko (Rus) Katusha 1:20:46
41 Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) Katusha 1:22:00
42 Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana Pro Team 1:24:53
43 Fabio Felline (Ita) Androni Giocattoli 1:30:59
44 Stefano Pirazzi (Ita) Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox 1:33:42
45 Miguel Angel Rubiano Chavez (Col) Androni Giocattoli 1:34:47
46 Jarlinson Pantano (Col) Colombia 1:35:37
47 Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Movistar Team 1:36:00
48 Stef Clement (Ned) Blanco Pro Cycling Team 1:38:38
49 Thomas Danielson (USA) Garmin-Sharp 1:39:17
50 Jackson Rodriguez (Ven) Androni Giocattoli 1:39:22
51 Ben Gastauer (Lux) Ag2R La Mondiale 1:40:31
52 Peter Stetina (USA) Garmin-Sharp 1:42:37
53 Thomas Damuseau (Fra) Team Argos-Shimano 1:42:54
54 Rob Ruijgh (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 1:44:41
55 Matteo Rabottini (Ita) Vini Fantini-Selle Italia 1:44:44
56 Simone Stortoni (Ita) Lampre-Merida 1:47:10
57 Dario Cataldo (Ita) Sky Procycling 1:49:35
58 Emanuele Sella (Ita) Androni Giocattoli 1:52:02
59 Luca Paolini (Ita) Katusha 1:57:35
60 Christian Knees (Ger) Sky Procycling 1:59:02
61 Bruno Pires (Por) Team Saxo-Tinkoff 1:59:27
62 Michal Golas (Pol) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 2:03:06
63 Paul Martens (Ger) Blanco Pro Cycling Team 2:04:25
64 Gorka Verdugo Marcotegui (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 2:04:57
65 Vladimir Gusev (Rus) Katusha 2:05:07
66 Francisco José Ventoso Alberdi (Spa) Movistar Team 2:05:43
67 Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling 2:06:59
68 Kristijan Durasek (Cro) Lampre-Merida 2:08:02
69 Patrick Gretsch (Ger) Team Argos-Shimano 2:08:14
70 Eros Capecchi (Ita) Movistar Team 2:11:19
71 Francesco Manuel Bongiorno (Ita) Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox 2:12:04
72 Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Belisol 2:14:40
73 Salvatore Puccio (Ita) Sky Procycling 2:15:01
74 Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Orica-GreenEdge 2:16:21
75 Dominique Rollin (Can) FDJ 2:17:45
76 Marco Marcato (Ita) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 2:17:54
77 Serge Pauwels (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 2:20:10
78 Koen De Kort (Ned) Team Argos-Shimano 2:20:49
79 Leonardo Fabio Duque (Col) Colombia 2:21:24
80 Daniele Pietropolli (Ita) Lampre-Merida 2:21:51
81 Nelson Filipe Santos Simoes Oliveira (Por) RadioShack Leopard 2:25:34
82 Xabier Zandio Echaide (Spa) Sky Procycling 2:26:25
83 Frederik Veuchelen (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 2:31:39
84 Danilo Wyss (Swi) BMC Racing Team 2:32:56
85 Pablo Lastras Garcia (Spa) Movistar Team 2:33:46
86 Cristiano Salerno (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling 2:34:25
87 Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Garmin-Sharp 2:34:27
88 Alessandro Proni (Ita) Vini Fantini-Selle Italia 2:36:35
89 Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox 2:36:44
90 Fredrik Carl Wilhelm Kessiakoff (Swe) Astana Pro Team 2:37:04
91 Cayetano José Sarmiento Tunarrosa (Col) Cannondale Pro Cycling 2:37:50
92 Robert Vrecer (Slo) Euskaltel-Euskadi 2:38:43
93 Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling 2:40:29
94 Robinson Eduardo Chalapud Gomez (Col) Colombia 2:41:16
95 Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Lotto Belisol 2:42:00
96 Danilo Hondo (Ger) RadioShack Leopard 2:42:21
97 Rory Sutherland (Aus) Team Saxo-Tinkoff 2:44:50
98 Oscar Gatto (Ita) Vini Fantini-Selle Italia 2:44:53
99 Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Astana Pro Team 2:45:35
100 Manuele Boaro (Ita) Team Saxo-Tinkoff 2:46:42
101 Martijn Keizer (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 2:48:45
102 Stefano Locatelli (Ita) Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox 2:49:20
103 Pavel Brutt (Rus) Katusha 2:51:24
104 Gert Dockx (Bel) Lotto Belisol 2:52:14
105 Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 2:52:48
106 Andrey Zeits (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 2:52:59
107 Guillaume Bonnafond (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale 2:53:09
108 Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Vini Fantini-Selle Italia 2:53:18
109 Vicente Reynes Mimo (Spa) Lotto Belisol 2:54:12
110 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Garmin-Sharp 2:56:49
111 Dirk Bellemakers (Ned) Lotto Belisol 2:57:11
112 Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Team Argos-Shimano 2:57:42
113 Tiziano Dall'Antonia (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling 3:00:15
114 Alan Marangoni (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling 3:00:24
115 Johan Le Bon (Fra) FDJ 3:00:57
116 Juan Jose Cobo Acebo (Spa) Movistar Team 3:01:32
117 Frederik Willems (Bel) Lotto Belisol 3:03:04
118 Matteo Trentin (Ita) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 3:03:23
119 Elia Viviani (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling 3:04:25
120 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Lampre-Merida 3:05:27
121 Brett Lancaster (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge 3:06:56
122 George Bennett (NZl) RadioShack Leopard 3:07:01
123 Luka Mezgec (Slo) Team Argos-Shimano 3:10:39
124 Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 3:12:42
125 Sacha Modolo (Ita) Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox 3:15:47
126 Mads Christensen (Den) Team Saxo-Tinkoff 3:17:16
127 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 3:19:16
128 Cameron Wurf (Aus) Cannondale Pro Cycling 3:19:38
129 Albert Timmer (Ned) Team Argos-Shimano 3:19:44
130 Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) RadioShack Leopard 3:19:54
131 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Blanco Pro Cycling Team 3:21:02
132 Julien Vermote (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 3:21:52
133 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) RadioShack Leopard 3:21:56
134 Danny Pate (USA) Sky Procycling 3:23:47
135 Brian Bulgac (Ned) Lotto Belisol 3:25:33
136 Thomas Dekker (Ned) Garmin-Sharp 3:26:28
137 Nicola Boem (Ita) Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox 3:29:53
138 Edoardo Zardini (Ita) Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox 3:30:03
139 Marco Canola (Ita) Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox 3:33:22
140 Daniel Oss (Ita) BMC Racing Team 3:34:46
141 Robert Hunter (RSA) Garmin-Sharp 3:35:17
142 Luke Durbridge (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge 3:37:21
143 Christian Meier (Can) Orica-GreenEdge 3:37:26
144 Manuel Belletti (Ita) Ag2R La Mondiale 3:38:31
145 Ricardo Mestre (Por) Euskaltel-Euskadi 3:39:17
146 Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 3:40:15
147 Murilo Antonio Fischer (Bra) FDJ 3:40:46
148 Alex Dowsett (GBr) Movistar Team 3:40:57
149 Stephen Cummings (GBr) BMC Racing Team 3:44:28
150 Roberto Ferrari (Ita) Lampre-Merida 3:46:26
151 Giairo Ermeti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli 3:46:45
152 Ioannis Tamouridis (Gre) Euskaltel-Euskadi 3:47:23
153 Jesse Sergent (NZl) RadioShack Leopard 3:47:31
154 Svein Tuft (Can) Orica-GreenEdge 3:50:01
155 Maurits Lammertink (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 3:53:10
156 Kenny Dehaes (Bel) Lotto Belisol 3:57:40
157 Bert De Backer (Bel) Team Argos-Shimano 3:59:30
158 Willem Wauters (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 4:03:29
159 Iljo Keisse (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 4:04:57
160 Jens Mouris (Ned) Orica-GreenEdge 4:06:33
161 Pim Ligthart (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 4:06:50
162 Wilson Alexander Marentes Torres (Col) Colombia 4:10:25
163 Laurent Pichon (Fra) FDJ 4:13:50
164 Edwin Alcibiades Avila Vanegas (Col) Colombia 4:17:09
165 Rafael Andriato (Bra) Vini Fantini-Selle Italia 4:23:10
166 Miguel Minguez Ayala (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 4:24:54
167 Adam Blythe (GBr) BMC Racing Team 4:28:23
168 Davide Appollonio (Ita) Ag2R La Mondiale 4:28:36

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2013 Giro d'Italia, Stage 20 Results

NIBALI, ALONE IN THE SNOW, AT TRE CIME DI LAVAREDO, A WIN WORTHY OF THE GREATS PUTS NIBALI INTO GIRO LEGEND

Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), already the Maglia Rosa, attacked alone on the final climb up to Tre Cime di Lavaredo this afternoon, to win stage 20 of the Giro d’Italia.

Fabio Duarte (Team Colombia) was second at 17 seconds. Rigoberto Urán (Sky Procycling) was third at 19 seconds.

On the eve of the final stage of this year’s Giro d’Italia, from Riese Pio X to Brescia, Nibali leads the second placed rider overall, Rigoberto Urán (Sky Procycling), by 4 minutes 43 seconds, and the third placed rider overall, Cadel Evans (BMC Racing), by 5 minutes 52 seconds

Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), stage winner and Maglia Rosa:
The final uphill finish: "I knew that the final kilometers were very hard, but perhaps I didn’t remember quite how hard they were. There were riders ahead of me with a big advantage, but I was pretty calm. In fact, my team-mate Agnoli was probably more nervous than I was. He was impatient to start the chase, but I told him to wait until after the descent because of the cold, which stiffens you up and makes it hard to descend. Even so, I probably attacked too early. The signs saying how far there was to go started 1800 metres from the finish, but it seemed endless."

Rain, snow, cold: "We only really felt the snow today in the final 5 km. Thankfully the road was pretty clean, and the stage turned into a real epic, with an uphill finish in thick snowfall. The manner of my win today leaves me with feelings of immense joy. And when have you ever seen riders finish the Giro d’Italia with no sun tan, and wearing arm and leg warmers? In the cold, you have to limit yourself, with or without climbs. Not to be pretentious, but in this Giro, I’ve had something more than my rivals on the all the uphill finishes. If there had been more climbing, I’d have managed the finishes the way I did today".

A good Grand Tour rider: "Only something truly great could cap my Vuelta win, and this Giro d’Italia victory gives me that extra something. Tomorrow is the final stage, but it’ll end in a sprint, so I’m already very happy. However, I’ll need some time to put it all together and make sense what I’ve achieved. By this time tomorrow, I’ll have won the Vuelta and the Giro, and I also have good placing (3rd in 2012) in the Tour de France to show for myself, so I’ve proved that I’m a good Grand Tour rider. This win in the Giro is special, though."

Today's results moved Uran into 2nd and pushed back Evans into 3rd. Scarponi gained time on Evans but not enough to overtake him, for the third time Scarponi will be 4th in the Giro. Betancur took enough time from Majka to take back the white jersey for best young rider.

Rigoberto Urán: "With Cadel only 10 seconds in front my goal was to try and jump up to second place and try to go for the stage win in the process. But with the conditions being so difficult and Nibali proving to be so strong on the day it was a hard goal to achieve. When I saw Cadel get into difficulties I dug deep and concentrated my efforts on capturing second place and gave it everything. It is nice to have taken second but the team have done so much great work. Not just today with helping to protect and position me, but also during the whole three weeks. It is me who takes this second place but it is the great work of the team which allowed me to do so and I am very grateful for their support."

Cadel Evans: "I had a technical problem at two kilometers to go all the way to the finish and that cost me second place," Between kilometers two and one, Evans lost 33 seconds to Uran and stage runner-up Fabio Duarte (Colombia) and an additional 28 seconds in the final kilometer. "He tried to resolve the technical issue, but the severe weather and the nature of the problem prevented him from doing so and it cost him valuable time," BMC Racing Team President/General Manager Jim Ochowicz said.

Michele Scarponi: "The final climb, with the snow, was so tough for me. As it happened in Bardonecchia, our approach to the final climb was not so demanding but with bad weather at the finish. I don't like this kind of situation, but today I could respond well and I was able to defend my 4th place. Uran and Evans had no bad moments so it was not possible to obtain a podium spot."

Stage 20 highlights:


Top 10 Stage 20:
1 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team 5:27:41
2 Fabio Andres Duarte Arevalo (Col) Colombia 0:00:17
3 Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Sky Procycling 0:00:19
4 Carlos Alberto Betancur Gomez (Col) Ag2R La Mondiale 0:00:21
5 Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:00:44
6 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli 0:00:48
7 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Ag2R La Mondiale 0:00:54
8 Damiano Caruso (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling 0:00:58
9 Darwin Atapuma Hurtado (Col) Colombia 0:01:00
10 Rafal Majka (Pol) Team Saxo-Tinkoff 0:01:04
plus:
11 Yury Trofimov (Rus) Katusha 0:01:11
12 Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) Lampre-Merida 0:01:14
13 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre-Merida
14 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:01:30
15 Benat Intxausti Elorriaga (Spa) Movistar Team

Top 20 GC:
1 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team 79:23:19
2 Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Sky Procycling 0:04:43
3 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:05:52
4 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre-Merida 0:06:48
5 Carlos Alberto Betancur Gomez (Col) Ag2R La Mondiale 0:07:28
6 Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) Lampre-Merida 0:07:43
7 Rafal Majka (Pol) Team Saxo-Tinkoff 0:08:09
8 Benat Intxausti Elorriaga (Spa) Movistar Team 0:10:26
9 Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) Vini Fantini-Selle Italia 0:10:32
10 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Ag2R La Mondiale 0:10:59
11 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli 0:11:35
12 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:11:59
13 Yury Trofimov (Rus) Katusha 0:12:55
14 Tanel Kangert (Est) Astana Pro Team 0:12:57
15 Robert Kiserlovski (Cro) RadioShack Leopard 0:14:27
16 Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Col) Sky Procycling 0:18:19
17 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Blanco Pro Cycling Team 0:19:34
18 Darwin Atapuma Hurtado (Col) Colombia 0:27:18
19 Damiano Caruso (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling 0:30:56
20 Francis Mourey (Fra) FDJ 0:31:38

Tomorrow, last stage: sprinter stage, 197 km from Riese Pio X to Brescia, passing Verona and Lake Garda.

Photo of Scarponi from Team Lampre by Bettini; photo of Evans from Team BMC by Tim De Waele

Follow on Twitter: ITALIANCYCJOURN or receive an email when new content is added using the "Follow by Email" button on the right side column. With more than 2,900 stories in this blog the custom search feature (right column) works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also a translate button underneath the search button.

Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, racing, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com.    

Buongiorno from Stage 20

 

Today's modified stage, now 211 km, will finish on the beautiful Tre Cime di Lavaredo as planned; however, the Passo Costalunga, the Passo di San Pellegrino and the Passo Giau have been removed from the route as they are all closed due to snow. Instead, the route sticks to the lowlands of the Val Venosta, and then rejoins the original route at Cortina d’Ampiezzo, for the Passo Tre Croci and the terrible, gruelling ascent of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo.

More bad weather today: over the race route rain is forecast. At Misurina (km 204.2, 1757 m), possible snow and 1 degree Celsius. On the finish line at Tre Cime di Lavaredo (Cima Coppi, km 211, 2304 m), probable snow and 0 degrees Celsius. Nibali is ready for it.

Nibali signng in today

Today's 211 km Dolomite stage starts with a long, shallow descent to Bolzano (56.1km). The feed zone is at Chienes/Kiens (km 120.5). Intermediate sprints are at Dobbiaco/Tolbiach and Cortina d’Ampiezzo (km 188.9). There are two categorized climbs on the new, modified stage: the first is the Passo Tre Croci (category 2, km 197.5, 1805 m). The second is the final climb up to Tre Cime di Lavaredo (Cima Coppi, km 211, 2304 m), which starts at Misurina. The mountain sections take place on mountain roads with a normal surface but many switchbacks, some tunnels and descents that are sometimes fast and sometimes technical. Last kms: Very hard climb. 1.5 km with gradients as high as 18%, false flat at Lago di Antorno and fast descent until 4 km from the finish line (at the end of the descent, the riders pass the péage barrier: bottleneck). Final 4 km at around 12%, touching maximum 18% at several points. Finish line after 400 m straight. Road gradient 12.5%, width 6.5 m, surfaced with asphalt.

Tre Cime di Lavaredo in the history of the Giro d'Italai: The Giro d’Italia first came here in 1967. It was an unfortunate debut, held in the snow, because undisciplined pushed the riders which caused caused the stage result to be annulled for the purposes of the general classification. The stage result itself – with Gimondi, Merckx and Motta first, second and third – was recorded for merely statistical purposes. The following year, in 1968, the Giro returned to make amends, and Eddy Merckx won the stage wearing the rainbow jersey. It was stage 12, midway through the race, and Merckx swapped his World Champion jersey for the Maglia Rosa, which he wore all the way to Naples, where he took the first of five victories in the Giro d’Italia. In 1974 the Tre Cime saw another historic stage: Merckx, wearing the Maglia Rosa, had already virtually lost it to the young Gianbattista Baronchelli. In the final section, Merckx dug very deep, consuming the very last ounces of energy and crossed the finish line exhausted, in deep oxygen debt, behind Fuente, the stage winner, and a jovial and fresh-faced Baronchelli, in second place. The Belgian saved his race lead by 12” and with secured his fifth and final Giro victory.

The jerseys:
Maglia Rosa (General Classification) Vincenzo Nibali (Astana)
Maglia Rossa (Points): Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma - QuickStep)
Maglia Azzurra (Mountains): Stefano Pirazzi (Bardiani Valvole CSF Inox)
Maglia Bianca (Young Rider): Rafal Majka (Team Saxo TInkoff)

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Vini Fantini-Selle Italia Statement Regarding Danilo Di Luca

It was only a few days ago that we had Vini Fantini-Selle Italia's Mauro Santambrogio wonderful stage 14 victory which ended on the steep slopes of the Jafferau climb in fog, rain and snow. Today the team faces the news that Danilo Di Luca has tested positve for EPO (A sample) and is suspended from this year's Giro.

Di Luca  has a long history of doping:

2007: winner of 2007 Giro d'Italia, irregular sample taken during race suggested an illegal blood transfusion; cleared due to insufficient evidence
2009: suspended for positve for CERA during 2009 Giro d'Italia
2011: after suspension rode for Team Katusha for no salary
2012: joined Acqua & Sapone as team captain; team was not invited to 2012 Giro d'Italia (Garzelli, also caught doping in his career was on the team as well)
2013: joined Vini Fantini-Selle Italia

Below is the statement today from Vini Fantini-Selle Italia:

Following of the news Danilo Di Luca's positive result at an out-of-competition test performed on April 29th, the team Vini Fantini Selle Italia through its team manager Angelo Citracca specifies the following: "Danilo Di Luca is an athlete who was not part of our group, not wanted by the team and he was included in organic by our Main Sponsor Valentino Sciotti, for friendship and geographical proximity to the cyclist, he insisted and created the conditions for the inclusion of Di Luca in the team. Danilo Di Luca repeatedly involved in problems related to doping and already disqualified for similar violations, repaid the trust of a friend and great entrepreneur with another mistake, whose consequences damages Vini Fantini Selle Italia team even if it is innocent. The athlete, already returned after a disqualification with other teams, was not included in the philosophy and programs of our team, working for years in the discovery and growing of young athletes. Following the news, learned with regret in the morning, the team has dismissed the athlete, intimating him to get away. At this point, Vini Fantini Selle Italia will ask for a compensation for damages, in accordance with the internal Rules signed by all the members of the team".

The sports director Luca Scinto points out: "I'm devastated, I never wanted Di Luca in the team and I've never made any secret to anyone of this, even receiving some critics. We have built our group on the sacred values of the cycling and we made the mistake to satisfy the request, expressed many times by our main sponsor, who is a uccessful entrepreneur passionate about this sport, to try to give confidence to an athlete dear to him for friendship. Unfortunately this trust has been rewarded with an incredible mistake, which I still can not understand". Echoes the disappointment of Scinto, the deep sorrow of the Main Sponsor, Valentino Sciotti: "What can I say? I believed in man and in the athlete and it is right that I take all the blame because I made a mistake. Maybe I was wrong to believe that after a mistake you can redeem and learn not to repeat the mistakes, maybe I'm wrong to want to help a person I saw in trouble, maybe I was wrong to follow the religious values that my family gave me, maybe I'm wrong in believing that when you talk to a person looking into his eyes, you can also read his heart. I was wrong and I must ask to forgive me the fans, the Team, the other sponsors, my partners and all the other cyclists who are racing Giro d'Italia fairly and honestly and all those young athletes who will be shaken by this news".



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Danilo Di Luca Positive, Suspended

Danilo Di Luca (Fantini-SelleItalia) has been provisonally suspended for an out of competition for EPO discovered in an out of competition control. TheUCI Statement:

"This morning the UCI advised Italian rider Danilo Di Luca that he is provisionally suspended. The decision to provisionally suspend this rider was made in response to a report from the WADA accredited laboratory in Köln indicating an Adverse Analytical Finding of EPO in a urine sample collected from him in an out of competition test on 29 April 2013.

The provisional suspension of Mr. Danilo Di Luca remains in force until a hearing panel convened by the Italian Cycling Federation determines whether he has committed an anti-doping rule violation under Article 21 of the UCI Anti-Doping Rules.

Mr. Danilo Di Luca has the right to request and attend the analysis of his B sample.
Under the World Anti-Doping Code and the UCI Anti-Doping Rules, the UCI is unable to provide any additional information at this time."

He was also suspended following a positive doping test (CERA) during the 2009 Giro d'Italia and returned to racing in 2011.

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Today's Stage 19 CANCELLED Due to Snow, Stage 20 Modified

Due to adverse weather conditions and, in particular, snow on the stage route in its entirety, stage 19 from Ponte di Legno to Val Martello/Martelltal, has been cancelled.

Tomorrow's stage 20 has been modified due to the adverse weather: The new route is 210 km as follows, bypassing the planned Passo Costalunga, Passo San Pellegrino and Passo Giau:

I think the Giro d'Italia will have to look towards moving back later in the calendar, back to the days when the race started later in May and went into June (even though you can have snow on the Stelvio in July).

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2013 Giro d'Italia, Stage 18 Results

Despite the rain that affected the last starters, Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) won the mountain trial trial from Mori to Polsa. He completed the hilly, 20.6 km course in 44 minutes, 29 seconds, averaging 27.785 kmh. Nibali beat second-placed Samuel Sánchez (Euskaltel Euskadi) by 58 seconds. Third was Damiano Caruso (Cannondale Pro Cycling), at 1 minute 20 seconds. Cadel Evans was 25th, losing 2'33 ", almost certainly losing any possibility of winning but also allowing Uran and Scarponi the opportunity to push him off a podium spot in the next two stages.

Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), Stage Winner and Maglia Rosa:
How did the rain affect your ride? "My tyre pressure was very high, so I had to be very careful on the corners. I could feel it slipping on the corners."

What is there left for you to prove? "First I have to keep the vantage I have (4 minutes, 2 seconds over Evans who is 2nd). With the advantage I gained today, I can defend the lead better with the team. Then there’s the weather. It remains a mystery. Even today, the stage started in sunshine and ended in the rain."

What did you expect from Evans today? "Cadel has been well hidden in the group for a few days, so I didn’t know what his condition was. Today, I feared he might do a better ride, but he was my reference point in today’s stage, so when I saw him ahead of me in the final kilometers, I pushed even harder."

The coming mountain stages: "Today I’ve taken another major step towards winning the Giro. I hope the weather remains good. Whether or not we can ride the mountains stages as planned, changes little (after his press comments changes in tomorrow's route were announced; no Gavia and no Stelvio tomorrow). I ‘m in good shape anyway. If the stages are taken out, with the team, we can control the race better. My shape is what it is. I’ve demonstrated that again today. So I’m relaxed."

Finally, Italian cycling has a champion: "This Giro has been good to Italy, and good for the South of Italy, with Visconti’s stage wins. People are more and more passionate about cycling. Over the last three stages, the crowds have been very big. Even today, despite the rain, there were plenty of people at the roadside. Perhaps this Giro has relaunched Italian cycling. That’s what we all wanted. I think we’re on the right road."

Cadel Evans (BMC):
"It's not for lack of trying that I lost a minute or two minutes," Evans said. "I came to this Giro with high hopes, but not high expectations. My real objective was to give my best, and, until this point, I've made a few mistakes, but nothing big. So in that regard, in terms of giving my best, that's great. But when you need winning, of course you want to be winning – and that's maybe when your hopes rise above your capabilities." With two straight mountain stages to come and a flat finale on Sunday, Nibali is 4:02 ahead of Evans. "I'm unlikely to win, but I came here for training for the Tour de France," Evans said. "Second place at this point is not so bad."

Stage 18 highlights:


Top 10 Stage 18:
1 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:44:29
2 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:00:58
3 Damiano Caruso (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling 0:01:20
4 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre-Merida 0:01:21
5 Rafal Majka (Pol) Team Saxo-Tinkoff 0:01:25
6 Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Sky Procycling 0:01:26
7 Carlos Alberto Betancur Gomez (Col) Ag2R La Mondiale 0:01:32
8 Stef Clement (Ned) Blanco Pro Cycling Team 0:01:36
9 Dario Cataldo (Ita) Sky Procycling 0:01:41
10 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Vini Fantini-Selle Italia 0:01:52

Top 20 GC:
1 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team 73:55:58
2 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:04:02
3 Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Sky Procycling 0:04:12
4 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre-Merida 0:05:14
5 Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) Lampre-Merida 0:06:09
6 Rafal Majka (Pol) Team Saxo-Tinkoff 0:06:45
7 Carlos Alberto Betancur Gomez (Col) Ag2R La Mondiale 0:06:47
8 Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) Vini Fantini-Selle Italia 0:07:30
9 Benat Intxausti Elorriaga (Spa) Movistar Team 0:08:36
10 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:09:34
11 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Ag2R La Mondiale 0:09:45
12 Robert Gesink (Ned) Blanco Pro Cycling Team 0:10:19
13 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli 0:10:27
14 Tanel Kangert (Est) Astana Pro Team 0:11:02
15 Yury Trofimov (Rus) Katusha 0:11:24
16 Robert Kiserlovski (Cro) RadioShack Leopard 0:12:05
17 Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Col) Sky Procycling 0:15:24
18 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Blanco Pro Cycling Team 0:17:03
19 Evgeny Petrov (Rus) Team Saxo-Tinkoff 0:20:20
20 Darwin Atapuma Hurtado (Col) Colombia 0:25:58

Tomorrow: Due to snow on the mountain tops both the Passo Gavia and Passo dello Stelvio will be bypassed tomorrow. The new stage will be 160 km, a hard stage but less so than originally planned. The Passo del Tonale is 8.3 km at 7.5%, 10% max; the Passo Castrin is 8.4 km at 9.5%, 13% max; the finshing climb is the same,Val Martello/Martelltal, 22.4 km at 6.4%, 14% max. More unpleasant weather tomorrow!The new stage profile:

The finishing climb:

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New Stage 19 Route Announced

The Giro has decided that they do not want to put any riders at risk tomorrow and have just announced that they are going forward with plan B. The new route for tomorrow's Stage 19 is as follows (you can click on image to enlarge as is the case with almost all the images in the blog):

The original route, now cancelled:

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Possible Stage 19, Tomorrow, Changes

Note that the Giro has developed a "plan B" for tomorrow that could bypass Passo Gavia and/or Passo dello Stelvio due to snow conditons.

The final decision about the route will be made in the morning.

In any case, the start will still be in Ponte di Legno.

The route as originally planned:

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2013 Giro d'Italia, Stage 17 Results

VISCONTI , GALVINIZED BY WIN ON GALIBIER, STRIKES AGAIN IN VICENZA; MAGLIA ROSA NEVER IN DIFFICULTY

Giovanni Visconti (Movistar) won stage 17 in Vicenza today, attacking on the final climb and holding off the chase. Ramunas Navardauskas (Garmin Sharp) finished second, 19 seconds behind Visconti. Third, in the same time, was Luka Mezgec (Argos Shimano).

The Maglia Rosa Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) was never in difficulty on today’s mostly flat stage. The top of the General classification is unchanged.

Giovanni Visconti (Movistar), stage winner:
Did you plan today’s attack? "Before the Galibier stage, I had earmarked the Ivrea and Vicenza stages. At Ivrea, I finished close to the GC riders, even though I was tired after the Galibier. So I thought of today. The team was thinking of Ventoso and me. I decided to try my luck on the climb, and leave the sprint to Ventoso. I saw Di Luca and Rubiano ahead. I caught them, and dropped them on the climb. I dropped Rubiano because he is fast in the sprint. Then I just gave it full gas on the descent and flat."

The stage finish: "When I saw the neutral service car behind me, I knew I’d won it. The cheering of the crowds made the hairs stands on the back of my neck. On the final corner, with 200m to go, everything around me was like a dream - beautiful. In the final 50m, I was already thinking of the photograph in tomorrow’s papers, the photo I’ll put on the wall at home. What more could I ask for?"

What has changed in you? "My mentality has changed completely. It is now what it was before, and how it should be: your head can make you ride badly, but it can also revive you. The stimulus of the win on the Galibier and the congratulations I received, were deeply touching. I felt fearless today. I rode 13 km without panicking. The kilometers flowed past by one after the other and it was wonderful. I can’t describe it. The crowds shouting my name. Today was special for me."

Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), Maglia Rosa:
The crowds: "It seemed like a national holiday, from the start of the stage to the finish. There were huge crowds along the route. It was emotional, not just for me but also for cycling, and for all the riders. There were great crowds waiting for us in the villages, when we went past in the group. On the final climb, too – it was really a wonderful experience."

Tomorrow’s mountain time trial: "A the last mountain time trials in the Giro d’Italia, at Nevegal and Plan de Corones, I finished second and fourth, so I’ve always ridden well in mountain time trials. If I lead Cadel by 2 minutes tomorrow evening, it would be a big lead. However, it’s hard to predict things right now, because Cadel is always in the lead group, he’s pedalling very well, so we’ll just have to see tomorrow."

A stage win? "I’m only thinking about winning one stage, so whether it’s tomorrow or one of the mountain stages on Firday and Saturday, we’ll just have to see. It’s always hard to win, but it is also very hard to defend a very important jersey like the Maglia Rosa. I hope to gain something else on my rivals. If I can win a stage, I’ll certainly try."


Evans, who is 1:26 behind Nibali, noting that the mountain top finishes planned for Friday and Saturday may be affected by weather, said about tomorrow's 20.6 km time trial, "I look at it as three really important days for selection. Obviously if you take out two of those, then a minute and a half to take back in 20 kilometers is pretty difficult. The time trial was always going to be one of those (decisive stages) and it's not a very long one. But even if you have one percent more in the legs or a little bit better recovery, or you've had a little less effort in the two weeks leading into it, you can really make a difference. It's pretty much up all uphill."

Stage 17 highlights:


Top 10 Stage 17:
1 Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Movistar Team 5:15:34
2 Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Garmin-Sharp 0:00:19
3 Luka Mezgec (Slo) Team Argos-Shimano
4 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Lampre-Merida
5 Danilo Hondo (Ger) RadioShack Leopard
6 Salvatore Puccio (Ita) Sky Procycling
7 Sacha Modolo (Ita) Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox
8 Fabio Felline (Ita) Androni Giocattoli
9 Francisco José Ventoso Alberdi (Spa) Movistar Team
10 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team

Top 20 GC:
1 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team 73:11:29
2 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:01:26
3 Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Sky Procycling 0:02:46
4 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre-Merida 0:03:53
5 Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) Lampre-Merida 0:04:13
6 Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) Vini Fantini-Selle Italia 0:04:57
7 Carlos Alberto Betancur Gomez (Col) Ag2R La Mondiale 0:05:15
8 Rafal Majka (Pol) Team Saxo-Tinkoff 0:05:20
9 Benat Intxausti Elorriaga (Spa) Movistar Team 0:05:47
10 Robert Gesink (Ned) Blanco Pro Cycling Team 0:07:24
11 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Ag2R La Mondiale 0:07:34
12 Tanel Kangert (Est) Astana Pro Team 0:07:43
13 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli 0:08:15
14 Robert Kiserlovski (Cro) RadioShack Leopard 0:08:19
15 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:08:36
16 Yury Trofimov (Rus) Katusha 0:09:02
17 Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Col) Sky Procycling 0:11:18
18 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Blanco Pro Cycling Team 0:15:04
19 Evgeny Petrov (Rus) Team Saxo-Tinkoff 0:18:26
20 Darwin Atapuma Hurtado (Col) Colombia 0:21:34

Tomorrow: 20.6 km individual time trial, uphill, near the eastern shore of Lake Garda, Mori to Polsa. Riders will start in reverse order of GC; Rafael Andriato (Vini Fantini) first at 13.12, Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) last at 16.33. Divided into three parts the first and third parts average 6.6% with a max of 10% in the third part; the middle part of the course averages 1.6%

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Buongiorno from Stage 17

The riders receiving a blessing at today's start in Caravaggio. The jersey leaders:
Maglia Rosa (General Classification) Vincenzo Nibali (Astana)
Maglia Rossa (Points): Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma - QuickStep)
Maglia Azzurra (Mountains): Stefano Pirazzi (Bardiani Valvole CSF Inox)
Maglia Bianca (Young Rider): Carlos Betancur (AG2R La Mondiale)

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2013 Giro d'Italia, Stage 16 Results

INTXAUSTI MAKES IT THREE STAGE WINS FOR MOVISTAR, MAGLIA ROSA IN ACTION ON FINAL CLIMB

Beñat Intxausti (Movistar) took his team’s third stage win today, outsprinting the Estonian champion Tanel Kangert (Astana) and Poland’s Przemyslaw Niemiec (Lampre Merida) to win Stage 16 at Ivrea.

The Maglia Rosa, Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), responded to a series of attacks on the final climb and descent, but ended the stage having safely defended his overall race lead.

The stage winner and the Maglia Rosa both spoke to the press after the stage.

Beñat Intxausti (Movistar), stage winner:
A complicated finish: "It wasn’t easy. In the final 3 kilometres, Kangert was on my wheel. I knew he was dangerous. 600 metres from the line, I cold-bloodedly moved behind Niemiec and Kangert into third place. 300 metres from the finish line, the pace slackened. With the wind behind us, I darted past on the left and gave it everything."

First, the Maglia Rosa, now, a stage win. "Above all, I came to the Giro with the goal of raising my hands at the end of a stage. The Maglia Rosa was very important for the team, although losing it during the time trial at Saltara left a strange taste in my mouth. Today I got my stage win."

Ambitions for the mountain time trial? "I think the favourite is sitting next to me [Nibali]! It’s a speciality that suits me, although I know it isn’t easy to get repeat wins at the Giro. For the team, our three stage wins so far have been very important, and wearing the Maglia Rosa has made this an outstanding Giro for Movistar. Now we have just a few more days to move up in the top ten of the General Classification."

Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), Maglia Rosa:
The final descent: "I accelerated where the road surface was good, to close the gap. On some corners, there were rivulets of water, and I didn’t like the conditions, so I didn’t take any risks. At one point, Scarponi missed a curve, so I rode quite carefully and just kept a watchful eye to make sure nothing happened."

On Kangert’s performance: "2km from the finish, I told him to attack, to win the stage and neutralize the time bonuses. The team wants a stage win. He’s in good shape, and we’ll see whether he has a free role in the mountain time trial. He’s having a good race, and he’s always been beside me in the mountains."

Scarponi on the attack: “Scarponi is a few minutes back (3m53s), so he has to look for opportunities in every stage to try to win back time. Cadel is much closer, and he will certainly try something in the mountains. But I want a stage win. The most important stages are Mori-Polsa, Val Martello, and Tre Cime, although I know it’s going to be very difficult."

Scarponi's attacked on the final climb, the descent and flat to the finish but Nibali always chased him down. The attacks did hurt Santambrogio, Scarponi and Niemiec have now moved ahead of him on GC. "Today I tried to attack to test how my opponents would respond. Nibali still rules, I'm focusing my attention for a podium spot as a goal, the team is strong. Niemiec and I are a very competitive duo".

Mark Cavendish, Maglia Rossa, celebrated his 28th birthday today.

Stage 16 highlights:


Top 10 Stage 16:
1 Benat Intxausti Elorriaga (Spa) Movistar Team 5:52:48
2 Tanel Kangert (Est) Astana Pro Team
3 Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) Lampre-Merida
4 Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Garmin-Sharp 0:00:14
5 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team
6 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli
7 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre-Merida
8 Rafal Majka (Pol) Team Saxo-Tinkoff
9 José Herrada Lopez (Spa) Movistar Team
10 Carlos Alberto Betancur Gomez (Col) Ag2R La Mondiale
Plus in same time:
11 Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Sky Procycling

Top 20 GC:
1 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team 67:55:36
2 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:01:26
3 Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Sky Procycling 0:02:46
4 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre-Merida 0:03:53
5 Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) Lampre-Merida 0:04:13
6 Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) Vini Fantini-Selle Italia 0:04:57
7 Carlos Alberto Betancur Gomez (Col) Ag2R La Mondiale 0:05:15
8 Rafal Majka (Pol) Team Saxo-Tinkoff 0:05:20
9 Benat Intxausti Elorriaga (Spa) Movistar Team 0:05:47
10 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Ag2R La Mondiale 0:07:34
11 Tanel Kangert (Est) Astana Pro Team 0:07:43
12 Robert Gesink (Ned) Blanco Pro Cycling Team 0:07:47
13 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli 0:08:15
14 Robert Kiserlovski (Cro) RadioShack Leopard 0:08:19
15 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:08:36
16 Yury Trofimov (Rus) Katusha 0:09:02
17 Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Col) Sky Procycling 0:10:26
18 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Blanco Pro Cycling Team 0:15:04
19 Evgeny Petrov (Rus) Team Saxo-Tinkoff 0:18:26
20 Darwin Atapuma Hurtado (Col) Colombia 0:20:42
12 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team

Tomorrow: 214 km from Caravaggio to Vicenza, home of Campagnolo. Flat stage until the 192nd km when riders arrive at the short Crosara climb of 5.3 km at 6.8 %, 12% max. A climb placed not unlike the Andrate climb of today.

Follow on Twitter: ITALIANCYCJOURN or receive an email when new content is added using the "Follow by Email" button on the right side column. With more than 2,800 stories in this blog the custom search feature (right column) works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also a translate button underneath the search button. 

Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, racing, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com.

2013 Giro d'Italia, Stage 16 Tomorrow

After a rest day today the Giro d'Italia resumes tomorrow with a 238 km stage from Valloire, France to Ivrea in Italy.

Riders will first tackle Mont Cenis from the opposite direction of Stage 15; in this direction 9.8 km at 7%, 10% max. Nearing the finish, with 18 km remaining, riders will be challenged on the Andrate, 6.3 km at 8,1%, 13% max. The last 18 km are 10 km of descent and a flat 8km to the finish.

Will the sprinters stay in enough contact on Andrate for a sprint finish?

Weather: showers are predicted, freezing temperatures on Mont Cenis.

Vincenzo Nibali, Maglia Rosa, today: "The Giro d'Italia is not finished, we still have to deal with at least three very difficult stages; it is early to be getting carried away. We have to pay close attention to an opponent like Cadel Evans, but there's not only him in the fight for the lead in the overall standings."

Follow on Twitter: ITALIANCYCJOURN or receive an email when new content is added using the "Follow by Email" button on the right side column. With more than 2,800 stories in this blog the custom search feature (right column) works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also a translate button underneath the search button. 

Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, racing, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. 

2013 Giro d'Italia, Stage 15 Results

SOLO, IN THE SNOW, ON THE GALIBIER: CLASSIC WIN FOR VISCONTI, NIBALI RESPONDS TO ALL ATTACKS AND DEFENDS MAGLIA ROSA

Giovanni Visconti (Movistar) took a memorable victory today, crossing the finish line alone on the Col du Galibier, as snow fell on the Giro d’Italia's first visit to Galibier. Visconti had joined a small group of riders who broke away from the peloton 55 kilometers into the stage, Then, just before the Col du Télégraph GPM, 21 kms from the finish line, went clear on his own.

Carlos Betancur (AG2R La Mondiale) finished second, 42 seconds after Visconti, with Przemyslaw Niemiec (Lampre – Merida) third in the same time.

Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) finished the stage 54 seconds after Visconti, in the same time as his rivals Evans, Urán, Santambrogio and Scarponi.

The Stage winner and the Maglia Rosa spoke to the press after the stage.

Giovanni Visconti (Movistar), stage winner:
A Sicilian in the cold: "With the years I’ve come to realize that I don’t ride well in the cold. I get most of my results in May and June, in the heat. But you don’t notice the cold and the rain when you’re leading the race. It’s worse when you’re in the peloton. Today, the sun was shining on me, it was a mythical stage, and I’m happy I made it all the way today."

A win foretold? "To a degree, I planned today’s move. All during the Giro I had been hoping to get into the breakaway on one of the really mythical stages. I told my father and friends that I hoped to get into a fugaccia (a special break) in a tappaccia (a special stage). I’ve never before felt what Vincenzo [Nibali] feels, riding these stages at the front. Today I felt it."

Pantani Stage: "In the final kms, you saw me crying, but for the last 3 kms I was crying inside. I knew I could win the stage. I thought of the coincidence of finishing near Marco’s memorial. We share the same birthday. I thought of him and asked him for the strength to finish. Someone said to me today, a circle is closed. A year ago I quit the race on Stage 15, today I won Stage 15. I hope that from now a new career starts for me."

Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), Maglia Rosa:
No racing on Mont Cenis: "A lot of riders didn’t have the legs to try to get away today. The group split at the bottom of the climb, with 80 riders sitting up. We’ve all been through a very hard week, not so much because of the climbs but because of the rain. People were afraid of the cold and the rain, so everyone was hesitant."

Attacking in the Maglia Rosa: "Trying to attack and do something beautiful is part of my nature. I’m wearing the Maglia Rosa and I wanted to build a good advantage over my direct rivals. Today it was too difficult to gain any time. The Galibier is very long and the gradient increased towards the end. I tried, but it was too difficult, so I stayed in the group, marking my rivals."

The Best Nibali ever? "I think I have the same form as I had last year at the Tour, but the Tour is different from the Giro. At the Tour there were fewer possibilities. The finishes were the bottom of hills, there were two time trials totalling 110km. Here the race suits my style."

Cadel Evans( BMC Racing Team) kept his hold on second place. Evans made his own attack at 700 meters to go on the way to finishing eighth on the stage, crossing the line in the same time as Nibali and nearly all of the top contenders to remain 1:26 off the lead with six stages to go. "In the conditions, it wasn't exactly favorable for those kind of attacks," Evans said. "I didn't have a bad day but at least I am back at my level. No time lost but no time gained either." Evans said some challenges of the race have come from an uncontrollable factor: the weather. "As a rider, just to stay healthy is really difficult with the changing weather conditions," he said. "The weather changes quicker than we can change our clothes. The third week of the race comes after a first week that was even harder than expected and a second week that was harder than expected because of the weather."

Michele Scarponi (Lampre-Merida) said, "It has been a better day than yesterday. In the Maglia Rosa group bunch there wasn't much energy to attack."

Stage 15 highlights:


Stage 15 top 10:
1 Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Movistar Team 4:40:48
2 Carlos Alberto Betancur Gomez (Col) Ag2R La Mondiale 0:00:42
3 Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) Lampre-Merida
4 Rafal Majka (Pol) Team Saxo-Tinkoff
5 Fabio Andres Duarte Arevalo (Col) Colombia 0:00:47
6 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre-Merida 0:00:54
7 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team
8 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team
9 Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) Vini Fantini-Selle Italia
10 Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Sky Procycling

Top 20 GC:
Result
1 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team 62:02:34
2 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:01:26
3 Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Sky Procycling 0:02:46
4 Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) Vini Fantini-Selle Italia 0:02:47
5 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre-Merida 0:03:53
6 Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) Lampre-Merida 0:04:35
7 Carlos Alberto Betancur Gomez (Col) Ag2R La Mondiale 0:05:15
8 Rafal Majka (Pol) Team Saxo-Tinkoff 0:05:20
9 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Ag2R La Mondiale 0:05:57
10 Benat Intxausti Elorriaga (Spa) Movistar Team 0:06:21
11 Robert Kiserlovski (Cro) RadioShack Leopard 0:06:42
12 Yury Trofimov (Rus) Katusha 0:07:25
13 Robert Gesink (Ned) Blanco Pro Cycling Team 0:07:38
14 Tanel Kangert (Est) Astana Pro Team 0:08:09
15 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli 0:08:15
16 Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Col) Sky Procycling 0:08:16
17 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:08:36
18 Damiano Caruso (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling 0:09:57
19 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Blanco Pro Cycling Team 0:13:29
20 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Vini Fantini-Selle Italia 0:14:44

Tomorrow: Rest day. Stage 16 details tomorrow...

Follow on Twitter: ITALIANCYCJOURN or receive an email when new content is added using the "Follow by Email" button on the right side column. With more than 2,800 stories in this blog the custom search feature (right column) works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also a translate button underneath the search button. 

Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, racing, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com.