2010 Giro d'Italia, Stage 6 Results

Marina di Carrara, 14 May: For the second consecutive day the sprinters were foiled. Yesterday the sprinters missed their chance for a stage win due to the efforts of Japan's Arashiro. Today, it was the turn of an Australian domestique, Mattie Lloyd (Omega Pharma-Lotto) to put in a heroic ride. Lloyd, wearing the Australian champion green & gold bands on his collar & cuffs, was in a two man breakaway of 128 km with Swiss rider Rubens Bertogliati (Androni Giocattoli). On the ultimate climb Lloyd gained a few seconds on his breakaway companion and soloed 12 km to the finish line. Bertogliati came in second, just barely holding off the bunch sprint which was won by Danilo Hondo (Lampre-Farnese Vini).

"In the last two kilometres today, I didn't see anything," said Lloyd. "I was just looking at the red cars in front of me. Then, with 200 metres to go, I felt something special because the Giro is such an emotional race for me. It’s romantic. This race is more difficult than any other. Maybe it’s just the characteristics of today’s stage that made me a winner. It wouldn't have happened if I didn't do that move. Ninety-nine percent of the time this kind of move fails. I realized that my breakaway companion Rubens Bertogliati was creeping in the hills at the end. I'm normally at my ease when it goes uphill. I can't descend, well I can sometimes, but I can climb."

Nibali, Basso, and Agnoli, all of Liquigas-Doimo, retained their top 3 positions.

Top 10 GC after stage 6:
1 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo 18:55:38
2 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo -0:00:13
3 Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo 0:00:20
4 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana 0:00:33
5 Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Team Katusha 0:00:39
6 Richie Porte (Aus) Team Saxo Bank 0:00:45
7 David Millar (GBr) Garmin - Transitions
8 Baden Cooke (Aus) Team Saxo Bank 0:01:03
9 Linus Gerdemann (Ger) Team Milram 0:01:04
10 Laurent Didier (Lux) Team Saxo Bank 0:01:13

Photos by Bettini

Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are very welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 1,300 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog and there is also a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page.

2010 Giro d'Italia, Stage 5 Results

Novi Ligure, 13 May: The hero of the today's 162 km stage from Novara to Novi Ligure was Japanese rider Yuyika Arashiro (Bbox) who was in the 144 km breakaway that made it all the way to the finish line. With 5km to go it looked like the peloton was going to catch the escapees but Arashiro upped the pace. With about 500m to go it appeared that the sprinters' teams had Arashiro and his two companions in the crosshairs. However, Arashiro started his sprint and simultaneously, at the decisive moment, the sprinters thought more to mark each other than to launch their sprints. Arashiro dragged Jerome Pineau (Quickstep) and Julien Fouchard (Cofidis) to the finish line but couldn't hold on for the win. The stage win went to Pineau, Fouchard was 2nd, and Arashiro 3rd.

Liquigas-Doimo's Vincenzo Nibali held onto the maglia rosa with the same 13 second gap over his teammate Ivan Basso, and teammate Agnoli remains in 3rd.

Top 10 GC after stage 5:
1 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo 14:30:03
2 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo -0:00:13
3 Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo 0:00:20
4 Matthew Goss (Aus) Team HTC - Columbia 0:00:26
5 Andre Greipel (Ger) Team HTC - Columbia
6 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana 0:00:33
7 Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Team Katusha 0:00:39
8 Richie Porte (Aus) Team Saxo Bank 0:00:45
9 David Millar (GBr) Garmin - Transitions
10 Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Astana 0:00:59

The course today passed in front of the "Museo dei Campionissimi", dedicated to Coppi and Girardengo, in Novi Ligure. More information about the museum here.

Photos (by Bettini): Yuyika Arashiro (Bbox); the three man break barely survives

Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are very welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 1,400 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog and there is also a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page.

2010 Giro d'Italia, Stage 4, the Trophy Arrives

Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are very welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 1,300 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog and there is also a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page.

Cycling Monuments, Memorials, Plaques, etc., Part VIII

Jac Zwart, author of the Dutch language book "Wielermonumenten - Reisgids door de geschiedenis van de wielersport" (Cycling Monuments - Travel Guide through the History of the Sport of Cycling), contributes his sixth article, this time about a Fausto Coppi monument at the Colle della Maddalena.

"The Giro is back in Italy, after three opening days in The Netherlands. From a Dutch perspective it was a huge success and the peloton made the cities and villages turn into pink. Unfortunately there were some crashes too, caused by some narrow roads on the route, but that was in most cases a deliberate choice of the organizers of the Giro, who preferred to show nice TV-pictures rather than giving priority to the safety of the riders. On the other hand, the charm of cycling is riding on scenic routes. Grand Tours are not held on a closed circuit, and if it would be for pure speed the Giro could better be held in the motodrome of Monza.

The Giro being so close at home inspired me to do some reading. I did read 'Dino Buzzatti al Giro d'Italia', again, and the article by Curzio Malaparte 'Les deux visages d'Italie. Coppi et Bartali' with a comment by Jacques Augendre. Both publications referred to the Giro of 1949 and one of the highlights of that Giro was the famous stage from Cuneo to Pinerolo. And since the Giro visited Cuneo today again, attention is automatically drawn towards the exploit of Fausto Coppi, sixty-one years before. There were five climbs to take: Maddalena, Vars, Izoard, Monginevro and Sestrière. It's rainy and the clouds are hanging low in the Valle Stura. In the neighborhood of Argentera Coppi counters an attack of Primo Volpi and decides to start an impressive solo of 190 kilometers, arriving in Pinerolo twelve minutes before his competitors.

This impressive victory is commemorated by a statue on the top of the Colle della Maddalena. A bronze plaque is showing the head of Coppi and the text 'Un uomo solo al comando. Il suo nome: Fausto Coppi'. The words are from Mario Ferretti, the radio commentator giving his report from this decisive stage, who also added 'la sua maglia é bianco-celeste'.

With respect to this, I would like to ask for some help from cycling fans in Italy. I have just found out that some other monuments do exist, because of this historic stage. In Argentera, a plaque was inaugurated on May 18, 2009, near the place where Coppi started his solo ride. Also in Pinerolo (al campo sportivo Barbieri) a commemorative plaque has been placed in 2006.

If someone could send me some good digital pictures, I would highly appreciate it!"

(ed. note: if you have photos of the two plaques referred to by Jac please email them to me at the address below and I will forward them.

Photo: plaque at Colle della Maddalena

Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are very welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 1,300 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog and there is also a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page.

2010 Giro d'Italia, Stage 4 Results

Cuneo, 12 May: Celebrations in Italy tonight as the 33 km team trial was won by Liquigas-Doimo in 0:36:37, and now THREE Italian's lead the GC. The leader's pink jersey has changed for the 4th time in as many stages and will now be worn by Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Doimo). His teammates, Ivan Basso and Valerio Agnoli, are 2nd and 3rd on GC.

"It's still difficult to think I'm in the pink jersey. The director sportif Zanatta kept shouting via radio that we were going to get it. They often say things like that to motivate us. But this time it was true", said Nibali. "It's great for a rider, there is nothing better than the pink jersey. I never thought I would be able to wear it but now that I have it I will try to keep it as long as possible. Strategies? Ivan is the captain, it is an advantage on my side. If anything, the problems are of others."

Finishing 2nd and 3rd for the day were SKY (-0:00:13) and Team HTC-Columbia (-0:00:21).

In the team time trial each team started five minutes apart with a full complement of riders. In a perfect TTT, a team will finish together, all riders being equally strong, but this never happens, as riders will tire and drop out along the way. A team's finish time is taken when the 5th rider crosses the line. Since Nibali had the best time on GC of the Liquigas team before the start of the stage he was catapulted into first when the team won the TTT.

Vinokourov and his team had a bad day as he lost his fifth man with one km to go and had to wait for him losing precious seconds. Vinokourov was pounding his fist in the air and turning around urging his 5th rider, Gorazd Stangelj, on.

Top ten on GC after stage 4:
1 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo 10:44:00
2 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo 0:00:13
3 Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo 0:00:20
4 Matthew Goss (Aus) Team HTC - Columbia 0:00:26
5 Andre Greipel (Ger) Team HTC - Columbia
6 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana 0:00:33
7 Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Team Katusha 0:00:39
8 Richie Porte (Aus) Team Saxo Bank 0:00:45
9 David Millar (GBr) Garmin - Transitions
10 Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Astana 0:00:59

Stage 4 results and times:
1 Liquigas - Doimo 0:36:37
2 Sky Professional Cycling Team 0:00:13
3 Team HTC - Columbia 0:00:21
4 Team Katusha 0:00:27
5 Astana 0:00:38
6 Cervelo TestTeam
7 Omega Pharma - Lotto 0:00:46
8 Garmin - Transitions 0:00:49
9 Team Saxo Bank 0:00:50
10 Team Milram 0:00:57
11 Rabobank 0:01:04
12 BMC Racing Team 0:01:21
13 Lampre - Farnese Vini 0:01:43
14 Footon - Servetto 0:02:03
15 Colnago - CSF Inox 0:02:08
16 Quick Step 0:02:15
17 Bbox Bouygues Telecom 0:02:19
18 Caisse d'Epargne 0:02:21
19 Androni Giocattoli - Diquigiovanni 0:02:24
20 Cofidis Le Credit En Ligne 0:02:29
21 Acqua & Sapone d'Angelo 0:02:39
22 AG2R La Mondiale 0:02:50

Photos: SKY got caught in the worst of the day's rain showers; team Liquigas under threatening skies, Vino urging Stangelj on; Nibali celebrates


Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are very welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 1,300 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog and there is also a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page.

2010 Giro d'Italia, Stage 4 TTT Start Times

The stage 4 TTT will have the first team, COFIDIS, beginning at 1450 (CET)and the last, ASTANA, at 1635 (CET).

Click on photo to enlarge.

Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are very welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 1,300 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog and there is also a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page.

Rogue Rider in Giro d'Italia, Stage 3

Carlo from the Netherlands sends this video of a Dutch guy, Joannathan Duinkerke from Goes (National Dutch Champion with a moderate disability), that snuck into the Giro peloton yesterday in the last 3 km of stage 3. Fortunately, he pulled out at the last turn before the finish line. He can be seen coming along right side of the peleton about the 22 second mark on the video.

The riders loved it, the organizaton hated it.



Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, etc. are very welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com. There are more than 1,300 stories in this blog. The search feature to the right works best for finding subjects in the blog and there is also a translate button at the bottom so you can translate each page.