Leonardo Bertagnolli
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Bertagnolli outlasts a crumbling break, chase
Posted on May 25th, 2009 No comments
2009 Giro d'Italia - Stage 15: Leonardo Bertagnolli survives all the way to the finish.
It was two-for-one again in Sunday’s 15th stage, as the Giro d’Italia unfolded with two races within one that was almost as hot and blistering as the searing temperature on the tarmac.
Leonardo Bertagnolli (Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni) won the battle for the kisses from the podium girls, the sole survivor of a 16-man breakaway that went clear early in a tremendously hot, hilly 161km from Forli to Faenza.
Then there was the GC tussle, with 2006 Giro champ Ivan Basso (Liquigas) uncorking a series of scorching attacks with two climbs to go to put maglia rosa Denis Menchov (Rabobank) and the other podium contenders on notice.
Despite opening a promising 1:15 advantage to Menchov and Co. with 32km to go, the fireworks fizzled after he and fellow aggressor Stefano Garzelli (Acqua e Sapone) were snuffed out by the chasing favorites on the flat run into the finish.
After the dust settled, there were no major shakeups in the overall standings ─ with the lone exception of two-time winner Gilberto Simoni, who sunk to 26th overall at 20:21 back ─ but Basso’s attacks provided an enticing preview of what’s expected in Monday’s showdown on Monte Petrano.
“We had to do that to see what the situation was. It was a good try. At the end it wasn’t enough but it was still a good move,” said Basso, who stayed stuck in sixth overall at 3:03 back despite the effort. “We’ve got to continue along these lines, try every day, and hope something good happens.”
2009 Giro d'Italia, stage 15: Ivan Basso (Liquigas) took a late flyer.
Levi Leipheimer (Astana) didn’t panic when Basso surged away. With Garzelli hitching a ride to hunt for a stage win and more King of the Mountains points, the risky pair created major fractures within the over-heating peloton.
“When Ivan went, I didn’t think it was a good idea and I didn’t even try, and obviously it wasn’t,” Leipheimer said. “We didn’t expect Liquigas to attack on the downhill. That was a really dangerous downhill, I don’t know if anyone died behind, but I wouldn’t be surprised (smiling).”
Astana put spindly Spanish climber Dani Navarro into the day’s winning breakaway, providing Leiphemier with an extra set of legs on the Trebbio climb to neutralize the two former winners.
Promising Belgian climber Kevin Seeldrayers (Quick Step) led the maglia rosa group across the line at 1:56 back. Menchov defended his 34-second pink-jersey lead to Danilo Di Luca (LPR) and Leipheimer retained third at 43 seconds adrift.
“I had Dani (Navarro) up front and Popo and Lance just behind, so long as Menchov and Di Luca didn’t react, I wasn’t going to react,” Leipheimer continued. “I was OK, there was no way around it, you’re not going to feel good when you’re with the five or six best uphill in this kind of heat, but I was there and I wasn’t going to get dropped.”
Rollercoaster at 95 degrees
The 161km leg from Forli to Faenza began with a gradual incline through the foothills of the Appenino to the base of the Cat. 2 Passo dell’Eremo at 44.1km, a 10.7km climb averaging 4 percent, but with maximum grades of 10 percent.Next up was the Cat. 3 Colle Carnevale at 66.1km, a 6km climb with an average grade of 6.2 percent, with a maximum grade of 10 percent.
Two unrated climbs followed — the Colle Albano at 100.2km and the Valico la Valletta at 107.9km — before the riders faced the final two ranked ascents.
2009 Giro d'Italia, stage 15: Bertagnolli in the break.
The first, at 116km, was the Cat. 3 Monte Casale, an 8.7km climb averaging 4.7 percent with the occasional 12 percent leg-breaker. The finale was the Cat. 2 Monte Trebbio, which averages 6.7 percent, but reaches grades as steep as 16 percent.
From there it was a fast downhill dash to the finish in Faenza, with a false-flat section before the line.
Danilo Di Luca (LPR Brakes) provided what proved to be an accurate pre-race prediction: “Today is a difficult stage and we cannot overlook it. It’s ideal for a breakaway, so teams will be attacking to get into the break. Tomorrow’s stage is fundamental to this Giro. There are always surprises. What’s sure is that the attacks will come.”
And indeed they did. Jens Voigt (Saxo Bank) and Dries Devenyns (Quick Step) had an early go, but 26km into the stage it was gruppo compatto.
Ten kilometers later a large group had formed off the front with a gap of nearly two minutes: Bertagnolli and teammate Jose Rodolfo Serpa Perez (Serramenti); Lars Ytting Bak (Saxo Bank); Daniel Navarro Garcia (Astana); Eduard Vorganov (Xacobeo Galicia); Andriy Grivko (ISD-Neri); Marco Pinotti (Columbia-High Road); Pablo Lastras Garcia (Caisse d’Epargne); Marco Marzano (Lampre-N.G.C.); Serge Pauwels (Cervélo TestTeam); Nikita Eskov (Katusha); Gorazd Stangelj (Liquigas); Hector Gonzalez Baeza (Fuji-Servetto); Mauro Facci (Quick Step); Alessandro Donati (Acqua & Sapone); and Matteo Montaguti (LPR). Serpa Perez was best placed, sitting 20th overall at 9:52 back.
Stage 15 results
1 Leonardo Bertagnolli (Ita) S. Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli 4.18.34
2 Serge Pauwels (Bel) Cervelo Test Team 0.54
3 Marco Pinotti (Ita) Team Columbia – Highroad 0.54
4 Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Team Saxo Bank 0.54
5 Marco Marzano (Ita) Lampre – N.G.C. 0.56
6 Andriy Grivko (Ukr) ISD 1.27
7 Mauro Facci (Ita) Quick Step 1.49
8 Tadej Valjavec (Slo) AG2R La Mondiale 1.51General classification after stage 15
1 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank
2 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) LPR Brakes – Farnese Vini 0.34
3 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana 0.43
4 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas 2.00
5 Carlos Sastre (Spa) Cervelo Test Team 2.52
6 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas 3.03
7 Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Columbia – Highroad 3.05Source: Velonews.com