Team Columbia-Highroad
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Menchov wins the Giro d’Italia, despite fall in the last kilometer.
Posted on June 1st, 2009 1 comment
2009 Giro d'Italia - Stage 21: It's safe to say that the usually stoic Menchov had a bit of an adrenaline rush at the finish.
Race leader Denis Menchov won the Giro d’Italia on Sunday despite suffering a fall in the last kilometer of the final stage, a 14.4km time trial through Rome.
Menchov, now the third Russian to win the Giro, added the title to his two Vuelta a España victories in 2005 and 2007.
The 31-year-old Menchov beat 2007 Giro champion Danilo Di Luca (LPR) by 41 seconds over the course of the three-week tour, with Liquigas’ Franco Pellizzoti rounding off the podium finishers a further 1:18 adrift.
Lithuanian Ignatas Konovalovas (Cervélo) team won the final stage in a time of 18:42 with Bradley Wiggins (Garmin-Slipstream) only a second back and Columbia’s Edvald Boasson Hagen in third.
2009 Giro d'Italia, stage 21: Di Luca used a road bike with aero bars.
Menchov finished 10th on the stage with Di Luca 16th.
The Russian had a 20sec lead coming into the final day in one of the closest ever finishes to a
Giro, in its centenary year. Di Luca briefly looked to be on the brink of a famous victory when he got to the first time-check fastest of all and 5 seconds up on Menchov.
But the LPR rider had blasted out too fast, gradually fading from there and he was 14 seconds down on Menchov at the next time check.
When he came over the line, Di Luca had lost 45 seconds to Konovalovas whereas Menchov, who had won the 12th stage time trial to take over the maglia rosa jersey, was getting stronger.
Menchov rises
Menchov is one of the best in the bunch at masking his emotions. The stoic Russian is like a sphinx; rivals can’t tell when he’s hurting or feeling good and he never gives much away to the media hungry for a good story.
That mask melted away Sunday in the intense final kilometer of the Roma time trial when glimpses of the intensity behind the Russian wall were revealed.
With showers dampening the cobblestones, Menchov’s decision to ride a full time trial setup seemed to backfire when his front tired slipped out on wet cobbles, sending him flailing arms-out to the unforgiving wet stones. He slid nearly 30 feet, desperately clawing for his bike, slipping even further away on the slick cobbles.
His Rabobank mechanic saved the day. Before Menchov even stopped his cobblestone slide, his wrench pulled the spare bike off the roof of the trailing Rabobank car and directed the frazzled Menchov to remount the new bike. Within 10 seconds, he was desperately pedaling for the finish line.
A flustered Menchov hammered across the line, his maglia rosa scruffed and muddied from the fall, but safe. Despite the final-hour drama, Menchov actually widened his lead to Di Luca to win by 41 seconds.
2009 Giro d'Italia - Stage 21: Menchov gets a new bike and a push from his mechanic.
Once safely across the line, the intensity and adrenaline came pouring out. There was no more holding back, no reason to hide. Foaming at the mouth from the intense effort, Menchov screamed, pumped his fists in the air and hugged the mechanic.
“All the tension and stress of the Giro, everything came out,” Menchov said. “This is the most beautiful victory of my career.”
Di Luca ─ who doggedly nipped at Menchov’s heels since forfeiting the pink jersey in the stage 12 time trial at Cinque Terre – was quick to say that he wouldn’t have wanted to win if Menchov someone lost it all in the final-kilometer crash.
“To fall like this wasn’t beautiful, Denis was the strongest and he didn’t deserve to suffer this setback,” said Di Luca, who proudly claimed second to the superior Menchov. “I have nothing to regret. I attacked every chance I had. I can take away a lot from this Giro – two stage victories, seven days in the maglia rosa and the points jersey. I can be very satisfied with this Giro.”
For Menchov, the victory not only makes him only the third Russian to win the Giro (Evgeni Berzin and Pavel Tonkov preceded him in the 1990s), but it also confirms him as one of the best contemporary stage race specialists.
A winner of two Vueltas a España, not many picked Menchov as a likely winner despite his steady fifth-place result in 2008.
Menchov immediately proved he was here to win, sprinting ahead of Di Luca and an elite pack of climbers at the summit finish at Alpe di Suisi in stage 5. Di Luca grabbed the maglia rosa that day, but Menchov looked good.
Menchov took the maglia rosa for good with a stunning victory on the highly demanding Cinque Terre time trial course in stage 12, beating back pre-stage favorite Levi Leipheimer (Astana) and taking a narrow, but decisive lead that would hold to Rome despite incessant attacks from Di Luca.
“I think I was at my best during this Giro. I was really confident,” he said. “I hope it’s a natural and logical progression. I’ve been improving the past few years. I am at the right age to win big tours.”
The inevitable question came: can he win the Tour? By then, Menchov had pulled back behind his mask. All he said was, “we’ll see; now I want to enjoy this victory. You have to have luck to win the Tour.”
He obviously had the legs to win the Giro.
Stage 21 results
1 Ignatas Konovalovas (Ltu) Cervelo Test Team 18.42
2 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Garmin – Slipstream 0.01
3 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Team Columbia – Highroad 0.07
4 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Astana 0.11
5 Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre – N.G.C. 0.16
6 Giovanni Visconti (Ita) ISD 0.18
7 Dries Devenyns (Bel) Quick Step 0.20
8 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Rabobank 0.21
9 Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone – Caffe Mokambo 0.23
10 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank 0.24
10 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Astana 0.27
16 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) LPR Brakes – Farnese Vini 0.45Final general classification
1 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank 86.03.11
2 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) LPR Brakes – Farnese Vini 0.41
3 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas 1.59
4 Carlos Sastre (Spa) Cervelo Test Team 3.46
5 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas 3.59
6 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana 5.28
7 Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone – Caffe Mokambo 8.43
8 Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Columbia – Highroad 10.01
9 Tadej Valjavec (Slo) AG2R La Mondiale 11.13
10 Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre – N.G.C. 11.28Source: Velonew.com
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Michele Scarponi wins the Giro’s stage 18; Garmin’s Pate is third.
Posted on May 29th, 2009 No comments
2009 Giro d'Italia, stage 18: Scarponi took his second stage win of this year's Giro.
Danny Pate (Garmin-Slipstream) and Jason McCartney (Saxo Bank) went on the hunt for stage victory in Thursday’s 182km hilly 18th stage from Sulmona to Benevento, in what turned out to be a breather for the GC favorites ahead of Friday’s showdown on Mont Vesuvius.
The U.S. pair worked into a huge, 24-rider breakaway across the hilly Campagna region that atrophied to a seven-man winning effort.
McCartney helped forge the decisive gaps late in the stage and settled for seventh, but Michele Scarponi (Diquigiovanni) ruined a possible victory by Pate to snatch his second victory of this Giro d’Italia.
Denis Menchov (Rabobank) finished safely in the pack to retain his 26-second lead to Danilo Di Luca (LPR) while Pate came close to another grand tour stage victory by crossing the line third.
“The bad thing is that no one even remembers who got second in stage 18. No one even knows what stage it is today, no one will remember who second is,” said Pate, who was third in stage 15 at last year’s Tour de France. “It’s just all about the win. We were close, we rode a really good race, it just didn’t work out — not much you can do about it.”
Pate, of course, is wrong. People will remember the stage because the finale was the most exciting breakaway finish so far of this Giro.
McCartney and Pate each played key roles. McCartney was driving the pace with the attack that definitely split the breakaway in the closing 10km. That spit out such dangerous sprinters as Julian Dean (Garmin-Slipstream) and Giovanni Visconti (ISD-Neri) and trimmed the group down to seven.
Pate was marking wheels, hoping that Dean could chase back on from 20 seconds in arrears. McCartney and Bak played the numbers game, but Scarponi rejoined in the final kilometer and then spoiled the party.
“JD was one of the best sprinters in the group. I had to cover the moves as best as I could. I got in a group and playing for JD to come back,” Pate said. “I only attacked once for real, and I followed all the other times. For a while, we didn’t have Scarponi and he came up from behind. He was just strongest up the hill.”
Scarponi regained contact just in time to hitch a ride on the final rising finish, shooting off Pate’s wheel to bolt past Pate and Felix Cardenas (Barloworld) to win for the second time of this Giro.
“It was a perfect finale for me. I like those climbing finishes like that,” Scarponi said. “It’s always beautiful to win out of a breakaway. The last few kilometers were difficult, with so many attacks. I had the legs to cover the moves and be there for the sprint.”
Scarponi’s win was his second of this Giro and the third for his Diquigiovanni team.
The repeat also kept the lid on stage victories for teams at this Giro, with only six teams winning stages so far. In addition to three with Diquigiovanni, Columbia-Highroad has won six, four by LPR, two each for Rabobank and Cervélo, and one for Liquigas.
Menchov in driver’s seat
2009 Giro d'Italia, stage 18: Menchov held his lead another day
There will be two GC races up the scarred and burned ramparts of Mont Vesuvius in Friday’s final summit finish.
The first is the showdown between Menchov and Di Luca, separated by just 26 seconds, and second will be a dogfight for the final spot on the podium.
Menchov’s Rabobank team kept Thursday’s breakaway from gaining too much time and even got some help from Ag2r, which was interested in protecting Tadej Valjavec’s ninth place to the potential danger of Popovych’s presence in the break.
“Today was a pretty good day for us. Having a breakaway was ideal and we were able to control it without too many complications,” said Menchov, who crossed the line 27th with the main pack at 3:57 back. “Tomorrow, we know that Di Luca will attack. I have to follow him and then see what happens on the climb.”
Revealing that he was taking the Giro very seriously from the start, Menchov said he climbed Vesuvio once in training to scout out the final obstacle between him and the time trial in Rome.
Menchov knows that he can ride defensively, marking Di Luca’s wheel and keeping Liquigas riders Ivan Basso and Filippo Pellizotti on short leashes. In a worst-case scenario, Menchov said he cannot afford to lose more than a minute to Di Luca or the other challengers.
“If you lose one minute, you cannot do anything in such a short time trial. This difference is very big,” he said. “I am more relaxed now, I am confident, I feel strong. I know tomorrow is an important day, not only for me but my (rivals). It’s the last important day.”
Di Luca didn’t attack in the rising finish in Thursday’s final kilometer and instead decided to cool his engine ahead of Friday’s final clash on Vesuvius.
“It’s the last chance for me to try to win this Giro,” Di Luca said. “It’s an interesting climb, not as long as Blockhaus, but it has some steep sections and it’s an inconsistent climb. I take some confidence out of Blockhaus. If we keep the pressure on Menchov, maybe I can grab the maglia rosa.”
Stage 18 results
1 Michele Scarponi (Ita) S.Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli 4.07.41
2 Félix Cardenas (Col) Barloworld
3 Danny Pate (USA) Garmin – Slipstream
4 Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Team Saxo Bank
5 Dmytro Grabovskyy (Ukr) ISD
6 Dries Devenyns (Bel) Quick Step
7 Jason McCartney (USA) Team Saxo Bank
8 Giovanni Visconti (Ita) ISDGeneral classification after stage 18
1 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank
2 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) LPR Brakes – Farnese Vini 0.26
3 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas 2.00
4 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas 3.28
5 Carlos Sastre (Spa) Cervelo Test Team 3.30
6 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana 4.32
7 Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Columbia – Highroad 7.05
8 Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone – Caffe Mokambo 8.03Source: Velonews.com
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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
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Menchov wins stage 12 time trial at Cinque Terre and takes lead
Posted on May 21st, 2009 1 comment
2009 Giro d'Italia - Stage 12: Menchov moves into the overall lead.
A spectacular 60km course along Italy’s stunning Cinque Terre lived up to expectations Thursday as Denis Menchov (Rabobank) pulled the double, winning the stage and snatching away the maglia rosa from Danilo Di Luca (LPR).
Levi Leipheimer (Astana) – who’s won three time trials in three starts this season ─ almost walked away with the jackpot, finishing just 20 seconds slower than Menchov and climbing into third at 40 seconds back.
“Twenty second is not a lot. Menchov was better than me today, so I have to congratulate him today, but 20 seconds is hard to swallow on a course like today because I wanted to win,” Leipheimer said. “Even though we lost Horner, I am confident in our team. Lance is getting better. I think we can still win it.”
Menchov ─ the first Russian since Pavel Tonkov to wear the famed pink tunic – erased his 1 minute, 20 second deficit to overnight leader Di Luca on the punishing, two-climb course to win in 1 hour, 34 minutes, 29 seconds (38.482kph).
“Today was one of the decisive stages of this Giro and it’s an important step in trying to win,” said Menchov, who dedicated the victory to Pedro Horrillo. “Nothing’s decided yet. There are still a lot of hard stages to come.”
The grueling time trial course – one of the longest and most difficult seen in a grand tour in a decade – tightened up the battle for the pink jersey, with the top 3 separated by just 40 seconds.
Behind them, there are four heavy hitters – Franco Pellizotti, Carlos Sastre, Michael Rogers and Ivan Basso ─ still within three minutes of Menchov with the hardest part of the Giro still ahead.
“We can expect attacks. Liquigas is perhaps the strongest team with the most interest in this race, but you cannot discount the others,” Menchov said. “Perhaps the most dangerous rider now is Di Luca. You can see how motivated he is, how he’s climbing, how he sprints for the bonuses.”
Lance Armstrong (Astana) rode well in his first major time trial since retiring in 2005.
2009 Giro d'Italia - Stage 12: Leipheimer is in a strong position on GC.
The seven-time winner of the Tour de France demonstrated his form continues to improve, stopping the clock in 1h36:55 at 2:26 off the pace to climb to 12th overall at 6:34 back. He left the race without speaking to reporters.
Stefano Garzelli (Acqua e Sapone) rode well to post an early fast time and ended up third on the stage at 1:03 slower. The 2000 Giro winner is out to defend his King of the Mountains jersey and aim for a stage victory.
Favorites duke it out
Di Luca ─ who held the pink jersey since stage 5 ─ did his best to defend the maglia rosa, stopping the clock at 1:54 slower than Menchov.The 2007 Giro champion slipped to second at 34 seconds back, stayed ahead of Leipheimer and widening his gap to such rivals as Ivan Basso (Liquigas) and Carlos Sastre (Cervélo) by more than two minutes.
“I have to be content. I gave everything to defend the maglia rosa,” said Di Luca, who rode decked out in pink head-to-toe. “Menchov was super-strong today. I said the Giro starts today. There are still a lot of stages to suit me well. I want to take back the jersey as soon as possible.”
Despite the difficulty and length of the course, huge gaps were not opened up as expected by some pundits.
Rogers dropped from third to sixth, now 2:59 back, but otherwise there were reshufflings among the top 10 with the leading three taking important gains.
Pellizotti, Sastre and Gilberto Simoni (now 8th at 4:38 back) all moved up, while Lovkivist slipped from eighth to 10th, but retained the best young rider’s jersey.
2009 Giro d'Italia - Stage 12: Garzelli set the early mark, but finished third, at 1:03.
Basso and Sastre finished 11th and 12th, respectively, at 2:17 and 2:18 off the pace. Both ceded ground, but expressed satisfaction with their respective performances.
“I have to be pretty satisfied. The race is still open,” Basso said. “There are still the hardest stages ahead of us. It was a very hard time trial and the downhills weren’t good for me. Menchov was clearly the best man today with the long, hard climbs. I am taking things with tranquility right now. There are still some hard stages to attack.”
Sastre – who started this Giro with the goal of finishing on the top-3 podium ─ realizes he’s still in with a shot.
“I went at my maximum and I felt pretty good. I didn’t set any real objectives, except to go all out, without thinking of any specific result,” he said. “I went full-gas on the climbs and eased back a little on the descents, because I didn’t want to take any risks. I climbed up to fifth. There are three key stages, and with the speed that we’re racing this Giro, everything is still possible.”
With Pellizotti now fourth at 2:00 back and Basso stuck in seventh at 3:00 back, one of the big questions, at least among the Italians, was who would take over the leadership for Liquigas.
“We always said from the start that Ivan and I would share the leadership of the team,” Pellizotti said. “I am demonstrating that I have some good form. It’s always the journalists who are saying there’s some sort of problem within the team. We started as equals and we will both race to win. What’s important is that someone from Liqugas win the Giro.”
Stage 12 results
1 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank 1.34.29
2 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana 0.20
3 Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone – Caffe Mokambo 1.03
4 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Astana 1.14
5 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas 1.27
6 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) LPR Brakes – Farnese Vini 1.57
7 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Garmin – Slipstream 1.59
8 Gabriele Bosisio (Ita) LPR Brakes – Farnese Vini 2.04
9 Jose Serpa (Col) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli 2.13
10 Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre – N.G.C. 2.17General classification after stage 12
1 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank 50.27.17
2 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) LPR Brakes – Farnese Vini 0.34
3 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana 0.40
4 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas 2.00
5 Carlos Sastre (Spa) Cervelo Test Team 2.52
6 Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Columbia – Highroad 2.58
7 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas 3.00
8 Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli 4.38
9 Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Team Columbia – Highroad 5.53
10 David Arroyo (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne 5.55source: velonews.com
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Riders stage go-slow protest during Giro stage in Milan
Posted on May 17th, 2009 No comments
Sunday 17th May 2009 – Nigel Wynn & Stephen FarrandToday’s Giro d’Italia stage in Milan was supposed to be a showcase event – a criterium circuit lined with the city’s race fans all out to watch the pros in action, and to celebrate the Giro’s centenary.
Just prior to the stage start, the organisers announced that there would be no time gaps awarded and no time bonuses given, leaving the way free for the sprinters to strut their stuff. The stage was set.
However, things didn’t quite go to plan as the riders decided to make a protest and take it very easy around the tight city centre circuit. The race conditions were made worse by parked cars at the side of the road, effectively funnelling the riders into a narrow ribbon.
Race leader and vice president of the Italian riders’ association, Danilo Di Luca, said that they’d carry on but would not race.
“We’re sorry for the public but the circuit isn’t safe,” Di Luca said. “We don’t want to risk anything.”
The riders concerns were justified and come after two days of incidents. During yesterday’s stage, Spanish rider Pedro Horrillo crashed badly and tumbled down the side of a mountain sustaining horrific injuries. He was airlifted to hospital and only came out of a coma this morning.
After the previous day’s stage (Friday), many riders had aired their disgust at the slippery descent into the finish town – none more so that Lance Armstrong who commented via his Twitter feed: “I’ve seen it all now. 25 mile fast decent to the finish. In the pissing rain. Makes no sense. The boys in the bunch are livid.”
RACE DIRECTOR NOT HAPPY
Giro d’Italia race director Angelo Zomegnan was less than sympathetic to the riders’ pooping of his party.“I think that when a race starts it has to finish,” Zomegnan said. “People stop when they don’t know where they’re going.
“Before the race started we agreed with them to neutralise the times to avoid more adrenaline in the sprint. It was a good decision, especially after what happened yesterday but I was the first to cancel all the celebrations at he finish in Bergamo.
“If this circuit is dangerous then the Amstel Gold Race and Ghent-Wevelgem should be cancelled too. They’ve betrayed the public and I hope that they start to race seriously soon.
“It’s true there were other technical finishes in Mayrhofen and Chiavenna but we changes the road and took our roundabouts.
“If they don’t want to race we’ll take some decisions this evening,” Zomegnan concluded tersely.
CIPOLLINI: “THERE ARE BIGGER PROBLEMS THAT NEED SORTING OUT”
Former professional rider Mario Cipollini was at the roadside in Milan, and spoke to Italian TV about the protest.“I don’t know details of why the riders are protesting but they’ve had some difficult finishes so far in the race,” Cipollini said.
“I’m not a rider anymore, I’m a tifoso and in Milan, and the tifosi deserved to see a spectacular day of racing. I think they could have protested differently, without being so aggressive. I think there are bigger problems that need to be sorted out.”
“I’ve raced in the centre of Milan several times and the road seems okay. The last kilometre is also straight, so I can’t see the reason to protest today. I know there was a nasty accident yesterday and safety is important but it’s not respectful to protest like that at the centenary Giro.”
Stage 9 results
1 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team Columbia-Highroad
2 Allan Davis (Aus) Quick Step
3 Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin-Slipstream
4 Matthew Goss (Aus) Saxo BankGeneral classification after stage 9
1 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) LPR Brakes – Farnese Vini
2 Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Team Columbia – Highroad 0.13
3 Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Columbia – Highroad 0.44
4 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana 0.51
5 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank 0.58
6 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas 1.14
7 Carlos Sastre (Spa) Cervelo Test Team 1.24
8 Christopher Horner (USA) Astana 1.25
9 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas 1.35
10 David Arroyo (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne 1.49Source: cyclingweekly.co.uk