Stage 19: Treviso - Comano Terme, 179 km
Continued from
Stage 19
Live Coverage Part 1.
1545 CEST Two riders in the lead, five
others as first chasers, then there's the Lastras/Cioni/Vila trio. The Gruppo
Maglia Rosa, up to 28 guys, lost plenty of seconds in the last few kilometres,
their gap grew to 02'45".
1547 CEST One news report from Germany.
Erik Zabel won also today's Tour of Bavaria stage. Benitez took second and
Siedler third. The (still popular) "Ete" is also overall leader of the race.
1550 CEST The Spanish duo of Alberto
Losada and Iban Mayo took their advantage over the peloton up to new heights.
They are no overall contenders at all, and this is much of help to them. Their
lead over the "Garzelli" group is much lower: just 25 seconds.
1550 CEST The Spanish duo
of Alberto Losada and Iban Mayo took their advantage over the peloton up to
new heights. They are no overall contenders at all, and this is much of help
to them. Their lead over the "Garzelli" group is much lower: just 25 seconds.
Paolo Bettini is several minutes adrift instead. Those picking
him as stage winner were wrong, we tend to think ... The "first pursuers" -
Giovanni Visconti, Marco Marzano, Evgueni Petrov, Stefano Garzelli, Michael
Rasmussen - are a few seconds closer to Iban Mayo and Alberto Losada now. The
gap fell to twenty seconds.
1556 CEST Di Luca and the
main peloton are down to 04'12". But instead of working his legs off in a
silly, pointless chase of Mayo, Losada, and the other non-threats Danilo
smartly slowed the pace so that more teammates of his could regain the Gruppo.
1600 CEST The Maglia Rosa
of misfortune firmly stays on the shoulders of Paolo Bettini. The Cricket
punctured straight before the start of the Pian delle Fugazze climb. He
struggled his way back into the field, but paid the price of such efforts as
the going got vertical and tougher.
By the way, Gilberto Simoni
came first over the top of the Fugazze first category climb, with Piepoli,
Cunego, Mazzoleni and Pellizotti in the remaining top spots.
1604 CEST -
Less than 40
kilometres to go. Losada and Mayo lead Petrov (the best placed rider currently
ahead of Di Luca), Garzelli, Marzano, Visconti and Rasmussen by 25 seconds.
Olivier Bonnaire made contact with Lastras, Vila and Cioni. The quartet are
trailing by 02'10". The Gruppo Maglia Rosa is taking it (more or less) easy at
04'05". The average speed was a good 39.6 kph after three hours. Which is no
bad thing at all in circumstances like today's.
1608 CEST The front pair
extended their advantage over their five nearest chasers to 28 seconds, whilst
the main peloton, containing about 60 riders, have finally increased their
pace, and started to make gains as a few Lampres and Astanas joined. Liquigas
riders on the front leading the chase.
Their gap dropped to 03 minutes 38 seconds with the finish 35
kilometres away. Lastras, Cioni, Vila and Olivier Bonnaire are 02'32" down on
Mayo and Losada as the leading duo hit the short but challenging Trenno
ascent.
The Petacchi / Bettini group are 10 minutes adrift in
the pouring rain. Astana and Lampre keep giving Liquigas a hand in the main
peloton. Iban Mayo and Alberto Losada keep working well with each other as
they lead the Garzelli quintet by a good 32" now, minutes after they went
under the 30 km to go banner.
1621 CEST The road was back to its uphill
ways also for the main peloton. Many riders are taking off their jackets.
Alberto Losada and notably Iban Mayo are doing fine. They have completed the
first two km. in the ascent and extended their lead over Garzelli, Marzano,
Visconti, Rasmsussen and Petrov to 45 seconds.
The Gruppo
Maglia Rosa is 03'10" down. Spezialetti
and Tiralongo are leading the peloton charge. They are about to swallow up
Vila, Cioni, Bonnaire and Lastras. Liquigas continues to lead the uphill pace
with Andy Schleck and Gilberto Simoni in attendance in the first ten riders.
1625 CEST Good news for Discovery Channel
from the Tour of Belgium: their Tuscany-based Russian Vladimir Gusev won
today's ITT. The man also sits atop the overall standings of the race.
Lampre take a turn at the front... Liquigas as the climb continues up the
Trenno.
1629 CEST A few
minutes ago, while the race was at Riva del Garda, it looked like the chasing
quintet was going to get across to the front pairing. Just an illusion: the
gap was back to its growing antics, up to current minute, and now it looks
like Mayo and Losada have very solid chances to make it to the finish.
1635 CEST - 20 km to go, for the Spanish
duo in the lead showing no signs of weakening. Stefano Garzelli fell off the
pace after five kilometres of climbing. He was dropped and will be likely
caught by the Di Luca group. The four other chasers cut the gap to Losada and
Mayo down to 43 seconds. Mainly due to the fact Alberto Losada is starting to
pay for the efforts sustained thus far. As soon as Iban Mayo realized
that, the "red bird" Basque sped off on his own.
The Spanish
climber is on a solo lead with the top of the last climb about 3 kilometres
away. Losada will be soon caught by Visconti, Marzano, Petrov and Rasmussen.
Whose current gap to Mayo is 50 seconds.
Michael Rasmussen is
celebrating is 33rd birthday today. A stage victory would not be a bad gift we
think. But Iban Mayo might disagree with us.
1644 CEST Stefano Garzelli was pulled back
into the Gruppo Maglia Rosa. Di Luca lost some teammates on the ascent,
but Liquigas just did what they had to also today. Giovanni Visconti, Marco
Marzano, Evgueni Petrov and Michael Rasmussen easily caught Losada. And as
soon as they did, Rasmussen went on the attack!
The Dane not
only celebrate his birthday today, but is also based in a Garda lakeside town
not far from the roads they are currently tackling, roads he knows well.
1647 CEST Iban Mayo is just 500m from the
top of the climb. Rasmussen is 40 seconds down on him.
1648 CEST Mayo makes it to the summit.
16k to go for the Spaniard. Rasmussen came
in at 41". No gains for the Rabo-boy in the last 1,000 metres. Marco
Marzano tried to follow the move from Rasmussen. But did not succeed. Petrov
and Visconti quickly regained his wheels. Losada is 01'40" adrift already.
And the Gruppo Maglia Rosa are taking on the last uphill kilometre. Under the
rain of course. The pouring rain. On the weather side of the matter, it might
well be the worst day of this year's Giro.
1653 CEST - 8 km
to go. The peloton made some ore gains
on Iban Mayo, but three minutes is too much of a gap at this point in the stage.
Visconti, Petrov and Marzano caught Rasmussen, the quartet is now back to its
gap-cutting ways: Iban Mayo is only (?) 40 seconds ahead. Quick Step's
Visconti is towing the chasers. But no signs of surrender from Iban.
1657 CEST - 7 km to go, Visconti and
Petrov dropped Marzano and Rasmussen by their wheels, and cut the gap to Iban
Mayo down to 27". The two others are a further ten seconds back. The solo
leader takes on the last uphill section, which could play into his hands. Both
Iban and his two closest pursuers are giving it everything at this point.
1700 CEST - 5 km to go, The Basque is
about to reach the top of the last, brief "climb". Once he does, it will be
all about the final descent to the line. The Basque is about to reach the top
of the last, brief "climb". Once he does, it will be all about the final
descent to the line.
OOPPPS ... EVGUENI PETROV fell on the descent. Giovanni Visconti left as
the only chaser with some options.
It's comng down to an downhill ITT. Mayo vs. Visconti, with
4k to go. Petrov got back in the saddle ... and fell again soon
later!
1703 CEST Visconti isn't taking too many
risks either, and Iban Mayo's advantage consequently grew again to 48
seconds!! Mayo is very close to victory now. He'd better not take risks either
though.
1k to go for Iban. While Petriov is being
caught by Marzano and Rasmussen.
1705 CEST - 4k to
go for the gruppo Maglia Rosa, Garzelli dropped. Codol stopped and
waited for him.
But here comes Iban .. 150 m to go... 100... 50 metres ...
IBAN WINS!!
IBAAAAAAN MAAAYOOOOOOO!!!!!
The Basque is back to glory.
Giovanni Vioconti comes in second at 42"
Marzano third, one minute behind Mayo, Rasmussen fourth at 01'07". Evgueni
Petrov only fifth.Losada coming next. The peloton is about to make it to the
line too. Aerts and Bernucci launched a late attack on the field and put a few
seconds into them. The group was led home by Richeze at about 03'20"
1. MAYO
2. VISCONTI AT 43"
3. MARZANO AT 01'04"
4. RASMUSSEN AT 01'08"
5. PETROV AT 01'08"
6. AERTS 02'54"
7. BERNUCCI AT 02'58"
8. RICHEZE (winner of the field "sprint") AT 03'13"
Losada did not finish in the top places. And Stefano Garzelli crossed the line
some time behind the bunch. Paolo Bettini and Alessandro Petacchi will be
finishing the stage in ten minutes or so.
1713 CEST - So Iban Mayo (partially) found
back the form that put him atop the podium at L'Alpe d'Huez in a Tour de
France stage a few years ago, and at the same time scored Saunier Duval's
fourth stage victory in this Giro. Four stage victories scored by as many
different riders. What a show by Saunier Duval/Prodir! And nevertheless none
of them will be atop the podium in Milan!
Speaking of GC, no changes at all to the top six places, but today's
performance under the rain helped Evgueni Petrov who moved up one place into
seventh 08'25" down on Danilo Di Luca. He might even have a go at attacking
Riccardo Riccó's sixth place in tomorrow's ITT, the Russian being a far better
specialist than the Italian. Arroyo was consequently down to eighth, but the
Spaniard's ten minute gap to the current overall leader remains unchanged.
The podium is surrounded by a sea of multicolored umbrellas waiting for the
riders to take the stage... Danilo Diluca steps up and takes his umpteenth
Maglia Rosa with only two days left on the road to Milano.
Giovanni Visconti displayed a very generous attitude today, and not for the
first time, as much as it wasn't the first time the fighting Sicilian and his
Quick Step team didn't get their efforts rewarded.
1725 CEST -The gruppetto with Bettini and
Petacchi just finished their stage, about 24 minutes behind the winner.
After Stage 19 Interviews:
Iban Mayo was all smiles after storming
back into limelight in a Grand Tour "The team did fine today and I did not
waste the chance I was given. And I am happy at that. We have got four wins
with as many riders, and Gibo can climb the final podium, so I think we had a
great Giro. Today Leo (Piepoli) forced the pace on the (Pian delle Fugazze)
climb to try and put some pressure on Di Luca, but Di Luca was just too strong
and we chose to go for stage victory".
After Stage
19 Interviews continue...
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live coverage of the 19th Stage of the Giro d'Italia...
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