Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the fifth and penultimate stage in the 49th Euskal Herriko Itzulia. Today's is the last road stage, with only tomorrow's Individual TT left to determine the winner, but is as though and filled with uphill riding moments as all previous stages were, maybe even more than that. In fact the going gets vertical seven times in the 169-kilometer trip from Güeñes to Zalla. The steepest climbs - the second category Alto de La Escrita, to be tackled twice, and the first category Alto de Ubal - come in the opening half, and are followed by "just" four third category things, the Alto de Bezi coming as last difficulty about a dozen km. from the finish and serving as (yet another) ideal launch pad for would-be attackers.
One more time we join a stage in progress with a small bunch of escapees on the move. This time the "breakaway of the day" looks like a matter of David Moncoutié (Fra - Cofidis), Andy Schleck (Lux - Team Saxo Bank), Egoi Martínez (Spa - Euskaltel-Euskadi), Christian Pfannberger (Aut - Team Katusha), David de la Fuente (Spa - Fuji-Servetto), Joaquín Rodríguez (Spa - Caisse-D'Epargne) and Maxime Monfort (Bel - Team Columbia-High Road). Catalunya's Joaquín Rodríguez is just 45 seconds down in the GC at the stage start, and this prompted a quick reaction by Astana, the team of yellow jersey holder Alberto Contador. Notwithstanding this the seven wonders, that put in the right move at km. 43, managed to extend their advantage to 83 seconds, turning Rodríguez into virtual race leader on the road. But that was just an illusion: Astana's efforts bore fruit as the gap was cut down to 50" at the latest check at km. 85, e.g. halfway through the stage.
Today's leg had just one non-starter, but with a very excellent name: Andy's elder brother Frank Schleck. Another well-known rider pulled out early in the stage: yesterday's "almost winner" Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel - Silence-Lotto). There were more early DNFers anyway: Joaquín Novoa (Spa - Cervelo Test Team), Mikel Gaztañaga (Spa - Contentpolis-Ampo) and Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita - AG2R-La Mondiale).
A flurry of breakaway attempts came in the first hour of racing, starring Rubén Pérez (Spa - Euskaltel-Euskadi), Paul Martens (Ger - Rabobank), Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger - Team Milram), Dionisio Galparsoro (Spa - Contentpolis-Ampo) first and Joaquín Rodríguez (Spa - Caisse D'Epargne), Rein Taaramae (Est - Cofidis), Egoi Martínez (Spa - Euskaltel-Euskadi), David López García (Spa - Caisse D'Epargne), Andrea Noé (Ita - Liquigas), Christian Pfannberger (Aus - Team Katusha), Jesús Hernández (Spa - Astana) and Pieter Weening (Hol - Rabobank) later. But their time in the sun ran out extremely fast.
Race revelation Taaramae burst into spotlight again as winner of the Alto de la Escrita mountain sprint ahead of Vincenzo Nibali (Ita - Liquigas), Egoi Martínez (Spa - Euskaltel-Euskadi) and Aitor Hernández (Spa - Euskaltel-Euskadi). More moves came, with Andy Schleck among the most active riders, until the Luxembourgian and his current breakaway companions actualy managed to ride clear. Moncoutie took first atop Alto de Ubal with Andy Schleck, Egoi Martínez, Christian Pfannberger, David de la Fuente and Joaquín Rodríguez in the other point-awarding spots.
The Frenchman got another KOM win as they reached the summit of the third category Alto de Beci for the first time after 92 kilometres; Maxime Monfort and Joaquín Rodríguez filled in the remaining top three places. The advantage kept yo-yoing under the rain between 50 and 80 seconds since, with Astana allowing Rodriguez to keep his "virtual yellow jersey" a little longer. It was once more down to 48" as the race made its way back into Güeñes town at km. 113. But has moved up to 01'24" at the very latest check as the fugitives just stepped into the final fifty kilometers of the day.
1600 CEST David Moncoutié (Fra - Cofidis), Andy Schleck (Lux - Team Saxo Bank), Egoi Martínez (Spa - Euskaltel-Euskadi), Christian Pfannberger (Aut - Team Katusha), David de la Fuente (Spa - Fuji-Servetto), Joaquín Rodríguez (Spa - Caisse-D'Epargne) and Maxime Monfort (Bel - Team Columbia-High Road) keep working well with each other as they wind through a flat section near Zalla with 47 km. yet to be covered and the chase field 77 seconds back.
Just like it happened yesterday, Caisse d'Epargne and Euskaltel-Euskadi, top two contenders in the teams classification, took the pursuit in their hands.
1610 CEST The gap fell under the minute again as the front group went down to six men only due to Maxime Monfort's misfortunes. The Belgian of Team Columbia had a flat and is now desperately trying to regain the wheels of the escapees.
1620 CEST Monfort fought his way back to the breakaway group with slightly over 40 to go.
Russia's Vladimir Efimkin (Ag2r-La Mondiale) and Italy's legendary veteran Andrea Noe of Liquigas attack the field and gain about ten seconds as the race is on Alto De Beci again.
1620 CEST The seven wonders have made it to the Alto de Beci summit already. Noé and Efimkin did it too at 45 seconds. The Astana-led group is coming.
And here they are. Contador and associates stay 66 seconds down on the breakaway group as they crest the day's penultimate climb. Now on to a tricky descent, made even more dangerous by the wet roads.
Noè, Efimkin are those taking more risks while coming down the Alto. The pairing cut the gap down to just half a minute. The Italian is flying now, with the Russian following his wheel. Thirty kilometers to go.
1630 CEST Astana are fast too. They paced the peloton close to Noé and Efimkin. The former is about to be chased down. The latter is going to give up his hopes soon too.
Noè got caught. Vladimir Efimikin stays clear, but is now joined by another Liqui-guy. It's Alessandro Vanotti.
The seven fugitives, their two closest pursuers as well as the bunch containing just about 70 riders now left the Beci descent behind. They'll have to climb this ascent one more time later in the stage. Chechu Rubiera, who's more accustomed than many other riders to racing in riany and cold weather conditions like today's, is doing a helluva job for his team leader.
David Moncoutié (Fra - Cofidis), Andy Schleck (Lux - Team Saxo Bank), Egoi Martínez (Spa - Euskaltel-Euskadi), Christian Pfannberger (Aut - Team Katusha), David de la Fuente (Spa - Fuji-Servetto), Joaquín Rodríguez (Spa - Caisse-D'Epargne) and Maxime Monfort (Bel - Team Columbia-High Road) were caught.
Marco Pinotti (Team Columbia) speeds off on his own and starts a solo chase of Efimkin and Vanotti, at their turn making it to the finish. But not for the last time: 24 kilometers to go.
Astana keeps thing under control as they cross the line at Zalla 42 seconds behind the two front runners, with Pinotti still in between. Joaquin Rodriguez reportedly pulled out of the race, going from virtual yellow jersey holder to DNFer in a very short time.
1645 CEST Quick Step and Team Katusha drive the peloton charge with 20 km to go and the lead group, that became a trio as Marco Pinotti just joined Alex Vanotti and Vladimir Efimkin, still 42 seconds ahead.
Interviewed "on the road" by Basque journalists, Efimkin's team manager (and former pro rider) Arthuras Kasputis said he thinks it's gonna be hard for the trio to hold on to such slender margin in the last piece of the stage.
The latest time check apparently proved Kasputis right: the gap fell to 35 seconds with 16k remaining. Vanotti, Pinotti and Efimkin are back to their climbing tasks.
1657 CEST More skirmishes on Alto de Beci slopes. Marco Pinotti drops his two fellow attackers and goes away solo. The last climb and the infamous weather are thinning down the Katusha-led bunch, and causing new additions to the "DNFer club".
Vanotti was caught by Colom, Contador, Pfannberger, Cunego, Gesink, Evans, Sam and L.L. Sanchez etc. Efimkin will be in a moment. Pinotti keeps a good advantage (33 seconds) at the 14-to-go check.
Only some 20 riders were left in the "Contador group". "Team Columbian" Pinotti is just 1,000 meters away from the top of the ascent.
1702 CEST Marco Pinotti crested the ascent. The peloton, driven by Astana and with Efimkin inside, came in 35 seconds behind. The Italian leader is hanging tough.
Bergamo's own Marco Pinotti could give Team Columbia their second stage victory in a row, and make it seventeen for the American powerhouse squad so far this year. But there's a long way to go. About ten kilometers to be precise.
Pinotti is flying on the final descent to the line. The peloton guys are going quite fast too.
1706 CEST Pinotti's advantage went down to sixteen seconds. But ...
... but it's the man's lead on Vincenzo Nibali we are talking of. His fellow Italian managed to ride away from the bunch, which is now paced by Samuel Sanchez ahead of Contador and Evans, and the rest.
1708 CEST Gap update: Liquigas' Nibali still has a 24-second time deficit to make up for. And Pinotti is supposed to be a better TTist than him, so the Sicilian's chances are getting slimmer.
Five to go. Pinotti in the lead. Nibali 22" behind. The group at 40 seconds. 4k left.
1708 CEST Three to go as Marco Pinotti takes on the last uphill thingy of the day. Nibali gave up his hopes to chase him down. Quite the opposite: the Shark is going to be eaten by the bunch.
Nibali is caught. It's a matter of Pinotti and the peloton (down by 20" with 2k to go) now.
1,000 meters left as Marco Pinotti enters Zalla town. He continues his winning march to the line, and ...
... and ends up winning the stage!!!
Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarco Pinoooooooooooooooottiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii is the winner.
And it's SEVENTEEN victories for Team Columbia-High Road so far in the current season. Wow!!
Vincenzo Nibali was caught for real, but only in the last hundred meters!!! Such that - also today - Ben Swift won the bunch sprint ... and missed stage victory. The Briton snatched second place, with Francesco Gavazzi in third and Christian Knees fourth. Vladimir Efimkin finished in sixth, Alberto Contador was 10th in the stage. Sam Sanchez was 13th. And poor Nibali? The Shark went from second to 18th in the space of a few meters, finishing two places behind Oscar Freire. All of them 19 seconds behind Pinotti.
Talking in some kind of "melting pot" of Spanish and Italian with his Bergamo area accent, Marco Pinotti was all smiles after the stage, and sounded like he really was on cloud nine after his victory, that was very important to him also because it came in such terrible weather. The Italian confessed that he made what turned out to be the winning move as he thought that it was going to be hard for him to stay with the best ones on the final climb, so he resolved to "anticipate" the peloton. But he didn't think that he could win the stage, until he became aware of his advantage on the field at the top of Alto de Beci.
Later he was even surprised at how fast he went on the descent, as he's not often regarded as a good descender, jokingly (??) adding that what he did in the last thirty kilometers of today's stage was ... a good training for tomorrow's ITT. Pinotti is in fact one of Italy's few specialists against the clock, but sounded more serious as he stated that, even if likes the so-called "races of the truth", the efforts he sustained in "today's ITT", might take toll on him tomorrow. Still, he promised that he'll try and do his best also in the final day.
Speaking of Team Columbia-High Road, the stage winner called it a very strong and united side, without a true GC contender in this race, but with plenty of combative and motivated riders. They came to the Vuelta al Pais Vasco with one stage victory as goal, and did very fine with Albasini claiming victory yesterday, Monfort getting himself into today's breakaway, and the same Pinotti as eventual stage champion.
Stage 5 (Güeñes to Zalla, 169 km): Top 10 Places
1. Marco Pinotti (Ita - Team Columbia-High Road) - 04h15'56"
2. Ben Swift (GBR - Team Katusha) - at 19"
3. Franesco Gavazzi (Ita - Lampre-NGC) - s.t.
4. Christian Knees (Ger - Team Milram) - s.t.
5. Johannes Frohlinger (Ger - Team Milram) - s.t.
6. Vladimir Efimkin (Rus - Ag2r-La Mondiale) - s.t.
7. David Lopez (Spa - Caisse d'Epargne) - s.t.
8. Peter Velits (Svk - Team Milram) - s.t.
9. Dries Devenyns (Bel - Qucik Step) - s.t.
10. Alberto Contador (Spa - Astana) - s.t.
GC after Stage 5: Top 10 Places
1. Alberto Contador (Spa - Astana) - 20h16'31"
2. Samuel Sanchez (Spa - Euskaltel-Euskadi) - at 08"
3. Cadel Evans (Aus - Silence-Lotto) - at 08"
4. Toni Colom (Spa - Team Katusha) - at 08"
5. Damiano Cunego (Ita - Lampre-NGC) - at 27"
6. Robert Gesink (Hol - Rabobank) - at 32"
7. Luis Leon Sanchez (Spa - Caisse d'Epargne) - at 35"
8. Roman Kreuziger (Cze - Liquigas) - at 54"
9. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita - Liquigas) - at 54"
10. Sandy Casar (Fra - FdJ) - at 54"
