93rd Giro d'Italia - Stage 14
Team Liquigas Strikes Back - Nibali and Basso top
Podium
© 210
Gazzetta dello Sport
2010 Giro d'Italia
Jersey Leaders - After Stage 13
Maglia Rosa: Richie Porte Saxo Bank
Maglia Rossa:
Jerome Pineau Quick Step
KOM: Matthew Lloyd Omega Pharma/Lotto
U26: Richie
Porte Saxo Bank
Team: Saxo Bank
Stage 13 Live
Saturday 22 May
Stage 14: Ferrar - Asolo 205 km
Vincenzo "the Shark" Nibali of Liquigas won with impressive style
finishing solo in Asolo; taking his first Giro d'Italia victory and his third
win of the season. The 'Man from Messina' attacked on the descent of the off the
front of the lead group of teammate Ivan Basso, Michele Scarponi with
Cadel Evans at 10 seconds.
Evans joined Scarponi in the chase on the descent. Nibali opened a gap of 45
seconds on his way to the finish. Cadel Evans and Michele Scarponi led the chase
as Ivan Basso sat on.
Astana's Alexander Vinokourov followed over the summit with Carlos Sastre
(Cervélo TestTeam) in tow at 1:08. Dropping Sastre on the Descent Vino put in a
hard and fast pursuit but he was no match for the quartet ahead as they made the
descent in rain.
The fresher rider Basso won the three up sprint for second with Scarponi
(Androni Giocatteli) third and Cadel Evans (BMC Racing) fourth all coming
in at 33 seconds.
Vinokourov finished alone to claim 5th at 1:33 with the five favorites each
gaining time on their rivals.
David Arroyo (Caisse d'Epargne) came in with the sfecond chase group of ten
riders that included Lampre's Damiano Cunego, Carlos Sastre, and
Wiggins at 3:25.
4:46 seconds after Nibali's solo victory, Maglia Rosa, Saxo Bank's Richie
Porte led who had been paced by team mate Chris Sorensen from the climb where he
lost contact to the finish came up short by a minute to to keep the race
lead lost it to David Arroyo and is second in G.C. at 1:02.
Stage 14 Saturday 22 May: Ferrar - Asolo 205 km
©
210 Gazzetta dello Sport
The stage started with the sign in of 164 survivors of the last 14 days as
the brave, bold and toughest started the last week of of the Italian Grand
Tour. It wasn't long before the action got under way with 26 riders attacking
the peloton; no doubt seeking to duplicate the runaway success of stage 11.
The group that included, Gilberto Simoni, Facci, Cummings, Grivko, McEwen
were faced by stiff resistance from the Acqua & Sapone team backed up by Colnago
who led the chase. The group gained as much as 30 seconds before Team Liquigas
got involved and neutralized the group after 29 kilometers.
With 175 km to go William Bonnet (Bouyuges Telecom) was the next to lead an
attack joined by SKY's Steven Cummings, Damien Monier (Cofidis), Markus Eibegger
(Footon/Servetto) and Colnago/CSF Inox's Alessandro Bisolti. With 8
km later Filippo Pozzato joined the group of 5.
The sextet got the approval of the bunch and quickly moved up the road
opening a 7:35 gap on the peloton by the 55 km marker. the lads would max
out their advantage as they raced through Padua with 8 minutes with 140 km
to go.
Undaunted, the six worked well together and passed through sprint in
Camposampiero where the points were taken by Bonnet, Monier and Bisolti in that
order. The continued to hold onto an advantage of 5:35 as they passed the
halfway point of the stage.
Through the sprint in Asolo, with 74 km to go, Pozzato won the points
with Cummings and Bisolti on his wheel with a five minute gap over the
peloton led by Lampre and Liquigas who obviously had plans for the final
Category 1 climb of Mont Grappa. Approaching the 19 km long climb the gap had
fallen to 4:32.
On the climb Liqigas took control on the front with Sylovester Szmyd taking
the lead with Ivan Basso and Vincenzo Nibali on point as the riders behind
settled in for the long struggle to the summit. The accelerations of Szmyd
soon started putting riders in trouble as Simoni (Lampre) and race leader Richie
Porte found themselves in trouble falling off the pace. Porte had plenty of
companions in the group as Chris Anker Sorensen took up a position in front to
set the pace for his Saxo Bank leader.
Ahead an Attack by Alessandro Bisolti split the leaders group With
Damien Monier only able to hold his wheel behind Cummings, Pozatto and Bonnet
struggled to rejoin. Behind Szmyd continued to inflict damage on the group
the included all the favorites: Basso, Nibali, Cunego, Arroyo, Wiggins.
Bisolti attacked again and the acceleration dropped Monier, with 10 km to the
summit the Colnago rider was on a solo attack of the cat one summit 50 km from
the finish.
Szmyd continued to pound away on the front as Sastre lost contact and then
Vinkourov and then Evans. Behind the gap was growing to the Maglia Rosa
gruppo to over two minutes.
Wiggins was the next to attack catching and passing Eibegger and Pozatto, and
then team mate Cummings; the SKY duo worked together trying to close the gap.
Pozatto
With 48 km to go Bisolti led Monier by 20 seconds with the Wiggins and
Cummings at 1:20, Nibali & company at 1:25 and the maglia Rosa group losing
ground at over three minutes.
3 kilometers from the summit Bisolti looked fried as the grade kicked up
along with the wind and rain that opened up on the riders. Behind an Attack by
Vincenzo Nibali split the group again with Scarponi bridging and then joined by
basso. Behind Evans, Cunego, Wiggins and Arroyo sweated at a minute with Bisolti
and Monier the two leaders.
Cadel Evans went on the counter as up front Bisolti and Monier were swept up
by the three Italians: Nibali, Basso and Scarponi. Evans put in a powerful
performance almost catching the trio as they went over the summit led by
Scarponi.
Nibali attacked on the descent opening a 30 second gap as the rain fell
harder on the riders, Scarponi on the chase with Basso on his wheel were caught
by Evans with 35 km to go. Behind Chris Anker Sorensen faithfully set the pace
on the maglia rosa group for Richie port still on the climb at over a three
minute deficit.
Behind Vino and Sastre and went over the summit at 40 seconds; but Vinokourov
flew down the descent in the rain dropping the Spanish tour winner.
Vincenzo Nibali was flat out at 25 km to go with a gap of 50 seconds as
temporary allies Evans and Scarponi traded the lead of the chase with Basso
along for the ride. Vinokourov followed fighting every inch of the road to
trying to regain his rivals; a group of ten with led Cunego, Wiggins, Arroyo,
Bauke Mollema, Linus Gerdemann, and Sastre et all followed Vino at another
1:38... Behind Sorensen led the Porte gruppo over the summit at over 4 minutes.
The final 20 kilometer was a simple pursuit between
Nibali for the win, and to take back time on the G.C. - followed by rivals
Evans. Basso, Scarponi and Vinokourov - the final pursuit followed with
second placed Caisse d'Epargne's Arroyo in the ten man group with Sastre, Cunego
attempting to gain the time over Porte to end up in the pink shirt at the end of
the stage.
One guy who has to be acknowledged today is Chris
Anker Sorensen who led his team mate and the group all the way to the finish
trying to keep the Maglia Rosa in his team on Richie Porte's shoulders. The Dane
got damn little help doing a great job today; bringing young Richie Porte
home to the finish at 4:46 only 40 seconds off hanging on to his pink jersey for
another day.
Tomorrow's stage to the summit finish on Monte
Zoncolan should prove to be more of the same with the favorites gutting
themselves to get back into the game and close the final 7 to ten minutes
they remaining they lost on stage 11 to get back into contention for the overal
victory.
The question that is on everyone's minds tonight is
how much tax will Nibali, Scarponi, Basso, Evans and Vinokourov pay on the final
climb to the summit tomorrow in what will prove to be perhaps the most decisive
day of this years Giro.
Stage 14 Results
Ferrar - Asolo
205 km - 4:57:51 - 41.9 km/h
1 Nibali Vincenzo Ita Liq Liquigas/Doimo
4:57:51
2 Basso Ivan Ita Liq Liquigas/Doimo 0:23
3 Scarponi Michele Ita And Androni Giocattoli 0:23
4 Evans Cadel Aus Bmc BMC Racing 0:23
5 Vinokourov Alexandre Kaz Ast Astana 1:34
6 Samoilau Branislau Blr Qst Quick Step 2:25
7 Mollema Bauke Ned Rab Rabobank 2:25
8 Cunego Damiano Ita Lam Lampre/Farnese Vini 2:25
9 Gerdemann Linus Ger Mrm Team Milram 2:25
10 Pinotti Marco Ita Thr HTC/Columbia 2:25
11 Wiggins Bradley Gbr Sky Team SKY 2:25
12 Arroyo Duran David Esp Gce Caisse d'Epargne 2:25
13 Tondo Volpini Xavier Esp Ctt Cervélo TestTeam 2:25
14 Sastre Candil Carlos Esp Ctt Cervélo TestTeam 2:25
15 Cioni Dario David Ita Sky Team SKY 2:31
General Classification After
Stage 6
1 Arroyo Duran David Esp Gce Caisse d'Epargne
61:22:54
2 Porte Richie Aus Sax Saxo Bank 0:39
3 Tondo Volpini Xavier Esp Ctt Cervélo TestTeam 2:12
4 Kiserlovski Robert Cro Liq Liquigas/Doimo 2:35
5 Gerdemann Linus Ger Mrm Team Milram 3:52
6 Sastre Candil Carlos Esp Ctt Cervélo TestTeam 5:27
7 Wiggins Bradley Gbr Sky Team SKY 6:32
8 Nibali Vincenzo Ita Liq Liquigas/Doimo 6:51
9 Vinokourov Alexandre Kaz Ast Astana 7:15
10 Evans Cadel Aus Bmc BMC Racing 7:26
11 Basso Ivan Ita Liq Liquigas/Doimo 7:43
12 Scarponi Michele Ita And Androni Giocattoli 9:02
13 Pinotti Marco Ita Thr HTC/Columbia 10:23
14 Karpets Vladimir Rus Kat Katusha 10:45
15 Cunego Damiano Ita Lam Lampre/Farnese Vini 11:11
16 Agnoli Valerio Ita Liq Liquigas/Doimo 12:27
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