93rd Giro d'Italia - Stage 19 Live Part 1
Brescia - Aprica, 195km - The day that could make history.
In today's leg-torture finishing at the Aprica skiing resort, riders have to
take on the "Special One" (speaking of climbs of course.. the mighty Mortirolo.
Follow the action LIVE NOW!
© 210
Gazzetta dello Sport
2010 Giro d'Italia
Jersey Leaders - Stage 19
Maglia Rosa: David Duran Arroyo Caisse
d'Epargne
Maglia Rossa:
Cadel Evans BMC Racing
KOM: Matthew Lloyd Omega Pharma/Lotto
U26: Richie
Porte Saxo Bank
Team: Liquigas/Doimo
Stage 18
General Classification
Fridayday 28 May
© 2010 Gazzetta dello Sport
Giles Belbin: " Stage 19 is a run north
before the route takes the peloton on a clockwise loop and taking in four
climbs. First up is the 1173m Aprica. At 14km long the Aprica has a modest
average gradient of 3.5% but it does possess some evil sections of a maximum 15%
incline. Once over the Aprica, the riders have a sharp descent before it's
straight into climbing mode again as the ascend the Trivigno. At 1608m, the
Trevigno climb is some 11km long with a leg-sapping average incline of 7.6%. No
sooner than the riders have stopped descending then the road again kicks up as
they start to climb the dreaded Mortirolo.
It is just twenty years since this climb first featured in the Giro, but it
has fast built a fearsome reputation. The climb of the Mortirolo tops out at
1854m and is a touch under 13km long, averaging at 10% and maxing out at 18%
around the 4km mark. The middle section of the climb is pretty relentless, with
nearly 6km at over 12%. It comes just 30 km from the finish. Once over the
Mortirolo, they tackle the Aprica for the second time and a summit finish. At
195km this might not be the longest mountain stage in the race and nor is the
Mortirolo pass quite so fearsome as Monte Zoncolon or Plan de Corones, but make
no mistake, stage 19 is a very tough day in the saddle and it could well be
another pivotal one."
We have our Giro expert Fabs calling the action today..
Stage 19: Brescia - Aprica, 195 km Live Ticker
Weather: Cloudy, but no rain!!
Today's climbs:
Aprica (1173m, 14km long, 3.5% av, 15% max.)
Trevigno (1608m, 11km long, 7% av.)
Mortirolo (1854m, 13km long, 10% av, 18% max.)
1340 CET - Welcome to Stage 19 of the Giro,
which is set to be an important day of racing.
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the 19th and crucial stage of the
2010 Tour of Italy, the mountain men festival from Brescia to Aprica over 195
kilometers, with the uphill finish at the end of a second category climb, but
notably the awful Mortirolo and some earlier uphill racing on the Trivigno
ascent and a first passage on the Aprica.
We join the stage in progress with some 65 kilometers covered already, and
nine men on a breakaway: Xavier Tondo Volpini (Spa - Cervélo TT), Leonardo Duque
(Col - Cofidis), Jackson Rodríguez (Ven - Androni-Diquigiovanni), Yuriy Krivtsov
(Ukr - AG2R), Francesco Failli (Ita - Acqua & Sapone), Olivier Bonnet (Fra -
Bouygues Telecom), Branislau Samoilau (Blr - Quick Step), Jan Bakelandts (Bel -
Omega Pharma-Lotto) and Luca Mazzanti (Ita - Team Katusha) broke clear after
about 45 kilometers, and after earlier moves by José Sarmiento (Col - Acqua &
Sapone), Simone Stortoni and Stefano Pirazzi (Ita - Colnago-CSF), as well as
Alessandro Bertolini (Ita - Androni-Diquigiovanni) got nowhere.
1350 CET - The Nine Wonders on the front
quickly extended their advantage on the pack unwilling to waste their legs in a
premature chase. Such that the gap went over seven minutes with some 80
kilometers covered already. The first climb up the Aprica begins around at
KM97.
Not even a brief, unwelcome stop at a rail road crossing could keep the
advantage from ballooning like that.
1354 CET - And now, with
111.6 km. to
go, we have a new gap update: the escapees lead the non-pursuers by seven
minutes and 50 seconds.
1357 CET - Strange but true, today's
non starters go under the names of Andrè Greipel (HTC-Columbia),
Julian Dean (Garmin-Transitions) and Danilo Hondo (Lampre).
But more guys are expected to join the DNF list on the way to Aprica
today.
1401 CET - Liquigas keep driving the
peloton. Their intentions in today's leg of the Giro are clear enough.
If the main duel 'on the road' is supposed to be Basso v Evans, the battle
on the Giro's Facebook page is all about the top two hills in the event:
Mortirolo and Zoncolan.....
Which one is toughest, which one is the 'Giro Queen'? You decide, folks. Go
to Giro d'Italia Facebook page and cast your vote!
1416 CET - Tondo (Cervélo), Duque (Cofidis),
Jackson Rodríguez (Androni), Krivtsov (AG2R), Failli (Acqua Sapone), Bonnet
(Bouygues), Samoilau (Quick Step), Bakelants (Omega Pharma-Lotto) and Mazzanti
(Katusha) have made additional gains on tha pack, taking their lead to almost
nine minutes after 95 kilometers. The going is starting to get hilly at last.
The Liqui-guys keep riding tempo in the peloton, that's still taking it quite
easy. however.
1424 CET - The Mortirolo summit stays
quite far from the finish line today, 32 kilometers that could give those
dropped (and it's mainly Arroyo we're talking about) on the steep slopes the
chance to make up (at least partially) for their losses. So finding 'occasional
helpers' on the road might be crucial to the Spaniard, and to his team manager
and excellent tactician Eusebio Unzue, who showed his skills in this sense when
he was coaching a certain Big Mig.
As much as Arroyo is predicted to be the 'loser' of the Mortirolo battle
between Basso and Evans, he should try and find good friends that would help him
in the final twenty miles.
The Mortirolo could certainly make the difference, but the Giro d'Italia is
not going to finish there, everyone should keep that in mind
1445 CET - Damiano Cunego (before the
stage): 'I think both Garzelli and Scarponi will give it go today. I'll just be
'regular' today, and if someone in front of me in the GC has a bad day, I'll
move ahead of him in the overall".
1447 CET - 85km to go. 7:22 is the
current gap to the leading group.
Carlos Sastre (prior to the start): 'My situation is a difficult one; I'm not
allowed to get into a breakaway, and at the same time I'm a bit too far from
Arroyo in the GC (for aiming at the overall). It's not going to be easy for me
today'.
1452 CET - Our 9 man group are about to reach the top of the Aprica, which is
climbed again after the two other leg breakers today.
1454 CET - Krvitsov and Bakelandts battle for the KoM points on offer. I
believe the Ag2R took the honours ahead of Omega Pharma - Lotto's Bakelandts.
Ivan Basso: 'I'm not the only one that
has to attack today. It's going to be quite a show in these two days. We'll race
the way we did in the last few days. Nibali? There are no problems at all
between us, we are two smart guys, and both of us know how to race a stage like
this'.
Interestingly, Vladimir Karpets (Katusha) is attempting to break clear of the
peloton. He's got a lead of around ten seconds, and the peloton don't look
bothered by this seemingly pointless attack.
1458 CET - In the meantime Luca Mazzanti
won the Intermediate Sprint (Traguardo Volante) at Corteo Golgi after 105.8
kilometers, with Bonnet, Failli and the six other escapees following.
The peloton have reached the summit at Aprica; the lead is now 5'04"
for our escape group.
1500 CET - BMC Racing Team President
Jim
Ochowicz said today, regarding Alessandro Ballan:
The BMC Racing Team could not find indications that Alessandro Ballan was
involved in any doping in connection with his former team, Lampre. Alessandro
Ballan has fully cooperated with the Italian authority and has provided the
investigation authority with all requested information and even more. Apart of
that, no sporting authority has opened a proceeding against Alessandro Ballan so
far. Given all these aspects, the BMC Team has no reason at all to not respect
the presumption of innocence and will no longer withhold Alessandro Ballan from
competition.
Some rain drops are showing off at the finishing line; luckily it isn't
too bad right now...
1501 CET - 75km to go. The breakaway just
hit the second climb of the day the Santa Cristina ascent (11 km.) leading up to
the Trivigno KOM Prime.
The average gradient is 7.6% on this ascent. Skirmishes in the front group as
the going gets hilly for real.
Further back, Chris Froome - who finished last yesterday, over six minutes
down, has just passed Aprica having been dropped early on. He's still sporting a
sizeable bandage over his right knee, which is coloured light blue to match Team
Sky's colours.
1504 CET - And Liquigas still dictating the
pace - as usual - in the finally chasing (well, sort of) bunch. Karpets has been
reeled in now as Liquigas set a mighty pace
Valerio Agnoli cranks up the pace as the peloton goes on the Trivigno climb.
Liquigas are determined to make the race harder well before the Mortirolo.
Unsurprisingly, a lot of riders have been dropped from the rear of the
peloton. I just wonder if Liquigas are working too hard, too soon?
1511 CET - Krvitsov, Bonnet. Tondo and
Mazzanti have been dropped by the front group on the Santa Cristina slopes,
while Liquigas rapidly brought the gap down to four and a half minutes
In the meantime Marcel Sieberg (HTC-Columbia) joined the list of Giro
d'Italia 2010 DNFers. I wonder how many team mates Pinotti will have in Verona?
Hansen, Greipel, Sieberg and Goss out already.
Stefano Garzelli attacks the bunch! The Water & Soap rider is no longer a GC
threat, and there's a long way (72k) to the finish, so it's no wonder that the
lime green army let him go.
Some riders are losing contact to the strung out field, a few Liquigas
domestiques included. But the biggest name among the dropped ones is ... Gilberto
Simoni. It's pretty sad to see a Giro d'Italia protagonist (in past years) to
end his career like that, in such an anonymous way. His long time rival
Stefano Garzelli quickly gained about half a minute on the group with all the
top GC players inside.
1515 CET - Meanwhile, Garzelli is
pressing on and has a good gap on the peloton. He is 3'51" behind the leaders.
Our live
coverage of Stage 19 continues in Part 2
Giles Belbin's
Parcours Preview Week 3
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