Rated as flat, but seems like hilly to me, and today I must watch out for Kim Kirchen. I think that this stage will suit him perfectly.
Todays breakaway who were no threat for the stage win.
Marzio Bruseghin started the action today on the second last hill,
and behind him Kim Kirchen countered!
They created a big gap and it grew and grew. At the top they lead with around 1 minute, and I wasn't feeling good in this situation. Kim is the threat for la Maglia Rosa and I don't want him to earn to much time.
I decided to give it a go on the downhill!
My legs were not the best today, and it felt like they just said NO to me.. But I got away from the pack and fighted to keep my pace.
I could see Kirchen and Bruseghin in front of me and I really wanted to catch them, but soon my tank was empty, I was tired and my legs were almost shaking..
After a while I could hear the pack coming closer, and a few kms later I was caught, and now I couldn't do anything about Kim in front. I was dissapointed of myself, this wasn't good, not at all...
In front Kirchen rode away from Marzio who isn't as strong as Kirchen.
1km left and Kirchen is still in front, and unfortunately we in the pack was a long way behind him.
Kim took the win and celebrated the deserving win.
Bruseghin took 2nd.
While I crossed the line safely in the pack, a dissapointing stage, but Kirchen is a great rider and nobody could threat him today. So a deserved win.
Instead of me, it was Kirchen who could celebrate at the podium today. GC:
Unfortunately a few riders didn't crossed the line before the time limit ran out, Alex Rasmussen and Kasper Klostergaard were two of the riders who didn't make it.
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Time for the Milano Show and time for the sprinters to step forward.
I wont wear la Maglia Rosa today, unfortunately. Instead it's Kim Kirchen who is the new leader of the race. Here he shows off his jersey before the start.
Todays break.
Disaster for Katusha as Danilo Napolitano gets a puncture.
They send three riders to help him back, but it's going to be hard to get back to the pack.
Tony Martin also had bad luck, he crashed!
Right after that, the break were caught.
Another crash, and this time the german champion Fabian Wegmann is involved!
But now time for the sprint, without Napolitano who didn't make it back.
With 1 km left, it's Tom Boonen who's in the lead!
Still in the lead, and the line is coming closer...
and the Belgian superstar gets todays win!
I finished safely in the pack, behind a celebrating team mate for Boonen.
GC:
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It's restday here in Italy, and it's very nice. The first 9 stages has been great here, but I'm starting to get tired, and therefore this day saved me a little.
But what a Giro I've had so far, 3 stage wins and some racing days in the beautiful jersey, la Maglia Rosa. I'm not used to this kind of situation, now the media wants to talk to me every day. It's starting to get pretty boring, but I have to live with that if I wants to stay in the top of cycling.
Tomorrow it's time for a real mountain stage, the Pinerolo stage, and it will be very tough. I just hope not to lose to much time to Kirchen and all the other favourites. The stage will probably show to me if I'm good enough for a podium spot in Rome already this year. I'm pretty nervous about the stage, but also excited to make a good result!
Here's the standings after 9 stages of the 2009 Giro d'Italia:
General Classification:
Points Rankings:
King of the Mountains:
U25 Rankings:
Team Rankings:
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A crazy mountain stage today, it's going to be very tough. I don't expect much, just want to hold on to the 2nd place. Bochman will help me as usual, and I must say that he's doing a really great job for me, and I appreciate it.
Early attacks today too, surprise? No..
The group got caught fast, and time for another attack. Surprisingly, Yaroslav Popovych is one of the attackers..
But Popovych is to strong, his group is caught by the pack.
I could see an LPR guy at the front doing a new attack, and Lasse told me it was Jure Golcer. This is interesting I thought.
David Canada countered and left Golcer behind. He was the first rider to go over the top of Colle della Maddalena, with a small advantage to Golcer.
4 minutes after, the pack got over the top.
Canada was still in front when the 2nd climb of the day started, Col de vars. But Golcer is closing in.
I'm feeling pretty good and is safe in the middle of the pack.
At the top of the climb, Golcer caught Canada and took all the points.
But the duo got caught when the breakaway riders entered the 3rd climb of the day. Now the group contained of 6 riders, Roux, Tjallingi, Azanza, Canada, Golcer and Pineau.
Action in the pack, Petrov attacks!
I didn't spend to much time thinking of the attack, and I couldn't think to much, because Rohregger, Brandt, Serpa and Lastras countered Petrov straight away!
Also Alberto Losada tried his luck after a while, but he ended up behind all the other attackers.
Jure Golcer took all the points at this mountain too.
Serpa got over the top just behind the front group, and just ahead of Brandt, while Brandt had a small gap to Rohregger who had a small gap to Lastras, Losada and Petrov. I was still safely placed in the pack.
As the front group entered Col de Montgenvre, Jose Serpa caught them. A while later Brandt did the same.
But Serpa didn't like the slow tempo so he broke away from the group together with Canada.
Everybody was caught by the pack, except for the two men in front. At the same time, Popovych attacks again!
Canada started to feel the pain, and at the top he dropped off the wheel of Serpa.
Time for Sestriere and probably the deciding climb. Serpa is caught and now some action from Jurgen Van den Broeck!
Gilberto Simoni counters!
Time for the big guns, Kirchen, Popovych (AGAIN!), Nibali and Rodriguez.
I decided that this was the time to attack and gave it all.
Menchov and Bruseghin then tried their luck.
Van den Broeck was first over Sestriere and took the points. I was at the back of the favourites group, and I could really feel the pain.
With 45 km to go this was the situation:
E1 - Kirchen, Rodriguez, Nibali, Popovych and Van den Broeck.
E2 - Me and Simoni.
E3 - Denis Menchov, and further back Tadej Valjavec.
After a while, I couldn't even keep up with Simonis pace and dropped back..
I could hear in my ear that Popovych was making an attack at front, he's insane today I thought.
He got away from the rest of the favourites.
At the same time, Valjavec caught me.. This is not a good day for me.
1km mark, and Popovych has got a solid lead.
He celebrates a fully deserved win, and what a stage it was from his side. At least 5 attacks I think, he even attacked at the beginning of the stage!
Rodriguez took 2nd and Kirchen 3rd.
I couldn't win the sprint against Tadej, he wasn't so tired, and I lost more than 3 minutes to the other favourites..
GC:
A really bad stage from me, and I lost my 2nd place in the GC, and I have to watch out for Nibali and Popovych now too.
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