The Danish Puncheur
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niconico |
Posted on 11-09-2008 23:28
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Grand Tour Specialist
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Giro d’Italia – Stage 12
After a long day in the saddle yesterday we’re back at a more reasonable distance of just 150 kilometres of flat terrain. Just a decent placing in the sprint I will be leading the points classement yet again, but I need to beat Pozzato, who’s just a few points behind me. I’m really looking forward to stage 14, where I will try an early attack and hopefully the pack will let the break stay clear. But on tomorrow’s mountain stage on Zoncolan I will need to lose a lot of time, and I will do. On purpose of course.
Today turned out bittersweet for us, and I’m inclined to put emphasis on bitter. After just 20 kilometres of riding Siutsou went down in a big crash right in the middle of the pack. 16 riders hit the deck, including Cunego and Bauke Mollema, and the Dutchman had to abandon due to the crash. Siutsou has picked up an injury from the crash and he had a hard time staying with the pack today.
Siutsou bites the tarmac for the second time of this Giro.
Up the road we had Burghardt and Kairelis in a small 5-man breakaway group, which the pack didn’t want to reel in, so they would have to settle it between them up front. Burghardt did a big job for Kairelis, who is in better shape, on the home stretch as he sat him up perfectly for a great stage win, eventhough Blank and Tronet are better sprinters than the Lithuanian, who also won two stages at last year’s Vuelta a Espana.
Kairelis made our day somewhat better with a brilliant win.
I finished in 10th on the day meaning I will just move past Basso and I now lead the points competition by 2 points. He will most likely take it back on tomorrow’s mountain stage, but I haven’t given up on it at all.
I have been up here on quite a few occasions now.
1 Dainius Kairelis Team High Road 3h32'49
2 Steven Tronet CSF Group - Navigare s.t.
3 Hannes Blank Amore e Vita - McDonald's s.t.
4 Damien Gaudin Rabobank s.t.
5 Marcus Burghardt Team High Road s.t.
6 Claudio Cucinotta LPR Brakes + 10'09
7 Oscar Gatto Caisse d'Epargne s.t.
8 Allan Davis Silence - Lotto s.t.
9 Davide Viganò Quick•Step s.t.
10 Jonas Aaen Jørgensen Team High Road s.t.
11 Danilo Napolitano Lampre s.t.
12 Yauheni Hutarovich Gerolsteiner s.t.
13 Filippo Pozzato Liquigas s.t.
14 Eros Capecchi Saunier Duval - Scott s.t.
15 Tom Leezer Rabobank s.t.
16 Aaron Kemps AG2R - La Mondiale s.t.
17 Edgar Pinto Tinkoff Credit Systems s.t.
18 Claudio Corioni Crédit Agricole s.t.
19 Damiano Cunego Lampre s.t.
20 Andrea Grendene Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni - Androni Giocattoli s.t.
GC
1 Ivan Basso Team CSC 49h27'23
2 Vincenzo Nibali Liquigas + 3'25
3 Manuel Medina Team Astana + 3'42
4 Damiano Cunego Lampre + 4'19
5 Mauricio Soler Barloworld + 5'59
6 Riccardo Riccò Saunier Duval - Scott + 6'03
7 Kanstantsin Siutsou Team High Road + 9'33
8 Alberto Losada Caisse d'Epargne + 10'03
9 Danilo Di Luca LPR Brakes + 10'11
10 Laurens Ten Dam Gerolsteiner + 10'25
11 Linus Gerdemann Rabobank + 11'21
12 Luca Pierfelici Quick•Step + 12'23
13 Jonas Aaen Jørgensen Team High Road + 12'39
14 Sébastien Joly Française des Jeux + 13'18
15 Rinaldo Nocentini Team CSC + 13'24
16 Janez Brajkovic Team Astana + 13'33
17 Morris Possoni CSF Group - Navigare + 14'03
18 Eddy Ratti Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni - Androni Giocattoli + 14'43
19 Josep Jufré Tinkoff Credit Systems + 14'47
20 Valerio Agnoli CSF Group - Navigare + 15'01
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G_Larsson |
Posted on 12-09-2008 13:29
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Sprinter
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Nice with the points jersey
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niconico |
Posted on 12-09-2008 23:15
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4102
Joined: 09-07-2007
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Giro d’Italia – Stage 13
It’s Zoncolan day here in Italy, but our hopes have vanished. Siutsou’s crash yesterday is causing him a great deal of pain. And he told us all this morning that wouldn’t be able to do anything today. His GC credentials are over. It’s quite sad and I feel bad for Siutsou, as he has used his entire autumn to prepare for the Giro, and he was doing well until he crashed. He is completely disillusioned aswell, so I doubt that he mentally is ready to go for a win at some later point. If he recovers that is.
Because of this we tried to get Kairelis and Lewis in the break. That didn’t work out so Pinotti got away with 7 other riders. But the pack kept them within range so the favourites could fight it out on the Zoncolan. Siutsou had to let go already on the penultimate climb, about 30 kilometres from the finish. At this point I had already dropped off the pace, as I was taking a ride with the grupetto today. Siutsou’s injury doesn’t affect my plans. I still want to win tomorrow’s stage so I needed to lose some time today. And so I did.
Nibali started the attacks among the favourites, but Basso and Cunego were strongest as they lead up the Zoncolan, with Nibali and Medina trailing them. One of the pre race favourites Di Luca hasn’t been able to cope with the expectations as he couldn’t even get clear of the pack today.
Up front Basso took a beautiful win as he got rid off Cunego in the closing metres. He is consolidating his lead and he has taken over the lead in the points competition aswell. I will still wear the jersey though.
Siutsou finished alongside teammates Knees, Kairelis and Grabsch, more than 30 minutes back. He is now 55th in the GC.
I took a ride on the bus today – and it was packed to capacity.
1 Ivan Basso Team CSC 5h44'37
2 Damiano Cunego Lampre + 16
3 Manuel Medina Team Astana + 1'56
4 Vincenzo Nibali Liquigas s.t.
5 Janez Brajkovic Team Astana + 4'51
6 Danilo Di Luca LPR Brakes + 5'37
7 Riccardo Riccò Saunier Duval - Scott s.t.
8 Mauricio Soler Barloworld s.t.
9 Alberto Losada Caisse d'Epargne + 6'30
10 Ignacio Sarabia Caisse d'Epargne + 7'38
11 Luca Pierfelici Quick•Step + 7'45
12 Franco Pellizotti Liquigas s.t.
13 Ricardo Mestre Rabobank s.t.
14 Chris Anker Sørensen Team Astana s.t.
15 Linus Gerdemann Rabobank s.t.
16 Branislav Samoilau Quick•Step s.t.
17 Eddy Ratti Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni - Androni Giocattoli s.t.
18 Rinaldo Nocentini Team CSC s.t.
19 Josep Jufré Tinkoff Credit Systems + 8'10
20 Johann Tschopp Team Astana s.t.
156 Jonas Aaen Jørgensen Team High Road + 43'14
GC
1 Ivan Basso Team CSC 55h11'40
2 Damiano Cunego Lampre + 4'43
3 Vincenzo Nibali Liquigas + 5'41
4 Manuel Medina Team Astana + 5'50
5 Mauricio Soler Barloworld + 11'56
6 Riccardo Riccò Saunier Duval - Scott + 12'00
7 Danilo Di Luca LPR Brakes + 16'08
8 Alberto Losada Caisse d'Epargne + 16'53
9 Janez Brajkovic Team Astana + 18'44
10 Linus Gerdemann Rabobank + 19'26
11 Laurens Ten Dam Gerolsteiner + 19'35
12 Luca Pierfelici Quick•Step + 20'28
13 Rinaldo Nocentini Team CSC + 21'29
14 Sébastien Joly Française des Jeux + 22'36
15 Eddy Ratti Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni - Androni Giocattoli + 22'48
16 Josep Jufré Tinkoff Credit Systems + 23'17
17 Ignacio Sarabia Caisse d'Epargne + 23'20
18 Morris Possoni CSF Group - Navigare + 23'49
19 Valerio Agnoli CSF Group - Navigare + 25'01
20 Matthew Lloyd Saunier Duval - Scott + 25'02
89 Jonas Aaen Jørgensen Team High Road + 56'13
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niconico |
Posted on 12-09-2008 23:47
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Grand Tour Specialist
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Giro d’Italia – Stage 14
With Siutsou out of the GC picture the plans have changed for the team. Now we only have one goal: Stage Wins! I still believe in the Points Jersey, but I need to be a lot closer to winning it before the team will work for it.
Today’s the day for me. I have picked this stage before the Giro begun and I really want to win. A lot of things have to melt together in harmony for me to win though. First of all I have to get in the break and then the pack will have to let us stay clear.
So it was all about picking the right break from the outset. I’m not normally the rider who takes off early, so I don’t have the experience to hit the right break. When the first break attacked I decided to stay back and it was a good call as Team CSC reeled them back in. Then the attacks settled for a while before Curtolo of Acque Sapone started a new wave, which I jumped on. At first we were only 4 riders, but another 4 bridged up and just like that we were away.
In the early break with Gaudin, Curtolo, Kierkegaard, Martinez, Sanchez Pimienta, Cortinovis and Menzies.
With about 120 kilometres to go we hit a quite steep 10-kilometre climb. Me being in peak condition I had no problems keeping up, in fact, whenever I put in a little effort at the front, the other riders seemed to be hurting a whole lot. I felt very confident as we raced down the descent. From the top and in it’s more or less downhill at a low gradient. With 90 kilometres to go we had more than 11 minutes on the pack, so it looked as though we were going to make. Everything is coming together perfectly. Now I just have to finish it off.
Thinking about my next move.
With 30 kilometres to go we had 14 minutes on the pack, so this was definitely it. I was there. Right where I had set out to be. Now it’s all about the win. I felt confident I could beat everyone in the sprint, eventhough Curtolo is a quite fast guy. But I’m in great shape, so I should be able to beat him.
I didn’t have to though as he with 25 kilometres left couldn’t keep up anymore, and apparently everybody around me were exhausted because one-by-one everyone except Gaudin dropped off the pace. It’s going to be me or Gaudin. I was in a great position in the Frenchman’s wheel as we hit the home stretch.
Gaudin was beat aswell, because when I made my move inside the final couple of hundred metres, he had nothing whatsoever to answer me with. He was gone and I was storming towards the stage win.
Putting in the finishing move.
There was no doubt. I distanced Gaudin by several seconds and claimed the win. I have won a stage at the Giro. My first time riding the Giro and I have a stage win. If the Italian fans liked me before the Giro they will love me now. I have been riding so consistenly during the Spring and during the Giro, and finally I have my first win of the season, and then it’s a Stage win at the Giro.
When the pack finished I was congratulated by everyone who rode by me. At the Stage Winner’s Interview I dedicated the win to Siutsou after his crash caused him his GC hopes, and then started thanking everyone who has influenced my career since I started cycling. I now have a monument win and a stage win in a Grand Tour. But there’s still so much more to win. I will forever remember the city of Fonzaso, where I got my first Grand Tour stage win.
I was on the podium two times. One for the stage win and then for being back in the lead in the points competition. Leading Basso by 2 points.
1 Jonas Aaen Jørgensen Team High Road 4h46'42
2 Damien Gaudin Rabobank + 24
3 Miguel Martinez Amore e Vita - McDonald's + 1'04
4 Karl Menzies Bouygues Télécom s.t.
5 Jorge Sánchez Pimienta Quick•Step + 2'24
6 Soren Kirkegaard LPR Brakes + 2'55
7 Alessandro Cortinovis Tinkoff Credit Systems + 4'54
8 Alberto Curtolo Acqua e Sapone - Caffè Mokambo + 6'07
9 Allan Davis Silence - Lotto + 7'26
10 Claudio Cucinotta LPR Brakes s.t.
11 Filippo Pozzato Liquigas s.t.
12 Francesco Gavazzi Lampre s.t.
13 Danilo Di Luca LPR Brakes s.t.
14 Oscar Gatto Caisse d'Epargne s.t.
15 Tom Leezer Rabobank s.t.
16 Danilo Napolitano Lampre s.t.
17 Aaron Kemps AG2R - La Mondiale s.t.
18 Graziano Gasparre Amore e Vita - McDonald's s.t.
19 Baden Cooke Team CSC s.t.
20 Simone Cadamuro Amore e Vita - McDonald's s.t.
GC
1 Ivan Basso Team CSC 60h05'48
2 Damiano Cunego Lampre + 4'43
3 Vincenzo Nibali Liquigas + 5'41
4 Manuel Medina Team Astana + 5'50
5 Mauricio Soler Barloworld + 11'56
6 Riccardo Riccò Saunier Duval - Scott + 12'00
7 Danilo Di Luca LPR Brakes + 16'08
8 Alberto Losada Caisse d'Epargne + 16'53
9 Janez Brajkovic Team Astana + 18'44
10 Linus Gerdemann Rabobank + 19'26
76 Jonas Aaen Jørgensen Team High Road + 48'27
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SportingNonsense |
Posted on 12-09-2008 23:55
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Team Manager
Posts: 33046
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Great win!
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schleck93 |
Posted on 13-09-2008 06:12
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3715
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Congrats with the win.
BenBarnes wrote:
Thor wears a live rattlesnake as a condom.
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t-baum |
Posted on 13-09-2008 06:39
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2153
Joined: 07-09-2007
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Good win!
Macquet wrote:
"We all know that wasn't the real footage of the Worlds anyway. That was just the staged footage to perpetuate the coverup that it was actually Vinokourov that won the race."
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Ak4 |
Posted on 13-09-2008 09:15
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Stagiare
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Nice job!
Sad about Siutsou
[url=www.Dark-Alchemy.com] [/url]
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Ad Bot |
Posted on 25-11-2024 02:10
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Bot Agent
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stuartmcstuart |
Posted on 13-09-2008 09:17
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Sprinter
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great stuff JAJ! |
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G_Larsson |
Posted on 13-09-2008 10:17
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Sprinter
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Awesome win!
Team Manager of Team IKEA-Bianchi
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mb2612 |
Posted on 13-09-2008 10:21
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Team Leader
Posts: 5759
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nice job
[url=www.pcmdaily.com/forum/viewthread.php?thread_id=33182] Team Santander Media Thread[/url]
Please assume I am joking unless otherwise stated
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wackojackohighcliffe |
Posted on 13-09-2008 14:57
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Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 7681
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classy win
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niconico |
Posted on 15-09-2008 22:47
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Giro d’Italia – Stage 15
It is time for queen stage, but unfortuneately Siutsou hasn’t recovered from his crash yet and he will not be a contender today. I’m battling with Basso for the points jersey, but it seems impossible since there are two mountain stages plus a time trial left after this stage. Tomorrow is a rest day however and after that we have another breakaway territory stage, which on profile looks quite similar to the stage I won. So I might try something there.
Today we had to conquer no less than six mountains, and I have to admit my legs aren’t quite feeling up for it. We have been racing for more than two weeks now and I have been on the road for the entire spring season prior to the Giro, so I’m really starting to feel fatigue.
Expectedly no-one from our team could match the strongest riders today eventhough Kairelis tried to get away in the early break, he was reeled back in without any real effort from the favourites, who would battle it out yet again at Alpe di Pampeago.
I let go of the pack quite early and rode side-by-side with Kairelis the rest of the day, not really caring about the enormous time loss we would suffer. Yet again Ivan Basso was the strongest as he won ahead of Cunego who is consolidating his 2nd place in the GC.
Me and Kairelis finished side-by-side a long day down, but tomorrow is a stage which suits the both us perfectly so if we have the energy we’ll definitely try to be there.
40th on the queen stage isn’t bad – especially considering the fact that I took it easy.
1 Ivan Basso Team CSC 6h01'39
2 Damiano Cunego Lampre + 40
3 Vincenzo Nibali Liquigas + 2'53
4 Mauricio Soler Barloworld s.t.
5 Danilo Di Luca LPR Brakes + 3'07
6 Manuel Medina Team Astana + 5'30
7 Riccardo Riccò Saunier Duval - Scott + 6'02
8 Branislav Samoilau Quick•Step + 7'15
9 Alberto Losada Caisse d'Epargne + 7'58
10 Morris Possoni CSF Group - Navigare + 10'17
11 Franco Pellizotti Liquigas + 11'12
12 Janez Brajkovic Team Astana s.t.
13 Matthew Lloyd Saunier Duval - Scott s.t.
14 Gianpaolo Caruso LPR Brakes s.t.
15 Josep Jufré Tinkoff Credit Systems + 12'33
16 Wout Poels Lampre + 12'55
17 Chris Anker Sørensen Team Astana s.t.
18 Oliver Zaugg Barloworld + 13'46
19 David López Caisse d'Epargne s.t.
20 Ignacio Sarabia Caisse d'Epargne + 13'54
40 Jonas Aaen Jørgensen Team High Road + 26'16
GC
1 Ivan Basso Team CSC 66h07'07
2 Damiano Cunego Lampre + 5'31
3 Vincenzo Nibali Liquigas + 8'46
4 Manuel Medina Team Astana + 11'40
5 Mauricio Soler Barloworld + 14'59
6 Riccardo Riccò Saunier Duval - Scott + 18'18
7 Danilo Di Luca LPR Brakes + 19'29
8 Alberto Losada Caisse d'Epargne + 25'11
9 Janez Brajkovic Team Astana + 30'16
10 Branislav Samoilau Quick•Step + 33'11
11 Linus Gerdemann Rabobank + 34'18
12 Morris Possoni CSF Group - Navigare + 34'26
13 Laurens Ten Dam Gerolsteiner + 34'43
14 Josep Jufré Tinkoff Credit Systems + 36'10
15 Matthew Lloyd Saunier Duval - Scott + 36'34
16 Ignacio Sarabia Caisse d'Epargne + 37'34
17 Luca Pierfelici Quick•Step + 38'19
18 Sébastien Joly Française des Jeux + 38'48
19 Eddy Ratti Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni - Androni Giocattoli + 39'19
20 Chris Anker Sørensen Team Astana + 41'25
57 Jonas Aaen Jørgensen Team High Road + 1h15'03
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niconico |
Posted on 15-09-2008 22:50
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Giro d’Italia – Stage 16
Me and Kairelis agreed that we wanted to be in the break today – both of us. We played it cool as we let a lot of riders attack from the outset and luckily the pack decided to reel them in, Then another bunch of riders went and when they had a decent gap we both jumped away and bridged up. We were in the break alongside Gaudin, Gasparre, Cortinovis, Larsson, Dyachenko, Strauss, Kemps and Bonnet.
No time to enjoy the view descending the only climb on the stage.
We agreed that if it would come down to a sprint between the breakaway riders, Kairelis would work for me. But if he had the energy required he would try an attack near the end of the stage. I was a bit worried about Gasparre and Bonnet, who are great finishers, but with the form I’m in I should be able to take them. With 90 kilometres to the finish line in Brescia we had 11 minutes, so we were going to stay away. A great chance to grab the team’s 3rd stage win and salvage something from this race.
People starting dropping off as we entered the finale and William Bonnet was one of the first to let go. So in the end it was just me, Kairelis and Gasparre. We had to take this one. Kairelis couldn’t get away in the final as Gasparre was strong enough to close him down. So Kairelis led out, with Gasparre and then me in the wheel.
Gasparre and me went shoulder-to-shoulder on the home stretch.
And I took my second stage win!!!!
I was absolutely ecstatic. I had hoped for a stage win in the Giro but two is just beyond everything I had imagined. This means I now have a 12-point lead on Basso, but with two mountain stages to come it doesn’t look good in that department. But I can’t think of that right now.
1 Jonas Aaen Jørgensen Team High Road 4h18'18
2 Graziano Gasparre Amore e Vita - McDonald's s.t.
3 Dainius Kairelis Team High Road s.t.
4 Damien Gaudin Rabobank + 2'01
5 Gustav Larsson Saunier Duval - Scott + 2'46
6 Alexandr Dyachenko CSF Group - Navigare + 5'26
7 Marcel Strauss Acqua e Sapone - Caffè Mokambo + 8'02
8 Aaron Kemps AG2R - La Mondiale s.t.
9 William Bonnet Crédit Agricole + 9'06
10 Alessandro Cortinovis Tinkoff Credit Systems + 9'35
11 Claudio Cucinotta LPR Brakes s.t.
12 Allan Davis Silence - Lotto s.t.
13 Yauheni Hutarovich Gerolsteiner s.t.
14 Francesco Gavazzi Lampre s.t.
15 Filippo Pozzato Liquigas s.t.
16 Damiano Cunego Lampre s.t.
17 Oscar Gatto Caisse d'Epargne s.t.
18 Danilo Di Luca LPR Brakes s.t.
19 Tom Leezer Rabobank s.t.
20 Danilo Napolitano Lampre s.t.
GC
1 Ivan Basso Team CSC 70h35'00
2 Damiano Cunego Lampre + 5'31
3 Vincenzo Nibali Liquigas + 8'46
4 Manuel Medina Team Astana + 11'40
5 Mauricio Soler Barloworld + 14'59
6 Riccardo Riccò Saunier Duval - Scott + 18'18
7 Danilo Di Luca LPR Brakes + 19'29
8 Alberto Losada Caisse d'Epargne + 25'11
9 Janez Brajkovic Team Astana + 30'16
10 Branislav Samoilau Quick•Step + 33'11
11 Linus Gerdemann Rabobank + 34'18
12 Morris Possoni CSF Group - Navigare + 34'26
13 Laurens Ten Dam Gerolsteiner + 34'43
14 Josep Jufré Tinkoff Credit Systems + 36'10
15 Matthew Lloyd Saunier Duval - Scott + 36'34
16 Ignacio Sarabia Caisse d'Epargne + 37'34
17 Luca Pierfelici Quick•Step + 38'19
18 Sébastien Joly Française des Jeux + 38'48
19 Eddy Ratti Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni - Androni Giocattoli + 39'19
20 Chris Anker Sørensen Team Astana + 41'25
43 Jonas Aaen Jørgensen Team High Road + 1h04'58
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mb2612 |
Posted on 15-09-2008 23:56
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Team Leader
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again good win, now can you make sure that the break doesn't get away on the flat stage
[url=www.pcmdaily.com/forum/viewthread.php?thread_id=33182] Team Santander Media Thread[/url]
Please assume I am joking unless otherwise stated
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ember |
Posted on 16-09-2008 07:11
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Team Leader
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Great wins, hope you can grab one more |
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Smoothie |
Posted on 16-09-2008 08:27
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Team Leader
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Awesome JAJ, you're the man |
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niconico |
Posted on 16-09-2008 14:05
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Grand Tour Specialist
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Giro d’Italia – Stage 17
The first of two back-to-back mountain stages. I haven’t completely given up hope on the points jersey yet, so me and Kairelis went on the attack again today as there was points sprint some 50 kilometres into the stage. The plan worked out and I managed to take the full 8 points, to move 20 points clear of Basso. That won’t matter a whole lot though if he wins today and takes 25 points.
There was only one climb today it was toughie. It was about 20 kilometres and topped 30 kilometres from the line. Basso and Cunego attacked and got clear right from the base of the climb. They soon caught up with us and me and Kairelis actually managed to stay in their wheel for a kilometre or so.
Me, Kairelis, Basso and Cunego on the final mountain – as long as it lasted.
Kairelis stayed with them a bit longer but he blew up completely while I managed to get into my own cadence on the remainder of the mountain. I couldn’t catch up with my Lithuanian team-mate though, but it doesn’t matter a whole lot.
Cunego actually took the stage and not Basso. So we’re now level on points, but with a mountain stage tomorrow and then a time trial it looks almost impossible.
1 Damiano Cunego Lampre 4h13'52
2 Ivan Basso Team CSC s.t.
3 Mauricio Soler Barloworld + 2'13
4 Manuel Medina Team Astana + 4'01
5 Riccardo Riccò Saunier Duval - Scott s.t.
6 Morris Possoni CSF Group - Navigare s.t.
7 Branislav Samoilau Quick•Step s.t.
8 Vincenzo Nibali Liquigas s.t.
9 Danilo Di Luca LPR Brakes s.t.
10 Alberto Losada Caisse d'Epargne s.t.
11 Linus Gerdemann Rabobank s.t.
12 Luca Pierfelici Quick•Step + 6'41
13 Eddy Ratti Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni - Androni Giocattoli + 7'05
14 Valerio Agnoli CSF Group - Navigare + 7'53
15 Fran Ventoso Caisse d'Epargne + 8'17
16 Jérôme Pineau Silence - Lotto s.t.
17 Franco Pellizotti Liquigas s.t.
18 Wout Poels Lampre s.t.
19 Oscar Sánchez Barloworld s.t.
20 Rinaldo Nocentini Team CSC s.t.
130 Jonas Aaen Jørgensen Team High Road + 20'33
Stage 18
I have one final hope to take home the points jersey and that is to attack and stay away today. After the first three climbs there’s a points sprint and if I can take that plus the win today then I should be the winner of the points competition. But that is a pipe dream.
I gave it a go on my own though, but already on the second mountain the hope faded completely as Mauricio Soler came surging past me into the lead with me having nothing to respond with. That was the point where I realized that I wasn’t going to keep it. I was going to wear it on the last stages, but it’s not truly mine. I will be in the four jerseys photograph on the parade stage to Milan and that’s consolation.
As soon as I saw Soler flying by I gave up and let up. So I took a ride with the pack to the finishing line today. Earlier on the stage Siutsou had to abandon the race because of his injuries. He really has had an awful Giro after wearing the leader’s jersey on one stage.
Soler shattered my points dream once and for all.
Basso attacked on the final climb and soloed down the descent into Belizzona took take another win and to secure his maglia rosa. Tomorrow is the final time trial before the stage into Milan, which I’m very much looking forward to as I’m so tired now. Trying to to make a difference in the points competition over the last two days in the mountains has almost made me crack completely and I’m glad we’re almost there.
1 Ivan Basso Team CSC 6h22'24
2 Damiano Cunego Lampre + 1'39
3 Riccardo Riccò Saunier Duval - Scott s.t.
4 Manuel Medina Team Astana s.t.
5 Vincenzo Nibali Liquigas s.t.
6 Luca Pierfelici Quick•Step + 4'13
7 Leonardo Bertagnolli Quick•Step s.t.
8 Sébastien Joly Française des Jeux s.t.
9 Ignacio Sarabia Caisse d'Epargne s.t.
10 Branislav Samoilau Quick•Step s.t.
11 Franco Pellizotti Liquigas s.t.
12 Alberto Losada Caisse d'Epargne s.t.
13 Josep Jufré Tinkoff Credit Systems s.t.
14 Julio Alberto Pérez Cuapio CSF Group - Navigare s.t.
15 Wout Poels Lampre s.t.
16 Morris Possoni CSF Group - Navigare s.t.
17 Laurens Ten Dam Gerolsteiner s.t.
18 Gianpaolo Caruso LPR Brakes s.t.
19 Janez Brajkovic Team Astana s.t.
20 Danilo Di Luca LPR Brakes s.t.
72 Jonas Aaen Jørgensen Team High Road + 17'57
GC
1 Ivan Basso Team CSC 81h10'44
2 Damiano Cunego Lampre + 7'10
3 Vincenzo Nibali Liquigas + 14'58
4 Manuel Medina Team Astana + 17'52
5 Riccardo Riccò Saunier Duval - Scott + 24'22
6 Danilo Di Luca LPR Brakes + 28'15
7 Mauricio Soler Barloworld + 31'16
8 Alberto Losada Caisse d'Epargne + 33'57
9 Branislav Samoilau Quick•Step + 41'57
10 Linus Gerdemann Rabobank + 43'04
11 Morris Possoni CSF Group - Navigare + 43'12
12 Janez Brajkovic Team Astana + 43'18
13 Laurens Ten Dam Gerolsteiner + 47'45
14 Josep Jufré Tinkoff Credit Systems + 49'12
15 Matthew Lloyd Saunier Duval - Scott + 49'36
16 Luca Pierfelici Quick•Step + 49'45
17 Ignacio Sarabia Caisse d'Epargne + 50'36
18 Sébastien Joly Française des Jeux + 51'50
19 Franco Pellizotti Liquigas + 55'58
20 Chris Anker Sørensen Team Astana + 56'27
59 Jonas Aaen Jørgensen Team High Road + 1h43'50
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niconico |
Posted on 16-09-2008 14:07
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4102
Joined: 09-07-2007
PCM$: 200.00
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Giro d’Italia – Stage 19
I had a good time trial on stage 8 and I will try and duplicate on my performance there eventhough I’m more or less completely beat and don’t feel like going flat-out for 30 kilometres today. We have nothing to fight for today, eventhough Grabsch could pull off a good result for us after he took 2nd on the Prologue three weeks ago. Eventhough I’m thinking a lot about that finish line in Milan I managed to get in the zone today and pull of another good time trial. Not doubt I’m getting better at this.
At the end of the day I took 35th of the 160 remaining riders.
Ivan Basso was again today in his own league and of course he won the time trial as he put the final nail in the coffin of my points jersey dream. At the end he was more than one minute faster than Nibali who took second to conclude a great Giro for him. Surely he is going to win it some day.
Basso was too strong and has been since the very start of this race as he won again.
Tomorrow we’re off on our final leg of our journey through Italy and it’s going to be a fun day I think.
1 Ivan Basso Team CSC 41'48
2 Vincenzo Nibali Liquigas + 1'02
3 Janez Brajkovic Team Astana + 1'24
4 Matteo Montaguti LPR Brakes + 1'30
5 Ignacio Sarabia Caisse d'Epargne + 1'40
6 Alberto Losada Caisse d'Epargne + 1'42
7 Danilo Di Luca LPR Brakes s.t.
8 Joost Posthuma Rabobank + 1'45
9 Gustav Larsson Saunier Duval - Scott + 1'48
10 Tony Martin Team Astana + 1'49
11 Bert Grabsch Team High Road + 1'52
12 Craig Lewis Team High Road + 1'55
13 Manuel Medina Team Astana + 1'58
14 Filippo Pozzato Liquigas + 2'01
15 Dainius Kairelis Team High Road + 2'03
16 Linus Gerdemann Rabobank + 2'09
17 Christian Müller Silence - Lotto + 2'10
18 Marco Pinotti Team High Road + 2'11
19 Michiel Elijzen Rabobank s.t.
20 Laurens Ten Dam Gerolsteiner + 2'12
35 Jonas Aaen Jørgensen Team High Road + 2'39
GC
1 Ivan Basso Team CSC 81h52'32
2 Damiano Cunego Lampre + 9'29
3 Vincenzo Nibali Liquigas + 16'00
4 Manuel Medina Team Astana + 19'50
5 Riccardo Riccò Saunier Duval - Scott + 27'00
6 Danilo Di Luca LPR Brakes + 29'57
7 Mauricio Soler Barloworld + 34'02
8 Alberto Losada Caisse d'Epargne + 35'39
9 Janez Brajkovic Team Astana + 44'42
10 Branislav Samoilau Quick•Step + 44'59
11 Linus Gerdemann Rabobank + 45'13
12 Morris Possoni CSF Group - Navigare + 46'36
13 Laurens Ten Dam Gerolsteiner + 49'57
14 Ignacio Sarabia Caisse d'Epargne + 52'16
15 Josep Jufré Tinkoff Credit Systems + 52'20
16 Matthew Lloyd Saunier Duval - Scott + 52'52
17 Luca Pierfelici Quick•Step + 53'01
18 Sébastien Joly Française des Jeux + 54'42
19 Wout Poels Lampre + 59'02
20 Franco Pellizotti Liquigas + 59'22
60 Jonas Aaen Jørgensen Team High Road + 1h46'29
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schleck93 |
Posted on 16-09-2008 14:59
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3715
Joined: 04-08-2007
PCM$: 200.00
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Great result in the last TT by JAJ.
BenBarnes wrote:
Thor wears a live rattlesnake as a condom.
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