STAGE 14: Portogruaro - Tre Cimedi Lavaredo 220 KM's

Stage Favourites:
Ellisonde(GPM) **Cattaneo(JDE) *Gesink(AGS)

The high mountains are here, we finish on the 6.9 kilometre 8% narrow slopes legendary Lavaredo climb, but this stage has many meters of climbing, just under 5000 metres to be exact.

For the second time in three days we got Kritskiy in the break, with a stage win very unlikely this time, he still had 2 goals in the break : to mop up the intermediate points and to mop enough mountain points to move into the KOM lead potentially.

But the 11 man group also included some riders higher up than Kritskiy in the KOM comp: Guillemois (19 points) and Belka (18 points).

On the first climb of the day Guillemois would take maximum 15 points whilst Kritskiy could only manage third gaining 5 points. Guillemois would also pip the Russian at the next climb 115 from the finish.

With 107 kilometres to go Bonnin (15th @ 6'42) would attack out of the peloton, shortly joined by Hollenstein (Apple) and Capecchi(Lampre).

With about 95 kilometres to go Kritskiy celebrates as he goes through the intermediate sprint first, uncontested, another 8 points there. Kritskiy would go through the KOM points either side of the sprint first, however, he would still be several points behind Guillemois who may be starting to struggle.

With 60 kilometres to go, the three late escapees join the original break. 8:00 over the peloton, Bonnin is the GC leader if the race were to stop. As the road kicks up the original break riders are dropped. Davidson (Gazprom) the last to survive.

With 20 kilometres to go, it is mostly uphill, as sleet mixes with snow and rain. Bonnin attacks Capecchi and Hollenstein, 6:50 over the now speeded up peloton.

In the peloton Uchima (Energie) was really animating the race putting in multiple attacks, Kelderman, Pirazzi and Henao countering but Preidler is riding to bring them back.

The fans are out in force as the final climb is reached by the peloton. With 6 kilometres to go Cattaneo, pink jersey, comes to the front second place Faiers tries to follow but looses a wheel...then another one...then Cattaneo just rides away from the peloton and big favourites.

Henao and Pirazzi try to attack but can't get near.

With 1 kilometre to Bonnin is really struggling whist Cattaneo is metaphorically flying up the mountain, Bonnin has 2:00 over Cattaneo, but is that enough with the final kilometre averaging over 12%?

Just about. Everyone watching, pretty much, would have been cheering one the Frenchman. Who just holds off Cattaneo for an epic win. Stage win for Bonnin. Cattaneo shows who the best rider in this Giro is, so far, baring an accident he will surely win this Giro, his first GT, over 4:00 to second placed Ellisonde, where is the competition?

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STAGE 15: Cortina d'Ampezzo - Passo Pordoi 159 KM's

Stage Favourites:
***Cattaneo(JDE) **Ellisonde(GPM) *Gesink(AGS)

The second of two really hard consecutive days in the moutains with 4000 metres of climbing. The Passo Fedaia, 13.9 kilometres @ 7.6% starts with 37 kilometres to go and we finish on the heralded Passo Pordoi 12 kilometres @ 6.4%. The only good thing about today is that a rest day comes afterwards.

Early on, through the first 50 kilometres, many riders tried to get into the break. All kinds, Kritskiy had a sly go so did Malori and many sprinters and riders from the smaller teams. With 95 kilometres to go we hit the first of four major climb, only Boem and former Italian champ Viviani are ahead.

Neither are climbers and are caught by Zanasca (John Deere) and the gentle-ish pace up the mountain. KOM leader Guillemois attacks at the top and gains max points (9) to reinforce his lead.

Downhill 9 kilometres into D'Ampezzo the only sprint point of the day is on offer, but Kritskiy is well down the peloton.....

But he makes it to the front and will sprint for the points......WAIT....One other man sprints and goes through the intermediate sprint that man is Houanard.. Quickly becoming our nemesis! He picked up 8 points but Kritskiy does get 6 to reinforce his lead.

Onto the second climb of the day with 75 kilometres to go Brenes (Katusha) and Bastens (RIM) attack. Brenes comfortably the best placed @12'59. They quickly build a huge advantage.

Onto the penultimate climb of the day, not many are suffering as they could have been but without doubt many will be in agony. The two men have 7'45 over the peloton with 32 kilometres to go. Capecchi attacks from the peloton.

His attack goes nowhere. But attacks from Preidler and Kennaugh stick over the top. Meanwhile out-front Baetens drops Brenes and with 25 kilometres to go has 7'17 over the remains of the peloton, now a group of 20, riders and grupetto's all over the mountain.

With 11 kilometres to go Baetens has 5'50 back to the big favourites, Henao is intent on setting pace, despite Cattaneo being the man of this Giro.

That soon changes as Uchima then Pirazzi attacks.. Cattaneo attacks himself, no one can follow. Baetens is riding well and has a huge gap.

What a win for the young Belgian. An epic hard man's win which is to be expected from a rider many years his senior. Cattaneo catches Preidler and Kennaugh but can't pass them, although he once again puts time into his GC rivals. A late spurt from Kelderman sees him as the best of the rest. Cattaneo gains 14 points on the stage. Kritskiy holds the points jersey.

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On the final rest day of the Giro I was gladly able to look forward as opposed to worrying about this Giro. I was stuck in thought for much of the day thinking about new additions to the team, the great performances from Kritskiy meant I didn't have to focus overly on the Giro, less pressure is always good.

After a big evening pasta meal, with Prisha, we talked about race tactics. Trying to make the points jersey ours permanently, was the priority.

STAGE 16: Arabba - Riva del Garda 185 KM's

Stage Favourites:
***Gesink(AGS) **Rowe(AES) *Henao(YTE)

The stage starts with the very step ascent then descent of the Passo Pordoi. Then it is pretty much downhill all the way until the summit of the 13 kilometre 7.9% averaging Santa Barbara climb with 23 kilometres to go.

The brutal ascent of the Pordoi saw little action, KOM jersey Guillemois took a few more points towards his jersey. Tennant (Gazprom) attacked on the dangerous technical descent but crashed as did Belletti (Katusha) so with 153 kilometres to go there is no break.

8 riders got into the break including two jerseys. Guillemois and once again putting in an epic performance in this Giro Kritskiy gets away, also present are Trentin and Belletti.

Kritskiy isn't going to give the KOM jersey up with out a fight. He passes though the intermediate sprint, uncontested, for eight more points with 70 kilometres to go. The break's advantage down to 5:00, Marino(RIM) riding inexplicably solely on the front of the peloton, before teams like Dyson join in.

With 67 kilometres to go Rowe attacks out of the peloton.

With 35 kilometres to go the break have around 2:50 as the steep final climb is reached. Rowe quickly bridges across to the break. Towards the top everyone is dropped bar Kritskiy and Rowe, Belletti just distanced. The break's cause helped by no major attacks.

Rowe then Kritskiy will summit with 23 kilometres to go the gap 1:40 over the big favourites.

Henao, Pirazzi, Kelderman, Ellisonde and the pink jersey attack from the 40 man group of big favourites on the descent. In this group Felline, Roche, Feillu and Rojas are still there for us. When Feillu and Amador crash on the descent. No!

The descent means the break still hold the advantage with 10 kilometres to go Belletti does a magnificent descent and bridges across to our man and Rowe. Kritskiy is doing the lion share of the work, he needs more points, 25 on offer at the finish.

Kritskiy starts the sprint, amazing he still has gas left in the tank. Belletti is dropped, the GC men coming up fast.

Rowe passes Kritskiy, damn...but can they hold off the GC men?.....

Yes Rowe takes the win but Kritskiy gets second. LEGEND. Thanks to our men back in the bunch Cattaneo will pick up no points on the day. This stage couldn't have gone much better at all! Kritskiy extends his lead big time in the points competition, which is by no means over...unfortunately!

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STAGE 17: Pavia - Ivrea 171 KM's

Stage Favourites:
***Farrar(RIM) **Kittel(EUS) *Swift(RAB)

Stage 17 was the penultimate sprinters day, not entirely flat but no KOM points on offer suggest the terrain is gentle.

Goddaert (Youtube) was victorious on the day. He attacked 20 kilometres from the finish to join the original 13 man break. The break looked to be well in control, but RIM and Euskaltel looked at each other too much and the domestqiues were suffering.

The break are caught inside the last few hundred metres by the peloton but not all of the break are caught, a nice win for Youtube, a bittersweet consolation to make up for Henao's performance in the GC.

Kritskiy gains no points but crucially neither does Cattaneo.

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