It’s stage 11 of the Giro, today is certainly going to be one to watch. Its the longest stage of this year’s Giro and at 256 kms its long for any cycle race let alone a Grand Tour!
Not only is it long its hilly and has three 10 pointer categorised climbs, the first the Sannitcio (8.1 km at 7.1%) and the last Capo di Valle (8.2km at 6.3%) are particularly unrelenting. We also finish on a steep little 1km wall, which will make for a classic like feel to the race.
The speculation pre-stage is that this is a chance for Cunego to claw back time, though specialists such as Ulissi (Festina) and Ponzi (Wiggle) have looked in the mood.
It is an attacking stage to the stage, the peleton know today may not be the day to let too large a breakaway go and are very alert. Only three riders can get away for the first of todays hotspot sprints.
Vespa, Pearl and Columbia represent
Its Pagato, Leezer and Tennent who are powerful enough to make the move and they go over the sprint in that order. The lead though is quite small and some riders have not given up on making the break of the day – seven more riders make it across. The peleton may not have wished it but a decent sized Break of the Day has formed.
Ten men went to ride – went to ride through meadows!
So the make up of the break is:
Pagato (Vespa), Hulsmans (Warner Brothers), Traficante (Nespresso), Tennent (Cafe du Columbia), Da Dalto (Domina Vacanze), Kittel (Vesuvio), Diggle (Wiggle), Leezer (Pearl), Steenson (B+O), Bouet (Auber). There are two other riders who are chasing, a minute behind is Minard (Lafarge) and Van der Eynde (Carmeuse) is further back still. This is the break of the day folks, Minard will make it across but the Carmeuse rider does not!
Plenty of KOM interest here, Pagato is on 20 points, Leezer on 18, Hulsmans also 18 and Da Dalto is on 13 points. Not yet a threat to Castano’s Green jersey who has 36 points but plenty of points available today so who knows. With 150km to go, the lead is nearly 11 minutes not yet stage winnig but getting there. We roll over the second sprint:
Pagato - > Traficante - > Hulsmans
The first categorised climb of the day is the Sannitcio, its a brute of a climb and the crowds are out in force.
Simone Ponzi seems to be the flavour of the month here
We are at 125 to go and the lead 11 have 3 minutes on Van ded Eynde and now a massive 13 minutes on the peleton. In the breakaway Diggle of Wiggle is best GC placed at 21.38 to Sella so the pink jersey is not in danger yet.
Minard and Vettel slide off the back of the break 4km from the top, the pace is not really hard but the climb is too tough for the lead out man and the TTer. As they come to the top Cafe du Columbia man Tennent attacks for the points.
The brit wants a maximum
So over the top we have Tennent, Dagato, Diggle, Steenson, Da Dalto and Traficante in the points places. The breaks KOM positions change to Dagato = 29, Da Dalto = 19, Hulsmans/Leezer = 18, Steenson = 11, Tennent =10 and Diggle has 8. Dagato is just 7 points behind Castano, who is back in the peleton speaking of which.
Its breaking up in the peleton
This nasty climb is reducing a new quite fast peleton, its down to 84 riders now and its Festina and Gazzetta doing the damage.
Denifl (Festina) and Santambrogia (Gazzetta) turn up the heat
The second climb, the Roccavaso, is the longest of the day but also the least steep going up for nearly 10km at a steady average of 4.1%. Its still a ten pointer and once again Tennent (Cafe du Columbia is eager to go for the maximum. Pagato, the only man with a chance of taking the green KOM jersey begins to falter (or goes back for water) near the top.
KOM prime Two
Its Tennent, Steenson, Diggle, Da Dalto, Leezer and Bouet who take the points in that order. Its disappointing for Pagato who still has 29 pts, now Da Dalto has 26, Leezer 23, Steenson/Tennent 20, Hulsmans 18 and Diggle 16. The break though will still feel they have a chance of staying away for the next one. Though the peleton is really moving, its down to 68 men and news over race radio is saying that some good riders are having a tough day. Here is the situation with 95km to go.
E1: Lead 9 (Pagato, Da Dalto, Steenson, Leezer, Tennent, Hulsmans, Diggle, Bouet and Traficante)
E2: Minard at 1.19 E3: Kittel at 2.07 E4: van der Eynde at 6.30
68 rider Festina led Peleton at 6.52
Group Rogers at 8.32
Group Rolland at 9.00
Group L.Rowe/Docker at 10.29 Gruppetto at 12.39
Its perhaps not that startling that Rogers (perhaps injured from the crash on stage 6) and French wonderboy Rolland is dropped. But it is an indication that the Festina boys are hurting everyone. Following another sprint:
Bouet - > Traficante - > Pagato
We are approaching our last climb, the peleton who have now reeled in the 3 riders between the front 9 and them are 4.07 down. The Rogers – Rolland and magenta jersey group have combined but they are now three minutes back from the peleton. A gruppetto is a further three and a half minutes behind that. The last big climb of the Capo di Valle is upon us.
The crowd cheer our break of 9 on
The pace is high in the breakaway and Traficante, Bouet and Hulsmans are the first to slip off. KOM wannebes, Da Dalto, Leezer and Tennent are next to go leaving just three riders.
Pagato’s elastic is stretching
Diggle and Steenson are proving the strongest from the break and these two take the top of the climb in that order.
Its a Wiggle man in the headlines again
Pagato though takes 8 points for third which means he will just take the green KOM jersey! Tennent is 4th, and the peleton just nabs Da Dalto with teammate Nibali taking 5th ahead of his teammate who is 6th. Brave ride form the Vespa man! The reducing peleton have really ramped it up the last climb, Lipton Iced Tea are on the front and the catch the break with 30km to go.
Lipton pour on the pressure
Riders have been slowly going at the back and its been difficult to keep track of whose here and who is not. Wiggle are clearly well represented as its them who lead us through the 20km to go point.
It’s a small peleton
There is only 32 riders left:
Nocentini + Cataldo + Ponzi + Diggle (Wiggle)
Efimkin + Visconti (Starbucks)
Vastaranta + Rujano (Pearl)
Marzano + Ballan (Sony)
Devolder + Gerdemann (Phillips)
Nibali (Domina Vacanze)
Steenson + Keinath + Grivko (B+O)
Henao Montoya (Nespresso)
Castano + Ardila + Ulissi (Festina)
Tenerio (Lafarge)
Sella + Ghisilberti + Di Maggio (Lipton)
Mehr-Wenige (Auber)
Van Huffel + Van Der Hugenhaben + Posthuma (Jack Wolfskin)
Quinzato + Proni (Vespa)
Pozzovivo (Energie Diesal)
Cunego (Gazzetta)
The headline is that Intxausti (Vesuvio) is not with this group, indeed the next group is two minutes down and only has 15 riders. Its tough for the Spanish rider, he works hard but the gap remains at about two minutes as we go into the last kilometre.
Lipton see a chance to put time into a rival.
Also lets not forget Cunego, Nibali and Pozzovivo are isolated in this group so Lipton really feeling on the up here. Into the last 4km and Grivko goes for a long one.
Has the Ukrainian read the race route?
They approach the last climb and its Starbuck's Efimkin who is leading out Sony's Marzano, meanwhile other GC contenders up here are Nibali and Devolder.
Heading into the steep last km
Indeed it's those last two names mentioned who seem to be making up rapid ground in the first 400m of this brutish finale.
Grivko is dying up comes Nibali and Devolder
It is Nibali who is really beginning to impress, he is still motoring and is clearly the strongest here. Devolder is struggling to get inside Grivko who is rallying - meanwhile Vastaranta is coming up late through the middle.
Forza Nibali
Its a comfortable victory and a warning to his rivals.
Nibbling back time
Behind the battle for the minor places...
Henao Montoya makes a late late burst for second.
28 riders finished together here, Ardila and Keinath managed to drop 90 seconds in the finale, they join Intxausti in having a bad day!
