After 18 days of hard racing we arrive at the last three days in the Giro, it is looking very good for Damiano Cunego who despite being pushed by Sella is beginning to look unbeatable. Behind him Vicenzo Nibali seems to be attempting to defend his third place position. He has a whole raft of talented climbers such as Castano, tough man Devolder, Italian podium hop Pozzovivo and the attacking Columbian Henao Montoya behind him. Also beginning to fire is Spanish wonderkids Tenerio and Intxausti... they are not the only ones plenty of climbers are beginning to show themselves.
Today they will feast on the climbs, lots of climbing points available as the peletion rides over to Aprica to begin a nightmarish circuit that involves the two climbs of the Trivigno and the legendary Mortirolo. They come back down this climb, before dragging back up to Aprica to the finish line. It’s not dissimilar to stage 17, but its certainly tougher the Mortirolo is very difficult in the early stages.
It will take some brave riders to try and escape the peleton’s clutches today, Nespresso’s Traficante though just goes for it from the gun.
Nespresso are determined to keep attacking!
He gets three companions for the early parts of this stage with Pagato (Vespa), Cooper (jack Wolfskin) and Haussler (Auber). All three teams have had riders in breakaways often in this Giro, with Vaugranard (Jack Wolfskin) having a couple of spells in the green jersey. Pagato has been in that jersey himself before and may be dreaming of gathering yet more points in this competition. At the early sprint there was no competition as Pagato won it (how do the Vespa riders seem to win all these?), Cooper and Traficante. They ride hard, and build up a 10 minute lead with 100km to go.
Traficante takes the first mountain sprint of the day
In the meantime back in the peleton some of these climbing domestique, nowhere on GC types went on the move to try and hunt down the break and perhaps take a stage win. Just the two men today, Perez Cuapie (Energie Diesal) and Rodriguez (Pearl Adidas).
Two climbers go hell for leather
With 80km to go the lead 4 have 3.32 on these two chasers and 6.26 is the gap to the Gazzetta led peleton. That lead though will soon be eroded as we go up the first of the two big mountains, it is the Trivigno and here is a picture of this switchbacking toughie...
The leaders can look back and see the peleton down the mountain
Perez Cuapio riding on Pozzovivo’s Energie Diesal team is the Mexican champion and he has shown himself on several occasions in this Giro. His team leader has been desperately trying to secure a top 5 spot at least and really was a podium candidate alas it seems there are three Italians better than Pozzovivo here. Rodriguez rides for the Pearl Adidas squad that are hoping for at least a top 10 for Jose Rujano, but the diminutive Venezualan climber just doesn’t seem to have the juice to hold on to the very best on the last 10kms of stages. These two leiutenents however are riding smooth enough as they catch the 4 man breakaway...
Four become 6
... and ride away from the poor riders. Its Pearl’s Rodriguez who takes the top of the Trivigno points over Perez Cuapio. They would reverse the placings at the sprint in between the two climbs and with 50 to go this is the situation:
e1 Perez Cuapio, Rodriguez e2 Haussler, Traficante and Cooper at 2.07 e3 Pagato at 2.41 peleton 79 riders at 4.17
Group Rolland at 9.03 Gruppeto at 11.09
They now begin the Mortirolo climb...
14.3 km of tough tough climbing
Early on there is the growing sense of anticipation as the peleton slowly pick away the seconds back to the leaders. After the first 5km of the climb it is Columbian Henao Montoya who goes on the attack first.
Attacking or impatient?
Its a hard move he is tracked by the equally attack minded Italian Marzano and they do work together to eek out a bit of a gap to the peleton. This is now left to Lipton’s super strong domestique Ghiselberti.
Peleton is down to 57 riders and shrinking with 7.5km to go till top of Morti
Its five to do on this dreaded climb, it does begin to flatten out slightly near the top. But by now the lactic must be hitting these riders. With 5km to go Perez Cuapio and Rodriguez still have 1.29 on Henao Montoya and Marzano, perhaps surprisingly these last two have been given a minute by the now 36 man peleton. The truth is the peleton is running out of domestiques in fact decent GC men are falling by the wayside.
Linus Gerdemann and Nico Keinath begin to really suffer
Meanwhile up front the Columbian Henao and Italian Marzano really are setting a good pace they reel in the two men up front. This seems to affect Perez Cuapio as he begins to drop off...
break becomes 4 - well until Perez Cuapio drops and then later Rodriguez.
However back in the pack they really are not that far away and it is busy with little digs from numerous riders. Festina's Castano is particularly active looking to this down the leaders even more - we are now down to 16!
Castano's digs are not really getting away but reducing numbers
One rider seeing his teammater Perez Cuapio drop away attacks hard and bridges to the two leaders, Marzano though counters for the top of Terminillo points.
Marzano - > Pozzovivo -> Henao Montoya
The Italian keeps pushing on down the descent.
The Sony man trying to hurt the remaining riders
As they come down the descent here is the time gaps:
e1 Marzano e2Henao Montoya at 51 seconds e3 Tenerio, Cunego, Sella, Nibali, Castano, Cataldo, Pozzovivo, Devolder, Rujano, Ardila, Solis and Perez Cuapio at 1.12 e4 Intxausti group at 1.47 e5 Efimkin group at 2.16 e6 Van Huffel group at 3.13 e7 Keinath/Gerdemann group at 6.33
The e3 group quickly reduce the gap to Marzano and he is swallowed into the last climb, it is GC 3rd place Nibali who gets the attacks going into the last 12km.
Domina Vacanze man tries
Its a hard move but it is being kept to under 30 seconds for a couple of kilometres by Ardila, but as he drops back the three other main Italians Sella, Cunego and Pozzovivo attack and ride right past a stunned Nibali at 6.5 to go.
Three top Italian climbers in the top stage of the top Italian tour - imagine that
Then with 5km to go this is the situation...
e1 Cunego, Sella, Pozzovivo e2 Nibali at 24 seconds e3 Henao Montoya at 41 seconds e4 Devolder, Castano, Cataldo, Rujano at 1.23 e5 Ardila, Marzano, Tenerio at 1.41 e6 Intxausti, Solis, Ratiy and Rodriguez at 2.15
Van Huffel group at 4.15
Keinath group at 6.50
Cunego really does continue to drive this and Sella and Pozzovivo are very much holding on and as we come up the steady uphill straight there can only be one winner.
Cunego takes his 5th win of the 2011 Giro
Behind these three comes the 4th Italian, but he is defending his 3rd place well from Pozzovivo and everyone else!
Nibali a step closer to Giro podium
Behin him Henao Montoya who is finishing this Giro well, with an amazing last 5km as well Intxausti who recovered from a dodgy Mortirolo to finish 6th ahead of a group of 10 riders led over by Rujano.
Rujano leads em over
Another win from Cunego, but Sella again matches him... Henao Montoya and Pozzovivo continue to move on up... meanwhele Gerdemann and Keinath are looking very tired indeed!
