Roll up, roll up the last day in the mountains of an exhausting Giro d'Italia. The grand battle between Cunego and Sella now just has two last acts and with Cunego the better TTer if Sella is going to beat the 5 time champion he has to do something today. It seems unlikely somehow that Sella will take the two minutes he needs, but he does look odds on to collect the mountains jersey and at least 2nd overall.
The final podium place seems destined to go to Vincenzo Nibali who has three minutes on a fading Stijn Devolder, but the rest of the top ten seems in a stage of flux! Today is going to be a key day if a rider like Benat Intxausti. Justo Tenerio, Jose Rujano or anyone else wants to make a big move.
There are numerous KoM climbs including the Livigno, Eiro and Fosagna passes. The main attention though will be on the highest point in this year's giro the Gavia climb.
Before any of the climbs there is a hotspot sprint and those sprinters have got their grubby hands on this one!
Rowe - > Docker - > Ulissi
A nice order there of the three two or more stage winners in this years Giro. Luke Rowe took a fantastic trio of stage victories in the flatter ones at the end of the first and beginning of the second week. Docker was the dominent sprinter in the Amsterdam portion of the race and Ulissi has been there on the hillier stuff. The sprinters move once again masked a flurry of attacks from the peleton from breakaway hopefuls. A Nespresso jersey seems to be emerging from the melee of attacking riding.
Nespresso have been on the attack a fair bit in this giro]
Hang on a minute that is whiter than your normal Nespresso jersey ... it Sergio Luis Henao Montoya!!!
The press box is alive with activity yes folks the Columbian climber currently 6th on GC is on the attack on the very first climb of the day. No wonder he is on his own as we go up the early stages of the Livigno.. behind him Wiggles Pavarin is trying to get on terms.
Luke Rowe's lead out man is not good enough to get on Henao's wheel
This is a fantastic early move and already the peleton are quite away behind, remember folks Henao was 9.07 behind this morning and here are the gaps with 125km to go: e1 Henao Montoya e2Pavarin at 3.37 e3 Swift Metcalfe (Cafe du Columbia) at 6.10 e4 Cooper (Jack Wolfskin), Lang (Sony) at 6.58 e5 Hulsmans (Warner Brothers), Pagato (Vespa) at 8.16 e6 Steenson (B+O) at 8.30 peleton 121 riders at 9.06
This is a fantastic attack and by the top of the Livigno Henao has 9.39 over a now 69 rider peleton! The peleton predictably are reeling in all the breakaway riders but the Columbian is proving a very tough catch. He rides leading over all the early primes (Livigno, Eira and Fosagno)
The young Columbian cashing in KOM points at least
This moves Henao up to 98 KOM points, now just behind Cunego and Sella on that competition. As you might imagine is mass panic stations in the peleton, but Gazzetta are not doing all the work Philips and Lipton in particular are helping.
Ghiselberti again on the front for Sella, but this is earlier than usual
As we begin the Gavia its clear that this is a straight fight between the peleton and Henao Montoya - with 50km to go till the stage finish the Columbian has 4.22 over a 59 rider peleton now being led by Philips.
Devolder just 90 seconds ahead of Henao needs to close this gap
Thats Gerdemann completely hammering with everything he has, it is just 36 men now left in the peleton and its hurting some riders particularly Nico Keinath.
Former pink jersey man is having a rough end to the race
But amazingly Henao just keeps riding away smoothly at the front the gap is hardly coming down at all it is still 3.53 with 7.5km of the Gavia to ride. Philips moves another domestique to the front to really go for it.
Pecharroman puts it up yet another notch
This is really hurting the riders left in the front group and its the Gazzatto domestiques who are now losing touch as Rogers Vasquez and the final Cunego helper De La Fuente surrender to the dark abyss of the Gavia.
Cunego has no-one left!
Just 24 riders left then in this group chasing this Merkcx like ride by Henao:
Ratiy + Sella + Ghiselberti (Lipton)
Marzano (Sony)
Castano + Ardila (Festina)
Panayotov + Rujano (Pearl)
Nibali (Domina Vacanze)
Medvedev + Intxausti (Vesuvio)
Cunego (Gazzetta)
Efimkin (Starbucks)
Keizer (Nespresso)
Duarte (Cafe du Columbia)
Cataldo (Wiggle)
Devolder + Pecharroman + Gerdemann (Philips)
Tenerio (Lafarge)
Pozzovivo + Perez Cuapio (Energie Diesal)
Van Huffel (Jack Wolfskin)
but the gap is still 3.36. Marzano who went with Henao yesterday decides to up the tempo yet more.
Not too many can live with this gear
Of the 24 riders only Nibali, Sella, Intxausti, Pozzovivo, Castano, Cunego and Rujano can live with this, but it is too late to stop Henao winning the Cima Coppi. Yeah Devolder, Tenorio and Cataldo are not here.
Henao crests the Gavia
This moves the Columbian up to 118 points but Sella and Cunego would score points on this climb as will as they cross a couple of minutes later.
Not many left in the front group today.
They descend really quick and with 12km to go and this relatively short but a bit sharp in places climb to Tonale to go here is the situation: e1 Henao Montoya e2 Cunego, Marzano, Sella, Pozzovivo, Nibali, Castano, Intxausti, Rujano and Panayotov at 2.13 e3 Devolder group at 3.57 e4Rogers group at 5.55 e5 Keinath group at 7.30 e6 Rolland group at 8.26
Henoa leads with 10km to go
The Columbian has completely got this one strewn all across the mountains today, an interesting result is the isolation of the favourites for this last climb. Sella decides to test the water...
Sella attacks and Cunego cannot respond
Its 11km to go and this is a big big move from Sella. Cunego cannot respond and so Nibali tries to move across.
Cunego now desperately tries to claw onto Nibali's wheel
Shades of Terminillo here, but this time with the Maglia Rosa on Cunego's back the five time champ closes the door on Sella!
Panic moment over as Cunego reels in Sella
Meanwhile the other riders are coming up from behind here and now its Vesuvios Benat Intxausti on the attack, Cunego looking better responds...
A new wave of moves Intxausti instigates
Also going well with this one is Castano of Festina, Sella is not going with this and the question is has the Lipton man blown! One rider definately blowing very hard and beginning to rock and roll all over the road is Henao Montoya.
He is dying a million deaths out there.
We are into the last 5km and things are all over the place, but Henao's day is done as he is now caught by Cunego and Castano.
What an attack, but its over now
Now its going to be a big test for the Columbian to hold his GC position, he looks completely spent. Other riders are coming round him and bridging to the Cunego and Castano lead.
Rujano and Sella bridge
This is second wind time from Sella, he knows now surely that he is not going to win this Giro, but he wants a 2nd stage win. He goes again with 3.5km to go.
Sella attacks for the line
But he is neutralised and now going into the last 2km it is Jose Rujano who is on a blinder, he leads us in.
Pearl man giving his team a much needed boost
You can see Sella, Castano and Cunego just behind, but also Intxausti who is beginning to open a big gap to Henao Montoya who is really fading here. On the sprint it is Sella who is the strongest as he quickly overhauls Rujano and pulls away to indeed take his second stage win of the Giro 2011.
More tea vicar?
Cunego snatches second off of Rujano and Castano trails in a very useful 4th. Intxausti comes in alone in 5th, with the other Italians Marzano, Pozzovivo and Nibali behind. A very good ride by Pearls Panayotov in 9th and a struggling Henao Montoya comes in 10th three minutes down on Sella.
Chapaeu Henao
The Columbian loses some places on GC and has a tough TT tomorrow to hold the youth jersey ahead of INtxausti. Devolder has lost his top 5 GC position today as Castano and Rujano move forward. Both Festina and Pearl Adidas will be happy with todays ride from their men.
Retirements(due to being outside time limit):
Drujon + Thire (Auber)
Ascani (Vespa)
Petrie- Armstrong + Matt Rowe (Lipton Iced Tea)
Johansson(Sony)
Mouris (Philips)
Weylandt + Fenn(Carmeuse)
Speirs (Domina Vacanze)
De Kort (Jack Wolfskin)
Flens + Van Winden(Gazzetta)
Van de Pluijm (Warner Brothers)
Healion (Cafe du Columbia)
Ford + Barth + Kittel (Vesuvio)
Jorgenson + Reckweg (B+O)
Maksimov (Festina)
Kovalev +Rijntjes + Eeckhout (Wikipedia)
