Our last stage of this year’s Giro is a short Individual Time Trial around the streets and surrounds of Verona. It seems unlikely that that over 15 km Sella a fairly ordinary time triallist (even if he is on the form of his life) is going to gain the six seconds a kilometre on the holding strong Cunego. Still there are a number of tight situations on the general classification – two ones to watch are these:
4th and 5th place: Castano (Festina) is currently 8 seconds ahead of Pozzovivo (Energie Diesal) thats going to be tough to defend given the Italians useful Time Trial ability.
7th, 8th and 9th places: Henao Montoya (7th), Marzano (8th) and Intxausti (9th) are separated by 9 and then a further 18 seconds (i.e. 27 seconds). Marzano is old man in the middle here as the Nespresso and Vesuvio riders are either end are also battling for the white jersey.
Of course there is also the battle for the stage win and under usual circumstances Michael Rogers (Gazzetta) would be a pretty sure bet. But it is also a matter of who has the most strength, there is also a bit of a climb up to about half way in this circuit.
The first serious time out on the course was set by Sebastian Lang of Sony.
The German TT champ has been out on a few attacks and is hungry
At the half way check the German was not playing around and was the first rider to break 13 and a half minutes and indeed by the finish line Lang managed to break the previously impregnable 22 and a half minutes. His time was 22.25 – which had beaten a number of decent TTists. However he was soon beaten by a rider that had mainly disappointed in this years Giro.
Auber’s French great white hope Pierre Rolland
This rider has been often reported as being in trouble on the tough Giro climbs – perhaps a less mountainous parcours would have suited the French rider? His Time Trialling today was top notch setting an 8km check 13.25 and he set a new fastest time of 22.21.
(Posthuma!) Next rider Posthuma (Jack Wolfskin)
He was inside Rolland’s time by two seconds at the top of the climb but by the end it seems as if the previous 20 stages have sapped the Dutch TT extraordinaire riders ability as he faded to only set an equal but just outside the Frenchmans time at the end. Next rider to set good checks was B+O’s Czech TT champ.
Czech mate from Roman Kreuzinger
What a tour B+O have had, victory in the team trial gave them the Maglia Rosa. Their best individual today was the Czech rider who has quietly been working as a domestique for their struggling team leader Niko Keinath. He managed a new best 8km check of 13.19 and final time of 22.19. It was a great time and good enough for a top 10 on the day. Of course there were one or two better than this.
Michael Rogers – perhaps not quite the force he was on the opening stage
The Australian set a massive new 8km split best time of 13.03 and yes he broke 22 minutes by the finish. Rogers has set a new best time of 21.53, this looks pretty much impossible to beat – his closest TT rival left in the competition Keizer was on course.
Nespresso’s TTer has slowly climbed the classiment
The Nespresso man managed to set an 8km check of 13.17, its good but nowhere near great enough. He finishes as hard as he can but all he is only fighting for the stage win, it is obvious he isn’t going to win but he sets a good second place time of 22.12. Now we are set up for the key GC clashes of the day, firstly the GC clash for 7th,8th and 9th and also the young rider fight. First man the best TTer of the lot the great Spanish disappointment Intxausti...
The Spaniard is setting some good checks
The Vesuvio youngster has not quite met expectations after his 5th at last years tour and 2nd at the Vuelta, I suppose all will be forgotten if he produces a Vuelta win after this – but scrapping for 7th was not really the idea here.
Oldie in the middle (well not so old but too old for the young riders competition), is Marzano of Sony.
Not really Marzano’s favoured sort of test
He has 18 seconds on Intxausti and it is probably 50-50 whether he would protect that, but he is in his own country so that might just keep him in the top 8. Also going on is yesterday attacker and lets all say it the neutrals favourite Sergio Luis Henao Montoya.
Now then young Columbian you are in the TT arena
So lets remind ourselves Henao has 9 seconds on Marzano and 27 seconds on Inthausti. At the first 8km check:
Intxausti = 13.21
Marzano = 13.27
Henao Montayo = 13.33
It’s looking good here for Marzano, and probably not good enough for Inthausti. However by the finish:
What does this mean it all gets closer and more snug but Henao holds 7th, Marzano is 8th and Intxausti will finish 9th. Who is 6th?
Belgian hard man Stijn Devolder
The Philips rider look on for an amazing podium at some point, who will forget the Mount Grappa stage when he almost took pink. In the end the Belgian found the mountains a little too steep for his liking and lost out to the Italians and Castano. Still 6th is pretty good, todays TT he would post 22.10 for the course which was at the time good enough for 2nd place. However the Italians on the course where setting brilliant checks.
Pozzovivo is tearing the course up
The Italian would match Michael Rogers time at the first check and whilst he could not match the Australian for the rest of the course would finish in a time of 21.57. This meant that Castano would have to finish in a time of 22.05 to defend his 4th place on the GC.
The Festina man tries his best
The Spaniard would go through the first check 13.14 which was 11 seconds slower than Pozzovivo and would finish in a really good time for him 22.12. As good as it was, this was 15 seconds slower than Pozzovivo so he surrenders 4th place. This means that we have an Italian 1-2-3-4.
Here is the man that will be second – Sella
Great great tour, Giro champion in waiting Maglia Rosa consort Emmanuelle Sella.
Grand champion – this is his 6th time is this the best one
Will Cunego try to win any other Grand Tour?
` Italian TT champ – what a good determined ride by Nibali for 3rd place
Hmm anything else to report? These riders times I suppose. Sella put a decent time of 22.24 in which is faster than Seb Lang! Nibali who did a pretty decent TT on day one was at it again matching Pozzovivo’s time – those two should be battling for Italian stage races in the future, and Cunego he set the only first check faster than 13 minutes. This was five seconds faster than Rogers... could he beat his team mate?
Into the last kilometre...
Cunego stops the clock at 21.53 ... its slightly FASTER than Rogers, unbelievable Cunego confirms his 6th Giro win with his 6th stage win at this years Giro.
Stage: (Full results to follow in seperate thread)
