Monday, June 2, 2014

2014 Giro d'Italia Stage Summaries, Part 1



2014 Giro d'Italia Stage Summaries

A lot of rain in first week, with mostly cool temps = many crashes and some fevers (Kittel DNS stg 4 with fever).

Sorry I don't have detailed summaries for the first few stages.

Stage 1:
Dan Martin's wheel slips out going over manhole cover in rainy TTT, brings down half the team. Martin and K. Fernandez out with injuries (both collarbones).
Movistar and Katusha have bad TTT's, lose time.
1, 2, 3: Orica, OPQ, BMC.

Stage 2:
Kittel wins sprint.
1, 2, 3: Kittel, Bouhanni, Nizzolo.

Stage 3:
Kittel wins sprint.
1, 2, 3: Kittel, Swift, Viviani.

The 3 Irish stages were great! Really great to see all the fans who came out Rain, and unfortunate crashes aside, I'm sure the Giro wouldn't hesitate to come back.

TRANSFER: Back to Italy:
(From the boot-heel)

Stage 4: Lots of crashes toward the end; fresh rain = slick, wet roads.
1, 2, 3: Bouhanni, Nizzolo, Veelers.

Stage 5:
1st uphill finish (short and punchy).
1, 2, 3: Ulissi, Evans, Arredondo.


Stage 6:
More rain on typically dry roads caused crashes right before final climb.

Evans (riding up front) broke clear in a group of 8 or 9.
KAT: G. Caruso (hurt, nothing broken) taken from stg 6 crash in ambulance;
Vicioso (37 yrs old) broke femur in 3 places;

*J-Rod DNS stg 7. Withdraws after stage 6 crash, with 3 broken ribs and thumb (apparently, one rib was already broken, and today he broke 2 more). Two real contenders are out before the race even reaches the first real mountain stage (Martin and Purito).

Brett Lancaster finished, but also DNS stg 7 with broken hand.
Carretero (COL) also injured and DNS stg 7.
Brajkovic out with broken elbow.
Villella (CAN) broke collarbone.
Flens (BEL) broke finger and Kruijswijk broken elbow, both are riding on.
Tuft: lots of cuts, hip, elbow, and knee: still riding.
Anacona and Cunego also shed blood, but continued.
*Roche whole left side road-rashed and cut up, continued, lost a lot of time. The Irish are not having it easy this year.
Stage 6 Finish:
1, 2, 3:  Matthews, Wellens, Evans.

**************************************************************

Stg 7:
[into] Umbria
Mederel abandons after 9k.

Break  (5)= Anacona (LAM), Chalapud (COL), Haas (GRS), Thurau (EUC), Boem (BAR).  At -90k Lead = 5:42.
-67k lead is 4:20.
At -26k the lead is still 3:41. Pretty much flat to the finish, so these 5 guys could stay away.
-16k Lead down to 1:53... Touch and go.
Farrar is brought back to the rear of peloton at ~ -15k
-13k: passing Trevi
-10k: lead = 1:17...
-8k  -:47
-6k -:30
~ -5k. A few get frisky on front of peloton. Evans and Matthews look safe near the front.
-2.8k: Break caught.
Then Ventoso crashes hard. He's an important domestique nowadays.

*Sprinters hash it out and BOUHANNI takes his 2nd race win in a bunch sprint, ahead of Nizzolo and Mezgec.

Mountains start tomorrow!
_____________________________________________________


With the withdrawals of Dan Martin and Joaquim Rodriguez, the remaining climbers/GC hopefuls include:

1.     Evans
2.     Uran
3.     Quintana
4.     Pozzovivo
5.     Scarponi
6.     Majka
7.     Duarte
8.     Ulissi
9.     Niemiec
10. Aru
11. Hesjedal
12. Roche
13. Kelderman
14. Rolland
15. Basso
16. Geniez
17. Santaromita
18. Moreno
19. Rabottini
20. Kiserlovski
21. Arredondo
22. Pellizotti
23. Rogers
24. Poels
25. Cataldo

...and some of the support/secondary climbers/domestiques (by team):

AST-Landa, Brajkovic, Agnoli
ALM- Dupont, Montaguti, Bouet
BAR-Pirazzi, Zardini, Battaglin, Bongiorno
BEL-Kruijswijk, Keizer, Tjallingi
BMC-Sanchez, Morabito, Hermans, Quinziato, Bookwalter
COL-Pantano, Rubiano, Chalapud, Avila
GIA- Preidler, Geschke, Ludvigsson, De Backer
GRS-Cardoso, Wegmann
KAT-Losada, Gusev, Belkov, Vorganov, Paolini
LAM-Cunego, Anacona
LTB-Wellens, Monfort, Hansen
MOV-Anton, Capecchi, Amador, Herrada, Izaguirre, Malori
NRI-Monsalve, Colli, Fedi
OPQ-Pauwels, De Gendt, Brambilla
OGE-Weening, Cam Meyer, Tuft, Hepburn
EUC-Sicard, Malacarne
SKY-Deignan, EBH, Siutsou, Seb. Henao
TCS-Rogers, Rovny, Petrov, Poljanski
TFR-Zoidl, Fellini, Alfaci

**************************************************************

STAGE 8:
Montecopiolo- MTF
174 k Hi Mts.
SUNNY! temp 55-65 f, depending who you ask.

DNS: Cam Meyer (OGE)

Break (9)=  Arredondo (TFR), EBH (SKY), Berard (ALM), Bandiera (AND),  Quemeneur (EUC), Pirazzi (BAR),  (CAN), Quintero (COL), Cattaneo (LAM), Finetto (NRI), Vorganov (KAT).

At -90k lead =7:30
-73k: Chicchi crashed into and over guardrail into field. He's back up and riding.
-60k: -6:00
-48k: Pirazzi accel. followed by Quemeneur and Quintero; others quickly distanced by :10.
Peloton splits on climb.
EBH doing well riding with Quintero now inside -40k

-40 - -30k:
Leaders split on 1st big climb [Cippo di Carpegna - 1358m]...
Arredondo drops Pirazzi, and they are 1st and 2nd over the KOM.
Behind, the peloton is splitting apart on the narrow roads of the climb.

Rolland escapes from the pack. At -27k he is 1:40 behind the leader, Arredondo, who is descending the other side. EBH still in between.
Impressive riding from EBH.

Everyone's descending now, toward the final climbs to the finish.

-18k: Arredondo leads; EBH chasing solo, probably at about +:45;
Next chase group is Rolland and dropped erstwhile leaders Pirazzi, Quemeneur, and Quintero.

Finish is a double climb, staircase-style.
First comes the cat. 2 Villaggio del Lago at ~ 6.5%, to 1358m, max ~ 11%, has a flattish "step" before halfway up.
Then they descend for about 3k, before the final push to the summit finish.

The 1235m high Montecopiolo, above Villagrande, is about 5.5k with a 13% max at the top, and averages about 6.5%? The steep summit will add to the time splits.

-16k: Pirazzi accelerates and Rolland goes with him.
Arredondo has 1:10 to his nearest chaser (EBH?);
The Peloton is at + 2:40.

EBH has dropped back with Quemeneur. They're picked up at -13.6k

Pirazzi and Rolland are the 1st chasing group still over a minute behind Arredondo.
Scarponi is in a group of riders losing distance from the peloton.
ALM leading the peloton chase with about 30 riders or so.

~-13.7k: Rolland drops Pirazzi and chases alone now.

-10k: Arredondo leads up the mountain.
Rolland chases at +1:02
Pirazzi at 1:50
Peloton at 2:00

Inside -3k Rolland catches Arredondo up front; peloton now chasing at about +:40.
-2k all the vehicles come out from the gap...
Morabito's been driving hard in front of peloton for a while for Evans.

-1.8k Rolland edges away from Arredondo, the peloton is inside :30 behind...
Rolland is losing steam.
-:17 under the red flag!
The road levels out at the top for about 500m.

Kiserlovski, then Ulissi blast out of the pack.
They pass Rolland inside -250m!
Ulissi digs in and sprints across the line to take his 2nd win of this race!

1. Ulissi  2. Kiserlovski  3. Kelderman  4. Quintana  5. Evans

**************************************************************

STAGE 9:
174k from Lugo to Sestola; MTF
Temp: 61 F;

DNS: Chicchi - NRI

Break (14)= Berard - ALM; Jx Rodriguez, Bandiera - AND; Barbin - BAR; Tanner - BEL; Gatto - CAN; Duque - COL; Bono -LAM; Van Der Sande - LTB; Monsalve - NRI; Weening - OGE; Malacarne - EUC; Vorganov - KAT; Puccio - SKY.

km 43: Matthews crashed (right hip all road-rashed and bruised), with Godoy, Eijssen, Castroviejo, Rosa, Poljanski, Gusev, Jensen.

Took a while for break to form.
At -85k their lead is 6:14.
Inside 60k to go the lead is 7:51. The flat, first two-thirds of the stage are behind them, as they approach the hilly remaining 60k. Ahead are a cat 3, a cat 4, and the cat 1 summit finish.

It is increasingly likely that the GC guys will let the break go.

-50k, lead is 6:29.
Kruijswijk abandoned (been riding on broken shoulder).
-28k 4:37;
-25.6k: Tanner escapes the lead grp.

Tanner reeled in and Weening attacks.
Malacarne has also ventured out.
At -18k he has ~3:30 over the peloton. Is this the winning move?

-8k Weening and Malacarne have 3:53 on the peloton; and I think about 1:30 to 2:00 to the chasing, erstwhile lead group.
Kirby says the temps are up to 20c.
Pozzovivo escapes the bunch and gets on his teammate Berard's wheel. Other GC favs follow...

The 2 leaders have 3k to go; Pozzovivo is about 2:00 back...
Pozzovivo drives on alone...he's got :30 on the Pink Jsy grp.
Behind, Evans can just follow wheels;
Pozzo catches and passes Barbin.

Malacarne and Weening sprint for the win...
Weening takes it at the line!
Malacarne is of course, second.
Pozzovivo gets 3rd at +:42, and gains : 26 on the small GC grp. (plus 3rd place time bonus).

**************************************************************

REST DAY 2; Monday 5.19.14

**************************************************************

5.20.14: STAGE 10
173k from Modena to Salsomaggiore Terme.
Flat

Break (2)= Fedi (NRI-3rd time in Brk), and Bandiera (AND - in his 4th Break!).
At -85k their lead is about 6:30;
The lead maxed out at around 8:35.

At -50k the lead is 3:00.

Still about 3:30 with about 20k to go.
Crash: Rovny, Eijssen

-9k: The peloton brings the break back quickly, and Cataldo takes up pace-making for SKY in front of the peloton; Boasson-Hagen takes over next.
Bouhanni is dropped, but he manages to get back on with about 2k to go.
Guided by one lone teammate, Bouhanni makes it up to the front for the sprint...
...and takes another win!
1. Bouhanni  2. Nizzolo  3. Matthews


**************************************************************

STAGE 11:
Wed 5.21.14            249k from Coreggio/Collechio to Savona (into Liguria).
Includes 2 cat-2's, 1 early, 1 late, before a 13k descent to the finish sprint.

Now this is the 2nd-longest stage, since landslide made stage six 10k longer.

Matthews DNS; Durbridge (collar bone) and Wegmann crashed out (Wegmann completely tore left hamstring muscles in crash at around km23 [a detached tendon of the right biceps femoris muscle]): taken to hospital. Rubiano also abandoned.
Ulissi was in the Durbridge crash.

Break not clear til almost 80k in.
*Break (14)= Roche (TCS), Arredondo (TFR),
Moreno, Vorganov (KAT), Bongiorno (BAR), Moser (CAN), Preidler (GIA)Monsalve (NRI), Barbin (BAR), Mourey (FDJ), Thurau, Quemeneur, Sicard (EUC), Deignan (SKY), Rovny (TCS).

4 had gotten clear, but by -87k all 14 are back together in front.

Km 66: over cat 2 Passo Cento Croci
Km 151: Through Genova (Genoa).
-83k, the lead is 4:26

Puccio also crashed, continued, very scraped up; Serry has been down, too.
Sutton, Siutsou and Cataldo (all SKY) crashed earlier, and are all up.

-74k: crash mid peloton, in town. Morabito, Vanendert, Ponzi, Zeits, Monfort, Swift, Cataldo, EBH... Morabito (Evans #1 SD) looks a little hurt, but he's back up and riding.

Evans asks the Androni riders, who are driving the pace in the front of the peloton, if they might slow up to wait for his lieutenant. Negative. (Probably not much goodwill after Evans kept the pace up after the big peloton crash on stage 6).

Other crash victims: Sorensen, Malori,

-53k: Deignan, wheel change. Trying to catch back up to the break, but the peloton are closing the gap now...

-50k: Peloton trails by 2:08. Deignan is about :25 behind the leaders.

-40k lead= 1:18, on early ramp up to the final climb.

cat 2 Nasso di Gatto 7k at 8% section, shallower at bottom and top.

Morabito is back with the BMC guys, who are now pushing it at the front of the peloton.

On the climb:
Bongiorno leaps from the break, Roche chases and passes him in front...
Moreno and Preidler get on...

-34k: Arredondo escapes the pack! He's quickly passing guys from the break.
-32.8k: Arredondo catches on with the 4 leaders--now 5. The pink jersey is :32 behind.
-32.6k: Roche accelerates away from the lead group, Now it's Arredondo, Preidler, Roche stretching out...
Roche losing ground to the other 2...
Chalapud jumps from the peloton, momentarily.
Preidler out of the saddle most of the way, trying to hang on to Arredondo's wheel..Arredondo seated, smooth cadence...
BMC lead the peloton chase up the climb.

Ulissi is suffering since the early crash...

Zardini makes a move from the pack.
-30.4k: Zardini passes Roche.
-29k:Losada, Rolland, and Pellizotti are together chasing Zardini.
The lead was down to :15, but Arredondo is opening it up again...
Preidler loses Arredondo's wheel near the top.
Zardini closes in on Preidler.

-28k: Behind, Zardini is picked up by Rolland, Pellizotti, and Losada.
Arredondo is 1st over the summit. Preidler 2nd, Pellizotti 3rd.
The front six come together on the descent.
Leaders (6): Arredondo, Zardini, Rolland, Pellizotti, Preidler and Losada.

-24.5k: Peloton about to catch leaders, Rolland still puching up front. By -24k it's gruppo compatto.

-21.3k: Mick Rogers attacks on the descent.
-20k: Rogers is building a nice gap.
Ulissi has been dropped.

-16K: Rogers has -:41 and growing.
-10k: Rogers -:36.

After this descent there are about 3.8k of flats.
-5k: Rogers has :35 on the Maglia Rosa grp.

-1k: Rogers still has :20!

*Michael Rogers, who came into the race with just one racing day in his legs, wins stage 11.
1. Rogers  2. Geschle at +:10  3. Battaglin ST

Appollonio and Ruffoni OOT.

Ulissi comes in at +4:31! (he punctured after rejoining the peloton before the finale); says knee is not bad.

Malori, tomorrow's TT favorite, has injuries from crash listed as " trauma to his right arm and shoulder, and bruises to his thorax and knees."

Sorensen looked really banged up. He got a concussion.

**************************************************************
STAGE 12:
42k rolling ITT

DNS: Sorensen
1. Uran  0:57:34
2. Ulissi +1:17
3. Evans 1:34
4. Majka 1:39
5. Brambilla 1:53
6. Poels 2:00
7: Kelderman 2:03
8. De Gendt 2:06
9. Pozzovivo 2:09
10. Gretsch 2:12
Other notable:
11. Cataldo 2:23
13. Quintana 2:41
14. Rogers ST
16. Aru 2:55
20. Hesjedal 3:22
21. Geniez 3:29
28. Rolland 3:46
29: Kiserlovski 3:49
30. Basso 4:05
33. Duarte 4:14
36. Monfort 4:17
37. Zoidl 4:23
41. Pellizotti 4:49
54. Scarponi 5:27
72. Santaromita 6:08
73. Niemiec 6:12
86. Landa 6:40
97. Malori 7:09
106. Tuft 7:32
125. Roche 8:03
127. Hepburn 8:06
137. Weening 8:20
151. Castroviejo 8:47
157. Dan Moreno 9:33
174. [last place] Bouhanni 12:56

DNF: Ludvigsson

GC after 12:

1
Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team
49:37:35

2
Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team
0:00:37

3
Rafal Majka (Pol) Tinkoff-Saxo
0:01:52

4
Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale
0:02:32

5
Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team
0:02:50

6
Nairo Alexander Quintana Rojas (Col) Movistar Team
0:03:29

7
Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana Pro Team
0:03:37

8
Wout Poels (Ned) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team
0:04:06

9
Steve Morabito (Swi) BMC Racing Team
0:04:20

10
Robert Kiserlovski (Cro) Trek Factory Racing
0:04:41

11
Ivan Basso (Ita) Cannondale
0:05:09

12
Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar
0:05:45

13
Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team
0:05:57

14
Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre-Merida
0:06:24

15
Matteo Rabottini (Ita) Neri Sottoli - Yellow Fluo
0:06:48

16
Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin Sharp
0:06:55

17
Maxime Monfort (Bel) Lotto Belisol
0:07:01

18
Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr) Team Sky
0:07:31

19
Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
0:07:36

20
Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-Merida
0:08:42

21
Alexandre Geniez (Fra) FDJ.fr
0:09:08

22
Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli
0:09:38

23
Hubert Dupont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
0:10:13

24
José Herrada Lopez (Spa) Movistar Team
0:10:21

25
Samuel Sanchez (Spa) BMC Racing Team
0:10:59

26
Fabio Andres Duarte Arevalo (Col) Colombia
0:13:23

27
Georg Preidler (Aut) Team Giant-Shimano
0:14:17

28
Michael Rogers (Aus) Tinkoff-Saxo
0:14:29

29
Davide Malacarne (Ita) Team Europcar
0:15:58

30
Serge Pauwels (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team
0:20:33


*Many of the TT specialists were either hurt or committed to domestique duties, so they did not put in the kinds of good times they are accustomed to.

**************************************************************

STAGE 13:
~174K
flattish
Sunny at start, rain expected

Break (6)= Jxn Rodriguez (AND), Corredor (COL), Dockx (LTB), Tulik (EUC), Canola (BAR), and Belkov (KAT).
-100k lead at 2:27

-60k at 3:27
Raining now.
Peloton turn up the pace inside -45k
-40k: 2:56 lead.

about 2:00 at -20k

Heavy hail on the road blanketed the ground with white, causing everyone to slow down.

Rodriguez, Canola and Tulik drop the other 3 from the break.

Seemed the pel were giving up the chase with about -13k, but soon they're closing the gap again...

-1k lead maybe :30 tops;
The peloton can be seen barreling down on the 3 leaders in the last few hundred meters...

But the 3 stay clear,
and Marco CANOLA (BARDIANI) takes the sprint!
Rodriguez and Tulik round out the stage podium.

No change in GC.

MTF tomorrow.

**************************************************************

STAGE 14:
Agliè to Oropa 164k, MTF
weather: mostly cloudy, cool, 17 c, Wind S at 7kmh; 56% humidity;
Incl. 4 climbs:
1. A cat-3 at km30 (La Serra);
2. cat-1 at km 93: (Alpe Noveis): 1099m;
3. cat-2 at km 120: Bielmonte;
4. And the cat-1 summit finish at Oropa (Biella)

DNS: Vanendert and Belletti.

Break (9) by km 15, joined by 12 more: Cataldo; EBH - SKY; Roche - TCS; Agnoli - AST; Sella, Frapporti - AND; Domont - ALM; Battaglin - BAR; Keizer - BEL; Quinziato - BMC; Longo Borghini - CAN; Pantano - COL; Cattaneo, Polanc - LAM; Quemeneur - EUC; Timmer - GIA; Wellens - LTB; Monsalve - NRI; Vermote - OPQ; Santaromita - OGE; Hondo - TFR.
Lead is 2:30 with 139k to go (at ~km 25).
Lead up to 3:30 quickly...

*Wellens is first over 1st climb (cat 3 La Serra), ahead of Hondo, then Monsalve.

-105k: crash in pel. Siutsou, Weening, 4x NRI riders; 3 x SKY; Arashiro EUC, looks hurt.
*Siutsou and Weening abandoned.

2nd CLI: cat-1 Alpe Noveis: About 9k, with a 711m drop, up to 1099m elev; 1st 3k are easy, then 5k of steeps, averaging 11.4% and maxing out around 16% early on; the top has a dip for respite, and then 10% kick up, before leveling off in the final few hundred meters.

-72k: 8:09 lead on the climb...

*Wellens pips Monsalve over cat 1 Noveis summit. Longo Borghini is 3rd; then EBH, Agnoli, Domont, Santaromita, and Quemeneur.

*3rd CLI: Onto the Bielmonte climb: 1482m high; ~18k (1st 5.5k ~ 5.1%, next 5.6k avg 8.3%, next 3k: ~ 5.1%,  then ~ 1.5k of -3.3% descent, and the final 3k to the summit ~6.1%); Max: 13% at around 10k into the climb;

-50k: Rolland, Tulik and Thurau are chasing;
Hesjedal and Izaguirre pursue, :30 behind the Rolland grp.
Rabottini ventures out behind Hesjedal;

-45k: 1st chase grp at +4:40 is Hesjedal, Rolland, Thurau, Izaguirre, Zoidl. 5:19 to 2nd chase grp.

Now they're saying Rabottini is in that group too. ?
Now they're saying he isn't. He's been distanced.

*Roche attacks from the front.
-44.6k: Pirazzi and Zardini (both BAR) attack from the pack.
-43k: The BAR guys catch Rabottini.
-42k: Roche is building a gap out front.
A 30k descent follows this summit, before the climb to the finish.

*Roche summits with a :10 gap to Wellens and the rest.
5:03 back to the BAR boys.
5:48 to the peloton.

The descent could be critical to the leaders.
.................
beIN tV's delayed [Saturday] coverage cuts ahead in the action:
.................

*Onto the final climb to the finish:
cat-1 Santuario di Oropa: 11.8k from 409m up to 1142 m (733m drop); Max  13.5%; steepest in the middle; the first 5k are very easy, the remainder averages about 8% along a staircase climb of continually varying grades.

Roche has been reeled in by the other leaders.
Timmer must have gone off the front.

-6k:
2nd chase grp: Hesjedal, Rolland, Izaguirre, and Zoidl.

-5.3k: Cataldo and Cattaneo accelerate off the front.
-4.7k: Wellens and Roche get on with them. and Pantano?
Behind, Quintana and Pozzovivo lead the pel. chase.

Pantano may be pulling away...
Wellens is in the lead now.
Santaromita may be chasing?
No time gaps available..

Contrary to the published profile, Carlton Kirby is saying the road flattens out in the last km.

-4k: Wellens leads, 1st chase at  +:36; 2nd chase at 3:31; Pink Jsy grp at 4:15.
-3.7k: Cataldo and Cattaneo close in on Wellens in front..
*...and Pozzovivo attacks the GC group!

He's chased by Majka and Uran. Quintana and Kelderman chase, too...
Pozzo begins to pull away, suddenly Quintana gets on with him. Just behind, Evans gets on with Uran...

 -3.5k: Pozzovivo leads Quintana and Izaguirre;
behind, Kelderman is in the gap; then Majka, Uran and Evans...

Ahead, Cataldo has dropped Cattaneo, and been joined by Pantano. They pick up Timmer. They're being called the lead group, so Wellens must have dropped back;
[This is pretty poor TV coverage of all this action, but there are riders scattered all over creation.]

Rolland and Hesjedal are chasing somewhere
Pozzo and Quintana are moving...

-2k: Cataldo attacks the leaders; Pantano chases on. He can't drop the Colombian;
Pantano takes over, then sputters. Cataldo looks stronger.
Behind, Pozzo and NQ are building a nice gap to the other GC guys.

-1k: Polanc has gotten back on with the leaders!

The 4 are sprinting as the road does level out somewhat;
Polanc takes the lead; all 4 still together. Timmer is working really hard to stay w the other 3..
-700m: Polanc accel; Timmer is dropped.
-600m: Suddenly, Battaglin and Roche et al, are closing in behind!

Only a 2.5% grade at the top;

Cataldo is watching the other 3, as Polanc drops from the front.
Looks like Cataldo is about to spring!

Polanc is distanced, then Battaglin;
Cataldo leads Pantano up the cobbles to the line...
~ -150m: They round a 90-degree left-hander;

-100m: Pantano turns on the gas...
-75m: ...but Cataldo jumps ahead, chased hard by Battaglin!
-50m: Battaglin passes Pantano!
Battaglin is coming back strong. Can Cataldo hold him off?

*-20m: Carlton Kirby nearly has a stroke on the mic, as Battaglin burns past Cataldo and takes a very impressive win at the end of a very climb-y stage!
What a great victory for the 24-yr-old Enrico Battaglin and the wildcard Pro-Conti Bardiani team!

THE BREAK SUCCEEDS.

Cataldo, then a very spent Pantano follow.

Many from the break are still ahead of the chasers. They roll in little by little.

Here come the GC guys...
Pozzovivo and NQ approach the last few hundred meters. They pick up some other stragglers.
Hesjedal comes in at +2:22.
Rolland at 2:26.

Quintana (15th) pulls ahead of Pozzo, and crosses the line at +2:39;
Pozzovivo and Aru at +2:43;
Kelderman and Majka (18th and 19th) at 2:47;
Poels and Evans (20th-21st) at +2:59;
Uran is next at 3:04.
EBH at 3:22!
Kiserlovski and Landa (28th-29th) at 3:36;
Ulissi is 32nd at 4:01;
Pellizotti and Basso (33rd and 34th) at 4:02.

Rabottini (44th), Monfort (45th) and Morabito (46th) are over 5 mins down.
Moreno at 8:24; Sanchez at 9:01;
Arredondo at 11:44; Pirazzi at 17:48.

Uran keeps Pink, but concedes some seconds to most challengers.

Quintana seems to have gotten over his flu or whatever respiratory ailment was holding him back the last couple of days.

*Pozzovivo criticizes NQ for not doing his share of work on the climb.
They both need to gain time on Uran, and NQ claimed he was on his limit, despite passing him at the line.
He (Pozzo) also says he showed he's strongest in the climbs.

170 riders finished.

Another MTF tomorrow.

NQ says same strategy tomorrow (follow leaders and try to gain at the end).
Rolland deciding whether to go for GC or stages.

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Stages 16-21 are on the next page...

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