STAGE 1 Race Report 2013 Giro d'Italia

STAGE 1             130 K             Naples—Naples
Clear Day, sun, 27-32 c

4 laps of 16.4 k Posillipo circuit (incl. cat. 4) and 8 laps of 8k circuit.

The early break (7 riders): Wurf (CAN), Visconti (MOV), Bonnafond (ALM), Bulgac (LTB), Keizer (VCD), Canola (BAR), and Mestre (EUS);

Visconti avoids a dog on the road; takes 1^st MT pts;

~ 101 k to go: CRASH Pichon-bloody mouth, lost two teeth, rejoins; Popo, gets med treatment, rejoins;

Wurf 1^st over 2^nd climb;

~ -93k: CRASH Dowsett, etc. all rejoin;

-80k: Wurf has :30 on Bonnafond, :47 on Keizer, 1:05 on the rest of the chasers, and 2:00 to Peloton;

Big crash blocks peloton: Urtasun worst off; he and Pietropolli get new bikes;

-74k: Wurf, ahead alone, has ~2:00 on Pel. as he summits 3^rd climb alone;

*Other 6 chasers ease up and are picked up by peloton…

-64k: Wurf -2:05

*BeIn TV finally comes on air, 30 mins. Later than scheduled. 1^st ever HD broadcast of GDT.

-50k -1:35

 up to 32 c (90 F) by the shore according to Carlton Kirby;

-45k Jose Herrada hanging onto back of peloton;

--Saddlesores forced Basso to drop out before race (replaced by Damiano Caruso), so Wurf attack is a nice way for them to get some morale boost;

*Kirby points out Nacer Bouhanni in his clean French Natl Champ’s jersey. With the omission of jersey #108 in memory of Wouter Weylandt, the FDJ team #s go 100-107, so Bouhanni wears #100.

-30k  Wurf @ -:30

Barrier crash (Pineau-OPQ). Pineau was their driver at the front…

Wheel change: Uran

-27k Pineau rejoins

-25k Minguez(EUS) and LeBon (FDJ) clip barrier, and get back on;

-24k crossing lap line (finish line) for the 2^nd INT SPR Cav yells from barrier, wanted that sprint (probably more because he wants the time bonus for a shot at that Pink Jersey today rather than a deliberate attempt to rack up points for the sprinter jersey);

Hondo (RLT) was 2^nd in INT, behind Wurf. Marcato (VCD) was 3^rd;

-23k Durasek (LAM) mech.

*Just inside -20k: Wurf swallowed up; GRUPPO COMPATTO;

OPQ, LAM, SKY, CAN organizing up front;

Pineau back in front for OPQ;

-13k Pace picks up, very fast now;

RLT and BMC also organizing and jockeying for position;

Pichon hanging on the back;

1 lap to go: Gruppo still compatto, front much less organized now;

-5k: Attack: Brambilla? or Golas? (OGE)…pulled in at -4.2k;

-3k CAN and OGE elbowing for the front; Cavs team gone, except Steegmans;

*CRASH in the back: Keukeleire and Davide Apollonio (Ag2r), & the crash took out Mattia Gavazzi (Androni Giocattoli);

CAN leading, cause a split;

-1k 3 OGE riders take the front…

Goss in good position…Steegmans can’t keep up, Cav goes around him;

Cav, Viviani, Bouhanni, and Nizzolo closing in… Blythe and Ventoso there as well;

Goss launches inside -150m, Cav marking his wheel…

Viviani comes around Goss, then Cav comes around Viviani…

Viviani slams his handlebars repeatedly as Cav has him at the line…

Great bunch sprint.

*Cav’s on-air interview after the finish, Be-In TV’s first post race interview, he can’t get his IFB in his ear, and he says, “fuck it,” and then makes that “oh, shit” face, says “apologies,” and asks, “Is this live?”. Hilarious.

Anyway, he’ll be wearing pink tomorrow.

 RESULTS

1.     CAVENDISH

2.     VIVIANI

3.     BOUHANNI

4.     NIZZOLO

5.     GOSS

6.     VENTOSO

7.     BLYTHE

8.     HOWARD

9.     HONDO

10. LANCASTER

11. DEGENKOLB

12. PAOLINI

13. TAMOURIDIS

14. ROSA

15. NAVARDAUSKAS

16. FERRARI

17. HUNTER

18. KANGERT

19. MARCATO

20. ZEITS

Cav brings his baby girl onto the stage for the presentations. Practically vacuums the Maglia Rosa out of the presenter’s hands. Got what he came for.