THIS WEEK IN PRO CYCLING
Saunier Duval's Riccardo Ricco scores another stage win at the Giro d'Italia
Riccardo Riccò (Saunier Duval-Scott) ripped to another dramatic victory in Saturday’s 208km eighth stage to prove he’s top dog in the first week of racing in the 91st Giro d’Italia.
Riccò, 24, snagged his second stage in a week by out-kicking world champion Paolo Bettini (Quick Step) at the end of another hilltop finale into Tivoli with Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner) taking third.
Giovanni Visconti (Quick Step) retained his maglia rosa as there were no major shakeups in the GC, but everyone is wondering if the self-styled “Cobra” will be the man to beat when the Giro turns into the Dolomites later this month.
“The victory is important, but what’s more important are the time bonuses that come with it,” said Riccò, who gained a 20-second time bonus on his GC rivals. “That’s going to be important going into the time trial and the mountains later in this Giro.”
Riccò won a stage and finished sixth overall in his Giro debut last year, but looks to have stepped up so far into the first week of racing.
Along with his stage victory at Agrigento in Stage 2, Riccò was dominant in Friday’s climbing stage to drop his GC rivals except defending champ Danilo Di Luca (LPR) and Alberto Contador (Astana).
“What’s happened the past two days gives me confidence for the coming stages,” Riccò said. “Unlike the other riders, I have Piepoli to rely on and he’s an incredible teammate. It will be great to have him by my side in the mountain stages.”
The blond-haired Italian, known for his quick tongue as well as his strong finishing punch, raised some eyebrows following Friday’s stage when he wondered out loud about Contador’s surprising form, saying, “Even if he’s a phenomenon, he can’t ride that well if he was lying on a beach 10 days ago.”
Contador, meanwhile, brushed off a crash early in Saturday’s stage and finished safely in the pack without challenging for victory.
The defending Tour champ continues to insist that he’s looking to find his form and says he won’t commit to the Giro until at least Tuesday’s critical individual time trial. He says he three pounds over his ideal racing weight and continues to struggle with allergies in Italy’s high spring pollen count.
Astana continues to play its three-card strategy, with Contador, Andreas Klöden and Levi Leipheimer all waiting to see how Tuesday’s 39.4km time trial plays out.
“Alberto isn’t in his best right now, but he’s the best rider in the world in my eyes, so even when he’s not in the best condition, he can compete with the best, which he showed yesterday,” Astana sports director Sean Yates said. “We start with three equal leaders, we'll see better after the time trial Tuesday where we stand.”
Visconti saw his lead increase to 34 seconds to second-place Matthias Russ (Gerolsteiner) while Riccò climbed to fifth overall at 7:33 back.
Breakaway caught
After a hard week of racing, the peloton seemed to have a declared truce in the early going before a breakaway finally snuck away on the day’s main hurdle at Cat. 2 Forca d’Acero at 56km.
Five riders finally made a run for glory by attacking on the lower flanks of the climb. Peeling away were Daniele Nardello (Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni), Fortunato Baliani (CSF Group Navigare), Alessandro Spezialetti (Team L.P.R.), Mathieu Perget (Caisse d’Epargne) and Adam Hansen (Team High Road).
With the likes of Bettini and Rebellin hungry for a win, the escape never gained too much rope. The difference topped out at 6:40 before Gerolsteiner and Saunier Duval-Scott helped in the chase. With 30km to go, the gap was under two minutes.
Hansen, the Australian national time trial champion, went on a solo flier with 13km to go just as the main pack was breathing down the neck of the breakaway. Hansen held a 30-second lead with 5km to go, but it wasn’t going to be enough.
Three consecutive days of successful breakaways ended when Hansen was caught just as the road turned up in the final 3km.
The final climb into Tivoli provided another chance for the peloton’s puncheurs and Saunier Duval-Scott wasn’t going to let the opportunity go to waste.
Last year’s best climber, Leondardo Piepoli led the way up with Christian Pfannberger (Barloworld) on his wheel with Rebellin marking the rhythm at 1500m to go. Peipoli tried again on the steepest part of the climb, with Pfannberger fading back along with Visconti having trouble holding the pace.
Di Luca looked to be in trouble at the back of the bunch, but he jumped from 20 wheels back with 400 meters to go to almost surprise the pack.
The defending Giro champ opened a promising gap, but Riccò countered and held off a late charge by Bettini to win for the second time in the opening week of the Giro.
The 91st Giro continues Sunday with a relatively flat stage that will give the sprinters just their third shot in the opening days of the Giro. The 218km ninth stage from Civitavecchia to San Vincenzo features only one rated climb at the Cat. 3 Campiglia Marittima at 176km.
There’s another unrated climb with 17km to go on a finishing circuit, but that shouldn’t slow down the hungry sprinters. It’s dead flat and a long straightaway after the final right-hand turn with just under 3km to go. Winds coming off the Mediterranean could be a major factor in the wide-open finale.
Results Stage 8
1. Riccardo Ricco (ITA), Saunier Duval in 4:41:05
2. Paolo Bettini (ITA), Quick Step
3. Davide Rebellin (ITA), Gerolsteiner
4. Franco Pellizotti (ITA), Liquigas
5. Daniele Pietropolli (ITA), Team L.P.R.
6. Danilo Di Luca (ITA), Team L.P.R.
7. Emanuele Sella (ITA), CSF Group Navigare
8. Domenico Pozzovivo (ITA), CSF Group Navigare
9. Paolo Savoldelli (ITA), Team L.P.R.
10. Rafael Cardenas Felix (COL), Barloworld
Overall, after Stage 8
1. Giovanni Visconti (ITA), Quick Step 36:44:06
2. Matthias Russ (GER), Gerolsteiner at 0:34
3. Gabriele Bosisio (ITA), Team L.P.R. at 5:53
4. Danilo Di Luca (ITA), Team L.P.R. at 7:27
5. Riccardo Ricco' (ITA), Saunier Duval at 7:33
6. Emanuele Sella (ITA), CSF Group Navigare at 7:36
7. Rafael Cardenas Felix (COL), Barloworld at 7:46
8. Alberto Contador (ESP), Astana at 7:56
9. Franco Pellizotti (ITA), Liquigas at 8:11
10. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA), Liquigas at 8:19
