THIS WEEK IN PRO CYCLING
Lampre's Bruseghin triumphs, while Contador positions himself for a podium run.
Quick Step's Visconti retains the overall lead
Marzio Bruseghin (Lampre) might raise Italian donkeys, but he rode like a thoroughbred in Tuesday’s rainy and very difficult 39.4-kilometer to upset the favored Andreas Klöden (Astana).
The 33-year-old Bruseghin, who has more than a dozen donkeys and grows wine grapes on his farm in Vittorio Veneto, surged to just his third career victory in impressive fashion.
The veteran Italian relegated the heavily favored Klöden to third by 40 seconds, but the real surprise was the second-place ride at just eight seconds off the pace by the injured Alberto Contador (Astana).
“We mustn’t let the young think that professional cyclists live like monks,” said Bruseghin, who produces around 12,000 bottles of win a year and has a stable of 23 donkeys. “It was close with Contador and Klöden, so this victory is even more savory.”
Giovanni Visconti (Liquigas) powered to 12th at 1:05 slower to conserve the maglia rosa, but the back story was the showdown between the overall favorites.
A day after revealing he had a fractured elbow suffered in a fall Saturday, Contador rode perhaps the best time trial of his young career, matching Bruseghin at the second mid-course time split and then easing off the gas in the final kilometers when rain fell on the spindly Spanish climber.
“I tried to win the stage. That was my first objective. Believe me, without the rain, I would have been the winner. I didn’t dare to take risks in the end. The last 500 meters on the cobblestones were very slippery as well,” Contador said. “I am happy with the time I gained today. My elbow? In the beginning it bothered me a bit, but the further we went in the stage, the better I felt. My second part of the time trial was indeed much better: the elbow, the legs and the performance.”
Contador’s performance demoralized his Italian rivals, who were already questioning the story that the Tour champ was drinking beers at the beach when the team received a last-minute reprieve to race the Giro just a week before the start in Sicily.
Contador climbed to fourth overall at 6:59 back and moved into the “virtual” lead among the GC favorites, moving 55 seconds ahead of teammate Kloden, 1:05 ahead of the surprisingly steady Vicenzo Nibali (Liquigas) and more than one and a half minutes clear of arch-rivals Riccardo Riccò (Saunier Duval-Scott) and defending Giro champ Danilo Di Luca (LPR).
“I couldn’t maintain my speed on the course, but the others sure went fast,” said Di Luca, who finished 19th at 2:11 back. “I didn’t nearly as well as I expected. I surely paid for the rest day.”
Riccò struggled on the very difficult course made even more challenging by light rainfall throughout most of the race and even hit the deck. A winner of two stages, Riccò wondered out loud if he might have lost too much time to the surprising Contador.
“My hand got stuck in the lever and provoked the fall. I’m not hurt too bad, but. I lost at least 45 seconds in the fall to Bruseghin,” said Riccò, who stopped the clock at 16th at 2:04 back. “But I have to ask myself: what if I lose the Giro by less than a minute? Now I have no option but to attack in the mountains.”
Contador, meanwhile, continues to insist that he’s on a wait-and-see tactic and refuses to accept the mantel that he’s now the man to beat.
“I do not want to make provisions for the future,” Contador said. “I feel better and better but I have no idea what I can do in the big mountain stages. I have to repeat: we will see day after day.”
Levi Leipheimer (Astana) rode to a solid ninth at 1:01 back while the ever-steady Christian Vande Velde led Slipstream-Chipotle with 15th at 1:38 off the pace. Leipheimer slotted into 14th overall at 9:10 back and Vande Velde, who held the maglia rosa for one day after Slipstream won the opening team time trial, slipped into 18th at 9:46 back.
Two-time Giro champ Paolo Savoldelli (LPR) lost at least 20 seconds on the short final climb to the finish when his chain slipped and he was forced to change bikes.
Another surprise was Italian veteran Gilberto Simoni (Diquigiovanni-Androni), who finished 10th at just 1:02 off the winning pace in what was an excellent performance for the 35-year-old, two-time Giro champ.
Riding in what’s likely his final Giro, Simoni clawed back into contention and slots into 13th at 9:10 back, well within striking range with the final week packed full of the spirit-breaking climbs where “Gibo” loves to inflict pain upon others.
Denis Menchov (Rabobank) also revealed he will be a force to contend with after posting a consistent performance at sixth place at 46 seconds off the pace. The two-time Vuelta champ, who says he’s using the Giro to prepare for the Tour de France, climbed to 12th at 8:57 back.
Visconti, meanwhile, backed up claims that he can defend in a time trial and widened his grip on the pink jersey to 3:31 to second-place Matthias Russ (Gerolsteiner). Gabriele Bosisio, winner in stage 7, rode well to claim third place overall at 5:50 back.
The Italian national champ has no plans on giving up the pink jersey any time soon.
“I rode the best time trial of my life. But to be honest, I expected it. I started off slow and stayed within my limit and I saved my strength for the second half of the race,” said Visconti, who grabbed the jersey in stage 6. “This maglia rosa isn’t accidental. Every day that passes, I have more ‘grinta.’ I will fight to keep it as long as possible.”
Visconti and the rest of the peloton will have their hands full in Wednesday’s 199km 11th stage from Urbania to Cesena on roads that trace some of the training routes of fallen Giro hero Marco Pantani.
There’s nary a stretch of flat roads throughout the four-climb stage highlighted by the Cat. 1 Monte Carpegna midway through the route.
Today's top ten
1. Marzio Bruseghin (I), Lampre, 56:41
2. Alberto Contador (Sp), Astana, 56:49
3. Andreas Kloden (G), Astana, 57:01
4. Marco Pinotti (I), High Road, 57:17
5. Paolo Savoldelli (I), LPR, 57:25
6. Denis Menchov (Rus), Rabobank, 57:27
7. Vincenzo Nibali (I), Liquigas, 57:35
8. Gustav Erik Larsson (S), CSC, 57:40
9. Levi Leipheimer (USA), Astana, 57:42
10. Gilberto Simoni (I), Serramenti PVC, 57:43
Overall
1. Giovanni Visconti (I) Quick Step, 43:12:02
2. Matthias Russ (G), Gerolsteiner at 3:31
3. Gabriele Bosisio (I), LPR, at 5:50
4. Alberto Contador (Sp), Astana, at 6:59
7. Marzio Bruseghin (I), Lampre, at 7:52
6. Andreas Klöden (G), Astana, at 7:54
7. Vincenzo Nibali (I), Liquigas, at 8:04
8. Paolo Savoldelli (I), LPR, at 8:09
9. Riccardo Ricco (I), Saunier Duval, at 8:32
10. Danilo Di Luca (I), LPR, at 8:33
