Giro d'Italia Femminile - 2.9.1Italy, June 25-July 9, 2000Stage 12a - July 8: Trento-Monte Bondone, 83.2 km
Wright's last chance?The Giro moved to the Treviso region today for a split stage. An 83.2km road stage in the morning, followed by a 12.8km ITT. The race commenced in the sleepy village of Seren del Grappa, in the hills between Treviso and Trento. Today would be the final opportunity for Wright to capture the blue jersey from Mansveld as well as an opportunity for Kym Shirly to consolidate her 15th position on GC. Mansveld had been following Wright religiously for days and Wright confessed to a restless sleep, pondering one final attempt to shake Mansveld. The sprint would come at 56km covered. Wright moved up through the bunch on the approach, but had Mansveld on her wheel and subsequently aborted the sprint. Just as the peloton was winding up for the sprint, Sara Carrigan was involved in a fall, requiring a bike change, The pair of Hayley Rutherford and Carrigan chased hard for over 10km to get Carrigan safely back in the peloton. Rutherford produced another outstanding effort, after driving a breakaway group on the approach to Champoluc on Wednesday and again working for Carrigan today. The final 20km were raced in showers, the first rain of the Giro. Wright was lining up to contest the stage finish, her first real opportunity since crashing 1.5km from home in a stage last week. A chicane with 1km to go caused much of the bunch to brake hard in the slippery conditions, the top fiv or six in the sprint train being the exceptions. Wright stayed on the left of the road and missed the leadout from Alfa Lum's Sara Felloni, who had Mansveld in tow, In the end Mansveld took the stage from Oksana Sapryikina, with Felloni in third and Wright in seventh. Shirley, Carrigan and Rutherford all finished in the main bunch. Report by Mark Carter, AIS Women's team Results1. Debby Mansveld (Ned) Farm Frites 2.01.03 (41.239 kph) . 2. Oksana Saprykina (Ukr) Michela Fanini Record Box 3. Sara Felloni (Ita) Team Alfa Lum 4. Giovanna Troldi (Ita) Edilsavino 5. Annette Beutler (Sui) Swiss National Team 6. Goulnara Ivanova (Rus) Acca Due O Lorena 7. Alison Wright (Aus) AIS - Australia 8. Svetlana Boubnenkova (Rus) Edilsavino 9. Silvia Zoller (Sui) Swiss National Team 10. Marion Brauen (Sui) Swiss National Team |