83rd Giro d'Italia - GTItaly, May 13 - June 4, 2000Main page Course profile Latest live report Complete Live ReportCommencing 15.30 CET Welcome to the 20th, and decisive, stage of Giro d'Italia, a 34 kms time trial from Briancon in France up to Sestriere in Italy. We have three major opponents within 49 secons. Stefano Garzelli (Mercatone) is supposed to be the best against the clock but this race two quite hard climbs. The stage has three parts. First ten kms uphill to Colle di Monginevro, then ten kms down and then the final 14 kilometres up to Sestriere. The race is already on but most of the riders are content with keeping themselves within the time limit. One who isn't is probably Marco Pantani who finished second yesterday but is 28th overall. He will probably set the standard for the race. Something about the bikes, or rather the gears: Leading Casagrande will be riding 53/41 rings with a range from 11 to 21 at the back. Garzelli has the same on the back wheel but 53/39 rings. Simoni finally has the same rings as Casagrande but 11 to 20 at the back. Casagrande has also issued a warning for Tonkov but that seems more to be a courtesy than anything else. But the Russian is a better TT rider than the top three. The situation before this stage: 1 Francesco Casagrande (Ita) Vini Caldirola-Sidermec 92.44.17 2 Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Mercatone Uno-Albacom 0.25 3 Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Lampre-Daikin 0.49 4 Pavel Tonkov (Rus) Mapei-Quick Step 2.46 5 Hernan Buenahora Gutierrez (Col) Nectar-Selle Italia 3.50 6 Wladimir Belli (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 5.17 7 Andrea Noe' (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step 5.26 8 José Luis Rubiera Vigil (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 6.35 9 Leonardo Piepoli (Ita) Banesto 7.12 10 Santiago Blanco Gil (Spa) Vitalicio Seguros 8.01 15.40 CET - The best times so far: Bruseghin (Banesto) 1.03.02; Borgheresi (Mercatone) 1.03.05; McGee (FDJ)1.03.53; Barbosa (Banesto) 1.04.51; Vergnani (Cantina Tollo) 1.04.46; Sciandri (L McCartney) 1.04.51; Voskamp (Polti) 1.05.22; Dekker (Rabobank) and Milesi (Vini Caldirola) 1.05.29 15.57 CET - There is an Intergiro also today, at 20.3 kms, before the final climb. The best times so far: Borgheresi and Savoldelli (Saeco) 32.39; Mc Gee 32.52; Bruseghin 33.07 More times at the finish: Gualdi (Mobilvetta) 1.05.50; Duma (Panaria)1.03.20. 16.05 CET - All top riders are now out on the road. Conti (Vini Caldirola) comes in at 1.03.20, same as Duma on third so far. The situation: Bruseghin 1.03.02 Borgheresi 1.03.05 Douma 1.03.20 Conti 1.03.20 McGee 1.03.53 16.18 CET - Ricardo Forconi (Mercatone) is doing a good race and has passed Rebellin (Liquigas) on the road and finishes in the lead: 1.02.18. Merckx comes in at 1.04.16. Intergiro: Gontchar (Liquigas) 32.04, fastest so far. 16.25 CET:- The first reports from the top riders: Tonkov has passed the mountain prize at Colle di Monginevro at 24.09. There is also a report saying that Garzelli and Casagrande has the same time at 3 kms. Savoldelli comes in at a disappointing 1.05.37 while Tonti (Cantina Tollo) gets 1.04.20. Fincato 1.04.39. 16.30 CET - Garzelli on the first mountain: 22.38, Simoni 23.26. Hruska finishes at 59.40 and takes the stage lead. 16.32 CET - Casagrande passes at 24.23, more than a minute and a half behind! 16.36 CET - It seems as Garzelli has the grip on Casagrande with a third of the race done. But the worst climb is still left. Peña, winner of the last TT in Bibione comes in at 1.03.27. 16.44 CET - Garzelli passes the Intergiro after 20.3 kms still 1.40 ahead of Casagrande. He hasn't gained anything down from the first mountain. Now the second is waiting. Their times: 32.15 and 33.55. 16.50 CET - Piepoli (Banesto) finishes at 1.02.51. Eight riders left on the road. Simoni is reported to ride a little faster than Casagrande but he hasn't gained more than five seconds at the Intergiro. But he climbed the first mountain faster than the two others. 16.55 CET - Garzelli is reported to loose ground to Simoni and Casagrande. He is still ahead at seven kms to go but only 25 seconds, Simoni has taken more than half the gap and there is still a lot ofclimbing to do. And Casagrande is now only 49 behind the suffering Garzelli. More finishers: Noé gets 1.01.03, second so far, and Rubiera gets 1.03.04. Six riders left. 17.00 CET - They are closing in on Garzelli now. At five kms Casagrande was 42 seconds behind, there are 17 left to loose for Garzelli. Another report says the gap is more than a minute. In a couple of minutes we know… 17.04 CET - Simoni is first on the road. Tonkov has arrived at 1.04.13, let's forget him. The contradictory reports get their explanation. We got the overall gap. But Casagrande hasn't given up. Simoni's time: 1.02.15 17.07 CET - Garzelli comes in at an impressing 1.01.06. 17.11 CET - Casagrande won't make it, he comes in at 1.02.58. Second
overall, well behind Garzelli but only six seconds ahead of Simoni. Provisional results: Provisional results: 1. Jan Hruska (Cze) Vitalicio 59.49 2. Andrea Noé (Ita) Mapei 1.14 3. Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Mercatone Uno 1.17 4. Serguei Gontchar (Ukr) Liquigas 1.41 General classification: 1. Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Mercatone Uno 93.45.48 2. Francesco Casagrande (Ita) Vini Caldirola 1.15 3. Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Lampre Daikin 1.21
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