84th Giro d'Italia

Italy, May 19-June 10, 2001

Stage 6 - May 25: Nettuno - Rieti, 150 km

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Complete Live Report

Start time: 1335
Estimated finish time: 1730

1500 CEST

Welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of stage 6 of the Giro d'Italia. Today's stage is 150 kilometres, starting in Nettuno and finishing in Rieti with three laps of a finishing circuit.

Currently, the peloton is still together after approximately 50 kilometres of racing. At the category 3 GPM at Albano, Rinaldo Nocentini (Mapei) beat Gonzales and Pitero Caucchioli (Alessio).

Jesus Maria Manzano (Kelme) was involved in a crash with a radio corsa motorbike, and was taken to hospital. Three other riders have also retired: Leonardo Piepoli (iBanesto), Nathan O'Neill (Panaria), and another Kelme rider, Gustavo Miguel Otero Gomez. The Kelme team have also lost Juan Manuel Cuenca, meaning they are down to four riders.

At the moment, it is pouring down rain again.

1515 CEST

The rain has cleared, but the peloton is still riding gruppo compatto at a steady tempo.

1535 CEST - 70 km/80 km to go

Fassa Bortolo are really controlling the peloton, with Fabio Baldato riding at the front, chatting to the motorbike marshal. No-one even looks like attacking yet, but it will heat up in about 30 minutes or so.

Fabio Baldato has been a pro since 1991, and has won 27 races.

1556 CEST - 84 km/65 km to go

The pace has picked up, although there have been no attacks. Fassa Bortolo and Saeco control the tempo, and the peloton is once again segregated into "strips" of separate teams. There are gradually climbing at the moment towards Moricone (296m). The finish in Rieti is at 385m, and this is the 10th time that the Giro has finished in that city.

The rain jackets come out again as it starts to sprinkle.

The intergiro sprint is coming up, and Mobilvetta (for Strazzer) picks the pace up substantially. Strazzer gets it from Conte (Saeco), Zanini (Mapei) and Piccoli (Lampre).

1620 CEST 97 km/52 km to go

Strazzer's closest rival in the intergiro is Ivan Quaranta (yesterday's stage winner). However, Strazzer has ensured that he will keep the blue jersey today.

The strung out peleton descends towards Aqcuaviva (km 99) led by Fassa Bortolo.

A Saeco rider is in trouble (Secchiari) with his rear wheel. A very fast change gets him going again. Mountains leader Di Luca also has to change a wheel. He gets help from several teammates to chase back on.

1633 CEST

First attack of the day - Glenn d'Hollander (Lotto) takes a solo flyer, forcing an immediate reaction in the peloton. Gobbi (Mobilvetta) is leading a group of chasers.

D'Hollander sits up as the peloton approach, then attacks again!

1641 CEST

Joaquim Lopez (Kelme), Jan Ullrich (Telekom), Caucchioli (Alessio), Salanson (Bonjour) attempt to escape, but are unsuccessful. D'Hollander rejoins the bunch.

Now a Colpack rider has a go - Renzo Mazzoleni (younger brother of Eddy). He is joined by Sciandri (Lampre), Diego Ferrari (Tacconi), and Hvastja (Alessio). Jon Odriozola (iBanesto) tacks onto the back, as does Pietro Caucchioli (Alessio). Alvaro Gonzalez de Galdeano (ONCE) is also on his way up.

Rik Verbrugghe (Lotto) has a problem with his bike, and has to change it.

1650 CEST - 104 km/45 km to go

The breakaways are desperately trying to establish a gap on the uphill run to Rieti. They have 22 seconds. Galdeano didn't make it across.

The race moves onto the super strada, and the pace is now very quick. The leaders have 14 seconds still, and the chase is led by Alexia and Saeco.

Pictures of the accident earlier in the race, where Manzano hit the motorbike - he looks quick bad. Copollilo and Beltran came off as well.

1700 CEST

The Saeco red train lead the bunc in pursuit of the 6 fugitives, who give up the attempt. Jan Ullrich (Telekom) has the honour of passing them.

Laurent Desbiens (Kelme) and Fortunato Baliani (Selle Italia) immediately counter-attack.

1707 CEST - 125 km/25 km to go

Cesar Solaun (iBanesto) bridges the gap to the two leaders quite quickly, and immediately attacks. Baliani can hold on. They have 18 seconds.

1714 CEST - 129 km/21 km to go

A rather surprised looking Solaun sees a train of Mobilvetta riders fly past him and Baliani, led by Zimbabwean Tim Jones. It looks very much like another bunch sprint, as Alexia have also been prominent near the front. Cipollini is chatting to Sacchi at the moment, some way back in the group.

1720 CEST - 135 km/15 km to go

Ivan Quaranta (Alexia) may not make it to the finish with the bunch, as he is 16 seconds behind with his teammates. The primary reason is that the speed is very high again - 55 km/h, driven by Lotto, Mobilvetta, and Saeco.

3 laps to go around Rieti! Mario Aerts leads the lotto team. Can Quaranta rejoin in time?

1725 km CEST - 140 km/10 km to go

Quaranta's Alexia team pursuit is falling apart, but he's only 4 or 5 seconds behind the back of the peloton. Up front, it's still Lotto (5 Belgians for a Dutch rider - Blijlvens).

1727 CEST - 142 km/8 km to go

Rodriguez (ONCE) falls at the back of the bunch. Less than two 4.4 km laps to go, and the pace is still 54km/h. Quaranta will be cooked if he ever manages to reach the front.

1730 CEST - 145 km/5 km to go

Jeroen Blijlevens obviously thinks he can win the stage, but he will have fierce competition from Leoni (Alessio), Cipollini (Saeco), Hondo (Telekom) and Strazzer (Mobilvetta). Quaranta has thrown in the towel.

1733 CEST - 147 km/3 km to go

Less than 1 lap to go, and it's Lotto, Saeco and Telekom leading the train. Lombardi gives Blijlvens a bit of a nudge. Lotto's De Clercq comes through for a turn, followed by Eeckhout.

1736 CEST - 149 km/1 km to go

It's still Saeco and Lotto, but now Alessio move to the front. Last kilometre.

Blijlvens is third coming round the second last courner, as there is a rush by Mobilvetta to get to the front. They lead out the sprint. Here comes Cipollini! He wins from Hondo. Strazzer takes third. At last, the lion roars.

There are no changes to the GC, and Frigo holds the Maglia Rosa.

Results

Unofficial
1 Mario Cipollini (Ita) Saeco
2 Danilo Hondo (Ger) Deutsche Telekom
3 Massimo Strazzer (Ita) Mobilvetta
4 Mauro Gerosa (Ita) Tacconi Sport
5 Jeroen Blijlevens (Ned) Lotto-Adecco
6 Endrio Leoni (Ita) Alessio
7 Marco Zanotti (Ita) Liquigas-Pata
8 Alexis Rodriguez (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca
9 Gabriele Missaglia (Ita) Lampre-Daikin
10 Giuliano Figueras (Ita) Ceramiche Panaria-Fiordo 
 
General classification after stage 6
 
1 Dario Frigo (Ita) Fassa Bortolo                    
2 Abraham Olano Manzano (Spa) O.N.C.E.-Eroski            0.12
3 Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Lampre-Daikin                    0.13
4 Wladimir Belli (Ita) Fassa Bortolo                     0.17
5 José Azevedo (Por) O.N.C.E.-Eroski                     0.19
6 Giuseppe Di Grande (Ita) Tacconi Sport                 0.25
7 Jan Hruska (Cze) O.N.C.E.-Eroski                       0.28
8 Vladimir Duma (Ukr) Ceramiche Panaria-Fiordo           0.33
9 Oscar Camenzind (Swi) Lampre-Daikin                    0.35
10 Gabriele Colombo (Ita) Cantina Tollo                  0.38
11 Andrea Noe' (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step                    0.42
12 Sergej Gonchar (Ukr) Liquigas-Pata                    0.47
13 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Cantina Tollo                    0.48
14 Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step               0.57
15 Ivan Gotti (Ita) Alessio                              1.02
16 Giuliano Figueras (Ita) Ceramiche Panaria-Fiordo      1.03
17 Unai Osa Eizaguirre (Spa) iBanesto.com                1.06
18 Marco Pantani (Ita) Mercatone Uno-Stream TV           1.09
19 Marco Velo (Ita) Mercatone Uno-Stream TV              1.15
20 Paolo Lanfranchi (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step               1.25

Results & Report