Giro d'Italia - Stage 15


Stage Report

Italian champion Gianni Bugno produced a rebuke for his critics by winning the 15th stage of the Giro d'Italia on Sunday. His five co-leaders could not match his powerful finish at the end of the 224-km 15th stage from Briancon, France, covered at an average speed of 40.50 kph.

He held off compatriot Francesco Casagrande, who like Bugno was attempting to salvage something from an otherwise disastrous race. Third place fell to Russian Sergei Ouslamine. Russian Pavel Tonkov still leads overall by 20 seconds from Latvian Piotr Ugrumov.

Bugno, 32, with a string of past triumphs including the 1990 Giro and two world titles in successive years, started the stage 42 minutes 45 seconds behind Tonkov. His attack 50 kms from the finish was no threat to the Russian, but for Bugno it was a chance to silence the fickle Italian media.

His last Giro stage win came two years ago at Loreto Aprutino. That year he took the Tour of Flanders classic, and it was the end of a four-year spell of dominance in which he also won the World Cup series.

Team mates had said that Bugno was finding it hard this year to come to terms with the new era of successful Italian riders, and that his motivation was gone. Casagrande, one of the new Italian talents, was tipped for success in this Giro but, like Bugno, lost heavily in the mountains where he was expected to make an impact.

So when Bugno raced away, Casagrande was soon with him, as were Ouslamine, Russian Alexei Sivakov, Spain's Manuel Beltran and Bugno's team mate Carlo Finco of Italy. Their lead of more than one and a half minutes dipped momentarily as the main field stepped up the pursuit through the Aosta valley, where terraces of vineyards are perched high above the road leading to Mont Blanc and the Swiss border.

Then in the final 10 kms the course rose rapidly and Bugno, in his tricolour jersey of Italian number one, reached the finish two minutes 46 seconds clear of his pursuers.

Monday's 180-km 16th stage takes the riders from Aosta into Switzerland for a finish in Lausanne, home of the Olympic organisation, just over two weeks since the Giro set off from the site of the first modern Games in Athens. Bugno's success followed the victory of his Swiss team mate Pascal Richard at Briancon on Saturday.

Bugno said: "Because I am not good enough now for a top overall placing, I have to motivate myself for stage wins. "After all the problems I had in the mountains I wanted to win, and I did not want to disappoint my fans. I attacked today for them, and this win is theirs."

Stage 15, June 2, Briancon--Aosta

  1. Gianni Bugno (Ita) MG-Technogym            5.48.06
  2. Francesco Casagrande (Ita) Saeco              s.t.
  3. Sergej Oeslamin (Rus) Refin-Mobilvetta        s.t.
  4. Manuel Beltran Martinez (Spa) Mapei-GB        s.t.
  5. Alexei Sivakov (Rus) Roslotto-ZG              s.t.
  6. Carlo Finco (Ita) MG-Technogym              + 0.03
  7. Marco Milesi (Ita) Brescialat               + 2.46
  8. Mariano Piccoli (Ita) Brescialat              s.t.
  9. Claudio Chiappucci (Ita) Carrera            + 2.52
 10. Stefano Faustini (Ita) Aki-Gipiemme           s.t.
 11. Fabrizio Guidi (Ita) Scrigno-Blue Storm     + 2.54
 12. Giuseppe Calcaterra (Ita) Saeco
 13. Glenn Magnusson (Swe) Amore e Vita
 14. Daniele Contrini (Ita) Brescialat
 15. Denis Zanette (Ita) Aki-Gipiemme
 16. Marco Vergnani (Ita) Amore e Vita
 17. Marco Velo (Ita) Brescialat
 18. Abraham Olano (Spa) Mapei-GB
 19. Marco Artunghi (Ita) Carrera
 20. Andrea Noe (Ita) Mapei-GB                 all s.t.

 21. Loda
 22. Kjaergaard
 23. Zaina
 24. Abdujaparov
 25. Tonkov
 26. Zen
 27. Pulnikov
 28. Rebellin
 29. Spruch
 30. Gotti
 31. Faresin
 32. Uria;
 33. Serpellini
 34. Robin
 35. Cenghialta
 36. Ugrumov
 37. Baldinger
 38. Patuelli
 39. Berzin
 40. Shefer
 41. Rodrigues Quintino
 42. Buenahora
 43. Jaskula
 44. Laddomada
 45. Bo Larsen
 46. Bontempi
 47. Cattai
 48. Checchin
 49. Totschnig
 50. Richard
 51. Saligari
 52. Herve
 53. Roux
 54. Puttini
 55. Guerini
 56. Donati
 57. Baffi
 58. Petilleau
 59. Lombardi
 60. Casarotto
 61. Cipollini
 62. Furlan
 63. Belli
 64. Fernandez Gines
 65. Bettin
 66. Boscardin
 67. Conti
 68. Scirea
 69. Vatteroni
 70. Roncacio Gonzalez
 71. Manzoni
 72. Pelliconi
 73. Salvato
 74. Pellicioli
 75. Rodriguez Nelson
 76. Garcia Ignacio
 77. Missaglia
 78. Frigo
 79. Garcia Felix
 80. Vidal
 81. Bramati
 82. Simeoni
 83. Tronca
 84. Hodge
 85. Konyshev
 86. Andriotto
 87. Lanfranchi
 88. Johnsen
 89. Zberg
 90. Laukka
 91. Di Grande
 92. Djavanian
 93. Cauz
 94. Perona
 95. Dotti
 96. Cerezo
 97. Gianetti
 98. Vona
 99. Colombo
100. Caruso
101. Imboden
102. Della Vedova
103. Sanchez De La Rocha
104. Galletti
105. Moller
106. Gorini
107. Piepoli
108. Petito
109. Teteriuk
110. Barbero
111. Casagranda
112. Sierra Pena
113. Forconi
114. Brognara
115. Ouchakov
116. Brignoli
117. Gontchenkov
118. Massi
119. Casagrande Filippo
120. Gasperoni
121. Coppolillo         + 3.33
122. Davidenko          + 11.43
123. Crepaldi.

Starters: 124
Finishers: 123
Abandon: 1 (number 59 Plaza).

Overall:

  1. Pavel Tonkov (Rus) Panaria-Vinavil        67.10.55
  2. Piotr Ugrumov (Rus) Roslotto-ZG             + 0.20
  3. Enrico Zaina (Ita) Carrera                  + 0.38
  4. Davide Rebellin (Ita) Team Polti            + 0.44
  5. Ivan Gotti (Ita) Gewiss                     + 1.14
  6. Stefano Faustini (Ita) Aki-Gipiemme         + 1.15
  7. Abraham Olano (Spa) Mapei-GB                + 1.27
  8. Eugeni Berzin (Rus) Gewiss                  + 1.41
  9. Hernan Buenahora (Col) Kelme-Artiach        + 1.58
 10. Claudio Chiappucci (Ita) Carrera            + 2.00
 11. Alexander Chefer (Kaz) Scrigno-Blue Storm   + 2.10
 12. Jean-Cyril Robin (Fra) Festina              + 2.43
 13. Beat Zberg (Sch) Carrera                    + 2.51
 14. Pascal Richard (Sch) MG-Technogym           + 2.59
 15. Bruno Cenghialta (Ita) Gewiss               + 3.27
 16. Pascal Herve (Fra) Festina                  + 3.41
 17. Georg Totschnig (Aut) Team Polti            + 4.33
 18. Michele Laddomada (Ita) Amore e Vita        + 5.28
 19. Fausto Dotti (Ita) Brescialat               + 5.34
 20. Vladimir Pulnikov (Ukr) TVM                 + 6.05

 21. Fernandez Gines    + 6.54
 22. Belli              + 6.58
 23. Teteriuk           + 7.43;
 24. Laukka             + 8.13
 25. Garcia Felix       + 10.40
 26. Zen                + 11.12
 27. Lanfranchi         + 11.18
 28. Faresin            + 12.12
 29. Di Grande          + 12.42
 30. Guerini            + 13.09
 31. Finco              + 13.55
 32. Gontchenkov        + 15.35
 33. Rodriguez Nelson   + 17.19
 34. Jaskula            + 18.27
 35. Cattai             + 20.44
 36. Casagrande Franc.  + 20.56
 37. Pellicioli         + 21.44
 38. Beltran            + 24.21
 39. Massi              + 25.59
 40. Vergnani           + 27.42
 41. Noe                + 30.26
 42. Tronca             + 31.58
 43. Piepoli            + 32.54
 44. Bo Larsen          + 36.23
 45. Donati             + 36.54
 46. Roux               + 37.09
 47. Spruch             + 38.04
 48. Uslamine           + 38.17
 49. Puttini            + 39.01
 50. Bugno              + 39.39
 51. Furlan             + 40.43
 52. Checchin           + 41.37
 53. Piccoli            + 42.33
 54. Della Vedova       + 43.20
 55. Petilleau          + 43.51
 56. Vona               + 43.58
 57. Roncacio Gonzalez  + 46.32
 58. Patuelli           + 47.50
 59. Barbero            + 49.19
 60. Gasperoni          + 50.04
 61. Gianetti           + 50.07
 62. Konyshev           + 55.27
 63. Bontempi           + 57.01
 64. Petito             + 58.04
 65. Guidi              + 59.55
 66. Loda               + 1.02.11
 67. Garcia Ignacio     + 1.02.15
 68. Sivakov            + 1.02.22
 69. Simeoni            + 1.02.24
 70. Caruso             + 1.02.44
 71. Sanchez De La Rocha+ 1.03.23
 72. Bramati            + 1.03.59
 73. Missaglia          + 1.04.03
 74. Imboden            + 1.04.59
 75. Serpellini         + 1.05.23
 76. Galletti           + 1.05.40
 77. Saligari           + 1.06.14
 78. Bettin             + 1.06.20
 79. Coppolillo         + 1.06.22
 80. Djavanian          + 1.07.20
 81. Brignoli           + 1.09.20
 82. Perona             + 1.12.05
 83. Colombo            + 1.12.06
 84. Zanette            + 1.13.37
 85. Vatteroni          + 1.14.38
 86. Cipollini          + 1.14.45
 87. Casarotto          + 1.17.37
 88. Uria               + 1.19.09
 89. Frigo              + 1.19.24
 90. Ouchakov           + 1.20.07
 91. Baffi              + 1.21.04
 92. Velo               + 1.23.23
 93. Hodge              + 1.23.38
 94. Manzoni            + 1.24.06
 95. Baldinger          + 1.24.41
 96. Sierra Pena        + 1.24.55
 97. Casagrande Filippo + 1.25.01
 98. Vidal              + 1.25.56
 99. Davidenko          + 1.26.14
100. Rodrigues Quintino + 1.26.40
101. Salvato            + 1.26.45
102. Boscardin          + 1.27.33
103. Milesi             + 1.29.57
104. Abdujaparov        + 1.30.46
105. Gorini             + 1.30.48
106. Pelliconi          + 1.33.26
107. Artunghi           + 1.37.38
108. Calcaterra         + 1.38.23
109. Crepaldi           + 1.39.45
110. Lombardi           + 1.41.38
111. Conti              + 1.42.03
112. Casagranda Stefano + 1.42.23
113. Andriotto          + 1.43.37
114. Brognara           + 1.43.59
115. Kjaergaard         + 1.45.46
116. Magnusson          + 1.52.00
117. Contrini           + 1.53.38
118. Scirea             + 1.55.52
119. Cauz               + 1.56.31
120. Johnsen            + 2.00.07
121. Moller             + 2.10.42
122. Cerezo             + 2.10.44
123. Forconi            + 2.11.48.

Other classifications:

INTERGIRO

 1.Fabrizio Bontempi   38.46.38
 2. Guidi                + 0.07
 3. Piccoli              + 1.08
 4. Bettin               + 1.13
 5. Bramati              + 1.14

MOUNTAINS

 1. Piccoli     37 pts
 2. Tonkov      30
 3. Ugrumov     16
 4. Massi       14
 5. Rebellin    12

TEAMS

 1. Carrera          201.38.46
 2. Gewiss Playbus      + 0.21
 3. Mapei-GB            + 2.15
 4. Festina Lotus       + 6.43
 5. Polti               +12.37

POINTS

 1. Guidi       168
 2. Lombardi    100
 3. Rebellin     88
 4. Cipollini    79
 5. Zaina        75
 6. Spruch       74
 7. Casagrande   70
 8. Piccoli      67
 9. Zanette      67
10. Missaglia    63