Giro d'Italia - Stage 21


Report

Russian Pavel Tonkov snatched back the Giro d'Italia lead - and virtual overall victory - after a brutally decisive day in the Dolomite mountains on Saturday.

Attacks on the vicious climb of Mortirolo, one of the day's five mountains, cracked overnight leader Abraham Olano of Spain, who finished two minutes and 52 seconds behind the day's winner, Italian Ivan Gotti with Tonkov second.

It gave the Russian a convincing race lead of two minutes and 43 seconds from Italy's Enrico Zaina with Olano now 2:57 behind after holding a minute advantage of 0.46 seconds over Tonkov. They started the day equal on total time but divided by the fractional differences in the times registered in Thursday's time trial. Saturday produced an emphatic decision. As Tonkov and Gotti raced towards the finish line the Russian eased, allowing Gotti to pass to win the 21st and longest stage over 250 kms from Cavalese. With some 20 kms still to race Tonkov was celebrating with arms aloft.

As they completed the 12.6 kms struggle to the 1,852 metres Mortirolo summit, excited crowds brought the road down to a cycle's width, and his victory salute turned to gestures to the crowd to step back. Behind them Olano was already trailing by 2:22 after first an attack by the ambitious Zaina, Friday's winner, and then Gotti shattered the group of main contenders.

When Gotti made his move inside three kms from the top of a climb with 18 per cent gradients, only Tonkov could respond, leaving Zaina and Latvian Piotr Ugrumov to fight it out for third place.

Olano rode alone for the final 40 kms, his hopes crushed of emulating compatriot Miguel Indurain, who scored his second Giro triumph three years ago.

Stage 21, Cavalese - Aprica 250 km:

 1. Ivan Gotti (Ita) Gewiss                    7.55.00 (31,579 km/h)
 2. Pavel Tonkov (Rus) Panaria-Vinavil          + 0.03
 3. Piotr Ugrumov (Rus) Roslotto-ZG             + 0.57
 4. Enrico Zaina (Ita) Carrera                    s.t.
 5. Abraham Olano (Spa) Mapei-GB                + 2.52
 6. Giuseppe Guerini (Ita) Team Polti           + 5.31
 7. Jean-Cyril Robin (Fra) Festina                s.t.
 8. Paolo Lanfranchi (Ita) Mapei-GB               s.t.
 9. Davide Rebellin (Ita) Team Polti              s.t.
10. Stefano Faustini (Ita) Aki-Gipiemme           s.t.
11. Buenahora
12. Shefer
13. Piepoli             + 5.36
14. Zberg               + 10.51
15. Rodriguez Nelson
16. Teteriuk
17. Faresin
18. Bo Larsen
19. Pulnikov
20. Garcia Felix
21. Cenghialta
22. Laukka
23. Bugno
24. Pellicioli
25. Berzin
26. Fernandez Gines
27. Jaskula             + 12.27
28. Saligari            + 19.44
29. Finco
30. Simeoni
31. Baldinger
32. Della Vedova
33. Vona
34. Massi
35. Beltran             + 24.25
36. Noe                 + 33.17
37. Spruch              + 36.50
38. Belli
39. Bontempi
40. Checchin
41. Forconi
42. Petilleau
43. Roux
44. Zen
45. Uslamine
46. Piccoli
47. Gontchenkov
48. Tronca
49. Gasperoni
50. Sanchez de la Rocha
51. Loda                + 39.33
52. Artunghi
53. Guidi
54. Sivakov
55. Ouchakov
56. Baffi
57. Missaglia
58. Boscardin
59. Lombardi
60. Di Grande
61. Casagrande Francesco
62. Bettin
63. Calcaterra
64. Frigo
65. Moller
66. Brignoli
67. Petito
68. Imboden
69. Vidal
70. Dotti
71. Roncacio Gonzalez
72. Rodrigues Quintino
73. Casarotto
74. Zanette
75. Donati
76. Cerezo
77. Sierra Pena
78. Scirea
79. Brognara
80. Milesi
81. Pelliconi
82. Patuelli
83. Velo
84. Perona
85. Caruso
86. Vergnani
87. Hodge
88. Salvato
89. Barbero
90. Bramati
91. Galletti
92. Djavanian
93. Uria
94. Garcia Ignacio
95. Serpellini
96. Johnsen
97. Casagrande Filippo
98. Manzoni.

Starters: 106
non starter: 1 (Furlan)
Finishers: 98
Abandons: 8 (Cauz, Gorini, Conti, Puttini, Cattai, Laddomada, Vatteroni,
Kjaergaard).

Overall:

 1. Pavel Tonkov (Rus) Panaria-Vinavil       100.37.02 (37.903 km/h)
 2. Enrico Zaina (Ita) Carrera                  + 2.43
 3. Abraham Olano (Spa) Mapei-GB                + 2.57
 4. Piotr Ugrumov (Rus) Roslotto-ZG             + 3.00
 5. Ivan Gotti (Ita) Gewiss                     + 3.36
 6. Davide Rebellin (Ita) Team Polti            + 9.15
 7. Stefano Faustini (Ita) Aki-Gipiemme         +10.38
 8. Alexander Chefer (Kaz) Scrigno-Blue Storm   +11.22
 9. Jean-Cyril Robin (Fra) Festina              +12.54
10. Eugeni Berzin (Rus) Gewiss                  +14.41
11. Buenahora           + 18.02
12. Zberg               + 20.13
13. Teteriuk            + 25.29
14. Laukka              + 26.44
15. Lanfranchi          + 26.56
16. Pulnikov            + 27.11
17. Garcia Felix        + 29.17
18. Cenghialta          + 29.21
19. Faresin             + 34.01
20. Jaskula             + 37.15
21. Fernandez Gines     + 37.55
22. Guerini             + 39.13
23. Pellicioli          + 42.10
24. Rodriguez Nelson    + 42.22
25. Finco               + 49.06
26. Di Grande           + 59.49
27. Bo Larsen           + 1.01.02
28. Beltran             + 1.03.22
29. Bugno               + 1.05.00
30. Gontchenkov         + 1.05.24
31. Casagrande Franc.   + 1.07.56
32. Dotti               + 1.08.15
33. Zen                 + 1.16.58
34. Della Vedova        + 1.19.17
35. Massi               + 1.24.13
36. Belli               + 1.24.20
37. Noe                 + 1.24.41
38. Piepoli             + 1.25.04
39. Tronca              + 1.27.46
40. Vergnani            + 1.35.31
41. Checchin            + 1.42.44
42. Roux                + 1.42.56
43. Vona                + 1.44.13
44. Saligari            + 1.52.11
45. Uslamine            + 1.52.16
46. Piccoli             + 1.52.44
47. Spruch              + 1.54.33
48. Donati              + 1.56.14
49. Simeoni             + 1.57.26
50. Imboden             + 1.58.59
51. Roncancio Gonzalez  + 1.59.27
52. Bontempi            + 2.12.54
53. Patuelli            + 2.12.57
54. Petilleau           + 2.13.00
55. Zanette             + 2.15.43
56. Gasperoni           + 2.17.00
57. Missaglia           + 2.18.28
58. Loda                + 2.18.29
59. Barbero             + 2.20.21
60. Baldinger           + 2.21.40
61. Sanchez de la Rocha + 2.25.33
62. Guidi               + 2.26.01
63. Petito              + 2.26.12
64. Bettin              + 2.26.47
65. Casarotto           + 2.27.54
66. Caruso              + 2.28.29
67. Perona              + 2.29.11
68. Garcia Ignacio      + 2.30.19
69. Serpellini          + 2.32.48
70. Djavanian           + 2.33.22
71. Brignoli            + 2.33.35
72. Bramati             + 2.33.46
73. Sivakov             + 2.34.03
74. Uria                + 2.35.16
75. Galletti            + 2.35.22
76. Hodge               + 2.40.35
77. Ouchakov            + 2.41.54
78. Rodrigues Quintino  + 2.43.22
79. Sierra Pena         + 2.46.39
80. Baffi               + 2.47.14
81. Boscardin           + 2.49.00
82. Velo                + 2.49.15
83. Salvato             + 2.53.12
84. Frigo               + 2.53.18
85. Vidal               + 2.54.23
86. Manzoni             + 2.57.12
87. Casagrande Filippo  + 2.57.14
88. Milesi              + 3.00.05
89. Artunghi            + 3.03.37
90. Pelliconi           + 3.05.08
91. Calcaterra          + 3.13.17
92. Lombardi            + 3.15.47
93. Brognara            + 3.16.49
94. Forconi             + 3.17.34
95. Scirea              + 3.20.03
96. Johnsen             + 3.35.05
97. Moller              + 3.37.28
98. Cerezo              + 3.43.20.