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87th Giro d'Italia - Grand Tour
Italy, May 8-30, 2004
Map Stages Stage profile Start List Results
Stage 10 - May 19: Porto Sant’Elpidio - Ascoli Piceno, 146 km
Commentary by Jeff Jones, with additional reporting from Tim Maloney
Complete live report
Live coverage starts: 14:30 CEST
Estimated finish time: 17:15 CEST
14:30 CEST
Welcome back to Cyclingnews' live coverage of the Giro d'Italia. Yes, we're
back on the road again after yesterday's rest day in Porto Sant'Elpidio where
the riders took full advantage of the time off to recover from the first 10
days of racing. Today is a fairly short stage, only 146 km between Porto Sant’Elpidio
and Ascoli Piceno as we start to move along the Italian east coast. They're
actually heading south today. It's a lumpy stage with two Cat. 3 climbs, Monte
S. Pietrangeli (km 47.8) and Ripatransone (km 90). Neither are particularly
long, and it should still be a stage suited to the sprinters. The Intergiro
sprint is at km 109.2 at San Benedetto del Tronto.
There'll be one sprinter less in the Giro however, as Intergiro leader Massimo
Strazzer (Saunier Duval) didn't start this morning. After crashing hard in stage
9, Strazzer was in too much pain from his right shoulder. His MRI didn't show
any breaks, tendon or ligament damage, but his shoulder was out of alignment
and he decided not to start in Stage 10.
14:37 CEST
There were two other non-starters today following the rest day: Thomas Vaitkus
(Colnago-Landbouwkrediet) and Gianni Faresin (Gerolsteiner). That leaves 155
riders in the Giro.
This morning before the start of stage 10, 35 riders from five teams were blood
tested by the UCI. The teams: Lampre, Fassa Bortolo, Domina Vacanze, Alessio-Bianchi
and Gerolsteiner. All riders were given the all clear to start.
14:45 CEST 48km/98km to go
After 1hr 15mins of racing, the situation on the road is that we have a group
of eight riders away: Bo Hamburger and Kyrylo Pospyeyev (Acqua & Sapone-Caffe
Mokambo), Paolo Lanfranchi (Panaria-Margres), Raffaele Illiano (Colombia-Selle
Italia), Giuseppe Muraglia (Formaggi Pinzolo Fiave'), Fabian Wegmann (Gerolsteiner),
Daniele Righi (Lampre), Oliver Zaugg (Saunier Duval-Prodir).
The group attacked after 20 km and have now built up a 3'30 lead over the peloton.
They have just climbed the Monte S. Pietrangeli, with mountains jersey wearer
(but not leader) Fabian Wegmann crossing first head of Righi and Zaugg.
14:51 CEST 57km/89km to go
Earlier in the stage, just before the break got away, there was a crash involving
Simone Masciarelli (Vini Caldirola), Igor Pugaci (De Nardi) and Ivan Quaranta
(Formaggi Pinzolo Fiave'). We're not sure how serious it was, but it appears
that there are back in the peloton.
39.1 km were covered in the first hour - not surprising for a short stage like
this.
15:01 CEST 61km/85km to go
Freddy Bichot (FDJeux.com) has abandoned the Giro at the 52 km mark. He was
involved in a crash in the first few days, and has spent a lot of the time hanging
onto the back of the bunch. That leaves 154 riders in the race.
The advantage of the eight leaders is 3'12 at the 50 km mark.
15:10 CEST 64km/82km to go
They're on the Monte Gilberto climb now, and one of the breakaways, Giusseppe
Muraglia, is having difficulty holding on. This is a short stage but it's certainly
lumpy.
The leaders again: Bo Hamburger and Kyrylo Pospyeyev (Acqua & Sapone-Caffe Mokambo),
Paolo Lanfranchi (Panaria-Margres), Raffaele Illiano (Colombia-Selle Italia),
Giuseppe Muraglia (Formaggi Pinzolo Fiave'), Fabian Wegmann (Gerolsteiner),
Daniele Righi (Lampre), Oliver Zaugg (Saunier Duval-Prodir)
15:16 CEST 71km/75km to go
The climb of Monte Gilberto has split the peloton into two pieces, with Alessandro
Petacchi in the second group, 20 seconds behind the first. If he rejoins the
peloton, there are still another couple of climbs before the run into the finish.
The eight leaders still have a 3'08 advantage to the first peloton.
15:27 CEST 79km/67km to go
Petacchi's peloton has regained the main bunch which contains Maglia Rosa Damiano
Cunego. The gap is now down to 2'41.
15:35 CEST 84km/62km to go
Fassa Bortolo has assumed the position on the front of the peloton, and are
going about reducing the gap to the eight leaders. It's down to 2'35 now.
15:40 CEST 88km/58km to go
The eight leaders are working hard now as they try to hold off the Fassa led
peloton with around 60 km to go. It's going to be difficult. Fabian Wegmann
is the best placed rider in the break, lying 33rd at 7'01, so he doesn't present
a threat to the Maglia Rosa.
15:44 CEST 89km/57km to go
The leaders are approaching the last climb of Ripatransone, a 4.8 km ascent
at 4.3 percent.
Ivan Quaranta (Formaggi) has abandoned. He crashed earlier in the stage, but
has also had problems with his condition, or lack thereof, during this race.
15:45 CEST
The average speed after two hours of racing has fallen to 37.95 km/h. The eight
leaders have 2'30 to the peloton now.
15:48 CEST
The leaders are now approaching the top of the climb of Ripratransone, as Pospyeyev
drives the break. Lanfranchi and Muraglia have been dropped.
No surprises as Wegmann wins the sprint from Zaugg, taking more mountain points.
Three Fassa Bortolo riders lead the peloton up behind the break, at 2'30.
15:52 CEST 92km/54km to go
At the top of the climb, the peloton has lost some ground and is 3'03 behind
the break. Gustov leads them over the top.
15:58 CEST 96km/50km to go
Muraglia has rejoined the leaders but Lanfranchi has been dropped for good and
is now back in the peloton. We now have seven leaders: Bo Hamburger and Kyrylo
Pospyeyev (Acqua & Sapone-Caffe Mokambo), Raffaele Illiano (Colombia-Selle Italia),
Fabian Wegmann (Gerolsteiner), Daniele Righi (Lampre), Oliver Zaugg (Saunier
Duval-Prodir), Giusseppe Muraglia (Formaggi Pinzolo).
16:05 CEST 106km/40km to go
Scott Davis (Panaria) drops back to his team car for bottles for his teammates,
while the pelootn continues to fly along in pursuit of the seven leaders. The
gap is now 2'25. Lotto-Domo and Fassa Bortolo are chasing.
It's perfect weather for racing - sunny with a light breeze blowing, temperatures
in the low 20's.
16:07 CEST
The leaders have just 1 km to go before the Intergiro in San Benedetto del Tronto.
16:08 CEST 109km/37km to go
Righi goes from a long way out to try and take the sprint, but it's Muraglia
who gets the Intergiro from Righi and an Acqua e Sapone rider.
Tenax is helping Fassa Bortolo chase as well.
16:12 CEST 112km/34km to go
The peloton comes through the Intergiro at 2'15 behind the seven leaders. Tenax,
Lotto and Fassa are working fairly hard, as this is only a short stage and there
are seven riders in the break. A 2'15 gap is harder to bring back when the stage
is less than 150 km.
16:18 CEST 117km/29km to go
As the leaders pass the 30 km to go mark, they are still cooperating well, but
the force of the chase behind them is irresistable. The gap is down to 1'40.
16:23 CEST 118km/28km to go
The gap is coming down fast now as Tenax, Lotto and Fassa up the tempo with
30 km left. The seven leaders have been away for 100 km now.
Hamburger asks for assistance from his team car.
Intergiro full results: Righi got it in the end from Muraglia, Hamburger, Illiano,
Zaugg, Pospyeyev, Zaugg and Renzo Mazzoleni was the first rider across in the
peloton.
16:26 CEST 121km/25km to go
The peloton is moving like a multicoloured swarm of bees in pursuit of seven
leaders, who now have 25 km to go to the finish in Ascoli Piceno. It looks as
though it will be a bunch sprint, as we have three teams working towards that
goal: Fassa for Petacchi, Lotto for McEwen and Tenax for Klemencic.
16:29 CEST 123km/23km to go
The gap is under a minute now as the race hits the final 25 km. It's all gradually
uphill now. Nick Gates is one of the Lotto men doing the work in front. Fellow
Aussie Russell Van Hout (Colombia Selle Italia) says g'day to his friends and
family on TV.
16:32 CEST 127km/19km to go
We now have less than 20 km to go in the 10th stage, which means that the pace
has really lifted in the last hour. The seven leaders are fighting hard, taking
their turns. They are 52 seconds in front of the Tenax/Fassa/Lotto led peloton.
16:36 CEST 129km/17km to go
Hamburger is looking strong, but he won't get a chance for the stage win as
the gap is now down to just 35 seconds.
In the peloton, Petacchi is sitting in about 20th wheel behind various teammates.
McEwen is marking him closely, as is Pollack.
16:38 CEST 131km/15km to go
The peloton is looking quite organised at the moment, with the various teams
sticking together around their team leaders.
The breakaways have 15 km as Wegmann looks back to see where the peloton is.
It's close - only 15 seconds now.
16:42 CEST 133km/13km to go
It's all over for the break with 13 km to go, after some 115 km in the lead.
Hamburger, Righi, Illiano and Wegmann keep going for about 500m but it's absolutely
pointless. The Fassa/Tenax/Lotto train continues to rumble along.
16:46 CEST 137km/9km to go
Less than 10 km to go now and Bruseghin drives the pace higher for Fassa Bortolo.
Alessio-Bianchi is moving riders up to the front to get Angelo Furlan in position.
16:47 CEST 138km/8km to go
Galetti (Domina) takes a turn in front, followed by Codol (Fassa). Acqua e Sapone
is also trying to move up. Eight kilometres to go - no finishing circuit today.
16:49 CEST 139km/7km to go
The bunch races past the 7 km to go and it'll surely be another bunch sprint.
Domina, Fassa and Alessio are fighting for position in front of the peloton.
Petacchi is in about 15th wheel. McEwen is close by and Astarloa is there too.
Graziano Gasparre (De Nardi) attacks in a suicidal move.
16:50 CEST 140km/6km to go
Gasparre looks around and two Alessio riders lead the peloton past him with
6 km to go. It's uphill, and they're doing 50 km/h.
16:51 CEST 141km/5km to go
A Fassa train is forming behind the two Alessio riders - Ljungqvist and Rastelli.
Petacchi is up there.
The peloton is splitting due to the pressure on this steady climb.
16:52 CEST 142km/4km to go
Ljungqvist and Rastelli keep going as McGee attacks with 4 km to go! This will
probably meet with the same end as Gasparre's move, but he's good over 4 km.
16:52 CEST 143km/3km to go
McGee drives hard and gets a five second gap over the peloton, which is splitting
up. His gap is impressive at this speed. Cioni is working on the front.
16:53 CEST 143km/3km to go
McGee gets over the top of a climb but is swamped by the bunch. Serpellini (Gerolsteiner)
leads them, then a Lampre trio. Petacchi is still about 15th.
16:54 CEST 144km/2km to go
The Fassa train forms behind Lampre with 2 km to go and the speed lifts.
16:54 CEST
Lampre has three men in front with 2 km to go as McEwen finds Petacchi's wheel.
Phonak comes up beside with Usov. It's a real battle in front.
Now Fassa in front with three men.
16:55 CEST 145km/1km to go
They hit the 1 km to go mark and Petacchi is in fourth wheel behind three teammates.
Zanotti seems to have Petacchi's wheel now
16:57 CEST 146km/0km to go
Borrajo and Zanotti fight for PEtacchi's wheel then Usov and Rodriguez come
up. There's a lot of pushing. Petacchi is led out by Velo again and goes early
on the left. This time he makes no mistake and wins it from Zanotti! Very polished.
He's congratulated by Rodriguez after the line. 5 wins!!
Petacchi applauded as he crossed the line, afterwards thanking his teammates
for a perfect job today. He has made up for his loss in stage 9.
The jury might have something to say about the pushing going on behind him -
Borrajo and Zanotti were fighting fairly hard for Petacchi's wheel! Nauduzs
appeared to give Lombardi a push too, so we'll see.
Results
Provisional 1 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 3.24.17 2 Marco Zanotti (Ita) Vini Caldirola-Nobili Rubinetterie 3 Andris Nauduzs (Lat) Domina Vacanze 4 Magnus Backstedt (Swe) Alessio-Bianchi 5 Alejandro Albert Borrajo (Arg) Ceramiche Panaria-Margres 6 Jan Svorada (Cze) Lampre 7 Alexandre Usov (Blr) Phonak Hearing Systems 8 Olaf Pollack (Ger) Gerolsteiner 9 Simone Cadamuro (Ita) De Nardi 10 Manuele Mori (Ita) Saunier Duval-Prodir 11 Marlon Alirio Perez Arango (Col) Colombia-Selle Italia 12 Fred Rodriguez (USA) Acqua & Sapone-Caffe Mokambo General classification after stage 10 1 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Saeco 45.23.32 2 Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Saeco 0.10 3 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Alessio-Bianchi 0.28 4 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago 0.40 5 Giuliano Figueras (Ita) Ceramiche Panaria-Margres 0.52 6 Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Vini Caldirola-Nobili Rubinetterie 1.15 7 Andrea Noe' (Ita) Alessio-Bianchi 1.17 8 Serguei Gontchar (Ukr) De Nardi 9 Dario David Cioni (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 1.19 10 Eddy Mazzoleni (Ita) Saeco 1.29
