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90th Giro d'Italia - GT
Italy, May 12-June 3, 2007
Main Page Results & report Stage Details Previous Stage Next Stage
Stage 14 - Saturday, May 26: Cantù - Bergamo, 192 km
Complete live report
Live commentary by Gregor Brown
Live coverage starts: 14:30 CEST
Estimated finish: 17:15 CEST
14:34 CEST
Welcome to Cyclingnews' coverage of stage 14. 157 riders pushed out of a rainy and windy Cantù this morning at 12.11. Not starting was young Tinkoff-gun Ivan Rovny (Tinkoff Credit Systems).
This weekend starts with a stage from the furniture city in Brianza to Bergamo, via the Lecco arm of Lake Como, then over the 26-kilometre ascent of Passo San Marco above Morbegno, and the final ascent of La Trinità-Dossena with 40 kilometres to go to Bergamo.
The weather and parcours will mean that no sprinters will survive. Expect to see i Bergamaschi out on the attacks, like Paolo Savoldelli (Astana), Eddy Mazzoleni (Astana) or former Maglia Rosa, Marco Pinotti (T-Mobile).
14:38 CEST 92km/100km to go
We currently have an escape of 11 followed by Sven Krauss (Gerolsteiner).
The German went on the attack at kilometre 80 and that opened the door for a bigger move. However, Krauss is now 22" behind the group of 11, which has 1'18" on the Gruppo Maglia Rosa.
14:44 CEST 96km/96km to go
Sven Krauss (Gerolsteiner) has been caught by the by the main gruppo. The escape of 11 now has 1'48". We are working on getting the names for you.
14:48 CEST
The riders are approaching the top of the Passo di San Marco. It tops out at km 112.1 (1985m). The climb is 26.15km long and has an average gradient of 6.6%, with a maximum of 12%.
14:50 CEST
Key riders in the group of 11 are Il Grillo Livornese Paolo Bettini (Quickstep-Innergetic), Sylvester Szmyd (Lampre-Fondital), Il Veronese Pietro Caucchioli (Crédit Agricole), José Luis Rubiera (Discovery Channel) and Alberto Losada (Caisse d'Epargne).
14:51 CEST 99km/93km to go
The gap is now 2'39".
14:55 CEST
To recap... The day started off with an attack at kilometre 17 by Rinaldo Nocentini (Ag2r Prévoyance), Hervé Duclos-Lassalle (Cofidis) and Alessandro Cortinovis (Milram). They were immediately retaken by the gruppo.
The peloton was all lined out under fire from numerous attacks and counter-attacks. During this time the stage saw its first abandon, Brian Vandborg (Discovery Channel), at kilometre 26, near Lecco.
15:02 CEST
Recapping: Up the eastern shores of a wind-swept Lake Como the peloton passed the first hour, at an average of 43.3km/h. Another attack, off the rear, came when Fabio Sabatini (Milram) abandoned.
Laszlo Bodrogi (Crédit Agricole) let loose off the front with a strong attack that was marked by Totò, Salvatore Commesso (Tinkoff Credit Systems). The duo were joined by others, making a group of 15.
Team CSC drove down the gap to the escape group while Jurgen Van de Walle (Quickstep-Innergetic) went out the back door, retired, and Enrico Gasparotto (Liquigas) crashed. The 2005 Italian Champion and race's first Maglia Rosa chased back on.
15:09 CEST
Finishing up our recap: The escape group was formed by an attack of Sven Krauss (Gerolsteiner) at kilometre 80, just after Rogolo. Oliver Zaugg (Gerolsteiner) abandoned but his teammate pushed on. He was chased by Paolo Bettini (Quickstep-Innergetic), Hubert Schwab (Quickstep-Innergetic), Benoît Joachim (Astana), Pietro Caucchioli (Crédit Agricole), José Luis Rubiera (Discovery Channel) and Michael Rasmussen (Rabobank).
Benoît Joachim (Astana) lost contact and faded back and then Krauss' chasers were caught. There was not a calm moment and Paolo Bettini (Quickstep-Innergetic) attacked again with Sylvester Szmyd (Lampre-Fondital), Alberto Losada (Caisse d'Epargne), José Joaquín Rojas (Caisse d'Epargne) and Pietro Caucchioli (Crédit Agricole). This move caught, km 92, and dropped Krauss.
15:12 CEST 107km/85km to go
The escape is nearing the top of Passo di San Marco while the chase, at 2'10", is being led by Acqua e Sapone.
15:21 CEST
Garzelli attacks. Schleck and Cunego follow!
15:23 CEST
The move, at 3km to the top, has put Di Luca on the defence.
15:26 CEST
Michael Rasmussen (Rabobank) and Ivan Parra (Cofidis) were in that original escape that has now been blown apart by Parra. Over the San Marco comes Fortunato Baliani (Ceramica Panaria-Navigare) and then Sylvester Szmyd (Lampre-Fondital), Michael Rasmussen (Rabobank), Ivan Parra (Cofidis), José Luis Rubiera (Discovery Channel) and Marco Pinotti (T-Mobile).
Next is Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Team CSC), Paolo Bettini (Quickstep-Innergetic) and Iban Mayo (Saunier Duval-Prodir) at 30".
15:26 CEST 112.1km/79.9km to go
The gruppo Maglia Rosa comes over at 1'58". Like on the Izoard we are seeing Di Luca with a weak team.
15:27 CEST
Acqua took over on the final kilometres and blew the race apart.
15:28 CEST
Recall, the final and lesser climb comes at 143.8. The Trinità-Dossena tops out 153.2km.
15:31 CEST
This descent looks hairy!
Vladimir Miholjevic (Liquigas) crashes. While a Crédit Agricole rider is still on the ground.
15:32 CEST
Mazzoleni and Savoldelli attack on the decent. They retake Massimo Codol. All of these boys are home-boys and know the roads well.
15:32 CEST
The CA riders looks bad. We will update you soon.
15:34 CEST
Astana and Acqua really planned out this move. They are putting Di Luca on the edge of safety and it is EXCITING! Simoni will have no problems with this hair-raising curves.
15:35 CEST
Di Luca, in a pink cape, is punching it down this descent. It looks like he is joined by Marzio Bruseghin (Lampre-Fondital).
15:37 CEST
There are two or three turns coming that are the most dangerous. Ivan Gotti, a former rider and from this area, has explained that he helped the road crews assure this road would be safe.
15:40 CEST
Bettini's group is still up the road. The world champ is with Michael Rasmussen (Rabobank), Fortunato Baliani (Ceramica Panaria-Navigare), Sylvester Szmyd (Lampre-Fondital), Ivan Parra (Cofidis), José Luis Rubiera (Discovery Channel), Marco Pinotti (T-Mobile).
Mayo is 12" back, Arvesen is 20" and Losada at 28". The Gruppo is at 2'10"
15:43 CEST
Mayo, on his own, seems to be slowed down by a pony-tail. Simoni is with Acqua's Garzelli and Codol.
15:45 CEST
Gibo Simoni is with Acqua's Garzelli and Codol but they may want to wait for Franco Pellizotti (Liquigas), Paolo Savoldelli (Astana) and Eddy Mazzoleni (Astana). That group could then try to really work over Di Luca.
15:48 CEST
Di Luca is with about 30 riders, including Cunego and Marzio Bruseghin (Lampre-Fondital). Piepoli is in there too but is not helping at all. Di Luca has about three men on the front.
15:48 CEST
The climb of La Trinità is about to start for the front runners.
15:50 CEST
Eddy Mazzoleni (Astana), Paolo Savoldelli (Astana), Stefano Garzelli (Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo), Massimo Codol (Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo), Gilberto Simoni (Saunier Duval-Prodir), Franco Pellizotti (Liquigas) lead over Di Luca's group by 43"
15:52 CEST
Mayo will likely sit up and wait for Simoni.
15:52 CEST
Mayo is dropping back!
15:55 CEST
A master stroke by the teams of Astana, Acqua and Saunier!
15:56 CEST
Gibo has just ripped off his shoe covers! Pietro Algeri, from Bergamo, is moving up to give his rider a bottle of water.
15:58 CEST 136km/56km to go
Cunego's Lampre and Di Luca's are leading the main gruppo.
16:01 CEST 143.8km/48.2km to go
The two front groups have merged to form one power-move. We have Gibo and helper Mayo, Savoldelli and 'helper' Mazzoleni, and Garzelli with helper Codol.
The complete group is Paolo Bettini (Quickstep-Innergetic), Michael Rasmussen (Rabobank), Fortunato Baliani (Ceramica Panaria-Navigare), Sylvester Szmyd (Lampre-Fondital), Ivan Parra (Cofidis), José Luis Rubiera (Discovery Channel), Marco Pinotti (T-Mobile), Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Team CSC), Alberto Losada (Caisse d'Epargne), Eddy Mazzoleni (Astana), Paolo Savoldelli (Astana), Stefano Garzelli (Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo), Massimo Codol (Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo), Iban Mayo (Saunier Duval-Prodir), Gilberto Simoni (Saunier Duval-Prodir), Franco Pellizotti (Liquigas).
16:02 CEST
The climb as started just as the two groups have merged.
16:02 CEST
Michael Rasmussen (Rabobank) has been dropped while Mayo leads the front group.
16:03 CEST 149km/43km to go
Charles Wegelius (Liquigas), Paolo Tiralongo (Lampre-Fondital) and Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas) are pumping up the pace for Di Luca.
16:06 CEST
Gibo leads. He was just talking with Savoldelli. He looks really smooth for this 9.4-kilometre climb. The gap is being controlled by Di Luca's men, it is at 46".
16:12 CEST
Alberto Losada (Caisse d'Epargne) is dropped.
16:14 CEST 152km/40km to go
Pinotti, Rubiera, Arvesen and Szmyd are being distanced. Szmyd dropped back to help teammate leader Damiano Cunego (Lampre-Fondital).
The gap is now at one minute. Bettini is looking cool at the back of this group of climbers.
We have been racing for 4 hours.
16:14 CEST
Simoni's heart-rate is 166.
16:15 CEST
3km to go to the top for the chase gruppo.
16:16 CEST
Massimo Codol (Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo) drops off.
16:16 CEST
Mazzoleni leads, followed by Il Falco Savoldelli.
16:17 CEST
Lampre is leading the chase. Di Luca is sitting in third wheel.
Pellizotti must have got orders, he is sitting up to wait for Di Luca, who is WITHOUT teammates.
16:19 CEST
The Maglia Bianca Schleck and Verde Piepoli are sitting on the back of this Lampre-led chase.
Garzelli, from Varese, is leading the front move. Parra moves up. Also there are Bettini, Savoldelli, Mazzoleni, Simoni and Baliani. It is only a group of seven.
16:21 CEST 152km/40km to go
There are four Lampres chasing this move down, then Di Luca, Schleck.
Pellizotti has just rejoined with his captain Di Luca. The gap is 1'03" as the front 7 near the top.
16:23 CEST
The nutty Bergamo fans are cheering the seven over the top. The front seven is about 100m from the top.
16:23 CEST 153.2km/38.8km to go
They clear the top. Savoldelli took the GPM first.
16:24 CEST
tick, tick, tick; the seconds go by. Where is Di Luca?
16:24 CEST
Franco Pellizotti (Liquigas) drove the chase over the top at 1'04" back.
16:25 CEST
The GPM was taken by Il Falco, followed by Fortunato Baliani (Ceramica Panaria-Navigare) and Eddy Mazzoleni (Astana).
16:26 CEST
At the bottom of this descent there are about 20 kilometres of flat before the rise up to Bergamo Alta, on the back-side, and then the descent to finish in Bergamo Bassa.
16:28 CEST 158km/34km to go
Oh! Evgeni Petrov (Tinkoff Credit Systems) crashes and Andy Schleck (Team CSC) goes down with him. White Lighting Schleck is chasing solo. He has no teammates to aid in his chase. He has just gone under the -35K banner. GO ANDY!
16:29 CEST
The front group is flying down this descent. They should gain time because they can drive on the downhill with more space.
16:30 CEST
Parra has been distanced a little bit from the front group.
Schleck is chasing to re-join the Maglia Rosa group.
16:33 CEST 162km/30km to go
Mazzoleni keeps driving for Savoldelli for the front while Pellizotti is driving for the chase. The gap is 1'08".
Schleck's bike is being serviced while he rides.
16:33 CEST
Garzelli throws up his hand for service.
16:35 CEST
Parra is back up with the front group, making a magic seven. This race is smoking down the Trinità descent. It reminds me of the Giro di Lombardia, only a few years back the race finished here, in Bergamo Alta. It is such a wonderful city.
16:36 CEST
Patxi Vila (Lampre-Fondital) has a mechanical but quickly rejoins.
Up front, Parra looks really fatigued trying to keep a hold of the front-runners.
16:38 CEST 165km/27km to go
Bravo Schleck! He re-joins the group of Di Luca.
Want some water? We are now in San Pellegrino. :) This is also the home of Wladimir Belli (Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Selle Italia), who is not in this race.
16:42 CEST
P. Algeri pulls up to check on his charges Simoni and Mayo. They are humping along and they will be proud of their work at the stage end.
16:42 CEST
All of this comes on the eve of one of the two biggest stages of this Giro, Le Tre Cime di Lavaredo. There are going to be some blown riders this evening. Will any of them want to join our reporter Jean-François Quénet to celebrate (a day late) his birthday?
Buon Compleanno a te Jean-François!
16:46 CEST 172km/20km to go
The gap is at one minute with 20 km to go.
16:47 CEST
Garzelli, Parra, Bettini, Savoldelli, Mazzoleni, Simoni and Baliani are our front-runners.
16:50 CEST 175km/17km to go
We are in the home town of Felice Gimondi, Sedrina. Mazzoleni is leading. He pulls off and Garzelli leads. Then Bettini pulls through. Recall that Bettini is one of the original escapees; the World Champ is really out on the stage hunt.
16:51 CEST 177km/15km to go
Simoni, Mazzoleni, Garzelli, Bettini, Savoldelli, Simoni, Baliani and Parra, in that order, pass the -15km banner.
16:53 CEST
Franco Pellizotti (Liquigas) leads the chase under the same banner, at 1'00". He now pulls off and hands the reins over to a Lampre rider.
Sergio Ghisalberti (Milram) and Alessandro Cortinovis (Milram) are also from Bergamo. There are clouds but it is not raining here.
16:55 CEST
Gibo's heartbeat is now at 156 bpm. He has his jersey unzipped, and is wearing a black under shirt. Tomorrow, the stage starts in his home zone of Trento.
16:57 CEST 182km/10km to go
The gap is at 1'02". We think Bettini is going to blast going into Bergamo Alta.
Wow, Savoldelli just pulls off after doing a massive pull.
16:58 CEST 183km/9km to go
These boys, Simoni, Savoldelli and Garzelli, all past Giro winners, are taking the race by the reins. They are going nuts to add time on Di Luca.
17:01 CEST
The chase is lined-out. The Lampre and Liquigas men are pulling back the throttle as far as it will go. The TV camera is picking up the sound of their motor revs. This really sounds like a MotoGP race.
Expect to see some explosions off the back when they climb into 'Alta.' The climb starts at -5km and tops at -3.4km.
17:03 CEST 187km/5km to go
Five kilometres to go. Parra is still at the back. Savoldelli leads into the Alta.
17:03 CEST
51" back comes the chase under the five km banner.
17:04 CEST
Simoni is now leading on the front, followed by Bettini.
17:04 CEST
Di Luca is in third wheel of the gruppo.
17:04 CEST
Simoni digs hard with Garzelli chasing.
17:05 CEST
Gibo's heartbeat is 161. Amazing. This is where the Giro di Lombardia finishes.
17:05 CEST
Garzelli is following Simoni closely. Bettini is further back.
17:06 CEST
Simoni is solo with Garzelli at 10m back. Bella!!
17:07 CEST
Gibo has topped Bergamo's Alta and is on the descent. Garzelli chases solo.
17:07 CEST
Di Luca is leading the chase for the Gruppo. Cunego is not really helping.
17:08 CEST
4" back to Garzelli and 6" to the group of Savoldelli. Gibo is driving hard!
17:08 CEST 191km/1km to go
Il Trentino, Gilberto Simoni, is in the last kilometre.
17:09 CEST
Gibo should take the win. Astana is chasing down Garzelli.
17:10 CEST
Gibo takes the final curve at the front. But Garzelli catches! Then Bettini, and Baliani.
17:10 CEST
It is Garzelli
Simoni
Bettini
Baliani
17:10 CEST
Di Luca comes in at one minute back.
17:11 CEST
Wait, Di Luca came in at 38" back. He really gained time in the final 3km.
17:17 CEST
Thanks for joining Cyclingnews on this stage into Bergamo. It was an exciting stage on the eve of tomorrow's Tre Cime. Please come back tomorrow for more live coverage.
Ciao!
Provisional Results
1 Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo 2 Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Saunier Duval-Prodir 3 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quickstep-Innergetic 4 Fortunato Baliani (Ita) Ceramica Panaria-Navigare 5 Eddy Mazzoleni (Ita) Astana 6 Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Astana 7 Ivan Parra (Col) Cofidis 8 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Liquigas 0.32 General classification after stage 14 1 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Liquigas 2 Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre-Fondital 3 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team CSC 4 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-Fondital 5 Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Saunier Duval-Prodir
