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90th Giro d'Italia - GT

Italy, May 12-June 3, 2007

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Stage 20 - Saturday, June 2: Bardolino - Verona (TT), 43 km

Complete live report

Live commentary by Gregor Brown

Live coverage starts: 14:30 CEST
Estimated finish: 17:46 CEST

14:31 CEST   
Ciao! Welcome to Cyclingnews' coverage of stage 20. We have the Ferrari parked just outside of Piazza Bra in Verona and are awaiting for the first riders to come in from their time trial run.

14:32 CEST   
Starting in the Bardolino wine region next to Lake Garda, the penultimate stage of the 90th Giro d'Italia heads due east through the vineyards of Valpolicella to finish next to the famous Arena di Verona in Piazza Bra.

14:36 CEST   
Can Maglia Rosa Di Luca hold off 21 year old wunder-kid Andy Schleck in the 43-kilometre time test, and can local lad Cunego have a great day to pass his arch enemy Gibo Simoni climb onto the Giro d'Italia podium?

Today's weather forecast is for light rain all day which may soak the stars and stripes jersey of US TT champ Dave Zabriskie (CSC) as he bids for another Giro TT stage win.

14:41 CEST   
Big Pavel Padrnos (Discovery Channel) is rolling down the start ramp.

Here is the order of 141 riders departing from Bardolino: 13.00 Gatto; 13.01'30" Olson; 13.03 Luengo; 13.04'30" Bono; 13.06 Aggiano; 13.07'30" Fernandez; 13.09 Krauss; 13.10'30" Zanini; 13.12 Trusov; 13.13'30" Valentin; 13.15 Patanchon; 13.16'30" Ignatiev; 13.18 Muller; 13.19'30" Drancourt; 13.21 Gates; 13.22'30" Pichot; 13.24 Gerard; 13.25'30" Roche; 13.27 Buffaz; 13.28'30" Fothen; 13.30 Horrillo; 13.31'30" Belohvosciks; 13.33 Breschel; 13.34'30" Renier; 13.36 Maxim Gourov; 13.37'30" Furlan; 13.39 Kern; 13.40'30" Andriotto; 13.42 Lancaster; 13.43'30" Cortinovis; 13.45 Mangel; 13.46'30" Cummings; 13.48 Lorenzetto; 13.49'30" Vanotti; 13.51 Mondory; 13.52'30" Usov; 13.54 White; 13.55'30" Petacchi; 13.57 Duclos- Lassalle; 13.58'30" Scarselli; 14.00 Joachim; 14.01'30" Serrano Gonzalez; 14.03 Gasparotto; 14.04'30" Bazayev; 14.06 Dmitry Kozontchouk; 14.07'30" Van Goolen; 14.09 Pagoto; 14.10'30" Tosatto; 14.12 Berthou; 14.13'30" Dean; 14.15 Palumbo; 14.16'30" Perget; 14.18 Richeze; 14.19'30" Crosbie; 14.21 Contrini; 14.22'30" Brutt; 14.24 Bodrogi; 14.25'30" Kunitski; 14.27 Riblon; 14.28'30" Morabito; 14.30 Engels; 14.31'30" Gomez; 14.33 Rabon; 14.34'30" Visconti; 14.36 Van den Broeck; 14.37'30" Padrnos; 14.39 Stangelj; 14.40'30" Jegou; 14.42 Krivtsov; 14.43'30" Knees; 14.45 Velasco; 14.46'30" Moerenhout; 14.48 Gustov; 14.49'30" Irizar; 14.51 Zabriskie; 14.52'30" Ardila Cano; 14.54 Bernucci; 14.55'30" Miholjevic; 14.57 Spezialetti; 14.58'30" Arvesen; 15.00 Bessy; 15.01'30" Lloyd; 15.03 Canada; 15.04'30" Losada; 15.06 Walker; 15.07'30" Schwab; 15.09 Commesso; 15.10'30" Russ; 15.12 Jufré; 15.13'30" Bileka; 15.15 Muravyev; 15.16'30" Merckx; 15.18 Nocentini; 15.19'30" Naibo; 15.21 Rasmussen; 15.22'30" Moinard; 15.24 Bonnaire; 15.25'30" Veikkanen; 15.27 Mourey; 15.28'30" Lastras; 15.30 Rubiera; 15.31'30" Bettini; 15.33 Perez Cuapio; 15.34'30" Mayo; 15.36 Laverde; 15.37'30" Noé; 15.39 Cioni; 15.40'30" Facci; 15.42 Perez Arrieta; 15.43'30" Marzano; 15.45 Le Boulanger; 15.46'30" Fernandez; 15.48 Mazzanti; 15.49'30" Szmyd; 15.51 Caucchioli; 15.52'30" Tiralongo; 15.54 Dupont; 15.55'30" Codol; 15.57 Baliani; 15.58'30" Nibali; 16.00 Samoilau; 16.01'30" Mizourov; 16.03 Aerts; 16.04'30" Pinotti; 16.06 Pozzovivo; 16.07'30" Vila; 16.09 Garzelli; 16.10'30" Savoldelli; 16.12 Piepoli; 16.13'30" Parra; 16.15 Sella; 16.18 Bruseghin; 16.21 Pellizotti; 16.24 Arroyo; 16.27 Petrov; 16.30 Riccò; 16.33 Mazzoleni; 16.36 Cunego; 16.39 Simoni; 16.42 Schleck; 16.45 Di Luca.

14:49 CEST   
Our minds are thinking back to the 1984 run between Soave and Verona. That year's Giro had been a slug fest between Laurent Fignon and Francesco Moser, with the Italian taking back the jersey on the final day's stage, the time trial into Verona's Arena. Moser took the stage with 2'24" on Fignon and 2'38" on Swiss Gisiger. Fignon did take the maglia verde that year, which this year will go to Leonardo Piepoli.

David Zabriskie (Team CSC)
Photo ©: Sirotti
(Click for larger image)

14:50 CEST   
Zabriskie is milling about the start area, getting ready for his run. The USA TT Champ has a real chance of winning this stage today. Who do you think will win?

14:55 CEST   
Here are our current top ten. Misha is leading the day with a good time of just over 54'.
1 Mikhail Ignatiev (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems 54'21"
2 Raivis Belohvosciks (Lat) Saunier Duval-Prodir 54'41"
3 Dario Andriotto (Ita) Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo 55'14"
4 Steve Cummings (GBr) Discovery Channel 56'21"
5 Alexandre Usov (Blr) Ag2r Prévoyance 56'47"
6 Christophe Kern (Fra) Crédit Agricole 57'03"
7 Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Liquigas 58'08"
8 Aaron Olson (USA) T-Mobile 58'08"
9 Laurent Mangel (Fra) Ag2r Prévoyance 58'10"
10 Martin Müller (Swi) Milram 58'18"

14:59 CEST   
Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Team CSC) rolls out. In the next moments we should have the time of Luxemburger Benoît Joachim (Astana), he is heading towards Verona.

15:01 CEST   
Joachim clocks a time of 56'34, which puts him in sixth.

15:02 CEST   
Enrico Gasparotto gets a time of 56'01! That is a fast time for the early Maglia Rosa.

15:05 CEST   
David Cañada (Saunier Duval-Prodir) rolls out. Assan Bazayev (Astana) records a 58'40 run.

A close up of the transmitter.
Photo ©: Shane Stokes
(Click for larger image)

15:07 CEST   
A lot of these guys are running some high-tech equipment on their TT rigs. Polar produces heart rate monitors that give us journalists instant information on the riders in the race. Earlier in the Giro Shane Stokes had a look at Polar's system.

15:09 CEST   
"You know, I wake up in the morning and I piss excellence. I'm just a big hairy American winning' machine," said Zabriskie the other day to Cyclingnews. He is on his run but while he is riding you can read a recent chat with the TT-man.

15:14 CEST   
William Walker (Rabobank) is now on the cross and Josep Jufré (Predictor-Lotto) is stating on the start ramp. Eric Berthou (Caisse d'Epargne) rolls past our Ferrari (waxed this morning) and heads into Piazza Bra with a time of 56'41", that is good enough for eighth.

15:16 CEST   
Jurgen Van Goolen (Discovery Channel) has snuck into the top five with a smoking time of 56'07".
1 Mikhail Ignatiev (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems 54'21"
2 Raivis Belohvosciks (Lat) Saunier Duval-Prodir 54'41"
3 Dario Andriotto (Ita) Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo 55'14"
4 Enrico Gasparotto (Liquigas) 56'01"
5 Jurgen Van Goolen (Discovery Channel) 56'07"

15:21 CEST   
The 43 km run is pretty straight-forward. The final 5000 metres consist of a right-hand bend at -2500m and a 90° lefty at -800m, and then it is straight shot up Corso Porta Nuova.

Many of the riders will keep going straight to the balcony of Giulietta (Juliet) and ask for her love.

15:28 CEST   
Big Hungarian man of speed, Laszlo Bodrogi (Crédit Agricole), has smashed Misha's time by 53". He has recorded time of 53'28" that was going 48.254km/h!

While Andrei Kunitski (Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo) gets a provisional third with 54'41".

Pablo Lastras (Caisse d'Epargne) rolls out....

15:32 CEST   
Christophe Riblon (Ag2r Prévoyance) nails a time of 57'20".

The integrated seatmast
Photo ©: Tim Maloney
(Click for larger image)

15:37 CEST   
The boys are all on their TT rigs today but we sent Tim Maloney to the start to have a look at some of the road machines, like Garzelli's De Rosa and Savoldelli's BMC.

15:40 CEST   
Giovanni Visconti (Quickstep-Innergetic) breaks into the top five with a ride of 54'38". The Sicilian finished second to Iban Mayo (Saunier Duval-Prodir) yesterday and is obliviously in form for these final stages.

Teammate Mauro Facci (Quickstep-Innergetic) leaves the start house.

15:42 CEST   
Jurgen Van den Broeck (Predictor-Lotto) comes in next with a time of 54'49"

15:45 CEST   
Big Pavel Padrnos (Discovery Channel) records a time of 55'34" and 'Stan' Stangelj (Lampre-Fondital) rolls it home in 58'45".

16:10 CEST   
Savoldelli is on the start ramp.

16:11 CEST   
The rain is coming down like cats-n-dogs but he pushes off. Light blue skin suit with no knee warms.

16:12 CEST   
Z-Man, Dave Zabriskie does it! He hammers into Verona with a time of 52'58"! That time is 30" faster than Bodrogi's and is run off at an average of 48.709 Km/h.

16:14 CEST   
"I hope I can double," said Marzio Bruseghin (Lampre-Fondital) at the start. He took the mountain time trial in Oropa.

Axel Merckx (T-Mobile) comes home with a time of 57'51" in his last Giro d'Italia.

16:16 CEST   
Leonardo Piepoli (Saunier Duval-Prodir) pushes off. Next is Colombian Ivan Parra (Cofidis).

16:23 CEST   
Paolo Savoldelli's fans are going crazy here in the rain. A large number of them travelled from Bergamo to cheer on 'Il Falco Bergamasco.' Franco Pellizotti (Liquigas) pushes out of the start house. Remember him working so hard for Di Luca on the stage to Bergamo? He was up with the front runners, Savoldelli, Gibo, etc, and dropped back with Di Luca to pace him and keep him in the leader's Maglia Rosa.

16:24 CEST   
David Arroyo (Caisse d'Epargne) is in the start house. The rain looks like it let up a little.

16:24 CEST   
Bam! He is off on his Pinarello TT machine.

16:31 CEST   
"I pass a lot a time on the telephone or listening to music. I talk to my brother, Fränk, a lot. I got a call from Kroon and O'Grady other day, wishing me well. But Fränk was as emotional as I was when I rode well on Zoncolan," said Andy Schleck (Team CSC) earlier today to Rai's Alessandra De Stefano. "One day I will return here to win the Giro." Asked if he knows any Italian respond, "'Ti voglio bene' and 'Tanti baci.'"

14'54" at the 10.3 kilometre time check for Falco Savoldelli.

Riccardo Riccò (Saunier Duval-Prodir) punches out of start house.

16:33 CEST   
Bruseghin is on the course in his Italian Tricolore TT kit.

Mazzo, Eddy Mazzoleni, pushes off.

16:33 CEST   
Bruseghin gets 15'02" at the 10.3 time check. Zabriskie took the time check at 15'04".

16:35 CEST   
Dario Cioni comes home at 56'12".

16:37 CEST   
'Il Veronese' Damiano Cunego, winner of the young rider's competition in the 2006 Tour, rolls off the start ramp. He is greeted with cheers from friends and fans that came from his home, just a few kilometres away.

16:43 CEST   
White Lightning Andy Schleck pushes off. Vai Andy!

16:46 CEST   
Number 183, Schleck, is going to push his Cervélo time machine to its limit. He is 2'24" behind Di Luca and if Di Luca has a crisis then he could trade in his Maglia Bianca for one of Rosa. He needs to watch out, 4" behind him in the GC is Simoni.

Di Luca pushes off from the start house.

16:49 CEST   
Schleck is rolling along Lake Garda, at kilometre 4.7 he will hang a right to start the light climb.

Savoldelli betters Zabriskie at the 29.75km check by 27".

16:49 CEST   
Pietro Caucchioli (Crédit Agricole), also from Verona, comes to the finish with 57'57".

16:52 CEST   
Savoldelli is hammering it ('it is hammer time'). He is usually a man for the prologue TT but today he is going very well in the longer run. ('please Hammer, don't hurt 'em!')

Cunego passes the 10.3km check at 15'08".

16:55 CEST   
15'34" for Gilberto Simoni (Saunier Duval-Prodir) at the 10.3 km check, that is 26" slower than Damiano Cunego (Lampre-Fondital).

54'04" for Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas) at the finish.

16:58 CEST   
38'13" for Marzio Bruseghin (Lampre-Fondital) at the 29.7km time check.

17:01 CEST   
15'13" for Andy Schleck (Team CSC) at the 10km time check. That is 19" slower than Savo but it will be important to see how Di Luca passes. .... 15'06" for Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas). The Italian is going faster than the Luxemburger!

55'32" for Marco Pinotti (T-Mobile) at the finish.

17:02 CEST   
Savoldelli is coming home.

Paolo Savoldelli (Astana)
Photo ©: Sirotti
(Click for larger image)

17:02 CEST   
He is racing to beat Zabriskie's time of 52'58".

17:03 CEST   
He takes the best time, 52'20"! Amazing! The little Italian ousted the American TT champ.

17:07 CEST   
Stefano Garzelli (Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo) finishes with a time of 57'26".

17:07 CEST   
Mazzo is flying! He is going 1'01" better that Gibo Simoni.

17:08 CEST   
Cunego and Mazzoleni are vying for a podium spot while Gibo will have to exit this Giro satisfied with his epic Monte Zoncolan stomp.

17:12 CEST   
Leonardo Piepoli (Saunier Duval-Prodir) comes to the finish line with Ivan Parra (Cofidis).

Bruseghin comes home with 53'36". His TT bar slips as he crosses over the pavé to the line.

17:13 CEST   
Andy Schleck (Team CSC) currently has a 7" on Di Luca.

17:15 CEST   
Here comes Franco Pellizotti (Liquigas). The roads have dried here and he records a time of 54'22".

17:16 CEST   
Damiano Cunego (Lampre-Fondital) passes the 29 km time check with a time of 38'35". That is 48" back from Eddy Mazzoleni (Astana).

17:19 CEST   
Simoni comes to the km 29 check with a time of 39'13" that is 1'26" back from Eddy Mazzoleni. Mazzo should be on the final podium if he keeps this up.

17:23 CEST   
Here comes Arroyo. He records a time of 56'15". ... And Petrov comes in at 54'31", 2'11" from Savoldelli.

White Lightning Schleck passes the 29km check at 38'21"

Mazzo catches Riccò.

17:24 CEST   
Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas) passes the 29km check at 38'41", which is 20" behind Schleck. He will keep the Maglia Rosa.

17:26 CEST   
The Savo and Mazzo show continues... Eddy Mazzo comes home with a time of 52'56", which is better that Zabriskie's time. He will be on the final podium in Milano.

Riccò finishes.

17:30 CEST   
Here comes Damiano Cunego (Lampre-Fondital)...

17:31 CEST   
He went really well in the first 20 kilometres but slowed here in the finale. Cunego finishes with 54'37", which is 1'41" back from Mazzoleni.

The sun is shinning! Schleck can see his shadow!

17:34 CEST   
Gilberto Simoni (Saunier Duval-Prodir) concludes with 55'04". He has lost his podium spot in the overall GC.

17:36 CEST   
Andy Schleck (Team CSC) comes into Verona with a time of 53'48".

17:39 CEST   
Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas) is heading home. He is going to win this 90th Giro d'Italia. He is pumping his fist.

17:39 CEST   
'The Killer' gets a time of 54'17".

17:43 CEST   
What an amazing day! The sun is now shinning on Verona as Il Falco Savoldelli celebrates the stage win just outside of the famous Arena.

17:46 CEST   
Mazzoleni also did an amazing ride, finishing second over Zabriskie and arriving to third overall in the GC.

Thanks for joining us in our live coverage of the Verona TT. Please check back later for a full report and results.

Grazie e ciao!

Provisional Results

1 Paolo Savoldelli (Astana)                           52'20"
2 Eddy Mazzoleni (Astana)                             52'56"
3 David Zabriskie (Team CSC)                          52'58"
4 Laszlo Bodrogi (Crédit Agricole)                    53'28"
5 Marzio Bruseghin (Lampre-Fondital)                  53'36"
6 Andy Schleck (Team CSC)                             53'48"
  Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas)                          54'04"
  Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas)                           54'17"
  Mikhail Ignatiev (Tinkoff Credit Systems)           54'21"
  Franco Pellizotti (Liquigas)                        54'22"
  Evgeni Petrov (Tinkoff Credit Systems)              54'31"
  Damiano Cunego (Lampre-Fondital)                    54'37"
  Gilberto Simoni (Saunier Duval-Prodir)              55'04"
 
General classification after stage 20
 
1 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Liquigas
2 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team CSC
3 Eddy Mazzoleni (Ita) Astana

Time check - 10.3 km

1 Paolo Savoldelli (Astana)                           14'54"
2 Marzio Bruseghin (Lampre-Fondital)                  15'02"
3 David Zabriskie (Team CSC)                          15'04"
  Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas)                           15'06"
  Damiano Cunego (Lampre-Fondital)                    15'08"
  Andy Schleck (Team CSC)                             15'13"
  Gilberto Simoni (Saunier Duval-Prodir)              15'34"

Time check - 29.75km

1 Paolo Savoldelli (Astana)                           
  Eddy Mazzoleni (Astana)                             37'47"
  David Zabriskie (Team CSC)                          37'54"
  Marzio Bruseghin (Lampre-Fondital)                  38'13"
  Andy Schleck (Team CSC)                             38'21"
  Damiano Cunego (Lampre-Fondital)                    38'35"
  Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas)                           38'41"
  Gilberto Simoni (Saunier Duval-Prodir)              39'13"
  Riccardo Riccò (Saunier Duval-Prodir)               39'56"

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