Purito takes his second stage as the race’s big names fight it out across the Dolomites
Joaquim Rodríguez (Katusha) won an epic seventeenth stage, between Falzes/Pfalzen and Cortina D’Ampezzo, as the big favourites for the race did battle across the Dolomites. The Catalan, dressed in the Maglia Rosa, proved fastest of a group of six big names that had dropped the rest of the peloton on the final climb of the Passo Giau, to take his second stage of the race.
Ivan Basso (Liquigas-Cannondale), having forced the selection with stage-long pressure from his team, crossed the line in second place, just ahead of Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Barracuda), who had done his best to shed the rest on the fast descent to the finish. Rigoberto Uran (Team Sky) was fourth, with Michele Scarponi (Lampre-ISD) fifth, and Domenico Pozzivivo (Colnago-CSF Inox) sixth.
"Today was a very special day for me,” said Rodríguez. “Xavi Tondo died one year ago, a great friend of mine; I knew him not only from our professional career, but since I was a child.
“So, today I really wanted to take this victory and finally I did, and obviously it's dedicated to him.
“It was a very hard stage,” explained the Catalan. “Liquigas-Cannondale put in a huge amount of work, and if they're going to keep this pace on Friday and Saturday too, it won't be easy for me and anybody else to resist and stay ahead. Every single day is dangerous for us; today, just like many of the others, I had cramps in my leg, so I don't think we can handle this pace during next stages.
“Now, I think Ryder Hesjedal is the great favourite,” he added. “Today he was able to not lose any seconds, and if the gaps will stay like this Scarponi, Basso and I won't have any chance against him in the Milan TT. So, we have to attack him and try to drop him, otherwise he will win this race for sure.”
With Rodríguez, Hesjedal and Basso all finishing in the same time - and with no time bonuses awarded on the high mountain stages - the top three of the general classification remains unchanged. Purito remains 30 seconds clear of Hesjedal, and 1’22” ahead of Basso, but Scarponi, Uran and Pozzovivo all rise in the rankings as a number of former contenders lost big time.
The first half of the 186km stage was characterised by a five-man breakaway, made up of stage 15 winner, and mountains jersey holder, Matteo Rabottini (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia), Jose Serpa (Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela), Kevin Seeldraeyers (Astana), Branislau Samoilau (Movistar) and Matteo Montaguti (AG2R La Mondiale).
Montaguti was dropped on the steepest section of the Passo Duran, while Mikel Nieve (Euskaltel-Euskadi) attacked the peloton and managed to bridge across on the descent. Liquigas-Cannondale was setting a high tempo on the front of the peloton however, and the fugitives were all back in the fold before they could reach the summit of the Forcella Staulanza.
As the green and blue team continued to assert itself over the peloton, it steadily whittled down the front group until, as Basso himself took over on the early slopes of the Passo Giau, there were only six riders left. Basso led up most of the climb, overcoming a brief attack from Hesjedal, but none of the riders was able to put enough pressure on any of the others to reduce the group further.
Finally, an acceleration over the top from Pozzivivo distanced Scarponi and Uran and the fast, but winding descent saw Hesjedal and Rodríguez briefly gap the other two. Uran, then Scarponi, fought their way back up to the others on the long descent however, and with two kilometres to go the six were all together.
Basso put in a brief attack, but was pulled back by Hesjedal, and they entered the final kilometre together; Scarponi was the first to launch his sprint, but Basso came around him on the way to the line, only to be passed by Rodríguez in turn.
The first chasing group, which included 2004 winner Damiano Cunego (Lampre-ISD), John Gadret (AG2R La Mondiale), and Nieve, was led over the line by Beñat Intxausti (Movistar) 1’22” later, with the rest of the peloton scattered on the road behind them.
Reactions to follow
The Dolomites finally arrive and the Giro gets serious
Having ridden in the shadow of the mighty Dolomites the day before, the peloton was well and truly pitched into them on stage 17, with four massive mountain passes. The 186km course would climb the 2nd category Passo Valparola, the 1st category Passo Duran, the 2nd category Forcella Staulanza, and, finally, the 1st category legend that was the Passo Giau. From the top of the 2236 metre high Giau, all that remained was the fast 17.8km descent to Cortina, meaning that a lead over the top could well be held to the finish.
Over the unclassified bump to Terento/Terenten in the opening kilometres, and on the predominantly flat approach to the opening climb, the peloton remained together. After 35km however, the five-man group of Rabottini, Serpa, Seeldraeyers, Samoilau and Montaguti escaped. Ten kilometres from the top of the Valparola the five riders were 5’50” ahead, but this was cut to 4’18” by the time Rabottini led them over the top.
On the long descent that followed the gap to the leaders was allowed to open up to almost five minutes again but, as the roads levelled a little, the Euskaltel-Euskadi team came forward and began to close it down.
As Euskaltel-Euskadi led the peloton onto the climb, the gap to the five leaders was just three minutes, and the Basque team continued to apply the pressure. Once the climb proper began however, Liquigas-Cannondale took up its usual place at the front and began to lift the tempo further.
Up ahead, as the leaders hit the steepest part of the climb, Montaguti was dropped. The Liquigas-Cannondale pace thinned the peloton out considerably, and quickly slashed the leaders’ advantage to the leaders to less than two minutes.
Mikel Nieve goes on the offensive but Liquigas-Cannondale is in control
Montaguti was swept up five kilometres from the top, and shortly afterwards Amets Txurruka launched Euskaltel-Euskadi teammate Nieve off the front. Rabottini launched himself early towards the top of the climb, and led the quartet over, Nieve followed just 31 seconds later, with the peloton - still led by Liquigas-Cannondale - 1’18” back.
Nieve continued to close in on the leaders on the fast, winding descent, and he caught up with them with 50km to go. Seeldraeyers had pushed ahead of the rest however, and was 40 seconds clear as he began the less severe climb to the Forcella Staulanza alone. The peloton had slipped back to two minutes again, but Liquigas-Cannondale reassumed its position at the front and began to close it down.
Nieve’s pace dropped Rabottini and soon pulled Serpa and Samiolau across to Seeldraeyers; at the Traguardo Volante sprint, in Zoldo Alto-Mareson with 44km to go though, they were just 51 seconds ahead as the Belgian attacked again. They were all caught just two kilometres later though, and, just before the 40km to go banner, Roman Kreuziger (Astana) was finally forced to drift off the back.
Francesco Failli (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia) rolled over the top to defend the mountains jersey lead of teammate Rabottini. Liquigas-Cannondale kept the speed high on the descent to try to stop Kreuziger rejoining and, as the foot of the Giau arrived, there were four green and blue jerseys lined up in front.
Ivan Basso to the fore as “Le Big” do battle on the Giau
Giampaolo Caruso, Sylwester Szmyd, and then Eros Capecchi put in massive turns on the front as the climb began and shed numerous riders, including Paolo Tiralongo (Astana), John Gadret (AG2R La Mondiale), and Damiano Cunego (Lampre-ISD).
Capecchi handed over to Basso with seven kilometres still to climb. With the two-time winner were just Scarponi, Hesjedal, Pozzivivo, Rodríguez, Henao and Uran, but as Basso accelerated Henao was dropped, leaving just the six riders in the lead.
Six kilometres from the top Hesjedal attacked, but Basso calmly increased his pace and led the rest across to the Canadian. Nieve seemed to have recovered a little and was making his way forward, past the team cars of the leaders, and was dangling just 100 metres behind the group with less than four kilometres to climb.
Gadret was also clawing his way back up, but Basso lifted the pace again, which prevented either from closing the gap.
Pozzovivo put in one last acceleration as the leaders approached at the top and Scarponi was dropped; there was less than a kilometre to climb, but - as Uran also finally succumbed in the final metres - the defending champion was several seconds behind as the little Colnago-CSF Inox climber led the remaining four over.
Gadret and Nieve were a minute behind as they took the summit, while a group containing Cunego, Thomas De Gendt (Vacansoleil-DCM), Marzio Bruseghin (Movistar), Dani Moreno (Katusha), and Johann Tschopp (BMC Racing) was 1’47” behind.
Uran and Scarponi return on the long, fast drop to the finish
Hesjedal led into the descent, with Basso, Rodríguez and Pozzivivo lined up behind him, and neither Uran nor Scarponi could make it across what was now a 13 second gap. Basso was having trouble holding on to Hesjedal’s pace and Rodríguez came around him as a gap began to open.
Basso and Pozzovivo were briefly gapped by the other two, but fought their way across with just over ten kilometres to go. Uran was making progress behind them, and was gradually gaining on the four leaders as they entered the final seven kilometres.
Under the five kilometres to go banner Uran finally made contact with the leaders, while Scarponi was recovering a little and was also getting closer. With three to go he was just six seconds back and finally made the junction as they entered the final two.
With 1.6km to go Basso attacked, but Hesjedal led the rest across within two hundred metres, and the six leaders were all together as the Liquigas-Cannondale man led onto the cobbled street of the final kilometre. Scarponi launched himself around the final corner, but Basso was easily able to come around him. Rodríguez had launched his own sprint however and, after briefly going side by side with the two-time winner rider, pulled past him to win by a length.
Intxausti led the first group of chasers over the line, 1’22” back. The big loser on the day though was Kreuziger, who came in after 11’26”; his race for pink now over.