Holding a thirty second lead over Ryder Hesjedal and needing to considerably increase his buffer if he is to win this Giro d’Italia, Katusha’s Joaquim Rodriguez has pledged to take every opportunity possible in the two remaining mountain stages.
The Catalan rider sees the Canadian as his biggest threat, and is a little less worried about previous double Giro champions Ivan Basso and Michele Scarponi, who are one minute 22 seconds and one minute 36 behind.
He correctly judges Hesjedal as the big danger, both because of his proximity and also the fact that the Canadian is the best time trialist out of the three of them.
This is exemplified by the results of the opening time trial, which at 8.7 kilometres is over three times shorter than the TT they will face on Sunday.
There, Hesjedal took 14 seconds out of Rodriguez. Basso beat the Katusha rider by just four seconds, while Scarponi finished a full 23 seconds behind.
A short time trial at the start of a Grand Tour is not the same as a longer one on the final day, but it’s clear that Hesjedal could easily overcome his current half minute deficit.
That puts the onus on Rodriguez to attack, and hard. “Tomorrow and the day after we´ll have a chance to gain some seconds over Hesjedal, which is now my main rival since I still have a good gap over Scarponi and Basso,” he said this evening.
“It won´t be easy because until now he did a great Giro. Still, tomorrow´s climbs are more suitable to my characteristics and for sure I have to try to drop him.”
The two mountain stages are tomorrow’s 195 kilometre epic to the Alpe di Pampeago/Val di Fiemme, then the monstrous stage which awaits the riders on Saturday.
The final 68 kilometres of that leg will take the riders up the feared pair of the Mortirolo and the Selvio, giving clear opportunity for whichever rider has the legs to do something big.
The best tactic is for Rodriguez to attempt to gain the necessary time tomorrow, leaving Saturday as a second opportunity if it proves necessary.
The fact that Basso also needs to attack if he’s to try to win the race will help Rodriguez. “I´m expecting Liquigas-Cannondale to make a hard rhythm,” he said, predicting that Basso’s team will once again try to seize control. “Anyways our team is strong. Moreno and Losada will have to stay with me until the end since it will be more suitable for them too, then I have to try to make the difference.
“We´ll control the stage, then if there will be a chance to gain some seconds, if I´ll feel fine in the last climb, I´ll attack for sure.”
This Giro is the first time that Rodriguez heads into the final few stages of a Grand Tour in such a good position to win. He led the Vuelta a Espana in 2010 but was let down by his bad time trialing ability, which has since improved somewhat. He eventually had to settle for fourth overall, four minutes 22 seconds behind the victor Vincenzo Nibali.