After several years spent limping through Grand Tours and listening to critics call him just a hilly classics specialist, Damiano Cunego (Lampre-ISD) is back in the top ten of a three-week race, a result he confirmed yesterday with a strong ride on Alpe d’Huez.
Though he suffered through an agonizing conclusion to a hard-fought Tour de Suisse last month, where he was narrowly beaten by Levi Leipheimer (Radioshack) for the overall win in the final time trial, Cunego has put the heartbreak of that narrow loss behind him. In the Tour de France, he has been attentive and intelligent throughout, riding within himself and eschewing a more attacking style.
It was more of the same yesterday, when Cunego crossed the line on the summit finish in seventh position, in the group containing the Schleck brothers (Leopard-Trek) and Cadel Evans (BMC Racing). They came in just 57 seconds behind stage winner Pierre Rolland (Europcar). “Today’s stage was very dangerous, and in fact, someone did try the big attack,” he commented after the stage. “I preferred to race like I have done up to now, and again, the results gave me satisfaction today.”
“I decreased my pace for a while with 10 kilometers to go but then I quickly recovered my energy, and I could pedal with the Schlecks and Evans. I also tried to attack in the final part of the climb since I felt my energy level was good.”
Cunego’s Lampre-ISD team has been largely invisible in this year’s Tour thus far, with just a couple top-three sprint finishes by fast man Alessandro Petacchi, and no stage wins to count yet. But Cunego is pleased with the way he and his team have ridden. “Looking at the riders who reached the finish with me in this tough stage, and looking at the overall standings, I can say to myself that my team and I are riding a very, very good Tour de France,” he concluded.
Roberto Damiani, Lampre-ISD’s sporting director, is also pleased. “Today, like they did in previous stages, Cunego and his team-mates raced in the best possible way, obtaining good results again,” he said. “We’re going to race the Tour de France until the end with the aim of enjoying the race. In my opinion, the team has already won.”
With the decisive 42 kilometer time trial in Grenoble coming up, Cunego’s current fifth place overall is not yet assured in Paris. He is currently 3 minutes 31 seconds behind overall leader Andy Schleck, and 1 minute 21 seconds behind fourth placed Thomas Voeckler (Europcar).
The flashy Frenchman has faced a difficult defense of his yellow jersey, and after finally cracking today, Cunego may look to play this to his advantage. The Italian finished 39th in his 32 kilometer time trial in the Tour de Suisse, suffering the close loss to Leipheimer. In the Criterium du Dauphine, Voeckler was 40th, beaten by the man behind him, Janez Brajkovic of Radioshack.
Meanwhile, Cunego has an inspired Alberto Contador (SaxoBank-SunGard) sitting just 24 seconds behind. Further back are Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel Euskadi) and Ivan Basso (Liquigas), who are less noted for their time trialing skills.
But Cunego seems to have put his recent struggles against the watch behind him.
“I’ll face the time trial tomorrow with high morale. I’ll give it my best.”