For the second day in a row on Thursday, the breakaway arrived first at the finish line at the Giro d'Italia and seriously shook up the overall lead.
The 11-man bunch shattered the standings after this 143-mile stage, dropping the previous leaders by 9 minutes or more down the general classification.
Italy's Matteo Priamo of CSF Group Navigare won the stage in Peschici. Another member of the breakaway, Italian cyclist Giovanni Visconti of Quick Step took the overall lead.
Dropping
Franco Pellizotti, the former race leader, and No. 2 Christian Vande Velde of Slipstream Chipotle are now in 7th and 11th place, respectively. The Italian is 9:08 down the charts, while Vande Velde, still the highest ranked US cyclist, sits at 9:23.
The break developed with 110 miles left in the race, and at one time had a 15-minute margin over the trailing peloton. Slipstream had Magnus Backstedt in the break, and Team CSC was represented by Jason McCartney of the US.
McCartney drove the pace with about 6 miles to go, tearing the bunch apart. He was caught by a Priamo and another rider. They dropped McCartney, who was the last to finish among the breakaway.
The top 10 overall:
1 Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Quick Step
2 Matthias Russ (Ger) Gerolsteiner, same
3 Daniele Nardello (Ita) Serramenti PVC, 1:22 behind
4 Alan Perez Lezaun (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi, 4:42
5 Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Lampre, 5:34
6 Matteo Priamo (Ita) CSF Group Navigare, 9:07
7 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas, 9:08
8 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) LPR Brakes, 9:15
9 Morris Possoni (Ita) Team High Road, 9:16
10 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas, same
US riders overall
11 Christian Vande Velde, Slipstream, 9:23 behind
37 Levi Leipheimer, Astana, 10:11 behind
99 Jason McCartney, Team CSC, 21:17 behind
170 Pat McCarty, Slipstream, 44:54
180 Danny Pate, Slipstream, 52:21
Coming up
The peloton enters the Apennine for the 111-mile Stage 7. It features two mountain passes and a mountain-top finish at Pescocostanzo.
Recent Comments