Italian cyclist Danilo Di Luca rocketed past Mauricio Soler in the final 100 yards of the first mountaintop stage of this year's Giro d'Italia on Tuesday.
The steep terrain on the 100-mile stage from Padova to San Martino di Castrozza helped defeat the early leaders of the race such as Italian sprinter Alessandro Petacchi, and put Team Columbia's Thomas Lövkvist in the leader's pink jersey.
American Lance Armstrong, who started the day in 5th overall, stayed in the middle of a chase group all day, but was content to let the others attack in the steep final few kilometers. He finished 15 seconds behind the winner and dropped to 6th place overall.
His teammates on Astana, Levi Leipheimer and Yaroslav Popovych, are in 4th and 5th places, respectively.
Three riders — Francesco Bellotti (Barloworld), Francesco De Bonis (Serramenti) and Jens Voigt (Saxo Bank) — led the peloton with a breakaway for nearly 90 miles on Tuesday.
On the final climb to San Martino di Castrozza, 37-year-old Voigt accelerated to first drop De Bonis and then Bellotti. He was swept up by the peloton, controlled mostly by Ivan Basso's Liquigas pro cycling team, with less than 3 kilometers to go.
Then Barloworld's Soler made his second attack of the climb, riding away to apparent victory. In the closing 100 yards, however, 2007 Giro winner Di Luca closed the gap and speeded past him with rival Stefano Garzelli on his wheel.
Two Americans, Leipheimer and Chris Horner, were in that first group to finish.
Armstrong reaction posted on Twitter:
“Uphill finish. Legs weren't bad and made it almost the whole way. Came off a little at the top. Not bad for 1st big climb in first grand tour back and for coming back after the crash. Overall, I'm pleased. Team was amazing as well. All look good. Tomorrow-tough!”
Essentially, Stage 5 is mostly descending in the first half, followed by a 15.5-mile climb up the Passo Rolle to the finish. Overall distance is 77 miles.
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