Stage 8: Civitanova Marche - Maielletta Passo Lanciano, 171 km

[lwedge]

Way to go Ivan !


With 3km to go, Basso had 0'10 on Cunego, with Gutierrez and Caruso coming up from behind. At 0'30, Mazzanti was hurting Simoni and Piepoli, and back at 1'30 was the gruppo of maglia rosa Gonchar, now including Savoldelli where Tom Danielson was riding heroically for his leader.

Looking like Lance Armstrong's little brother, Basso was just cruising along spinning his little gear but the grimace of pain was on his face as he passed under the 1km kite. Cunego was chasing 0'23 behind as the Phonak man Gutierrez caught him, with Caruso 0'05 behind them and then Piepoli and Simoni. Basso won solo with Cunego second ahead of Gutierrez at half a minute, Caruso at 0'45, Mazzanti at 1'09, Simoni and Piepoli at 1'15, Di Luca at 1'32, Rujano 1'50 and eventually the maglia rosa Gonchar at 2'35, just behind Savoldelli's group.

-CyclingNews

 

[thebluetrain]

Way to go Ivan !


With 3km to go, Basso had 0'10 on Cunego, with Gutierrez and Caruso coming up from behind. At 0'30, Mazzanti was hurting Simoni and Piepoli, and back at 1'30 was the gruppo of maglia rosa Gonchar, now including Savoldelli where Tom Danielson was riding heroically for his leader.

Looking like Lance Armstrong's little brother, Basso was just cruising along spinning his little gear but the grimace of pain was on his face as he passed under the 1km kite. Cunego was chasing 0'23 behind as the Phonak man Gutierrez caught him, with Caruso 0'05 behind them and then Piepoli and Simoni. Basso won solo with Cunego second ahead of Gutierrez at half a minute, Caruso at 0'45, Mazzanti at 1'09, Simoni and Piepoli at 1'15, Di Luca at 1'32, Rujano 1'50 and eventually the maglia rosa Gonchar at 2'35, just behind Savoldelli's group.

-CyclingNews

Sounds like Basso is untouchable. I havent seen the stage yet but I will watch it later on this afternoon. Tough day for Salvodelli, nice to see Danielson in the mix with the best climbers.

 

[sonicman]

He´s really looking strong. But I wonder if he´ll be 100% for the tour like Jan, that saved energy today.

One would never expect to see Savoldelli fail this way.

But Bruyneel will find a way overcome this bad day, he always does.

 

[Virenque]

He can find a way, but gaps are already pretty big! It would be a lot better without TTT. In my opinion, TTT makes GT a lot less interesting. It`s not interesting to watch and it makes a lot of damage in GC.

 

[saluki]

One would never expect to see Savoldelli fail this way.

But Bruyneel will find a way overcome this bad day, he always does.

I don't think so. Savoldelli is done. If he were a pure climber there might be a comeback, but he is not. The climbs only get tougher from here. Savoldelli will be lucky to finnish the Giro less than 10 minutes down to Basso.

What is Bruyneel paying Beltran for these days. He is a liability in the flat and he is not there when the climb starts. Time to reload.

 

[ilpirata]

F..k tennis, f..k Henin-Hardenne, f..k Petrova, f..k Eurosport...

lol,
well which is it:
sexually frustrated? lusting after tennis women? or angry at lack of cycling coverage?

 

[ilpirata]

Cunego, Simoni, Savoldelli, Di Luca & co. can now only hope for another Basso's stomach bug.

I am of the same opinion. Barring a illness or a fall, Basso is superior to the field. The others fight for podium. Did anybody else think that Guttierrez let up at the finish today to give 2nd place to Cunego?

 

[ilpirata]

Cunego, Simoni, Savoldelli, Di Luca & co. can now only hope for another Basso's stomach bug.

I am of the same opinion. Barring a illness or a fall, Basso is superior to the field. The others fight for podium. Did anybody else think that Guttierrez let up at the finish today to give 2nd place to Cunego?

 

[Andrija]

lol,
well which is it:
sexually frustrated? lusting after tennis women? or angry at lack of cycling coverage?

Lack of cycling coverage mate
But I wouldn't keep Henin-Hardenne out of my bed...

 

[Virenque]

Hahaha..I agre with both. It`s always tennis before cycling! Let it be before Milan - San Remo, TdF or Giro di Lombardia! I hate that tennis! I checked both players and yes, one was usefull..

 

[whiteboytrash]

Huh ? Cunego attacked dropping both Sastre and Basso... Basso waited then rode up to Cunego then rode away from him.... Sastre was still well behind at that point....

True, but it is more or less what Cunego did... if he had gone up with Basso and Sastre he would have had a shot at winning the stage...

 

[whiteboytrash]

Sounds like Basso is untouchable. I havent seen the stage yet but I will watch it later on this afternoon. Tough day for Salvodelli, nice to see Danielson in the mix with the best climbers.

TommyD was dropped long before Salvodelli and only caught him then paced him when il Falco was dropped off the back with 13km to go... TommyD certainly wasn't mixing it with the best climbers.....

Salvodelli didn't look good today... not at all.... maybe he can come back but he just doesn't have the staying power of Basso and co.... today's stage was ridden at almost 42km per hour ! That is amazing riding.... Basso was very very very strong and rode up to Cuengo very easily after he attacked..... Only Basso get beat himself in this Giro....

 

[thebluetrain]

TommyD was dropped long before Salvodelli and only caught him then paced him when il Falco was dropped off the back with 13km to go... TommyD certainly wasn't mixing it with the best climbers.....

In only his 3rd year on the Pro Tour while riding domestique for Savoldelli, and finishing 2:25 down on Basso, and around 1:00 behind Simoni and Di Luca, I consider that mixing it with the best climbers. The kid has a bright future.

 

[mitosis]

I know it easy to be smart afterwards but I wondered whether Salvoldelli was struggling a little in yesterday's stage - and it seems now he might have been. I wondered whether the little sprint he put in at the end was more desparation than assertion of authority. Up until now I had him pencilled in as the winner.

YOu have to treat this analysis with a grain of salt, I haven't even seen highlights of stage 8 but the descriptions I've read seem to support my conclusions.

There's still plenty of competition for the GC.

Basso looks strong.

Cunego looks strong.

Bring on the time trial.

 

[doctorSpoc]

I know it easy to be smart afterwards but I wondered whether Salvoldelli was struggling a little in yesterday's stage - and it seems now he might have been. I wondered whether the little sprint he put in at the end was more desparation than assertion of authority. Up until now I had him pencilled in as the winner.

YOu have to treat this analysis with a grain of salt, I haven't even seen highlights of stage 8 but the descriptions I've read seem to support my conclusions.

There's still plenty of competition for the GC.

Basso looks strong.

Cunego looks strong.

Bring on the time trial.

yup... seems to be shaping up to be a Basso - Cunego battle...
but as others have said a bad day on the wrong stage and anyone could say goodbye to 5-10min so... it aint over yet... 1 battle doesn't make a war. seems that Basso is taking a page out of the Armstrong game book. after the TT he'll have a good cushion and then all he'll have to do is defend (easier said than done but... ) and does't need to go out on the attack which is harder than defending.. not an easy task to say the least, but easier than having to go out on the attack under the pressure of gaining time every day.

according to cycling news caption Rujano was recovering from sickness yesterday... http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2006/giro06/index.php?id=/photos/2006/giro06/giro068/s-rujano-6256. i think he'll get better and better as the giro goes... from his interview on cyclingnews at the start of the giro he's riding himself into shape for the tour and is not as fit as he was at this time last year.. i think we'll see some pretty amazing things from him in the 3rd week.

 

[guncha]

TommyD was dropped long before Salvodelli and only caught him then paced him when il Falco was dropped off the back with 13km to go... TommyD certainly wasn't mixing it with the best climbers.....

It was team order to take a rest on this climb, they probably thought it won't be so bad and TommyD will start to work in mountains in the last week. When Salvodelli was dropped TommyD immediatly chased il Falco and the loss was limited as much as it was possible...

I don't think it is over because Basso had bad day at Alpe d' Huez in 2004, and in Courchavel in 2005. Everything can happen. But... If he will continue like today he might be even more dominant than Lance was...

 

[cyclingheroes]

yup... seems to be shaping up to be a Basso - Cunego battle...

Although he lost a lot of time, i still think Simoni has a chanche in the third week... Savoldelli has to take time from Basso at the ITT on Thursday.

 

[Dimos]

F..k tennis, f..k Henin-Hardenne, f..k Petrova, f..k Eurosport...

+1

Especially for this stage they should have changed priorities...

 

[Dimos]

When for 2 consecutive years, LA can't drop you at any climb, it's normal that you learn about every little detail that counts.
Cunego's move was crucial, but a little bit impetuous. If you consider his age though it's quite normal. Gibo seems that he's at top form but his age doesn't help him anymore. He will gain places on the way but only by auto-elimination of the other contenders.
The credits for yesterday go for Gtz Cataluna and Caruso. Especially the Phonak rider who is a solid time-trialler we can expect a good placing in the GC.
I wonder where the hell where Beltran, Chechu and co. Only Tom tried hard enough (and that's not the first time or stage) to help his leader. I see a lack of interesting and professionalism from the rest of the DSC riders and that's not sane.

 

[whiteboytrash]

It was team order to take a rest on this climb, they probably thought it won't be so bad and TommyD will start to work in mountains in the last week. When Salvodelli was dropped TommyD immediatly chased il Falco and the loss was limited as much as it was possible...

Was it a team-order to get smashed in the TTT and to drop 2.20" on the first mountain climb of the Giro ? Phooey ! Where were the other 7 DC riders ? Team orders to take it easy to lull Basso into a false sense of security ?

On the TTT thread of you DC fans said that CSC should of beaten DC in the TTT because "CSC was full of TT's and DC had climbers"... where were the climbers on Sunday when Il Falco needed them most ? Second rate team DC. Even Saunier-Duval had a better day... even the Italian team who wear orange who are sponsored by a concrete manufacturer had a better day and I don't even know what the name of the team is !