Giro d'Italia - Scarponi claims second stage win
Eurosport - Fri, 29 May 08:21:00 2009
Diquigiovanni's Michele Scarponi won a sprint from a breakaway to claim his second stage win of the Giro d'Italia in Benevento.
After a 25-man breakaway had finally been whittled down to five going into the home straight, the 29-year-old Italian timed his sprint to perfection, powering past Garmin's Danny Pate and winning by a clear five metres.
Felix Cardenas (Barloworld) edged out Pate for second in a photo-finish, with Saxo Bank's Lars Ytting Bak in fourth.
Race leader Denis Menchov finished safely in the peloton, and there were no changes in the top 10 of the general classification, though the Russian will have a far more testing day on Friday's 19th stage on the climb to Vesuvius.
The second-category Piano delle Cinque Miglia provided the perfect platform for an early breakaway. But despite the frequency of the attacks, a fast-moving peloton meant all attempts failed, until a quartet including Scarponi, Pate, Gabriele Bosisio (LPR) and Yaroslav Popovych (Astana) managed to go clear.
Chaos reigned in the pack when it became clear a decisive break had been made, and a group of 21 riders set off in pursuit of the leaders.
Sheer weight of numbers ensured the leaders were joined by the chasing group after a 10km pursuit, and the now 25-strong group gradually built a lead that grew to over six minutes when a heavy shower triggered a fall that took down Philip Deignan (Cervelo), Andriy Zeits (Astana) and Francesco Gavazzi (Lampre) from the breakaway.
Having missed the breakaway, Milram, Ag2r and Fuji Servetto moved to help Rabobank out at the front of the peloton with 60km to go, though were unable to bring the gap down below the three-minute mark.
Saxo Bank looked to be holding all the aces as both Bak and Jason McCartney were in a lead quartet that established itself with three kilometres to go, but a drop in the tempo saw Scarponi and Dries Devenyns (Quick Step) bridge the gap.
A sharp attack from Devenyns was closed down by Pate with two kilometres left, and when the Belgian attacked one final time with 600 metres remaining, he found he no longer had the legs.
Cardenas launched his sprint on the right hand side, though was passed by Pate, only for both men to see Scarponi thunder through on the left and claim victory.
Having triumphed on stage six in Mayrhofen, this was his second stage win of the race, and Diquigiovanni's third.
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Comment 1 - 10 of 10
To suspect all Italian riders is just daft.
What nationality have the biggest cheaters been recently - especially last TdF.
But Worldwide .... how could u use up all the volcano puns in one post ???
Now we have to get out the Thesaurus!
justiceforall, I have to say that you have a very extreme view in doping terms. from what you write it seems that all italians riders are doped and all the spanish riders are innocent. It seems a biased point of view. About the italian federation, well, they have prosecuted and banned every italian rider that was doped or suspected to be doped. Basso name was implicated in peration puerto, like valverde, and, while the spanish federation has protected valverde, the italian fed hunted basso down until he was banned.
i do not trust most italien riders.pattachi?di luca?scarponi?we all know that in a few months the truth will come out :(
This guy is doped but the Italian authoritires are hiding it !! He was in the past and he is now. I hope the UCI investigate this Italian rider and ban him for three years. And the Italian Cycling Fed gets banned as well for hiding critical evidence regarding some of their dodgy riders.
It could certainly be a day of "Lava" hot action.
what was astana doing?...sleeping? every year i exepct something special from popovich and is the same "@´]" every year...nothing! scarponi was caugth already once by doping control...
WELL DONE ''WORLD WIDE '' ENTERTAINING PIECE OF STUFF .... WITHOUT MENTIONING THAT HORRIBLE L A EXPRESSION
Lets see how many illusions to Volcanic terms will come out of the commentators mouth's tomorrow. Attacks I imagine will "Erupt", "Spurt", "Ooze", "Explode" and "Rupture" out of the "Dormant" peloton prior to its "Awakening". The attacks will be "Covered like an ashfall" especially after "Hotspot" sprints. A particularly quick response might elicit the failed break as being "snuffed out" by the peloton like a "Lahar" or PyroClastic Flow" would snuff out an unsuspecting village. The peloton will routinely form "Plumes" in an effort to reach the "Extruding" breakaways that have succeeded. The break will probably be "Gassed" before the final ascent of the "Home of Vulcan" the "Fire God of Ancient Rome". On the final climb "Fissures" in the peloton will once again form with fans "Venting" their cheers at the decreasingly "Viscous" nature of the bunch. Those with smooth "pāhoehoe" type cadence will be admired while those who crash will somehow be referenced with the other Hawaiian term "A'a'" or the more popular term "Crater". Levi Leipheimers chances are already "Buried like Pompeii" or "Extinct" but I am sure refrences will be made about how many more will join him and not make the "Mantle" of the podium. Whoever does win will be likened to Vulcan for his "Consuming" success and the entire stage will have sent an "Earthquake" through the GC.
so far it has been a great season for him (tirreno adriatico and 2 stages at giro) and, personally, i do not think he is that stupid to dope himself again. His wins do not look as suspicious as schumacher's (who won 2 very long TT at the tour as opposed to 2 breakaways)!
Hmm... didn't Schumacher win two stages in last year's Tour?
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