Next stage is another mountainous one, however, it'll be uploaded tomorrow instead of today. First day without a race
Definitely tomorrow, though, sorry!
Well, a lot of points are to be earned today. So let's get on our attacking bike.
Eric Lombaerts
The day opened with many riders trying to break away, not surprisingly many of those already had some mountain points.
The team worked really hard and a small group got away, which we immediately started chasing. We'd made an agreement with Vacansoleil that we'd work hard until those last mountains if they'd let me go for the mountain points.
So the agreement was honored and I was given a free pass! I could take 30 points home!
Strangely enough, they let me go very far, until I could smell stage win. I was going to take the final points and then there was just a last descent, right before the finish, so whoever is up the mountain first, has a great chance of winning!
However, other riders decided otherwise and I felt their breath on my neck, very close to the final KoM. They'd reeled me in fantastically.
With a monstrous effort, I took the points and found myself descending with a group of four. I couldn't believe I was still up front.
And Belgium celebrates tonight, as De Gendt takes the win and I come in second. Hell, I even slip back into top 10, this is unbelievable. I'm growing a lot in this Giro! Maybe I could come back one day and win this thing, who knows?
And this is almost certain for me, what a day: KoM
1
Eric Lombaerts
Lotto-Belisol
73
IanButler
2
Ivan Basso
Liquigas-Cannondale
19
3
Thomas De Gendt
Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
18
4
Michele Scarponi
Lampre-ISD
12
5
Thibaut Pinot
FDJ-BigMat
12
6
Steven Kruijswijk
Rabobank Cycling Team
12
7
Moreno Moser
Liquigas-Cannondale
12
8
Kanstantsin Siutsou
Sky Pro Cycling
11
9
Amaël Moinard
BMC Racing Team
11
10
Domenico Pozzovivo
Colnago - CSF Inox
10
Well, it's safe to say this Giro has already made my whole season a success. It's launching my career like I never thought it would, and not am I only (probably/hopefully) taking the mountain jersey home, I still have a shot at the top 10 of the GC. I'm back in business and there's a TT still to come. Bring it on!
However, tomorrow is the easiest stage of the Giro. It's better than flat: a whole stage downhill. Look out for Stijn tomorrow!
Today was the last day for the sprinters. So it was my last chance, although my Giro is already a big success with the stage win and all. It's too bad that most sprinters stayed, even though the points jersey is long gone (De Gendt will take that). So I had to sprint against the likes of Goss, Cavendish... again.
Stijn Van Gent
A typical view of the day: descending riders. Dennis Vanendert opened the race and took along 7 man.
However, GreenEdge, Sky and Lampre were all set on a mass sprint, so the breakaway had little chance.
Dennis was on fire today. As he saw the peloton nearing, he attacked, and attacked, and attacked... (what a great day/Giro for the sponsors)
But even a Dennis on fire couldn't stop the Sky-rocket...
Cavendish came a bit short, it was Goss who reached out and grabbed his stage win!
I come in a poor 15th place. I feel I could've done more, but this is it for me in this Giro.
However, I'm very happy, I won a stage here, and that's impressive! I'm ready for next year, to take even more than one!
Result
1
Matthew Goss
Orica-GreenEDGE
3h02'49
2
Mark Cavendish
Sky Pro Cycling
s.t.
3
Tyler Farrar
Team Garmin-Barracuda
s.t.
4
Alessandro Petacchi
Lampre-ISD
s.t.
5
Francesco Chicchi
Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team
s.t.
6
Elia Viviani
Liquigas-Cannondale
s.t.
7
Romain Feillu
Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
s.t.
8
Francisco Ventoso
Movistar Team
s.t.
9
Robbie McEwen
Orica-GreenEDGE
s.t.
10
Graeme Brown
Rabobank Cycling Team
s.t.
11
Roberto Ferrari
Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela
s.t.
12
Manuel Belletti
Ag2r La Mondiale
s.t.
13
Grega Bole
Lampre-ISD
s.t.
14
Alexander Kristoff
Katusha Team
s.t.
15
Stijn Van Gent
Lotto-Belisol
s.t.
IanButler
Eric's really nervous now, he's pacing around the room. What's left are two more mountain stages (his jersey is 85% safe, but he doesn't trust it, he really wants that jersey) and the final TT, which should suit Eric just fine! I think he can stay in that top 10, although he'll keep on denying it until we reach Milan!
See you tomorrow, as I'll try to survive the trip to Milan, my job here is done!
Edited by Ian Butler on 15-08-2012 17:48
To answer the question: I was just looking for a story and I couldn't decide whether I'd take a classic rider or a climber and then I thought: why not both? Lotto seemed like the best team for 2 young riders to join, with their youth program etc...
Well, possibly the highlight of this year's Giro: Passo del Stelvio!
Eric Lombaerts
The first climb was early in the race, so I thought: if I take these points, I'm safe.
And voilà , this jersey is to be mine! Brilliant, I love it! Now let's see what I could do for the GC, so in the descend I waited for the peloton.
Everything was tranquil until the Stelvio, where everyone was waiting for.
This was the day of the last chances. Anyone who doesn't count on his TT abilities has to attack, so we had a lot of them: Hesjendal, Pozzovivo, Fuglsang, Pinot, Heado, Scarponi...
I ended up a bit behind, I was just riding my own pace, I have an excellent TT I can count on, so I don't want to blow the TT by blowing up my legs today.
As I watched the summit, I realized these were my last kilometers in the mountains for this Giro. These mountains, who've been so kind to me, and so rough at the same time.
And the last to tame a summit in the Giro in 2012 is Scarponi, what a way to win in your home country.
Is anyone surprised that this man came in second, I don't think so...
My verdict: 15th
I drop down to a 10th place in the overall, but I still have the TT!
Result
1
Michele Scarponi
Lampre-ISD
7h09'26
2
Thomas De Gendt
Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
+ 39
3
Thibaut Pinot
FDJ-BigMat
+ 46
4
Mikel Nieve
Euskaltel Euskadi
s.t.
5
Domenico Pozzovivo
Colnago - CSF Inox
s.t.
6
Ivan Basso
Liquigas-Cannondale
s.t.
7
Tejay Van Garderen
BMC Racing Team
s.t.
8
Vincenzo Nibali
Liquigas-Cannondale
s.t.
9
Rigoberto Uran
Sky Pro Cycling
+ 2'16
10
Hubert Dupont
Ag2r La Mondiale
+ 2'51
11
Ryder Hesjedal
Team Garmin-Barracuda
+ 3'14
12
Haimar Zubeldia
Radioshack Nissan Trek
+ 3'25
13
Steven Kruijswijk
Rabobank Cycling Team
s.t.
14
Sergio Luis Henao
Sky Pro Cycling
s.t.
15
Eric Lombaerts
Lotto-Belisol
s.t.
IanButler
16
Stefano Garzelli
Acqua & Sapone
s.t.
17
Robert Kiserlovski
Astana Pro Team
s.t.
18
John Gadret
Ag2r La Mondiale
s.t.
19
Damiano Cunego
Lampre-ISD
+ 3'49
20
Jakob Fuglsang
Radioshack Nissan Trek
s.t.
GC
1
Thomas De Gendt
Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
91h20'22
2
Domenico Pozzovivo
Colnago - CSF Inox
+ 2'18
3
Ivan Basso
Liquigas-Cannondale
+ 2'59
4
Michele Scarponi
Lampre-ISD
+ 3'36
5
Thibaut Pinot
FDJ-BigMat
+ 3'45
6
Mikel Nieve
Euskaltel Euskadi
+ 7'37
7
Sergio Luis Henao
Sky Pro Cycling
+ 9'33
8
Rigoberto Uran
Sky Pro Cycling
+ 9'42
9
Vincenzo Nibali
Liquigas-Cannondale
+ 10'02
10
Eric Lombaerts
Lotto-Belisol
+ 11'32
IanButler
11
Stefano Garzelli
Acqua & Sapone
s.t.
12
Ryder Hesjedal
Team Garmin-Barracuda
+ 11'56
13
Jakob Fuglsang
Radioshack Nissan Trek
+ 15'08
14
Hubert Dupont
Ag2r La Mondiale
+ 16'44
15
John Gadret
Ag2r La Mondiale
+ 18'40
KoM
1
Eric Lombaerts
Lotto-Belisol
83
IanButler
2
Michele Scarponi
Lampre-ISD
36
3
Domenico Pozzovivo
Colnago - CSF Inox
34
4
Thomas De Gendt
Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
33
5
Ivan Basso
Liquigas-Cannondale
31
6
Thibaut Pinot
FDJ-BigMat
24
7
Vasil Kiryienka
Movistar Team
21
8
Mikel Nieve
Euskaltel Euskadi
20
9
Kanstantsin Siutsou
Sky Pro Cycling
13
10
Steven Kruijswijk
Rabobank Cycling Team
12
Points
1
Thomas De Gendt
Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
188
2
Michele Scarponi
Lampre-ISD
132
3
Matthew Goss
Orica-GreenEDGE
120
4
Ivan Basso
Liquigas-Cannondale
109
5
Mark Cavendish
Sky Pro Cycling
108
6
Eric Lombaerts
Lotto-Belisol
103
IanButler
7
Francisco Ventoso
Movistar Team
91
8
Gianluca Brambilla
Colnago - CSF Inox
75
9
Thibaut Pinot
FDJ-BigMat
75
10
Domenico Pozzovivo
Colnago - CSF Inox
74
KoM is mine, which I'm extremely happy about.
GC is probably for De Gendt, as he happens to be a great TT rider, however, many things can change tomorrow so we'll have to see. I should be able to keep that 10th place, but I'm very tired already, sO i can't tell for sure, it's not just TTing, it's riding against fatigue and 3 weeks of pain.
I do think it's strange I'm tied for the 10th place, that doesn't happen often in a GT, I think. But my TT abilities should be better than his, I believe.
Congrats to Thomas for the points, anyway!
Well, I'll see you tomorrow for the grand final of the Giro!
