Comment
Things start to get a little more serious today. This stage could challange a few riders and the late short, steep climbs could be used as a springboard for attacks.
Race Report
Today Nibali and Froome decide to play their cards early. Far too early.
Ballan makes the first serious attack on the penultimate climb.
Several others respond, one of them Nick Nuyens. Will The Missile fire today?
The peleton is all brought back together over the top, but Ballan clearly hasn't learned his lesson and sets off again as we approach the finish. Actually, his attack is shaping up quite nicely as we hit the climb...
Amongst others, Cancellara and Visconti respond, which Nuyens feels obliged to counter.
As we approach the finish on gradients of almost 10% a five-man 'sprint' is shaping up between Cancellara, Visconti, Oss, Nuyens, Ballan and Hincapie. The readers will appreciate that there is surely only one outcome of this scenario...!
However The Missile fails to fire up his cylinders and lets Visconti off the hook to take the stagewin and please the Italian crowd.
A promising 3rd place for Nuyens, which moves him into 4th in the GC ahead of tommorow's time trial.
Results
1 Giovanni Visconti ISD - NERI 4h12'20
2 Fabian Cancellara TEAM SAXO BANK s.t. 3 Nick Nuyens RABOBANK + 19
4 Alessandro Ballan LAMPRE - N.G.C s.t.
5 Filippo Pozzato TEAM KATUSHA s.t.
6 Stefano Garzelli ACQUA SAPONE - CAFFE MOKAMBO + 39
7 Joaquin Rodriguez CAISSE D'EPARGNE s.t.
8 Michele Scarponi SERRAMENTI PVC DIQUIGIOVANNI s.t.
9 George Hincapie TEAM COLUMBIA - HIGH ROAD s.t.
10 Daniel Oss LIQUIGAS s.t.
GC
1 Fabian Cancellara TEAM SAXO BANK 15h45'39
2 Giovanni Visconti ISD - NERI + 6
3 Filippo Pozzato TEAM KATUSHA + 29 4 Nick Nuyens RABOBANK + 31
5 Alessandro Ballan LAMPRE - N.G.C + 35
6 Daniel Oss LIQUIGAS + 55
7 Stefano Garzelli ACQUA SAPONE - CAFFE MOKAMBO s.t.
8 George Hincapie TEAM COLUMBIA - HIGH ROAD s.t.
9 Andy Schleck TEAM SAXO BANK s.t.
10 Bradley Wiggins GARMIN - SLIPSTREAM + 1'13
Comment
This penultimate stage could prove to be an uncomfortable one in the saddle for many, including us as we look to conserve Moerenhout's top 10 GC placing on unpredictable terrain. The extreme winds today add to the strain.
Race Report
The day's break - Dessel, Barry, Russ, Righi, Pujol Stangelj, Uran, Morizot and Romain Feillu, who are later joined by Dyachencko, Morabito, Vaugranerd, Buffaz and King of The Mountains, Jerome Pineau.
Then something peculiar happens, as the severe crosswinds are exploited by Lotto riders. As you can see several of our riders make it across the split, but leader Moerenhout does not rank amongst their numbers..!
Thankfully BBOX soon solve our dilemna by pulling the rest of the group back together.
On the day's major climb, Moerenhout stays alert to moves from the likes of Contador and Gerrans, but nothing comes of it.
Escapee Uran fights hard but the wind buffets him back to the peleton. An 89-man group now prepares to take on the uphill finish.
Gilbert, Contador, and Pellizotti shoot off before we can begin! Not for the first time today, Moerenhout is caught off guard in the bunch, but Tankink helps him launch a counter move.
Gilbert streaks off into the distance and soars to the victory and likely race leadership.
Somewhat stupidly, we have told Moerenhout push on after Gilbert. He is caught and crosses the line empty in 8th place, alongside the frantic Maillot Jaune of Voeckler.
Comment
Despite making 15 seconds on the peleton, Moerenhout's 8th place is snatched by Pelizotti by a single second. Still, we would be happy to retain this placing as we head into Nice for the race finish tommorow.
