The Verona TTT (team time trial), I’ll not prattle on about it, rather, here’s what the Liquigas Team had to say:
“The predictions of the Giro d’Italia fourth stage’s eve were right. In the Verona TTT the final result presented a well balanced stage classification, with ten teams (from 3rd to 12th) separated by only twelve seconds.
“Liquigas-Cannondale took the seventh place with a time of 37’30”, 26” behind winning team Garmin, 21” behind Katusha (who were second), 4” behind Astana (third), 2” ahead of RadioShack (eighth) and 8” in front of Lampre (twelfth).
“We can say to had a good team time trial – affirmed Ivan Basso – for both the performance for the results in respect of teams of other pretenders to the pink jersey.
“It wasn’t an easy route, and we knew this. It’s a new step: the “special” classification among the riders that fight for GC didn’t change. Only Rodriguez earned a lot seconds, but we’re speaking about short gaps.
“This is not the moment to look to the GC, we have only to think and concentrate of next stages to build our race, stone by stone.”
For team director Stefano Zanatta the results didn’t hold any big surprises.
“We knew that many teams are the same level in this kind of race and so it happened.
“Our performance was good, as we thought it would be. We had to pass this test without any problems, and let’s hope we continue like that.”
A sore one for Phinney – he’s conducted himself well, but once those cycling Gods single you out, they don’t let go, easily.
He struggled on the climb and then overcooked it on a left-hand bend, there’ll be pics everywhere tomorrow of that grass sprouting from his rear mech.
Garmin were no surprise in the Verona TTT – just a pity that Alex Rasmussen got the mallet, it would be nice to say I had a friend who’d worn the pink jersey.
A great day for Rodriguez and for Kreuziger – not so hot for Gadret though.
And no rosa for Sky, but they have been grafting like Trojans for two days.
Our pal Vik made a good point today – and one which Phinney repeated in his pre race interview; ‘it’s good that the Giro has started properly.‘
I just don’t like Grand Tours starting somewhere outside their homeland, call me old fashioned but it’s too gimmicky, too commercial for my taste.
And as if the celebrate the Giro being in Italia, I managed to get a Gazzetta Dello Sport in Edinburgh, today.
It only took four shops and a route march, but it was worth it – even if the coverage is of stage two.
The coverage is good – four pages, with Cav getting a lot of column centimetres.
Naturally, Delilah – the most loved child in the world – gets mention and Cav gets called, ‘Papa Jet.’
Vik, Ivan, have you been sick, yet?
But the Manxman is newsworthy, he’s photogenic and there’s always an angle – if Greipel had won the stage you can rest assured that the coverage wouldn’t have been so full.
The main feature page is headlined; ‘Ragazzi d’Italia‘ – ‘Italian Boys.’
Alluding to the fact that Cav has a house in Quarrata (albeit I thought he was an Essex boy, these days) and Phinney lives in Lucca.
They also mention that Max Sciandri has been a big influence on both riders; ‘padre‘ – ‘father’ to both of them.
In typical Gazzetta fashion we get a potted Papa Jet ‘pass notes’ – an arrow helpfully points to the middle of the Irish Sea, ‘Isola di Man‘ says the caption.
But let’s get serious, 84 wins, including 8 Giro stages, 20 Tour stages, 3 Vuelta stages, Milano-Sanremo, the Worlds and two world madison titles.
Whilst 84 wins doesn’t challenge Merckx, at 26 years-of-age it’s remarkable.
Only the really big riders build up wins in those numbers, with very few achieving treble figures.
Eric Vanderaerden, Laurent Jalabert, Mario Cipollini and Erik Zabel are some of the few riders I know who have achieved this feat – it’s possible Cav will emulate this well before his 30th birthday.
(and someone is bound to say, ‘Sid Barras’ – a great rider but at British level, only)
Phinney’s mum, Connie Carpenter has her pic in the Gazzetta, too – ‘Mamma Rosa‘
Connie’s looking better than ever – her and Davis handed that big laddie some head start in the world of cycling with those amazing genes they gave him.
Flat as a pancake tomorrow – Cav?
I’ve stopped writing him off – he just makes you look silly.
Ciao, ragazzi.
Result - Giro d'Italia 2012 - Stage 4: Verona TTT 32.2km
Stage Result
2 Katusha Team 0:00:05
3 Astana Pro Team 0:00:22
4 Team Saxo Bank
5 Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:00:24
6 Orica-GreenEdge 0:00:25
7 Liquigas-Cannondale 0:00:26
8 RadioShack-Nissan 0:00:28
9 Sky Procycling 0:00:30
10 BMC Racing Team 0:00:31
11 Movistar Team 0:00:32
12 Lampre-ISD 0:00:34
13 Team NetApp 0:00:43
14 Farnese Vini-Selle Italia 0:00:59
15 Rabobank Cycling Team 0:01:01
16 Lotto Belisol Team 0:01:05
17 Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 0:01:10
18 FDJ-BigMat
19 Colnago-CSF Inox 0:01:12
20 Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela 0:01:44
21 AG2R-La Mondiale 0:01:45
22 Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:02:22
Overall Classification
2 Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin – Barracuda 0:00:10
3 Robert Hunter (RSA) Garmin – Barracuda
4 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin – Barracuda 0:00:11
5 Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:00:13
6 Manuele Boaro (Ita) Team Saxo Bank 0:00:19
7 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:00:21
8 Sébastien Rosseler (Bel) Garmin – Barracuda 0:00:25
9 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Garmin – Barracuda 0:00:26
10 Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Katusha Team 0:00:30
11 Brett Lancaster (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
12 Matthew Harley Goss (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
13 Peter Stetina (USA) Garmin – Barracuda 0:00:31
14 Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Katusha Team 0:00:33
15 Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Astana Pro Team
16 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Katusha Team 0:00:35
17 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
18 Jesse Sergent (NZl) RadioShack-Nissan 0:00:36
19 Nelson Oliveira (Por) RadioShack-Nissan 0:00:37
20 Dario Cataldo (Ita) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
21 Marco Pinotti (Ita) BMC Racing Team
22 Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Liquigas-Cannondale
23 Angel Vicioso Arcos (Spa) Katusha Team 0:00:38
24 Julien Vermote (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:00:39
25 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Sky Procycling
26 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Astana Pro Team 0:00:40
27 Tanel Kangert (Est) Astana Pro Team
28 Luke Roberts (Aus) Team Saxo Bank 0:00:41
29 Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:00:42
30 Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) RadioShack-Nissan
31 Gatis Smukulis (Lat) Katusha Team 0:00:45
32 Jack Bauer (NZl) Garmin – Barracuda
33 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:00:47
34 Pavel Brutt (Rus) Katusha Team
35 Martin Velits (Svk) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
36 Adriano Malori (Ita) Lampre – ISD 0:00:49
37 Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Sky Procycling
38 Daryl Impey (RSA) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 0:00:50
39 Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:00:51
40 Jan Bakelants (Bel) RadioShack-Nissan
41 Alessandro Ballan (Ita) BMC Racing Team 0:00:52
42 Thomas Rohregger (Aut) RadioShack-Nissan 0:00:53
43 Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Movistar Team 0:00:55
44 Damiano Caruso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
45 Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:00:56
46 Benat Intxausti Elorriaga (Spa) Movistar Team
47 Eros Capecchi (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:00:57
48 Mikhail Ignatyev (Rus) Katusha Team
49 Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Movistar Team
50 Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Team Saxo Bank
51 Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
52 Michal Golas (Pol) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:00:58
53 Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Sky Procycling
54 Christian Meier (Can) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
55 Daniele Bennati (Ita) RadioShack-Nissan 0:00:59
56 Jan Barta (Cze) Team NetApp
57 Peter Kennaugh (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:01:01
58 Jonas Aaen Jörgensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank
59 Branislau Samoilau (Blr) Movistar Team
60 Serge Pauwels (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:01:02
61 Aliaksandr Kuchynski (Blr) Katusha Team 0:01:03
62 José Herrada Lopez (Spa) Movistar Team
63 Kevin Seeldraeyers (Bel) Astana Pro Team
64 Sylvester Szmyd (Pol) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:01:07
65 Andrey Amador Bakkazakova (CRc) Movistar Team
66 Evgeny Petrov (Rus) Astana Pro Team
67 Matthias Brandle (Aut) Team NetApp 0:01:08
68 Frank Schleck (Lux) RadioShack-Nissan 0:01:09
69 Mathias Frank (Swi) BMC Racing Team
70 Simone Ponzi (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:01:10
71 Stef Clement (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:01:11
72 Ian Stannard (GBr) Sky Procycling
73 Nikolas Maes (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:01:12
74 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia 0:01:13
75 Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre – ISD
76 Bartosz Huzarski (Pol) Team NetApp 0:01:14
77 Gustav Larsson (Swe) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
78 Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Col) Sky Procycling 0:01:15
79 Reto Hollenstein (Swi) Team NetApp
80 Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 0:01:17
81 Volodymir Gustov (Ukr) Team Saxo Bank
82 Daniel Schorn (Aut) Team NetApp
83 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre – ISD 0:01:19
84 Danilo Wyss (Swi) BMC Racing Team 0:01:20
85 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre – ISD 0:01:22
86 Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 0:01:24
87 Timon Seubert (Ger) Team NetApp
88 Sergio Pardilla Bellon (Spa) Movistar Team 0:01:25
89 Lucas Sebastian Haedo (Arg) Team Saxo Bank 0:01:26
90 Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) BMC Racing Team
91 Geoffrey Soupe (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:01:29
92 Andreas Dietziker (Swi) Team NetApp 0:01:32
93 Francis De Greef (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 0:01:33
94 Johann Tschopp (Swi) BMC Racing Team
95 Matteo Rabottini (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia
96 Tom Jelte Slagter (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:01:34
97 Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) Lampre – ISD 0:01:35
98 Oliver Zaugg (Swi) RadioShack-Nissan 0:01:36
99 Grischa Niermann (Ger) Rabobank Cycling Team
100 Cesare Benedetti (Ita) Team NetApp 0:01:37
101 Elia Favilli (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia
102 Sandy Casar (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:01:38
103 Brian Bulgac (Ned) Lotto Belisol Team 0:01:39
104 Bart De Clercq (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 0:01:40
105 Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Lotto Belisol Team
106 Ivan Santaromita (Ita) BMC Racing Team
107 Pablo Lastras Garcia (Spa) Movistar Team 0:01:41
108 Gaetan Bille (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 0:01:42
109 Juan Manuel Garate (Spa) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:01:49
110 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Colnago – CSF Inox
111 Sergey Lagutin (Uzb) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
112 Mirko Selvaggi (Ita) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 0:01:50
113 Pier Paolo De Negri (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia 0:01:51
114 Tomasz Marczynski (Pol) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 0:01:52
115 Francisco José Ventoso Alberdi (Spa) Movistar Team 0:01:53
116 Angelo Pagani (Ita) Colnago – CSF Inox
117 Mickael Delage (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
118 Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Belisol Team 0:01:54
119 Francis Mourey (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:01:55
120 Sacha Modolo (Ita) Colnago – CSF Inox
121 Francesco Failli (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia 0:01:56
122 Dominique Rollin (Can) FDJ-Big Mat 0:01:58
123 Stefano Pirazzi (Ita) Colnago – CSF Inox 0:01:59
124 Matteo Carrara (Ita) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 0:02:02
125 Fabio Felline (Ita) Androni Giocattoli 0:02:10
126 Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Colnago – CSF Inox 0:02:12
127 Daniele Righi (Ita) Lampre – ISD
128 Luca Mazzanti (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia 0:02:13
129 Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:02:14
130 Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:02:17
131 Matteo Montaguti (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale 0:02:25
132 Jose Rodolfo Serpa Perez (Col) Androni Giocattoli 0:02:30
133 Tomas Vaitkus (Ltu) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 0:02:33
134 José Rujano Guillen (Ven) Androni Giocattoli
135 Thor Hushovd (Nor) BMC Racing Team 0:02:36
136 Gregor Gazvoda (Slo) AG2R La Mondiale 0:02:38
137 Hubert Dupont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:02:39
138 Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
139 Emanuele Sella (Ita) Androni Giocattoli 0:02:40
140 Miguel Angel Rubiano Chavez (Col) Androni Giocattoli
141 Mathieu Perget (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:02:41
142 John Gadret (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:02:43
143 Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Colnago – CSF Inox 0:02:46
144 Svein Tuft (Can) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 0:02:49
145 Manuel Belletti (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale 0:02:50
146 Julien Berard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:02:52
147 Guillaume Bonnafond (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
148 Jackson Rodriguez (Ven) Androni Giocattoli 0:02:58
149 Alessandro Spezialetti (Ita) Lampre – ISD 0:03:02
150 Juan Jose Oroz Ugalde (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
151 Matteo Bono (Ita) Lampre – ISD 0:03:03
152 Carlos José Ochoa (Ven) Androni Giocattoli 0:03:05
153 Jon Izagirre Insausti (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi 0:03:18
154 Andreas Schillinger (Ger) Team NetApp 0:03:20
155 Mikel Nieve Ituralde (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi 0:03:23
156 Alexsandr Dyachenko (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:03:25
157 Marco Coledan (Ita) Colnago – CSF Inox 0:03:34
158 Jussi Veikkanen (Fin) FDJ-Big Mat 0:03:46
159 Ivan Velasco Murillo (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi 0:03:48
160 Roberto Ferrari (Ita) Androni Giocattoli 0:03:50
161 Alex Rasmussen (Den) Garmin – Barracuda 0:03:57
162 Victor Cabedo (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi 0:03:59
163 Alessandro De Marchi (Ita) Androni Giocattoli 0:04:01
164 Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:04:04
165 Oscar Gatto (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia 0:04:08
166 Ben Gastauer (Lux) AG2R La Mondiale 0:04:14
167 Juan José Haedo (Arg) Team Saxo Bank 0:04:15
168 Alfredo Balloni (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia 0:04:24
169 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Sky Procycling 0:04:41
170 Anders Lund (Den) Team Saxo Bank 0:04:50
171 Cristiano Salerno (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:04:51
172 Adrian Saez (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi 0:04:53
173 Mads Christensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank 0:04:58
174 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:05:05
175 Alberto Losada Alguacil (Spa) Katusha Team 0:05:09
176 Enrico Battaglin (Ita) Colnago – CSF Inox 0:05:13
177 Stefano Locatelli (Ita) Colnago – CSF Inox 0:05:17
178 Marco Bandiera (Ita) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:05:23
179 Dennis Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 0:05:59
180 Stefan Denifl (Aut) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 0:06:09
181 Daniele Pietropolli (Ita) Lampre – ISD 0:06:27
182 Pierre Cazaux (Fra) Euskaltel – Euskadi 0:06:37
183 Gianni Meersman (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 0:07:02
184 Jack Bobridge (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 0:07:08
185 Andrey Zeits (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:07:09
186 William Bonnet (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:07:11
187 Gabriel Rasch (Nor) FDJ-Big Mat 0:07:24
188 Amets Txurruka (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi 0:07:39
189 Jeremy Hunt (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:07:49
190 Andrea Guardini (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia 0:07:52
191 Romain Feillu (Fra) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 0:08:00
192 Olivier Kaisen (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 0:08:38
193 Thomas Leezer (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:09:48
194 Martijn Keizer (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 0:10:47
195 Ben Hermans (Bel) RadioShack-Nissan 0:11:05
196 Theo Bos (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:11:35
197 Miguel Minguez Ayala (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi 0:12:42
198 Dennis Van Winden (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:14:14
Team Classification
2 BMC Racing Team 0:00:31
3 Orica GreenEdge 0:00:45
4 RadioShack – Nissan 0:00:50
5 Omega Pharma – Quickstep 0:00:54
6 Sky Procycling 0:00:56
7 Astana Pro Team 0:01:00
8 Team Saxo Bank 0:01:04
9 Liquigas – Cannondale 0:01:05
10 Katusha Team 0:01:19
11 Movistar Team 0:01:35
12 Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team 0:01:40
13 Team NetApp 0:01:46
14 Rabobank Cycling Team 0:02:00
15 Lampre – ISD 0:02:04
16 Farnese Vini – Selle Italia 0:02:16
17 Lotto Belisol Team 0:02:30
18 FDJ – Bigmat 0:02:31
19 Colnago – CSF Inox 0:02:34
20 Androni Giocattoli – Venezuela 0:03:20
21 Ag2R La Mondiale 0:04:03
22 Euskaltel – Euskadi 0:04:36
