‘Lago Laceno, May 13, 2012 – Italy’s Domenico Pozzovivo (Colnago-CSF Inox) won stage eight of the Giro d’Italia with a lone attack on the steep climb to Lake Laceno, near Naples.
Canada’s Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Barracuda) retained the overall race lead. Spain’s Joaquin Rodriguez is second at just nine seconds.’
So said the official Giro press release – you’ll read that again, on various websites.
Press releases are where much of the daily content on web sites come from.
The difference with us, is that we tell you we’re quoting them.
We had an ‘easy’ day – there was no point in tearing down to Naples, just to come back up the road, again.
Like Van Morrison says, we were; ‘kings for a day’ – just fans, with our Peronis, paninis and Gazzetta.
Besides, you never know if the flight will be on time, if picking the car up will be a nitemare and if the digs will be sound.
But we got the car, found the digs, had a shower and headed out in search of a bar with a tele.
It’s a myth that cycling is the biggest deal sport-wise in Italy.
Football is king, no question.
Not a soul looked at our TV – there were three monitors in the bar – all eyes were on the ‘calcio;’ fitba’ to us.
But getting back to the press releases – they’re actually very good with lots of background info;
‘Pozzovivo is one of only a handful of professional riders from the south of Italy and got a huge cheer from the local crowd in Lake Laceno, the most southern point in this year’s race.
“I’m perhaps too little to think big, I’ll take things day by day and do as well as I can,” the diminutive rider said.
“This year’s Giro was wrongly described as being easy compared to the past. I’d say it’s more humane compared to 2011, which was really tough.
I finished ninth at the (2008) Giro d’Italia and was strong in the third week, so I’m confident about the final week in the mountains this year’s Giro d’Italia.
“I’m a pure climber and I think about music to motivate me when I’m racing. I also try to get to the top as quickly as possible to get the climb over with. My favourite climbs are the Mortirolo, Passo Giau and Punto Veleno. The ones I least like are the Zoncolan, the Mortirolo and the Tre Cime di Lavaredo.
“I don’t like wet descents or on dirt roads like last year to Orvieto. I also don’t like the Vivione and the Gavia descents.”
Hesjedal said:
“It was a tough day. I had to buckle down, keep in contact and defend the jersey. I got over the top of the steep part of the climb and so I was ok.
“It was reported that I’m not here to win the pink jersey but I want to correct that. I came here to give my best. That’s my goal. I feel I’m doing that; I’m leading the Giro. I’m just focused on doing my best.
“We’ll see how the rest of the race develops.”
If Garmin do nothing else in this Giro, it doesn’t matter; despite losing fast man Farrar, they’ve won the coveted TTT and had at least five days in pink.
On Monday they should make that six – it’s a ‘sprinter stage,’ running north along the foot of the Appenninos to Frosinone with little chance for the feather weights to fly.
Despite Pozzovivo’s excellent win, he barely makes the front page of the Gazzetta, just a wee mention.
Meanwhile, Manchester City manager, Roberto Mancini gets his picture on the front page.
But inside there are eight pages of Giro news – Pozzovivo gets 9.5 out of 10 for his six hours and six minutes shift.
Rodriguez gets 8 for his sprint to grab the third place bonus; Basso is on 7.5 and Hesjedal on 7, as is Scarponi.
But ‘The Little Prince,’ Damiano Cunego is on 5 – that’s what happens if you get dropped in the finale.
Today’s stage finishes in Frosinone, we’re here now, to collect our credentials having just driven the last 30 K of the stage.
Until 10 to go, it’s fast, flat and easy for the lead out trains to control.
But in the last 12 minutes or so of riding it gets highly technical – tight bends, stiff little snaps with steep, dangerous drops off the other side over slick urban pavement.
And a tight, tight 135 degree turn with 400 to go.
Can Cav. make it three?
We’ll know come tea time.
Ciao, ciao!
Result - Giro d’Italia 2012 – Stage 8: Sulmona - Lago Laceno
Stage Result
2 Benat Intxausti Elorriaga (Spa) Movistar Team 0:00:23
3 Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Katusha Team 0:00:27
4 Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
5 Dario Cataldo (Ita) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
6 Damiano Caruso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
7 Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Colnago – CSF Inox
8 Bartosz Huzarski (Pol) Team NetApp
9 José Rujano Guillen (Ven) Androni Giocattoli
10 John Gadret (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
11 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin – Barracuda
12 Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Astana Pro Team
13 Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Sky Procycling
14 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre – ISD
15 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre – ISD
16 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
17 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Astana Pro Team
18 Frank Schleck (Lux) RadioShack-Nissan
19 Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Col) Sky Procycling
20 Sergio Pardilla Bellon (Spa) Movistar Team
21 Johann Tschopp (Swi) BMC Racing Team
22 Juan Manuel Garate (Spa) Rabobank Cycling Team
23 Mikel Nieve Ituralde (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
24 Eros Capecchi (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
25 Sylvester Szmyd (Pol) Liquigas-Cannondale
26 Tom Jelte Slagter (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:01:24
27 Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Movistar Team
28 Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Katusha Team
29 Jon Izagirre Insausti (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
30 Matteo Rabottini (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia
31 Ivan Velasco Murillo (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
32 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Garmin – Barracuda
33 Marco Pinotti (Ita) BMC Racing Team
34 Sandy Casar (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
35 Gustav Larsson (Swe) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
36 Peter Stetina (USA) Garmin – Barracuda
37 Jan Bakelants (Bel) RadioShack-Nissan
38 Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) Lampre – ISD
39 Ivan Santaromita (Ita) BMC Racing Team
40 Serge Pauwels (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
41 Bart De Clercq (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
42 Oliver Zaugg (Swi) RadioShack-Nissan
43 Hubert Dupont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
44 Kevin Seeldraeyers (Bel) Astana Pro Team
45 Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Movistar Team 0:01:39
46 Francis De Greef (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 0:01:47
47 Matteo Montaguti (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale 0:02:22
48 Jackson Rodriguez (Ven) Androni Giocattoli
49 Julien Vermote (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
50 Sergey Lagutin (Uzb) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
51 Grischa Niermann (Ger) Rabobank Cycling Team
52 Volodymir Gustov (Ukr) Team Saxo Bank
53 Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre – ISD
54 Carlos José Ochoa (Ven) Androni Giocattoli
55 Branislau Samoilau (Blr) Movistar Team
56 Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Sky Procycling
57 Stefan Denifl (Aut) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 0:02:42
58 Thomas Rohregger (Aut) RadioShack-Nissan 0:03:20
59 Matteo Carrara (Ita) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 0:05:24
60 Tomas Vaitkus (Ltu) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
61 Amets Txurruka (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
62 Mathieu Perget (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
63 Jan Barta (Cze) Team NetApp
64 Emanuele Sella (Ita) Androni Giocattoli
65 Stef Clement (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:06:04
66 Danilo Wyss (Swi) BMC Racing Team
67 Francis Mourey (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
68 José Herrada Lopez (Spa) Movistar Team
69 Alberto Losada Alguacil (Spa) Katusha Team
70 Tanel Kangert (Est) Astana Pro Team 0:08:21
71 Nelson Oliveira (Por) RadioShack-Nissan
72 Ben Hermans (Bel) RadioShack-Nissan 0:09:53
73 Martin Velits (Svk) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
74 Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Belisol Team
75 Anders Lund (Den) Team Saxo Bank
76 Alessandro Spezialetti (Ita) Lampre – ISD
77 Daniele Pietropolli (Ita) Lampre – ISD
78 Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
79 Jack Bauer (NZl) Garmin – Barracuda
80 Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Team Saxo Bank
81 Luca Mazzanti (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia
82 Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:11:28
83 Angel Vicioso Arcos (Spa) Katusha Team
84 Michal Golas (Pol) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:11:39
85 Miguel Angel Rubiano Chavez (Col) Androni Giocattoli
86 Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
87 Ben Gastauer (Lux) AG2R La Mondiale
88 Guillaume Bonnafond (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
89 Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
90 Daniele Righi (Ita) Lampre – ISD
91 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia 0:14:39
92 Simone Ponzi (Ita) Astana Pro Team
93 Geoffrey Soupe (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
94 Francesco Failli (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia
95 Cesare Benedetti (Ita) Team NetApp
96 Cristiano Salerno (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
97 Lucas Sebastian Haedo (Arg) Team Saxo Bank
98 Brett Lancaster (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
99 Matthew Harley Goss (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
100 Dominique Rollin (Can) FDJ-Big Mat
101 Evgeny Petrov (Rus) Astana Pro Team
102 Pavel Brutt (Rus) Katusha Team
103 Martijn Keizer (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
104 Juan Jose Oroz Ugalde (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
105 Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Liquigas-Cannondale
106 Tomasz Marczynski (Pol) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
107 Adriano Malori (Ita) Lampre – ISD
108 Matteo Bono (Ita) Lampre – ISD
109 Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
110 Mirko Selvaggi (Ita) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
111 Jesse Sergent (NZl) RadioShack-Nissan
112 Mathias Frank (Swi) BMC Racing Team
113 Matthias Brandle (Aut) Team NetApp
114 Andreas Dietziker (Swi) Team NetApp
115 Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Colnago – CSF Inox
116 Enrico Battaglin (Ita) Colnago – CSF Inox
117 Reto Hollenstein (Swi) Team NetApp
118 Dennis Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
119 Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Lotto Belisol Team
120 Jose Rodolfo Serpa Perez (Col) Androni Giocattoli
121 Angelo Pagani (Ita) Colnago – CSF Inox
122 Alessandro De Marchi (Ita) Androni Giocattoli
123 Alessandro Ballan (Ita) BMC Racing Team
124 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:16:09
125 Daryl Impey (RSA) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
126 Jack Bobridge (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
127 Peter Kennaugh (GBr) Sky Procycling
128 Francisco José Ventoso Alberdi (Spa) Movistar Team
129 Juan José Haedo (Arg) Team Saxo Bank
130 Mads Christensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank
131 Andrey Amador Bakkazakova (CRc) Movistar Team
132 Luke Roberts (Aus) Team Saxo Bank
133 Olivier Kaisen (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
134 Daniel Schorn (Aut) Team NetApp
135 Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) RadioShack-Nissan
136 Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 0:17:23
137 Nikolas Maes (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
138 Fabio Felline (Ita) Androni Giocattoli 0:17:24
139 Stefano Locatelli (Ita) Colnago – CSF Inox
140 Oscar Gatto (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle