Sky did well to pull Wiggins out of the race when they did, starting Stage 14 today could have seen him contract pleurisy if he’d ridden.
There’s still a long way to go but Nibali looks like it’s his race to lose.
However, the ‘Forum Dwellers’ are at it already; when I was looking on CyclingNews for the full stage result I stumbled upon the forum bittie at the bottom.
One individual was asking why no one is querying Nibali’s ‘improvement’ since he joined Astana.
That’ll be the same Vincenzo Nibali who has 27 UCi wins to his credit, who won the Vuelta in 2010, won Tirreno-Adriatico in 2012 and 13, the Giro del Trentino in 2008 and 13, has twice been on the Giro podium and was on the podium in last year’s Tour de France – that one?
Mauro Santambrogio has been one of the revelations of the race; his stage win today under scoring that fact.
This is his tenth season as a pro; two with LPR, four with Lampre, three with BMC and this year with Vini Fantini.
On the one hand the step down from World Tour to Pro Continental seems to be a move backwards.
But in real terms, it’s no hardship – if the contract is fat enough – in terms of programme.
Luca Scinto’s squadra will get a ride in all of the Italian races – up to and including the Giro.
Santambrogio’s first big result was winning the Tre Valli Varesine in 2009 and placing second in the Coppa Agostoni the same year.
He was again second in the Agostoni in 2010 as well as sixth in Plouay and eighth in Lombardia.
The following year he was second in the Giro di Toscana and his National Championships as well as sixth on GC in the Tour of Austria.
Last year’s highlights were sixth in Lugano and Piemonte and fourth in Lombardia.
But this year – with the fresh motivation of being back on an Italian team – he’s had strong results; sixth on GC in San Luis, third in Laigueglia, seventh on GC in Tirreno, second on GC in Tirreno and he won the GP Industria and Artigianato.
There are a few interesting names in the top ten, now.
Saxo-Tinkoff’s Pole, Majka for one; if he can stay up there ’til Brescia he’ll have plenty of offers.
Genuine podium contenders for the Grand Tours are rare birds and are eagerly snapped up teams desperate for the publicity that only the Grand Tours can generate.
AG2R have two in the top ten; Betancur and Pozzovivo – and both should revel in the Dolomites.
Although the team has major problems as a result of Sylvain Georges ‘positif’ – the sponsors won’t be chuffed about that one.
And despite being en route ‘the pictures’ [cinema, editor] on Saturday night VeloVeritas managed to find a Gazzetta.
Vincenzo beams down from above the masthead, resplendent in pink after the Montasio finish, Stage Ten.
The Gazzetta likes stage winner Uran, saying he has the physique of a boxer and the look of Mick Jagger.
He’s the 16th ‘Columbiane’ to win a stage: ’73 saw Martin ‘Cochise’ Rodriguez take one; Luis Herrera won two in ’89 and one in ’92; Olivero Rincon one in ’95; Chepe Gonzalez one in 1997 and one 1999;Victor Pena one in 2000; Carlos Contreras one in 2001; Ivan Parra two in 2005; Luis Laverde one in 2006 and one in 2007 and Miguel Rubiano, last season.
But the man proving that the mullet is still a valid statement dropped time on Nibali, yesterday – he’s now at 2:46 with Evans at 1:26.
Like I said at the top of the page, it looks like Nibali’s to lose.
But in this Giro, who knows ?
Two of my podium choices are back in the house!
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Result - Giro d'Italia 2013 - Stage 14: Cervere - Bardonecchia 168km
Stage Result
2 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team
3 Carlos Alberto Betancur Gomez (Col) Ag2R La Mondiale 0:00:09
4 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:00:26
5 Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Sky Procycling 0:00:30
6 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:00:33
7 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Ag2R La Mondiale
8 Robert Kiserlovski (Cro) RadioShack Leopard
9 Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox 0:00:55
10 Damiano Caruso (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling 0:00:58
11 Rafal Majka (Pol) Team Saxo-Tinkoff 0:00:59
12 Yury Trofimov (Rus) Katusha
13 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli 0:01:04
14 Diego Rosa (Ita) Androni Giocattoli 0:01:08
15 Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) Lampre-Merida
16 Fabio Andres Duarte Arevalo (Col) Colombia 0:01:15
17 Benat Intxausti Elorriaga (Spa) Movistar Team 0:01:24
18 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre-Merida 0:01:28
19 Luca Paolini (Ita) Katusha 0:01:41
20 Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Col) Sky Procycling 0:01:48
21 Tanel Kangert (Est) Astana Pro Team 0:02:16
22 Thomas Danielson (USA) Garmin-Sharp 0:02:32
23 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Vini Fantini-Selle Italia 0:02:40
24 Daniele Pietropolli (Ita) Lampre-Merida 0:02:53
25 Evgeny Petrov (Rus) Team Saxo-Tinkoff 0:03:21
26 Darwin Atapuma Hurtado (Col) Colombia
27 Eros Capecchi (Ita) Movistar Team
28 Hubert Dupont (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale 0:03:25
29 Fabio Felline (Ita) Androni Giocattoli 0:03:39
30 Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:04:01
31 Jose Rodolfo Serpa Perez (Col) Lampre-Merida 0:04:05
32 Juan Manuel Garate (Spa) Blanco Pro Cycling Team 0:04:16
33 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Blanco Pro Cycling Team
34 Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Blanco Pro Cycling Team
35 Robert Gesink (Ned) Blanco Pro Cycling Team
36 Francis Mourey (Fra) FDJ
37 Peter Stetina (USA) Garmin-Sharp
38 Thomas Damuseau (Fra) Team Argos-Shimano
39 Tiago Machado (Por) RadioShack Leopard
40 José Herrada Lopez (Spa) Movistar Team
41 Francis De Greef (Bel) Lotto Belisol 0:04:30
42 Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:04:58
43 Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana Pro Team
44 Jarlinson Pantano (Col) Colombia 0:05:18
45 Rob Ruijgh (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 0:05:43
46 Rafael Valls Ferri (Spa) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
47 Dario Cataldo (Ita) Sky Procycling 0:05:50
48 Jorge Azanza Soto (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
49 Emanuele Sella (Ita) Androni Giocattoli 0:06:18
50 Ben Gastauer (Lux) Ag2R La Mondiale 0:06:24
51 Johan Le Bon (Fra) FDJ
52 Fredrik Carl Wilhelm Kessiakoff (Swe) Astana Pro Team 0:06:56
53 Matteo Rabottini (Ita) Vini Fantini-Selle Italia
54 Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) Katusha
55 Stef Clement (Ned) Blanco Pro Cycling Team 0:07:06
56 Steve Morabito (Swi) BMC Racing Team
57 Vladimir Gusev (Rus) Katusha 0:07:42
58 Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr) Sky Procycling 0:07:54
59 Petr Ignatenko (Rus) Katusha
60 Pieter Weening (Ned) Orica-GreenEdge 0:07:57
61 Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Movistar Team 0:09:11
62 Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling 0:10:08
63 Dominique Rollin (Can) FDJ
64 Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Belisol
65 Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Lotto Belisol
66 Frederik Willems (Bel) Lotto Belisol
67 Kristijan Durasek (Cro) Lampre-Merida
68 Dmitry Kozontchuk (Rus) Katusha
69 Stephen Cummings (GBr) BMC Racing Team
70 Patrick Gretsch (Ger) Team Argos-Shimano
71 Danilo Wyss (Swi) BMC Racing Team
72 Koen De Kort (Ned) Team Argos-Shimano
73 Matteo Trentin (Ita) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 0:10:17
74 Manuele Boaro (Ita) Team Saxo-Tinkoff 0:11:14
75 Christian Knees (Ger) Sky Procycling 0:11:23
76 Ivan Santaromita (Ita) BMC Racing Team 0:11:27
77 Alessandro Proni (Ita) Vini Fantini-Selle Italia 0:12:05
78 Francisco José Ventoso Alberdi (Spa) Movistar Team 0:12:17
79 Hayden Roulston (NZl) RadioShack Leopard 0:12:28
80 Robert Vrecer (Slo) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:12:59
81 Simone Stortoni (Ita) Lampre-Merida 0:13:02
82 Jesse Sergent (NZl) RadioShack Leopard 0:13:31
83 Ricardo Mestre (Por) Euskaltel-Euskadi
84 Nelson Filipe Santos Simoes Oliveira (Por) RadioShack Leopard
85 Robinson Eduardo Chalapud Gomez (Col) Colombia 0:13:35
86 Daniel Oss (Ita) BMC Racing Team 0:14:22
87 Manuel Belletti (Ita) Ag2R La Mondiale
88 Tiziano Dall’Antonia (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling
89 Salvatore Puccio (Ita) Sky Procycling
90 Danny Pate (USA) Sky Procycling
91 Alan Marangoni (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling 0:14:28
92 Maxim Belkov (Rus) Katusha 0:14:50
93 Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:14:53
94 Jackson Rodriguez (Ven) Androni Giocattoli 0:15:00
95 Cayetano José Sarmiento Tunarrosa (Col) Cannondale Pro Cycling 0:15:03
96 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Garmin-Sharp 0:15:09
97 Oscar Gatto (Ita) Vini Fantini-Selle Italia 0:16:05
98 Rory Sutherland (Aus) Team Saxo-Tinkoff 0:16:57
99 Bruno Pires (Por) Team Saxo-Tinkoff
100 Cristiano Salerno (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling 0:17:48
101 Marco Marcato (Ita) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 0:18:17
102 Laurent Pichon (Fra) FDJ 0:20:32
103 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Blanco Pro Cycling Team
104 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Lampre-Merida
105 Elia Viviani (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling
106 Gert Dockx (Bel) Lotto Belisol
107 Thomas Dekker (Ned) Garmin-Sharp
108 Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Orica-GreenEdge
109 Vicente Reynes Mimo (Spa) Lotto Belisol
110 Juan Jose Cobo Acebo (Spa) Movistar Team
111 Robert Hunter (RSA) Garmin-Sharp
112 Paul Martens (Ger) Blanco Pro Cycling Team
113 Grega Bole (Slo) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
114 Martijn Keizer (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
115 Pablo Lastras Garcia (Spa) Movistar Team
116 Gorka Verdugo Marcotegui (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
117 Albert Timmer (Ned) Team Argos-Shimano
118 Brett Lancaster (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
119 Guillaume Bonnafond (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale
120 Dirk Bellemakers (Ned) Lotto Belisol
121 Christian Meier (Can) Orica-GreenEdge
122 Matthew Harley Goss (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
123 Mads Christensen (Den) Team Saxo-Tinkoff
124 Luke Durbridge (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
125 Svein Tuft (Can) Orica-GreenEdge
126 Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Team Argos-Shimano
127 Xabier Zandio Echaide (Spa) Sky Procycling
128 Alex Dowsett (GBr) Movistar Team
129 Maarten Wynants (Bel) Blanco Pro Cycling Team
130 Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Movistar Team
131 Miguel Angel Rubiano Chavez (Col) Androni Giocattoli
132 Pavel Brutt (Rus) Katusha
133 Brian Bulgac (Ned) Lotto Belisol
134 Miguel Minguez Ayala (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
135 Cameron Wurf (Aus) Cannondale Pro Cycling
136 Frederik Veuchelen (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
137 Ioannis Tamouridis