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Di Luca wins and re-takes Giro lead
Danilo Di Luca repeated his victory atop the Montevergine climb from 2001 in Wednesday’s rainy and crash-marred fourth stage, but things have changed a lot for “The Killer” since those heady days six years ago.
Back then, Di Luca was the hot, emerging star who everyone predicted would one day win the Giro d’Italia. Other than come close with fourth overall in 2005, Di Luca has never delivered on that promise.
Flash forward six years to Wednesday’s Cat. 1 finish atop the twisting 17km summit and Di Luca pipped Italy’s newest stud – Ricardo Riccó (Saunier Duval) – to surge confidently into the maglia rosa and put the peloton on notice that things could be different this time around.
FullResults
“Things are going well enough for the team right now and we’re very motivated,” said Di Luca, who held off Riccó atop the 17km Cat. 1 Montevergine climb. “It’s nice to be back in the maglia rosa, but we cannot say too much about the race right now. The final week of the Giro will decide who the winner is.”
Liquigas drove it hard up the snaking, cloud-shrouded climb to reel in a three-man move featuring escape artist Pavel Brutt (Tinkoff) and then catch the attacking Julio Pérez Cuapio (Panaria) with 800 meters to go to set up the superstar sprint featuring Di Luca, Riccó, Damiano Cunego (Lampre) and Stefano Garzelli (Acqua e Sapone).
Rolling through with a solid 10th on the stage was Dave Zabriskie (CSC), who stayed with the lead group of 20 when the leaders split under the Liquigas accelerations. Zabriskie moved into seventh overall at 1:07 back.
Di Luca inherited the pink jersey from Liquigas teammate Enrico Gasparotto, who was among 60 riders who folded like bowling pins in a massive pileup about midway through the 154km stage.
Di Luca said he doesn’t have any intention of giving it away anytime soon.
Slow out of the gun
The 90th Giro returned to the Italian “boot” after three days in Sardinia to be greeted by a wave of pink and the biggest crowds so far at this year’s race. There’s no denying the Italians love their Giro party.
Riders were complaining about the logistical nightmare that plagued Tuesday’s transfer from Sardinia. The ferry carrying the journalists, the podium girls and other Giro officials arrived on time, but two other ferries transporting team buses and Giro race vehicles didn’t arrive until late Tuesday afternoon.
One ferry couldn’t be unloaded because of a huge truck parked at the entrance of the docking station, but the driver was on the other ferry that arrived two hours later.
Riders such as Di Luca couldn’t go on their rest-day rides because their bikes hadn’t arrived and had to settle for spinning on the rollers later in the evening. To add insult to injury, QuickStep had one of its vehicles later stolen along the coast.
Wednesday’s route followed the rugged Amalfi Coast, one of the Mediterranean’s most spectacular settings. But the infamously narrow roads put the chill on the peloton and the rode a leisurely 29.3km in the first hour as they rolled toward such landmarks as Positano.
“None of us are willing to risk our lives or our careers on a stage like this,” huffed Alessandro Petacchi before the start.
Three riders – Pavel Brutt (Tinkoff), Markel Irizar (Euskaltel-Euskadi) and Yuriy Kritsov (Ag2r) – ignored the cease-fire and peeled away early to build a four-minute gap with about 80km to go.
The peloton stayed conservative until the rolled through Sorrento and a string of crashes took down several riders as the paced ticked up noticeably.
With about 70km to go, there was a massive pileup as riders fell like bowling pins on the rain-slicked roads. It wasn’t clear who was the first to fall, but several big names went skittering to the pavement as at least half the peloton fell. Bettini later struggled to latch back on to the peloton.
“Gasparotto slipped in front of me and I couldn’t do anything and I fell hard on my side,” Bettini said. “It’s disappointing because today was a good stage for me. I don’t think anything is broken, but I will get some X-rays later to be sure.”
Gasparotto – who had been playing hot potato with the pink jersey with Di Luca – was also banged up and happily ceded his jersey to his team captain. Cunego also was caught up in the spill and was forced to make a bike change.
Later falls took down the likes of Axel Merckx (T-Mobile) and Benoit Joachim (Astana). Doctors treated Joan Horrach (Caisse d’Epargne) for a massive hematoma about the size of a baseball on his upper right thigh.
“It was a good thing it stopped raining when it did because the roads would have been even worse,” said Discovery Channel sport director Laurenzo Lapage. “It was very dangerous on the roads.”
Discovery Channel put its two team captains in to good position, with José Luis Rubiera finishing 26th and Yaroslavo Popovych 34th, both at 34 seconds back. George Hincapie, racing here to prepare for the Tour de France, was 62nd at 2:02 back.
“I felt good on the climb, but I just lacked that little bit at the end,” said a satisfied Rubiera. “It’s a good start for the first mountain stage of the Giro. It was very fast.”
Up Montevergine
After Saunier Duval and Team CSC drove the peloton to the base of the climb, Liquigas surged to the front with Vicenze Nibali, Franco Pelizotti, Alessandro Spezialetti and Charlie Weglius ramping up the speed for Di Luca. Liquigas had reason to believe in Di Luca, who won an emotional stage here in 2001.Gasparotto’s run in pink was over as he slipped back into a second group early on the climb.
Pérez Cuapio jumped with about 8km to go up the serpentine climb and reeled in the dying leading trio.
The Mexican’s acceleration drew out Dario Cioni (Predictor-Lotto) and Leonardo Piepoli (Saunier Duval) as about a half dozen riders chased in Cuapio’s wake. The main contenders were watching each other closely, each of their flanks protected by several familiar colors.
With 5km to go, Cuapio nursed a 24-second lead as Piepoli and Sella led the chase. With 1.5km to go, the Mexican – who won two stages and the best climber’s jersey in the 2002 Giro – still had 16 seconds but was reeled in with 800 meters to go.
“I tried with all I had. I thought I might have a chance, but then I heard there was only 15 seconds with two kilometers to go. That’s not enough,” said Cuapio, who rolled through 11th. “I knew it would be difficult against so many.”
Shadowing the moves late were Team CSC’s Zabriskie and Andy Schleck, younger brother of Alpe d’Huez winner Frank Schleck. Zabriskie and Schleck are leading the team’s GC hopes and stayed with the front group when the Liquigas pressure split the peloton into two groups of about 20 riders.
Zabriskie came into this year’s Giro tipping the scales at 140 pounds and intent on testing his form in the mountains.
“I’ll go a little harder in the mountains than I have in the past,” Zabriskie told VeloNews earlier this week. “We’ll see how I can do. There’s no pressure.”
Cunego moved into sixth at 53 seconds back with Paolo Savoldelli (Astana) at ninth at 1:07 back. Two-time ex champion Gilberto Simoni (Saunier Duval) sits 23rd at 1:58 back.
“It was hard today and the pace was very fast,” Simoni said. “We knew it was a better arrival for Riccó, but Di Luca is on great form right now. He has the jersey now and the team will have to take responsibility. That’s not bad for us.”
Race notesHematocrit screenings were conducted on 54 riders from Tinkoff, Astana, FDJeux, Euskaltel, Lampre, Saunier Duval and Acqua e Sapone. No unfit cases were discovered.Ian McLeod (FDJeux) pulled out with a broken clavicle, leaving 191 riders in the race.
Medical reportAlberto Ongarato (Milram), cuts to left knee and elbow Thomas Voeckler (Bouygues) contusions to right kneeTim Klinger (Gerolsteiner), contusions to left elbowIan McLeod (FDJeux), fracture right claviclePaolo Bettini (QuickStep), contusion to thorax, ribsEnrico Gasparotto (Liquigas), bruise on elbow, contusion to sacrumMarila Ardila (Rabobank), bruise on left thighKoldo Fernandez (Euskaltel), bruises to right shoulderJurgen Van de Walle (Quick Step), contusion to left hipJoan Horrach (Caisse d’Epargne), contusion right leg, hematomaAlberto Losada (Caisse d’Epargne), contusion to sacrumRiccardo Serrano (Tinkoff), contusion to sacrum
Up next
The 90th Giro d’Italia continues with the 173km fifth stage from Teano to Frascati. The undulating stage pushes north along the interior toward Rome and hits a Cat. 3 climb with 18km to go. The sprinters should try to bring this one down to a mass gallop because they’ll soon be running out of chances.Results - Stage 4
1. Danilo Di Luca (I), Liquigas, 153km in 4:22:42 (35.173kph)
2. Riccardo Ricco' (I), Saunier Duval, 0:00
3. Damiano Cunego (I), Lampre, 0:00
4. Andy Schleck (Lux), CSC, 0:03
5. Stefano Garzelli (I), Acqua & Sapone - Adria Mobil, 0:03
6. Franco Pellizotti (I), Liquigas, 0:06
7. Luca Mazzanti (I), Ceramica Panaria - Navigare, 0:06
8. David Arroyo Duran (Sp), Caisse d'Epargne, 0:07
9. Emanuele Sella (I), Ceramica Panaria - Navigare, 0:13
10. David Zabriskie (USA), CSC, 0:13
FullResultsOverall, after four stages
1. Danilo Di Luca (I), Liquigas, 0:00
2. Franco Pellizotti (I), Liquigas, 0:26
3. Andrea Noe' (I), Liquigas, 0:35
4. Vincenzo Nibali (I), Liquigas, 0:35
5. Andy Schleck (Lux), CSC, 0:53
6. Damiano Cunego (I), Lampre, 0:54
7. David Zabriskie (USA), CSC, 1:03
8. Paolo Savoldelli (I), Astana, 1:07
9. Eddy Mazzoleni (I), Astana, 1:07
10. Andrey Mizourov (Kaz), Astana, 1:07
To see how today's stage developed, simply CLICKHERE and check back soon for complete results, photos and a stage report from Andrew Hood.
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