The clouds parted over the Giro d’Italia in more ways than one Saturday.

After two days of rain and cold, it was sunny and warm at the startwith rowdy crowds, just the way the Giro should be. And, more importantlyfor the worn-down Giro, there were no doping scandals. Life almost seemedto return to normal on the Giro.

Saturday’s difficult 186-km climbing stage through Italy’s spectacularAppennini Mountains with views to the Adriatic Sea helped capture everyone’sattention. With the Giro’s decisive final week looming, none of the favorites could afford to be caught watching the scenery.

With the forced absence of Stefano Garzelli and Gilberto Simoni, FrancescoCasagrande is now the heavy favorite to win the overall. The Fassa Bortolostrong man said before Saturday’s start that he was “in optimum position.The moment has come to attack.”

Casagrande attacked, but he couldn’t shake his top rivals. Tacconi Sport’sDario Frigo, Coast’s Fernando Escartin and upstart Franco Pellizotti (Alessio)followed his every move. In the end, it was Mexican flier Julio Perez Cuapio(Panaria) who took the stage and Casagrande had to settle for fourth-place and a still very tight Giro.

The long and lonely road: Lotz on his own

Photo: Graham Watson

Early in the race, several riders tried to escape the clutches of theTelekom team, proudly protecting the lead of veteran Jens Heppner. At 44km, Marc Lotz (Rabobank) escaped and built up a 4-minute lead over theday’s first major obstacle, the category-two Ceppo climb at 149 km. Several riders unsuccessfully counter-attacked in his wake.

Tyler Hamilton’s CSC-Tiscali team dominated the middle of the race,driving the bunch up and over the Ceppo in an effort to put the hurt onsome of their rivals going into Sunday’s time trial. It was an importantmessage for the team.

“The team rode well. We made the race today. We took the initiative.I was feeling OK, not spectacular, but why not try?” said CSC-Tiscali captainTyler Hamilton. “I think we surprised some guys when we first went to thefront. Casagrande is very strong, but he’s burning some matches with thoseattacks. We’ll see how many matches he has left.”

Coming off the Ceppo, Michael Rasmussen (CSC-Tiscali) and Matthias Kessler(Telekom) peeled off the front of the main bunch and started to reel inLotz, who held the lead until closing kilometers. The fireworks startedon the 11-km, 671-meter (2,214-foot) final climb to San Giacomo at 1,105meters (3,646 feet) with grades as steep as 15 percent with an averageof 6 percent.

Perez Cuapio’s winning move came with less than 4 km to go. A winnerof a stage in last year’s Giro, Cuapio punched it and Mapei’s Cadel Evanscountered. The pair bounded past Lampre’s Pavel Tonkov, who attacked at5 km to go, and held a small gap off the lead Casagrande group of about20 riders.

Cuapio dropped Evans with less than 2 km to go and held off the Australianfor the stage-win. For the featherweight climber from central Mexico, thevictory was important for the team down to four riders – Nicola Chesiniand Faat Zakirov failed doping tests, Filippo Perfetto gone because ofa police summons and two others who finished out of the time limit earlierin the Giro.

“We’ve had some difficulties with the team but it’s important to carryon,” Cuapio said in perfect Italian. “I’ve worked hard to be ready forthis Giro. I have good form and good morale. This victory means a lot forour team.”

Evans just missed an important stage victory and moved to 5th overall(see below). Heppner keeps on chugging. The 37-year-old German retainedthe overall lead, but lost just over 1 minute to second-place Casagrande.

Sunday’s 30-km individual time trial opens what will be a very excitingclosing week of the 85th Giro d’Italia, as if it hasn’t been exciting enoughalready.

Mountain biker bonanza
Three former mountain bikers made their presence known in dramaticfashion in Saturday’s 13 stage. Former mountain bike champion Michael Rasmussen(CSC-Tiscali) and Mapei’s Dario Cioni and Cadel Evans each had their 15minutes of fame (or shorter) on the climbing finish. Evans, by far themost successful crossover from the fat-tire world, came up just 13 secondsshort of victory.

Rasmussen’s run for glory ended rather ignominiously. Rasmussen is anexcellent descender and slipped off the front of the main bunch comingoff the Ceppo climb with German Matthias Kessler (Telekom). The pair wasreeling in Marc Lotz (Rabobank) on the lower flanks of the final climbwhen Rasmussen’s legs froze up with cramps. The pain was so bad he evengot off is bike. He recovered to finish 64th at 9:31 back.

Cioni made a run off the front of the main bunch with 7 km to go, forcingothers to chase. He was the first to blow past Lotz while Pavel Tonkovand stage-winner Julio Perez Cuapio followed. Cioni finished 21st at 1:24back.

Evans followed Perez Cuapio and the pair rode together until the Mexicandropped the Australian with just under 2 km to go. Evans held off counter-attacksbehind him from Casagrande and Dario Frigo (Tacconi) to finish second at13 seconds back and sits comfortably 5th overall at 2:39 back. Where’sShaun Palmer when you need him?

Hamilton hanging on
CSC-Tiscali’s Tyler Hamilton refused to buckle to a string of attackslaid down by Francesco Casagrande in Saturday’s climbing stage. AlthoughHamilton slipped off the pace in the final kilometer, he only conceded22 seconds to the Fassa Bortolo captain and remains optimistic about Sunday’stime trial.

“Unfortunately I lost contact with that lead group there at the end.It would have been nice if I could have just hung on around that last hairpinand then it was kind of flat against the headwinds. I could have come inbehind some guys,” Hamilton told VeloNews at the finish. “Following Frigoand Casagrande, I think it kind of caught up with me at the end. Thoseattacks can be hard on me -- a lot of surges and accelerations.”

Hamilton continues to ride with pain in his left shoulder and otheraches and bruises from three crashes early in the Giro. He says he’s fullyrecovered from stomach cramps that hit him Thursday. Hamilton admittedit’s been tough adjusting to racing against attacking climbers after yearsof riding support for Lance Armstrong.

“I’m used to riding like a diesel. For three years at the Tour de France,I would ride at the front at a steady pace. That’s the way I’ve trainedover the years. This year I’ve really worked on my accelerations in themountains. I’ll be the first to admit that it caught up with me, just atthe end.”

TT tailor made for Tyler?
Sunday’s 30-km individual time trial will be an important test forHamilton. A proven strong time trialist, the CSC-Tiscali captain will beunder pressure for a strong result if he hopes to finish on the final podiumwhen the Giro ends in Milan on June 2.

“Tyler rode the course four times earlier this year,” said team managerBjarne Riis. “We will know Sunday how Tyler is. It’s up and down the wholeway. Let’s hope he has the legs to do it. Even if he’s not the best, Itold him as long as he tries hard, that’s all that matters. We will fightall the way to Milan.”

Hamilton said his recent injuries will not hamper his ability to holdthe aerodynamic position for the race against the clock. He cannot lifthis left arm higher than his shoulder due to intense pain caused by threecrashes early in the Giro.

“I’ll make sure it doesn’t, but there’s a lot of pain there. There’sa big bruise there. After the Giro is over I am going to get this shoulderlooked at,” Hamilton said. “It’s constantly bothering me. It hurts in mysleep. ”

Many are picking Hamilton to win. Also expected to ride strong are DarioFrigo (Tacconi) and Rik Verbrugghe (Lotto). For Hamilton, it’s his chanceto get some time back against climbing specialists such as Casagrande andCoast’s Fernando Escartin, now sitting third overall.

Confirmed “B” tests
Although it’s now a moot point, “B” test results came in Saturday confirmingthe presence of Nesp in two riders already out of the race. Faat Zakirov(Rus, Panaria) failed pre-Giro blood and urine tests and left when thepreliminary results were announced. Roberto Sgambelluri (I, Mercatone Uno)was forced out of the Giro on Friday by his Mercatone Uno team after pressurefrom other teams. Sgambelluri was tested by WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency)on April 24, the same day 2001 Giro d’Italia champion Gilberto Simoni wastested, which later revealed traces of cocaine in his system. Simoni alsoleft the Giro on Friday.

Where it stands: 85th Giro d’Italia
Stage 13, Chieti to San Giacomo (Monti della Laga), 186 km
Stage winner: Julio Perez Cuapio (Mex), Panaria, 5 hours, 4minutes, 2 seconds, 36.706 km/h. Cuapio, 24, a professional since 2000,adds Saturday’s win to last year’s Giro stage victory at Passo Pordoi.
Overall leader: Jens Heppner (G), Telekom – Kept the “magliarosa” for eighth day, but lost more time despite a strong finish at 22ndat 1:29 back. The veteran is now 1:48 ahead of second-place Casagrande.
Points jersey: Massimo Strazzer (I), Phonak
Intergiro jersey: Massimo Strazzer (I), Phonak
Climber’s jersey: Francesco Casagrande (I), Fassa Bortolo. NOTE:An error in scoring in Friday’s stage incorrectly awarded the jerseyto Colombian Joaquim Castelblanco (Col),Colombia-Selle Italia. Race jurors caught the error overnight and Casagrande started Saturday’s stage wearing the green climber’s jersey.>> Best team: Alessio widened its lead over second-place Kelme to 12:43.>> Peloton: Antonio Rizzi (I), Formaggi Trentini, abandoned and 159 riders remaining in the Giro.>> UCI jury decisions: Alessandro Petacchi (I), Fassa Bortolo, and Paolo Fornaciari (I), Mapei, each fined 50 Swiss francs and penalized 10 seconds for an illegal push by the team car.>> Injury report: Massimo Codol, an Italian on Lampre, crashed off the descent of Ceppo, suffering scraps and cuts to his right forearm and chest. He continued to finish the stage.>> Up next: Stage 14, individual time trial, Numana circuit, 30.3 km. The shorter of the two individual time trials in the closing week of the Giro, this circuit course winds through the narrow roads of the Numana Cape, a beautifully forested highlands jutting into the Adriatic Sea. The course begins with a gradual climb and at 9.2 km riders hit the category-three Poggio Massignano. After a sharp descent, there’s another climb to Camerano with sections as steep as 16-percent. After a descent and flat for 7 km, the final 10 km are undulating to the finish.