THIS WEEK IN PRO CYCLING
Cunego takes over with heroic effort
Showing class beyond his years, Damiano Cunego (Saeco) vaulted back into the overall lead of the 87th Giro d’Italia after taking a dramatic solo victory in Tuesday’s four-climb 16th stage.
After losing the jersey in Saturday’s time trial, the 22-year-old erased a 1 minute, 48-second deficit to recapture the maglia rosa, and this time he might keep it for good.
Cunego holds a 1:14 lead over Serhiy Honchar (De Nardi) after an electrifying display of confidence and strength as the Giro pushed into the first of four decisive stages high in the Dolomites.
“I’m very content with how things unfolded today,” Cunego said after finishing the marathon stage in 6 hours, 11 minutes, 23 seconds. “I felt very good and the team decided I should attack. I had teammates up the road, the tactics were just right.”
Cunego dropped overnight leader Yaroslav Popovych (Landbouwkrediet-Colnago) with a devastating attack with 3km to go on the day’s third climb at the Category 1 Passo Furcia at 160km.
Saeco was forcing Popovych to chase, but the Ukraine instead stayed on the wheel of defending champion Gilberto Simoni. Cunego swept past the remnants of the day’s major breakaway over the Cat. 1 Terento climb with 10km to go and powered to his third stage victory of this Giro.
Simoni played along with Saeco’s team tactics, perhaps at his own expense. The two-time Giro champion could only watch as Cunego rode to victory in the 217km stage from San Vendemiano to Falzes.
“Damiano was the strongest today and the team supported him,” said Simoni, who fell to fourth at 2:38 back of his young protégé. “It puts us in good position to win the Giro once again, which is the top goal for the team.”
Popovych didn’t follow Cunego’s move on Furcia and couldn’t stay with Simoni on Terento. The Ukraine was left without teammates and finished 22nd at 3:50 back to slip to third at 2:22 back.
Last year’s runner-up Stefano Garzelli (Vini Caldirola) also struggled, losing contact with Simoni on Terento to come through 20th at 3:23.
“What Cunego did today was impressive,” said Garzelli, now eighth overall at 4:26. “I’m not strong enough to win this Giro. I was hoping to be strong today, but Cunego proved he is a rider who can win this Giro.”
Into the Dolomites
The Giro changed gears as it plowed deep into the heart of Dolomites for the final decisive week of racing. Just as he said he would, Robbie McEwen (Lotto-Domo) packed it in before the start in sunny San Vendemiano. Along with Fred Rodriguez (Acqua & Sapone), McEwen was the only rider capable of derailing Alessandro Petacchi as the Italian won a history-making eight stages.
The sprinters know they would have a hard time in the coming days as the Giro entered the high country. The gruppetto would later roll into Falzes more than 25 minutes behind Cunego.
With such feared climbs as the Mortirolo and the Gavia on tap later this week, Tuesday’s profile looked ideal for stage hunters and racers wasted no time before animating the stage.
At 21km, 17 riders pulled off the front and roared through the day’s InterGiro sprint at 49km with an average speed of 42.11 kph. Five others counter-attacked as the peloton let them grab some early TV time. Saeco played the perfect tactic, putting Eddy Mazzoleni and Andrea Tonti in the break.
At the day’s first climb at Forcella Staulanza (Cat. 2 at 83km), Fabian Wegmann (Gerolsteiner) led Alexandre Moos (Phonak) over the summit 5:05 ahead of the five chasers while the peloton came through at 15:25 back.
Wegmann led the charge over the day’s second climb at Passo di Valparola (Cat. 1 at 115km) with Colombian Luis Laverde (Pinzolo Fiave) second while Saeco kept the break within 10 minutes. Wegmann now leads the KOM competition ahead of Cunego.
Saeco plays it right
Midway up the Passo Furcia (Cat. 1 at 160km), Phonak’s Nicki Abersold dropped the remnants of the lead group to make a run for victory. The Swiss rider rode alone up the steep upper sections to win the points 1:08 ahead of remnants of the first break that included 2002 KOM winner Julio Perez Cuapio (Panaria) and Rinaldo Nocentini (Acqua & Sapone).
Back in the maglia rosa group, things were getting stressful, at least for Garzelli who was having trouble matching the pace. About midway up the 12km climb, Simoni made his first jab, quickly slipping away and just as quickly being marked by Popovych. Saeco’s Alessandro Spezialetti was doing his job to set the pace, causing the maglia rosa group to dwindle to about 15 riders.
With about 3km to go with ramps as step as 10 percent, Saeco played the Cunego card. Simoni stayed glued on Popovych’s wheel while Cunego quickly opened up a 45-second gap.
Saeco’s smart tactical hand started to bear fruit when Mazzoleni waited for the young rider and the pair worked together up the final sections of the climb. Cunego cleared the summit with 1:18 advantage on the maglia rosa group.
Waiting on the twisting descent off Fuscia was Tonti, giving Cunego two workers to drive across the flats to the base of the final climb at Terento. Cunego started getting more company as stragglers joined on.
“Having Tonti and Mazzoleni up ahead was a brilliant team tactic,” Cunego said. “They really helped make up the difference. They were just incredible and showed what a great team we have.”
Abersold continued to work alone as three major chase groups formed in his wake. Perez Cuapo led one group about a minute ahead of the Cunego group, which was dangerously taking more time on the maglia rosa group.
The damage is done
At 40km to go, Cunego had 2:19 on the Ukraine, giving him the virtual jersey. They continued to hammer the pace to bolster the lead by an additional 39 seconds over the next 5km.
Abersold was riding well to keep off the chasers, and with 30km to go, the Perez Cuapio group was 2:20 back and the Cunego group was 3:48 back. The maglia rosa group, meanwhile, continued to lose time to Cunego, forfeiting another 12 seconds in 5km to stand 3:10 back.
The final climb at Terento (Cat. 1 at 208km) hit ramps as steep as 12 percent. While it was only 8km long, after nearly 200km and three climbs already in the legs, for many the climb would prove a summit too far.
The Cunego train started disintegrating on the lower ramps as Tonti peeled off followed by Mazzoleni, who gave his a young charge an encouraging slap on the back. There was no stopping Cunego and the 1999 junior world champion worked alone to reel in remnants of the Perez Cuapio group as Abersold ceded his lead with 3km to go on the climb.
Cunego just kept pouring it on, topping out alone on the Terento summit with 10km to go. Nocentini was the last survivor from the day’s early break while the Perez Cuapio group came through at 1:33 back.
Back in the maglia rosa group, Garzelli was struggling to keep the pace as Giulano Figueras (Panaria) made a move. Simoni wasn’t about to attack his young teammate, but Popovych started to wilt under the grinding pace with 3km to go. Simoni hammered out a steady rhythm and pulled about 15 seconds ahead of Popovych, who was left to work alone.
Simoni and Co. topped the summit 3:16 behind Cunego while Popovych suffered alone in his last climb in the maglia rosa at 3:51 back.
Nocentini – one of the riders who broke away at 21km -- finished second at 1:16 while Moos led the first group across to take third at 1:38. Brad McGee (FDJeux.com) rode well in the vertiginous stage to finish 24th at 4:18 back and remains an impressive sixth overall at 3:52 back.
After the finish, Cunego paid tribute to his teammates, especially Simoni as the two-time champion.
"'Gibo' is a great leader, a true champion" said Cunego. "He left it to me to race my race. The situation is a little complex but he accepts it at the moment. We will carry on racing alongside each other, without annoying one another."
Cunego was still not predicting that he will be wearing the jersey into Milan on Sunday.
"There are still some stiff challenges to come including the climb of Mortirolo which I have never climbed before, not to mention the majority of the other mountains that await us and that is a big challenge for me,” he said. "It is possible that we could either gain or lose a lot of time but on the other hand the team is superb and I am more confident now. The maglia rosa in Milan? There is still a long way to go."
The riders take their final rest day Wednesday and reload for Thursday’s 153km 17th stage from Brunico to Sarnonico. The course hits the Cat. 2 Passo della Mendola at 99.5km before a rolling profile to the finish.
To see how today's decisive stage unfolded, simply open our LIVE UPDATE window.
