May 26, 2008

Ricco climbs to second in the GC at GIRO

SAUNIER DUVAL-SCOTT´s Riccardo Riccò did a great job today in stage 15 of the 91st Giro d´Italia, a 153-kilometre leg in the Dolomites from Arabba to Passo Fedaia/Marmolada, featuring six mountain passes. The team leader finished 3rd in the stage and climbed to second in the GC, which is now led by Alberto Contador (Astana), after overnight race leader Gabriele Bosisio (LPR Brakes) finished the day at 14´47". Besides standing second at 33" behind Contador, Riccò´s now wearing the "maglia blanca," identifying the Best Young Rider. Riccardo escaped from a group of GC favourites with less than three kilometres left on the 13.35-kilometre climb to the finish, stealing precious seconds from Danilo Di Luca (LPR Brakes, +9"), Gilberto Simoni (Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni, +16"), Contador (+16"), Denis Menchov (Rabobank, +23"), Marzio Bruseghin (Lampre, 1´11") and Franco Pellizotti (Liquigas, 1´16"). They all sought to limit the losses to "La Cobra," but only Contador managed to land above him in the GC. Ahead of the fighting favourites, Emanuele Sella (CSF Group Navigare) bolted clear of his escape companions to win atop the Passo Fedaia, 24 hours after topping the Alpe di Pampeago for victory. Second was Sella´s teammate Domenico Pozzovivo. The bad news for SAUNIER DUVAL-SCOTT was that Leonardo Piepoli had to drop out after a fall down in Falzarego, 15 kilometres before the finish line. The first tests suggest that one of our strongest mountain goats didn´t sustain serious injuries, but Piepoli was complaining of a strong blow to his ribs that prevented him from breathing properly. "The pain was so strong I couldn´t breathe," Leo said after the race. "It´s tough for me to leave the Giro like this, especially because I still had important things to do in Italy this year, and I know I could´ve done them. In any case, I fell behind before crashing, so I couldn´t have helped Riccò today." Tomorrow, Riccardo will go for the "maglia rosa" in stage 16 of this year´s Giro, a 12.85-kilometre mountain time-trial starting in San Vigilio di Marebbe and running 12.6 kilometres before hitting the finale over the sterrato ("gravel road"), which includes sections touching 24% gradient.

COMMENTS
Riccardo Riccò: "Today I can say I´m really happy with what I did. I´d promised to attack and I did so, stealing some precious seconds from my rivals. Above all, I´ve proved to myself that I can make a difference in this kind of stage. Now I´m 33" behind the overall leader, a gap I can still bridge, and I can´t help but think that hadn´t it been for that fall in the ITT in Urbino, I´d be wearing the `maglia rosa.´ The bad news of the day was Piepoli´s withdrawal. He´s been a powerful ally; I´ll miss him in what´s left of this Giro. About tomorrow´s mountain time-trial, I don´t think it´ll be very decisive with regard to time differences between the favourites, unless someone plunges down. If Sella rides like he did today, my bet is on him. My goal will be snatching some more seconds off my rivals and do the rest in the last week."