Bike News - Giro d'Italia - Results and Overview

2012 Giro d'Italia Stage 21 Results

Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Barracuda) has won the 2012 Giro d'Italia and stands tall as the first Canadian to win a grand tour. Hesjedal managed to finish a full 47 seconds ahead of overnight leader Joaquin Rodríguez (Katusha) in the final time trial in Milan, but with a winning gap of only 16 seconds. Hesjedal effectively won the TT when he got to his first time check and then gradually ate into the time Rodriguez had set. Full congratulations go out to Rodriguez however who has put in a mighty effort throughout the Giro. Third place went to Thomas de Gendt (Vacansoleil-DCM), who consolidated his outstanding win yesterday. It was an excellent day for racing and as soon as he took off it was clear that Marco Pinotti (BMC) was a driven man; when he powered over the line (overtaking a couple of contenders on his way), Pinotti had won the stage by a solid 39 seconds over his closest rival on the TT, Geraint Thomas (Sky).

 

Ryder Hesjdedal, winner of the 2012 Giro d'Italia. (Photo: AFP).

Position	Name	Country	Team	Time	Difference	Time Bonus
1	PINOTTI Marco	ITA	BMC	33:06	0:00
2	THOMAS Geraint	GBR	SKY	33:45	0:39
3	SERGENT Jesse	NZL	RNT	33:59	0:53
4	RASMUSSEN Alex	DEN	GRM	34:06	1:00
5	DE GENDT Thomas	BEL	VCD	34:07	1:01
6	HESJEDAL Ryder	CAN	GRM	34:15	1:09
7	LARSSON Gustav Erik	SWE	VCD	34:20	1:14
8	BODNAR Maciej	POL	LIQ	34:21	1:15
9	TUFT Svein	CAN	OGE	34:28	1:22
10	VERMOTE Julien	BEL	OPQ	34:29	1:23

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION

Position	Name	Country	Team	Time	Difference
1	HESJEDAL Ryder	CAN	GRM	91:39:02	0:00
2	RODRIGUEZ OLIVER Joaquin	ESP	KAT	91:39:18	0:16
3	DE GENDT Thomas	BEL	VCD	91:40:41	1:39
4	SCARPONI Michele	ITA	LAM	91:41:07	2:05
5	BASSO Ivan	ITA	LIQ	91:42:46	3:44
6	CUNEGO Damiano	ITA	LAM	91:43:42	4:40
7	URAN URAN Rigoberto	COL	SKY	91:44:59	5:57
8	POZZOVIVO Domenico	ITA	COG	91:45:30	6:28
9	HENAO MONTOYA Sergio Luis	COL	SKY	91:46:52	7:50
10	NIEVE ITURALDE Mikel	ESP	EUS	91:47:10	8:08

2012 Giro d’Italia Stage 20 Results

It was a big day for Thomas De Gendt (Vacansoleil-DCM), winning the 20^th stage of the 2012 Giro d”Italia, with Damiano Cunego (Lampre) taking second and Mikel Nieve (Euskaltel-Euskadi) in third. Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) however, retains his hold on the Maglia Rosa. It appears that the podium positions in tomorrows final are taking shape with Hesjedal holding onto second place overall. Third place is a toss up between Scarponi and Basso; but as with all racing, it is still anyone’s game on the TT. There was a number of disqualifications today as several riders were caught hanging on to team cars - Robert Hunter (Garmin-Barracuda), Andrea Guardini (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia), Dominique Rollin (FDJ-Big Mat) and Ivan Velasco (Euskaltel-Euskadi).  The Mortirolo beckoned next, and with an gradient of as much as 21%, it was clearly going to hurt a lot of riders after yesterdays punishing stage. Even Rabottini (King of the Mountains) couldn’t keep up the pace and fell back to the main group. At the 30km to go point, most of the outliers were being reigned in. At the 16.5km De Gendt made his move; Cunego made a move but couldn’t match a second attack by De Gendt. The Maglia Rosa group attempted to try and close the gap but didn’t make any tangible difference; Basso surrendered leaving only Hesjedal, Rodriguez and Scarponi together. A clearly exhausted De Gendt had done it with Cunego second just under a minute later, followed by Nivel at 2:500.

Position	Name	Country	Team	Time	Difference	Time Bonus
1	DE GENDT Thomas	BEL	VCD	6:54:41	0:00
2	CUNEGO Damiano	ITA	LAM	6:55:37	0:56
3	NIEVE ITURALDE Mikel	ESP	EUS	6:57:31	2:50

2012 Giro d’Italia Stage 19 Results

Astana’s Roman Kreuziger climbed to victory in stage 19 at the 2012 Giro d’Italia. Kreuziger was 19 seconds ahead of Hesjedal (Garmin-Barracuda). This stage is possibly the most brutal thus far; 197km and a total of five categorised climbs, At the 15km mark, the first breakaway formed and consisted of 17 riders building up a lead of over seven minutes by the time they reached the first categorised climb with about 130km to go. Whilst Sandy Casar (FDJ-BigMat) was the only GC contender in the bunch, there must have been some concern within the peloton as there were a number of solid mountain goats that they’d need to reign in before they built too strong a lead in the climbs.  As the race climbed, the cracks began to emerge, Andrea Guardini the first to go, followed by Ballan (BMC). Basso (Liquigas-Cannondale) was solid in the main group as was Scarponi, Hesjedal and Rodriguez. It was a this point that we saw the beginnings of Kreuziger’s attempt. And at 25km to go Kreuziger attacked from the main peloton. With 1.5km left Kreuziger looked like he might be in trouble with the main contenders hunting him down. But the Astana rider held on for the win.

Position	Name	Country	Team	Time	Difference	Time Bonus
1	KREUZIGER Roman	CZE	AST	6:18:03	0:00
2	HESJEDAL Ryder	CAN	GRM	6:18:22	0:19
3	RODRIGUEZ OLIVER Joaquin	ESP	KAT	6:18:35	0:32

2012 Giro d’Italia Stage 18 Results

In an impressive effort against some of the titans of the sport, Andrea Guardini (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia) has won 18 stage of the Giro d’Italia. The young Italian silenced his critics and finished ahead of Mark Cavendish (Team Sky) and Roberto Ferrari (Androni). A relatively short stage from San Vito Cardore to Vedelago, the course was ideal for the sprinters to fight it out for what is probably their last chance at a stage win. Essentially Guardini’s win was one of timing: he managed to launch his assault just as Cavendish was preparing his own. Earlier, while most teams were licking their wounds from yesterday’s stage in the Dolomites, there was still a break quite early on, consisting of Manuele Boaro (Saxo Bank), Stef Clement (Rabobank), Pier Paolo De Negri (Farnese Vini) and Angelo Pagani (Colnago-CSF Inox). Cavendish claimed the intermediate sprint at 84km. Another attempt was made by Clement (Rabobank), Martijn Keizer (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team), Olivier Kaisen (Lotto Belisol Team) and Mickael Delage (FDJ-Big Mat). Keisen was the most threatening but Team Sky and then eventually other teams rolled up all outliers and it came down to the sprinters, with Guardini the top dog for the day.

Position	Name	Country	Team	Time	Difference
1	RODRIGUEZ OLIVER Joaquin	ESP	KAT	40:27:34	0:00
2	HESJEDAL Ryder	CAN	GRM	40:27:51	0:17
3	TIRALONGO Paolo	ITA	AST	40:28:06	0:32

2012 Giro d’Italia Stage 17 Results

Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) has won stage 17 at Cortina d'Ampezzo in the 2012 Giro d’Italia. Rodriguez was just that little bit better on the final dash and crossed the line ahead of Ivan Basso (Liquigas Cannondale), Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Barracuda), Rigoberto Uran (Sky), Michele Scarponi (Lampre-ISD) and Domenico Pozzovivo (Colnago-CSF). In doing so Rodriguez has retained the pink jersey and fortified his hold on the overall standings. There were a number of breakaways, notably a group of five riders at the 50km point Rabottini (Farnese-Vini), Samoilau (Movistar), Seeldraeyers (Astana), Montaguti (Ag2r-La Mondiale), and Serpa (Androni) with Rabottini, extend his lead in the mountains classification when he took the points on  the Falzarego. At the Passo Duran the gap had shrunk to 1:30. Liquigas was in control although all the contenders were together so it was still anyone’s day if they had the legs to get through the next climbs. At the Forcella, Kreuziger was the first of the main contenders to shut down and fell behind. As the Passo Giau loomed Liquigas attacked and as a result there only the six leading riders left to fight it out.  As they approached the finish, with Basso and Scarponi fighting it out, it was Rodriguez who swooped and with a sudden burst of power took the win.

Position	Name	Country	Team	Time	Difference	Time Bonus
1	RODRIGUEZ OLIVER Joaquin	ESP	KAT	4:25:05	0:00	20"
2	HUZARSKI Bartosz	POL	APP	4:25:07	0:02	12"
3	VISCONTI Giovanni	ITA	MOV	4:25:07	0:02	8"

2012 Giro d’Italia Stage 16 Results

Jon Izagirre (Euskaltel-Euskadi) has won stage 16 of the Giro d'Italia, after escaping the 10-man breakaway group on the final climb. Alessandro De Marchi (Androni Giacattoli-Venezuela) and Stef Clement (Rabobank) managed second and third respectively. The breakaway group which made its attempt at the 80km mark consisted of Alessandro De Marchi (Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela), Mathias Frank (BMC Racing Team), Jon Izagirre (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Luca Mazzanti (Farnese Vini-Sella Italia), Lars Ytting Bak (Lotto Belisol), Nicolas Maes (Omega Pharma-QuickStep), José Herrada Lopez (Movistar), Stef Clement (Rabobank), Matthias Brändle (NetApp) and Manuele Boaro (Saxo Bank). The peloton were not in the pursuing mood today and at one point the breakaway was a good 12 minutes ahead. The real action was amongst the lead group with Herrada, Frank, Izagirre, De Marchi and Clement all vying for the advantage. The favourites all cruised in together in what was in essence a recovery ride for many.

Position	Name	Country	Team	Time	Difference	Time Bonus
1	IZAGUIRRE INSAUSTI Jon	ESP	EUS	4:02:00	0:00	20"
2	DE MARCHI Alessandro	ITA	AND	4:02:16	0:16	12"
3	CLEMENT Stef	NED	RAB	4:02:16	0:16	8"

Giro d’Italia 2012 Stage​ 15 Results

Local rider Matteo Rabottini (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia) has made his mark on the Giro d’Italia with a deserving win in Lecco at Stage 15 of the race. In poor weather conditions, the gruelling 172km stage was effectively dominated by Rabottini for its entirety. Even he came unstuck near the end of the race and lost valuable time. However, Rabottini had deep reserves, both physical and psychological, and fended off all challengers. There was a second breakaway group behind Rabottini that included Cunego (Lampre ISD), Androni’s Sella (Androni), Txurruka (Euskaltel), Losada (Katusha), Bruseghin (Movistar) Amador and Pinotti (BMC). The only rider who looked as though he would catch Rabottini was Rodriguez (Katusha) who pushed through the field and came within 400 metres, but just couldn’t get there. However, the Spaniards effort was enough to win him back the Maglia Rosa off Canada’s Hesjedal (Garmin Barracuda). This doesn’t bode well for Hesjedal, but rest days can be as much a hindrance as a blessing so it’s anyone’s guess as to who will dominate the remaining stages of the Giro for 2012.

Position	Name	Country	Team	Time	Difference	Time Bonus
1	RABOTTINI Matteo	ITA	FAR	5:15:30	0:00
2	RODRIGUEZ OLIVER Joaquin	ESP	KAT	5:15:30	0:00
3	LOSADA ALGUACIL Alberto	ESP	KAT	5:15:53	0:23

Andrey Amador (Movistar) has won the first high mountain stage of the Giro for 2012, and is proof positive that being part of a well timed (and lucky) escape group can yield handsome rewards. Jan Barta (NetApp) managed second and Alessandro De Marchi (Androni Giacattoli) garnered third. As expected the Maglia Rosa has passed to Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Barracuda) who has now accrued a nine second lead on Rodriguez (Katusha). What is remarkable about Amador is that the man has clearly had some serious hurdles in his career. He was nearly murdered in a robbery in Costa Rica in 2011 but managed to race a month later. A lacklustre 2011 Tour de France effort belied his inner strength and in his second crack at the Giro has earned him a win in the mountains. For this stage, the weather was not on side, but that didn’t stop the main break of the day who took off at the at the 60km mark. It consisted of Olivier Kaisen (Lotto Belisol), Jan Barta (NetApp), Andrey Amador (Movistar), Nelson Oliveira (RadioShack-Nissan), Matteo Montaguti (AG2R-La Mondiale), Nikolas Maes (Omega Pharma-QuickStep), Alessandro De Marchi (Androni Giocattoli) and Pierpaolo De Negri (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia). On the ascent of the first climb Barta escaped the group, and as the weather worsened the breakaway began to struggle on the 22km climb. However, Barta was eventually passed on the descent by Amador who clearly had more nerve on the descents. At the 15km point, Amador was still in front and the peloton was a good 7.5 minutes in arrears. What of the contenders? Today was Hesjedals: It was at this point that he made his attack. Rodriguez was quick to give chase. However, Hesjedal maintained his efforts and managed to finish a mere 20 seconds behind the winning trio. It was all Hesjedal needed to secure the pink jersey.

Position	Name	Country	Team	Time	Difference	Time Bonus
1	AMADOR BIKKAZAKOVA Andrey	CRC	MOV	5:33:36	0:00
2	BARTA Jan	CZE	APP	5:33:36	0:00
3	DE MARCHI Alessandro	ITA	AND	5:33:38	0:02

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Giro d’Italia 2012 Stage 13 Results

Mark Cavendish (Team Sky) claimed has won his third Giro d'Italia stage win in spectacular style. With his characteristic flair, Cavendish ducked and weaved as the finish line loomed and managed to escape a determined Orica-GreenEdge train barrelling down on his right and the barriers to his left. He touched the line a good bike length ahead of Kristoff (Katusha), and his friend and former lead-out man, Aussie Mark Renshaw (Rabobank) coming in at third place. Cav’s win now means that Goss has some serious ground to make up in the fight for the red jersey against the indomitable Manxman, but let’s not underestimate Orica-GreenEdge. They a team on a mission and have proven their credentials on more than one occasion already. In the overall standings, not much has changed. We still see Rodriguez in the Maglia Rosa. However, a number of mountain finishes loom, and it’s going to be these stages where we may see some big changes in the rankings. The likes of Basso (Liquigas-Cannondale) and Kreuziger (Astana) may take the opportunity to assert themselves. Who has the legs? And the will?

Position	Name	Country	Team	Time	Difference	Time Bonus
1	CAVENDISH Mark	GBR	SKY	3:02:07	0:00	22"
2	KRISTOFF Alexander	NOR	KAT	3:02:07	0:00	12"
3	RENSHAW Mark	AUS	RAB	3:02:07	0:00	8"

Giro d’Italia 2012 Stage 12 Results

​Lars Ytting Bak (Lotto Belisol) has won stage 11 of the Giro d'Italia, followed 11 seconds later by Sandy Casar (FDJ-BigMat) and Andrey Amador (Movistar) coming in third. Casar was virtual leader for most of the day but couldn't quite catch Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) who maintains the overall lead. Katusha was blase in their attempt to chase down Casar who had bolted about 50km into the stage. Liquigas-Cannondale, however, took up the task and chased down the breakaway. Michal Golas (Omega Pharma-Quickstep) took the mountain points at the category two Valico La Mola, and kept on going, making a serious attempt for the stage win. However the remainder of the breakaway, Lars Bak (Lotto Belisol), Sandy Casar (FDJ-BigMat), Ivan Santaromita (BMC), Jan Bakelants (RadioShack-Nissan), Amets Txurruka (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Andrey Amador (Movistar), Jackson Rodriguez (Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela), Martijn Keizer (Vacansoleil-DCM) soon gave chase. After a combatative climb and descent fought out between the breakaway riders, Bak attacked with just over 1.5km to go. The TT specialist took off and remained unchallenged to the checker flag. The question now is not if Rodriguez will surrender the Maglia Rosa, simply when.

Position	Name	Country	Team	Time	Difference	Time Bonus
1	BAK Lars Ytting	DEN	LTB	3:58:55	0:00	20"
2	CASAR Sandy	FRA	FDJ	3:59:06	0:11	12"
3	AMADOR BIKKAZAKOVA Andrey	CRC	MOV	3:59:06	0:11	8"

Giro d’Italia 2012 Stage 11 Results

Controversial Roberto Ferrari (Androni Giacattoli-Venezuela) has redeemed himself with a sprint win to take stage 11 honours. Francesco Chicchi (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) was second and Tomas Vaitkus (GreenEdge) coming in third. It wasn’t Mark Cavendish’s day, but still managed to secure the red jersey as the point’s leader. A breakaway consisting of Olivier Kaisen (Lotto Belisol), Adrian Saez (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Simone Ponzi (Astana), Stefan Denifl (Vacansoleil-DCM), Manuele Boaro (Saxo Bank) and Mickaël Delage (FDJ-BigMat) took off early in the piece but only ever kept a small margin with the peloton. Following the category 3 climb at Poggio alla Croce a combined Team Sky and Rabobank effort pulled the breakaway in.With only 30km to go Manuele Boaro and Saez took off and made a short lived attempt for the stage, whilst the remainder were absorbed into the peloton. Mirko Selvaggi (Vacansoleil-DCM) made a move on the category four Vico, but to no avail, and the attempt by Giovanni Visconti, Kreuziger (Astana) and Scarponi (Lampre-ISD) was thwarted. As the stage finish loomed, it was yet another crash by Sacha Modolo that upset the plans of the main players who were gearing up for a sprint finish. It was here that Ferrari made his move. And crossing the line exuberantly, the controversial rider was clearly ecstatic with his win.

Giro d’Italia 2012 Stage 10 Results

Spanish rider Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) has won stage 10 in Assisi and also claimed the pink jersey as overall leader. Bartosz Huzarski (NetApp) and Giovanni Visconti (Movistar) arriving in second and third place respectively. Race leader Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Barracuda) has moved down to sixth position after a tough fight but couldn’t match Rodriquez who gained a valuable 17 seconds on the Canadian. At 10km a small breakaway group consisting of Guillaume Bonnafond (AG2R); Miguel Mínguez (Euskaltel-Euskadi); Francesco Failli (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia), Matthias Brandle (NetApp) and Martijn Keizer (Vacansoleil-DCM) had put some space on the peloton, but all the contenders weren’t threatened by this and essentially vied amongst themselves. However, as the race progressed towards the intermediate sprint point, the gap began to close. Katusha assumed the role of chasing down the breakaway group, and their main rivals for the pink jersey, Garmin-Barracuda responded in order to protect Hesjedal’s lead. For some time there was jockeying and minor breakouts, but by the 5km point, the peleton had swallowed up the outliers and following the return assent to Assisi, it became a battle between Hesjedal, Rodriguez, Slagter (Rabobank) and Scarponi. But as the race approached the line it was Rodriquez with the assistance of his team mate Moreno who took the stage and the Maglia Rosa.

Position	Name	Country	Team	Time	Difference	Time Bonus
1	RODRIGUEZ OLIVER Joaquin	ESP	KAT	4:25:05	0:00	20"
2	HUZARSKI Bartosz	POL	APP	4:25:07	0:02	12"
3	VISCONTI Giovanni	ITA	MOV	4:25:07	0:02	8"

Giro d’Italia 2012 Stage 9 Results

Spanish rider Francisco Ventoso (Movistar Team) has won stage 9 of the Giro d'Italia, from Giorgio nel Sannio to Frosinone, despite coming off on the final corner. Italians Fabio Felline (Androni Giocattoli) and Giacomo Nizzolo (RadioShack-Nissan) came in second and third respectively. It certainly wasn’t a good day for the sprinters after Goss (Orica-GreenEdge) was taken out by Filippo Pozzato (Farnese Vini - Selle Italia) on the final left hand corner. Mark Cavendish (Sky) and Mark Renshaw (Rabobank) both had to slow and Cavendish himself came off in the confusion. Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Barracuda) retained the leader's jersey after solid work in the saddle throughout the stage, although Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) is an omnipresent threat, in this case an attack with 7kms to go. The attack petered out and he was pulled back in, but only after causing some frayed nerves in the peloton in the process. While both Team Sky and Orica-GreenEdge were doing their best to get their men into position, in this case Goss looked like a definite chance for the stage; the crash on the final corner closed the window for both teams, allowing an unexpected podium result.

Position	Name	Country	Team	Time	Difference	Time Bonus
1	VENTOSO ALBERDI Francisco J.	ESP	MOV	3:39:15	0:00	20"
2	FELLINE Fabio	ITA	AND	3:39:15	0:00	12"
3	NIZZOLO Giacomo	ITA	RNT	3:39:15	0:00	8"

Giro d’Italia 2012 Stage 8 Results

As expected, there has been some major moves in the ranks as the Giro moves deeper into the hills. Paolo Tiralongo (Astana) managed to steal win from Scarponi (Lampre-ISD) with 100 metres to go. Frank Schleck (RadioShack-Nissan) managed to secure third only three seconds behind. In the overall classifications, Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Barracuda) has taken the Maglia Rosa; Marlori's efforts yesterday may have sapped the young riders reserves as he seemed to run of of steam on the final climb. Hesjedal now leads by 15 seconds, with Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) only 2 seconds behind in third. As contenders go, Scarponi’s efforts, while not securing the stage win, did manage to secure valuable time over the likes of Schleck and Rodriguez, and the Italian may yet tie down the overall win.

Position	Name	Country	Team	Time	Difference	Time Bonus
1	TIRALONGO Paolo	ITA	AST	5:51:03	0:00	20"
2	SCARPONI Michele	ITA	LAM	5:51:03	0:00	12"
3	SCHLECK Frank	LUX	RNT	5:51:06	0:03	8"

​Giro d’Italia 2012 Stage 6 Results

In a remarkable solo effort, Colombian rider Miguel Rubiano (Androni Giocattoli) pulled out all stops to take the win in Stage 6 of the 2012 Giro d’Italia at Porto Sant'Elpidio. Part of a breakaway group, he took off on his own at 45km to go. Not only did he manage to secure the 20 second bonus, he also took control of the mountain classification. Overall, Adriano Malori (Lampre-ISD) now dons the pink jersey following his second place in the stage. The undulating terrain began to eat into some, with Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Barracuda), Thor Hushovd (BMC) and Roman Fill (Vacansoleil-DCM) all failing to finish. Others, like Mark Cavendish (Sky) managed to slip through a full 33:12 behind Rubiano. As teams go, Liquigas-Cannondale was driving the main chasing group with the clear intention of keeping Ivan Basso in the running. Race leader Ramunas Navardauskas (Garmin-Barracuda) still appeared to be holding on, but as the race headed to the climb at Montelupone, Navardauskas’ time in the Maglia Rosa came to an end.

Position	Name	Country	Team	Time	Difference	Time Bonus
1	RUBIANO CHAVEZ Miguel Angel	COL	AND	5:38:30	0:00	20"
2	MALORI Adriano	ITA	LAM	5:39:40	1:10	14"
3	GOLAS Michal	POL	OPQ	5:39:40	1:10	8"

Giro d'Italia 2012 Stage 5 Results

Mark Cavendish has done it yet again, winning stage 5 of the Giro d’Italia at Fano. Team Sky, with Geraint Thomas at the helm, were intrinsic in setting up Cavendish’s launch for the line at 150 metres to go. Despite his best efforts Goss (Orica-GreenEdge) couldn’t quite get there, coming in second place by a bike length, with Radio Shack-Nissan rider Daniele Bennati in third. In the overall standings, Ramunas Navardauskas retains the pink jersey. Cavendish now sits in fifth place in the GC standings due to bonus points with Goss sitting in fourth overall. When speaking to the media,  Cavendish made it clear that he has more stage wins in him in the days ahead. Considering this stage win following his nasty fall on Stage 3, it would be foolhardy to doubt his resolve. In stark contrast, Taylor Phinney (BMC) yet again managed to be involved in yet another bingle, this time as a result of Lucas Haedo (Saxo Bank) coming unstuck. He did manage to compose himself, but he seems cursed with terrible luck on almost every stage thus far.

Position	Name	Country	Team	Time	Difference	Time Bonus
1	CAVENDISH Mark	GBR	SKY	4:43:15	0:00	20"
2	GOSS Matthew Harley	AUS	OGE	4:43:15	0:00	12"
3	BENNATI Daniele	ITA	RNT	4:43:15	0:00	8"

In a blistering effort, American team Garmin-Barracuda has secured the Team Time Trial in Verona with a time of 37:04.Their efforts garnered the pink jersey for their Lithuanian rider Ramunas Navardauskas. It’s been four years since Garmin has won the TTT in Palermo and their success in Verona bodes very well for their GC contender Ryder Hesjedal. In stark contrast, the sun has set for BMC rider Taylor Phinney. The American just couldn’t hold on to the pink jersey; his strength and morale had clearly been sapped by crashes and mechanical failures. However it was a good day for Katusha. Their time of 37:09 earned them second place and gave their GC contender Joaquin Rodriguez a healthy time advantage against his rivals leading into the mountain stages. As the Giro heads South, Garmin-Barracuda’s plan seems to be coming to fruition. Their win in Verona means that their general classification contender Ryder Hesjedal has a real chance at the overall win.

Position	Name	Country	Team	Time	Difference
1	NAVARDAUSKAS Ramunas	LTU	GRM	10:01:53	0:00
2	FARRAR Tyler	USA	GRM	10:02:03	0:10
3	HUNTER Robert	RSA	GRM	10:02:03	0:10

Giro d'Italia 2012 Stage 3 Results

Australia’s own Matthew Goss (Orica-GreenEdge) has secured the Stage 3 win narrowly avoiding a nasty crash involving both Cavendish and Phinney. SaxoBank’s Juan Jose Haedo secured second place followed by Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Barracuda) in third. The Orica-GreenEdge team performed very well and easily the better team on the day. This was Goss’s first win of the season and Orica-GreenEdge's first Grand Tour stage win. "It's great to win here in a pure bunch sprint. I'm very happy for the team. There were a lot corners in the finale, that always strings the bunch out but I had a great team." At 2km to go, with Team Sky’s lead-out in disarray, GreenEdge took control, as Goss's rivals struggled to fall in behind. As Cavendish attempted an early launch, Robert Ferrari dramatically moved from his line, taking out Cavendish's front wheel. Both he and Phinney fell foul of the incident, but fortunately weren’t seriously injured. Ferrari however did not fare so well. For his efforts he was relegated to last place for irregular sprinting.

Position	Name	Country	Team	Time	Difference	Time Bonus
1	GOSS Matthew Harley	AUS	OGE	4:20:53	0:00	20"
2	HAEDO Juan Jose'	ARG	SAX	4:20:53	0:00	12"
3	FARRAR Tyler	USA	GRM	4:20:53	0:00	8"

Giro d'Italia 2012 Stage 2 Results

Mark Cavendish (Team Sky) won the second stage of the 2012 Giro d'Italia with Australian Matthew Goss (Orica-GreenEdge) in second and Geoffrey Soupe (FDJ-Big Mat) managing third place. Taylor Phinney (BMC), was able to defend the leaders jersey (but only just) after a minor incident that left him with a 30 second gap to recover in the last 8km. Geraint managed to pilot Cavendish to the win after a solid sprint train from his Sky teammates. The King of the Mountain classification jersey was taken out by Rubiano after a small category 4 climb. At the 40km banner Danish rider Lars Ytting Bak (Lotto Belisol) broke away from the peloton and managed a 44 second gap with 30km to go, but reeled him back to 30 seconds, with Bak relinquishing his solo attempt at 17km to go. Phinney dropped a chain with only 8km to go and while his teammates pulled him back to the front, but at 3.5km to go it was Garmin-Barracuda and GreenEdge in the sprint. A nasty crash at 150m to go left only a clutch of riders to fight it out, and Cavendish, with his characteristically excellent timing, claimed the win.

Position	Name	Country	Team	Time	Difference	Time Bonus
1	CAVENDISH Mark	GBR	SKY	4:53:12	0:00	20"
2	GOSS Matthew Harley	AUS	OGE	4:53:12	0:00	12"
3	SOUPE Geoffrey	FRA	FDJ	4:53:12	0:00	8"

Giro d'Italia 2012 Stage 1 Results

American Taylor Phinney (BMC) dominated the time trial with a strong 10:26, which is BMC's strongest win for the year.  Geraint Thomas of Team Sky managed to grab second place a full nine seconds behind Phinney, followed by the Dane, Alex Rasmussen of Garmin-Barracuda, with a 10:39. Astana’s Roman Kreuziger (Astana) had a good day with a determined ride, crossing the line in 28^th position. Liquigas rider Ivan Basso on the other hand didn’t seem to find his groove and struggled through the stage, arriving in 35^th at 39 seconds. Lampre rider Damiano Cunego had a weak day in the saddle coming in at 124th. Michele Scarponi, the defending maglia rosa had an even direr day coming in three seconds later in 135^th.

Position	Name	Country	Team	Time	Difference	Time Bonus
1	PHINNEY Taylor	USA	BMC	10:26	0:00
2	THOMAS Geraint	GBR	SKY	10:35	0:09
3	RASMUSSEN Alex	DEN	GRM	10:39	0:13

GIRO D’ITALIA – THE COURSE AND THE CONTENDERS 

​The Giro d’Italia 2012 begins in Herning, Denmark on Saturday May 5 and concludes in Milan, Italy on Sunday May 27.

THE RACE

The Giro d'Italia, or simply “The Giro”, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race held over three weeks in May and early June in and around Italy. The Giro, along with the Tour de France and Vuelta a España, is one of the three Grand Tours and a key event in the UCI World Ranking Calendar. The Giro is also one of the coveted Triple Crown of Cycling, along with the UCI World Championships and the Tour de France.

THE HISTORY

On 13 May 1909, 127 riders started the inaugural Giro d'Italia, which took place from Loreto Place in Milan. The race was split into eight stages covering 2448 kilometres. A total of 49 riders finished, with Italian Luigi Ganna coming out on top. Aside from the General Classification win, Ganna won three individual stages. This year we see The Giro begin in the central Danish town of Herning and what are essentially fairly flat stages through East Jutland. From the 9^th, The Giro d’Italia proper begins in the ancient Northern Italian city of Verona. The Giro heads south along the Apennines. On the 14 May the Giro swings north though several mountainous stages, concluding with the Individual Time Trial in the streets of Milan.

THE STAGES

Stage	Date	Start and Finish	Distance	Type
1	5 May	Herning-Herning	8.7 km	Time Trial
2	6 May	Herning–Herning	206 km	Flat
3	7 May	Horsens-Horsens	190 km	Flat
4	9 May	Verona-Verona	33.2 km	Team Time Trial
5	10 May	Modena – Fano	209 km	Flat
6	11 May	Urbino – Porto Sant’Elpidio	210 km	Medium Mountain
7	12 May	Rencanati – Rocca di Cambio	205 km	Medium Mountain
8	13 May	Sulmona-Lago Lanceno	229 km	Medium Mountain
9	14 May	San Giorgio del Sannio – Frosinone	166 km	Flat
10	15 May	Civitavecchia Assisi	186 km	Medium Mountain
11	16 May	Assisi – Montecatini Terme	255 km	Flat
12	17 May	Seravezza – Sestri Levante	155 km	Medium Mountain
13	18 May	Savona – Cervere	121 km	Flat
14	19 May	Cherasco – Cervinia	206 km	High Mountain
15	20 May	Busto Arsizio – Lecco/Pian dei Resinelli	169 km	High Mountain
16	22 May	Limone sul Garda - Falzes/Pfalzen	173 km	Medium Mountain
17	23 May	Falzes/Pfalzen – Cortina d’Ampezzo	186 km	High Mountain
18	24 May	San Vito di Cadore – Vedelago	149 km	Flat
19	25 May	Treviso – Alpe di Pampeago/Val di Fiemme	198 km	High Mountain
20	26 May	Caldes/Val di Sole – Passo dello Stelvio	219 km	High Mountain
21	27 May	Milano – Milano	30.1 km	Time Trial

 

 

THE CONTENDERS

    

    

From Top Left: Michele Scarponi (Lampre ISD), Jon Gadret (AG2R Mondiale), Ivan Baso (Liquigas Cannondale), Roman Kreuziger (Astana), Damiano Cunego (Lampre ISD) and Andy Schleck (RadioShack Nissan Trek).