[Giro 2003]Stage 19 - Rumble in the Tunnels

[Giro Reporter]

Stage 19 -

Today's Giro Trivia Question:
How many Belgians have won the Giro D'Italia?
==============================================

The blood still flows from yesterday's wounds - in the shuffle and pains 
of the finish, I missed that Julio Perez of Ceramiche Panaria - last 
year's GpM winner - did not finish stage 18.

A stunning 37 riders were eliminated at the end of yesterday's helacious 
climbing stage (see below**).  Last man up the final climb was Points 
Competition Leader Alessandro Petacchi, who has handed his cyclimina 
jersey across to the shoulders of Stefano Garzelli.  Clearly in pain 
from his crash injuries, he finished outside the time limit, nearly 50 
minutes behind.

It doesn't seem like anyone would have complained if the race officials 
let these guys finish - and if they used a more Tour de France-type 
calculation, taking into account the severity of the climbs, no one 
would have been clipped off.  But, a Giro is just not complete without 
some kind of scandal, and I'd rather see this one than another drug raid.

And there is, of course, racing to be enjoyed today -
We've contined through the beautiful Alp-like parts of northern Italy, 
through green hills and overcast skies.  No rains or snow today, but the 
sun just won't cooperate with the riders.

With 25 km to go and all the climbing still to come, a breakaway had 
been out on the roadway, consisting of mostly climbers.  As the riders 
catch a whiff of incline, Rinaldo Nocentini from Fromaggi Trenti Fiave 
skips out of this breakaway pack and scoots up the roadway - while 
behind, the Caldirola-led peleton begins to turn up the heat a bit. 
Nocentini is about 2 minutes away from the main group, enjoying a lead 
that is dropping by the pedal stroke.

In the main group, Marco Pantani rides along, having shaken off the 
shuddering impacts of yesterday's crash.  At about 19 km to go in this 
longest stage, Nocentini is gathered in by the depleted three man chase 
group - Alessio's Denis Lunghi, Sergei Adyeyev from 
Landbouwkrediet-Colnago and Constantino Zaballa of Kelme.

At the head of the peleton, Garzelli and his Caldirola teammates marshal 
the efforts, while Landbouwkrediet-Colnago hover in their immediate wake 
with Saeco.

The Cascata del Toce has not been used in the Giro before, and climbs 
for about 18 km at an average gradient of over 5%.  It's definitely more 
of a power climb, and the peleton has worked its way up to bottle 
throwing distance behind the breakaway group. There's still about 13 km 
to climb, but it's begun in earnest now - suddenly it's raining helmets 
- all in the main group chucking the polystyrene prisons over to a group 
of waiting soigneurs and opportunistic fans. Since the finishing climb 
is more than 5 km, the riders are allowed to remove them.

The devil sets a great pace and matches the chase group.  The 
scuttlebutt is that he'd been over at the Peace Race, but left after 
someone tried to take the massive bicycle that he drags along with him.

Popovych has classic Cat3 helmet hair, which shows up dramatically on 
the images. Clearly, there is a drastic side effect of the helmet rule 
that no one took into account.

Three Caldirola-Sidermec riders up front, as Stefan Zampieri sets the 
pace, riders steadily drip off the back as Eddy Mazzoleni follows in 
Garzelli's pocket as they switchback up the sinuous climb.  The group of 
the Maglia Rosa has been whittled down to 25 or 30 riders.

The thickening crowd contains huge numbers of Caltrans-orange clad 
workers - last year that was the color of the "Simoni Hooligans", who 
hopefully will _not_ be making a showing.

Garzelli and his Caldirolians are desparately trying to crack Popovych, 
continuing to drive the pace.  But, he looks pretty smooth as they 
continue up right and up left.  Simoni continues to calmly sit in and 
seems to be sweating slightly.

Much to the delight of Phil, Charlie Wegelius has managed to hang in 
there with the bunch, riding for De Nardi-Colpack.

Il Brontolo = "The Grumpy One"

Fassa Bortolo's Kim Kirchen drifts back with a couple of helmets to 
place in the Shimano neutral sevice car.  The sole Luxembuger in the 
race has some greagario duties, but he's ridden well.

Let me correct that - he'as _riding_ well - Kirchen fires away as they 
cut right, roll across a brige and cut left.  Pietro Caucchioli of 
Alessio zips immediately onto his wheel and the two move away.  It is 
not yet a severe climb as they continue to move through the valley which 
contains below the cascades which give the finish its name.  Caucchioli 
was the highest placed finisher from last year's Giro.

Now with 5 km to go, the hill begins to bite a bit, and the leading pair 
hold a 12 second gap.

Harkening from the days of old, Marco Pantani hauls up and away, in the 
drops and out of the saddle.  The sound of crackling wax, scabs and 
tendons is almost audible as he visibly loses years.  Pantani doesn't 
quite streak away, with Dario Frigo, Wladimir Belli, Gilberto Simoni and 
Fanco Pellizotti grasping into the slipstream and clawing up towards him 
- but, it doesn't look like Popovych and Garzelli have been able to hold 
the wheel in this split.  Garzelli has drifted back slightly from 
Popovych's wheel - and he needs every seconed.

Pantani surveys the damage and realizes there's a split.  He hits it 
again a few times, and this time Simoni moves hard to hold his wheel. 
Garzelli finds himself with Raimondas Rumsas trying to hammer again, 
clawing back up towards the leading riders.

Pantani now lights it hard and streaks up the roadway.  There's a 
visible gap, but an even harder reaction from the chasers. They don't 
want to let the reborn Italian climber get a gap. Garzelli had moved 
back up to the group with Popovych and Simoni, swelling the bunch back 
up to 15 or so.  Mazzoleni rolls up to Pantani and shoots a look his 
way. It's hard to say if Pantani has another shot in the cylinder, but 
it was a beautiful moment when he made his attacks.

Now Big-Hair-Pellizotti moves up and away, immediately chased by Simoni. 
  Pantani hucks it hard to try to grab Simoni's wheel, but he just comes 
up short and cannot match this new accelleration.

Simoni catches Pellizotti and moves to the front  They have found a gap 
now of 40 or 50 meters.  Frigo leads the chase and the small group 
begins to splinter again. Pantani now sits among a couple Mercatone Uno 
riders at the back of the chase group.

At the head of the race, Simoni leads Pellizotti into a hugely long snow 
tunnel, and the climb kicks up noticeably.  It's open to the side, as is 
the custom, so we can make out official motorbikes and racers jerseys. 
Somewhere under the grassy tunnel, an accelleration by Simoni clips off 
the now crosseyed Pelizzotti.

In the chase group, Popovych has taken up the reigns and sets the pace, 
doing all that he can to collect seconds.  But, his bunch has fallen 
behind the Frigo-led a group of three.

Simoni finally pops out of the snow shed, clearly wanting this win.

Frigo's group has scooped up Pellizotti, with Noe now hitting them at 
the front to see if they can keep the Alessio logo up in the rankings. 
But, Frigo begins to accellerate, first with a moderated hesitation, and 
then in earnest.  He has plans to ditch these buggers before the line 
arrives.

Gilberto Simoni crosses to win his 3rd stage of this years Giro, 
Mazzoleni follows Frigo in, for some reason having been loosened from 
the constraints of pacing Garzelli.

Emerging from rumble in the tunnels, Popovych has clipped off Garzelli, 
who rolls in about 8 or 9 seconds in arrears.  Popovych now sits two 
seconds behind Garzelli.

Simoni has been showing an incredible dominance in this race, after 
being unceremoniously dinged out of last year's event.  He's returned to 
this Giro D'Italia highly motivated to show everyone just how good his 
form is. To watch him continunally move off the front when he has a 
solid lead is reminiscent of the aggressive tour winners of the past. 
This has become a Giro of panache and aggressive riding, rather than 
safety and second counting.

Stage 19 -
1 - Gilberto Simoni - Saeco - 6:20:05
2 - Dario Frigo - Fassa Bortolo - @ :03
3 - Eddie Mazzoleni - Caldirola-Sidermec - s.t.
4 - Andrea Noe - Alessio - @ :10
5 - Franco Pellizotti - Alessio - @:13
6 - Wladimir Belli - Lampre - @:21
7 - Raimondas Rumsas - Lampre - @:27
8 - Yaroslav Popovych - Landbouwkrediet-Colnago - s.t.
9 - Stefano Garzelli - Caldirola-Sidermec - @:35
10 - Aitor Gonzalez - Fassa Bortolo - s.t.

Overall -
Maglia Rosa - Gilberto Simoni - 85:44:39
2 - Stefano Garzelli - @8:04
3 - Yaroslav Popovych - @8:06
4 - Andra Noe - @9:49
5 - Georg Totschnig - Gerolsteiner - @10:35
6 - Raimondas Rumsas - @11:01
7 - Dario Frigo - @12:38
8 - Franco Pellizotti - @14:21

Vittoria Adorni has held the biggest gap for around 38 years - somewhere 
in the 11 minute range.  At this rate, Simoni probably won't match it, 
but he will solidly notch into second in the record for largest victory 
gap in the Giro D'Italia.


**Stage 18 - Riders Outside time limit
--------------------------------------
98 Jimmy Casper (Fra) FDJeux.com                             40.27
99 Matteo Carrara (Ita) De Nardi-Colpack
100 Fabio Sacchi (Ita) Team Saeco
101 Alexis Rodriguez (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca
102 David Derepas (Fra) FDJeux.com
103 Frederic Guesdon (Fra) FDJeux.com
104 Massimo Apollonio (Ita) Vini Caldirola-SO.DI
105 Dario Pieri (Ita) Team Saeco
106 Seweryn Kohut (Pol) CCC-Polsat
107 Andrus Aug (Est) De Nardi-Colpack
108 Regis Lhuillier (Fra) FDJeux.com
109 Robert Forster (Ger) Gerolsteiner
110 Gert Steegmans (Bel) Lotto-Domo
111 Frank Hoj (Den) Team fakta-Pata Chips
112 Giuseppe Palumbo (Ita) De Nardi-Colpack
113 Bogdan Bondariew (Ukr) CCC-Polsat
114 Steffen Weigold (Ger) Gerolsteiner
115 Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Fassa Bortolo
116 Werner Riebenbauer (Aut) Team fakta-Pata Chips
117 Guido Trenti (USA) Fassa Bortolo
118 Gianpaolo Mondini (Ita) Domina Vacanze-Elitron
119 Daniele Bennati (Ita) Domina Vacanze-Elitron
120 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) FDJeux.com
121 Scott Davis (Aus) Ceramiche Panaria-Fiordo
122 Ruslan Gryschenko (Ukr) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago
123 Giuseppe Muraglia (Rus) Formaggi Pinzolo Fiave
124 Nick Gates (Aus) Lotto-Domo
125 Angelo Furlan (Ita) Alessio
126 Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Team fakta-Pata Chips
127 Jorgen Bo Petersen (Den) Team fakta-Pata Chips
128 Alberto Ongarato (Ita) Domina Vacanze-Elitron
129 John Freddy Garcia (Col) Colombia-Selle Italia           40.35
130 Moreno Di Biase (Ita) Formaggi Pinzolo Fiave             40.36
131 Dario David Cioni (Ita) Fassa Bortolo                    50.44
132 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Fassa Bortolo                  50.45



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Trivia Answer:

3 - Eddie Merckx, Michel Pollentier and Johan DeMunck

==============================