Giro: Evans takes spectacular stage on the strade bianche!

Last week I still mentioned on my blog that over the past few years the Giro d' Italia has become the most exciting big stage race to watch, and yesterday's epic stage in Tuscany underlined that once more. The 220km course to Montalcino included several stretches of the so-called strade bianche, unpaved roads that are typical of the region. These rolling gravel paths, sometimes with steep bits of up to 14%, also feature in the early season race L'Eroica, which is Italy's response to Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders. Giro organiser Zomegnan was brave enough to include some of these stretches in the stage plan, and he certainly did not think it would rain all day..


Already in the morning the reporters from La Gazzetta were reporting tempo da lupi in Montalcino, as it was raining cats and dogs and fog had descended upon the area. The strade bianche had effectively turned into muddy paths when the riders arrived and as such it really revoked the spirit of Gino Bartali and cycling da altri tempi. Riders' opinions were divided afterwards, understandably as many probably never expected this stage to be so tough, but for the fans and spectators it was a spectacular show that will be remembered for many years to come.

Kazakh protagonist Alexandre Vinkourov and Australia's world champion Cadel Evans (winners of the L-B-L and Fleche Wallonne classics last month) proved to cope best with the unusual conditions and they managed to ride away on the steeper sections a few times. But Italians Stefano Garzelli and especially Damiano Cunego took the bit between their teeth and refused to surrender. Cunego attacked as well at some point but the others came back. They were an elite group of seven riders, with Pinotti and Arroyo desperately trying to hang on. Race leader Vincenzo Nibali, along with Ivan Basso, Michele Scarponi and a few other race favourites, were behind limiting the damage after a big crash before the first stretch of unpaved roads. 2008 Tour de France winner Carlos Sastre could not deal at all with the circumstances and lost more than five minutes taking him out of contention for the overall Giro win.


In the final kilometres Vinokourov attacked again and saw only Evans return to him. But in the narrow streets of Montalcino Cunego still came back and took the wheel of Evans who started the final uphill sprint in front. The world champion was so strong the normally faster Cunego could not come out of his wheel anymore, and as such took a fantastic stage victory! Vinokourov, third, grabbed the maglia rosa, and actually has a rather comfortable margin over Evans, Nibali, Basso and co in the overall classifications. Like him or not, but Vinokourov is very much back at the top of the sport!

At the post-race conference Vino claimed this stage was harder than Paris-Roubaix and he doubted whether it belonged to a stage race like the Giro d' Italia. I would say definitely so, nobody can plan the weather, but I can imagine a rest day afterwards would be warranted instead of a mountain stage that finishes on the Terminillo.