Giro: Scarponi wins thriller in Valtellina as Basso battles towards pink!

This year's Giro d' Italia is a classic. Fuoco e fiamme, as Marco Saligari, commentator on Gazzetta TV, puts it. I cannot remember having followed a more exciting Grand Tour since the famous 8-second Tour de France in 1989. Yesterday's royal stage across the steep mountains in northern Lumbardy developed into a formidable thriller that got cycling fans clustered to the screen non-stop for nearly three hours! At the end, Michele Scarponi took victory in Aprica ahead of the Liquigas duo of Ivan Basso and Vincenzo Nibali, with Basso finally grabbing the maglia rosa - the pink leader's jersey - at the expense of Spaniard David Arroyo.

But Basso had to dig awfully deep. Arroyo, who got into the race's lead somewhat by accident following a successful breakway in the stage to L'Aquila nearly two weeks ago, fought like a true warrior in defence of his jersey with intelligent riding on the Passo del Mortirolo and risking his health in the subsequent wet descent. The Caisse d' Epargne rider, usually the lieutenant of team captain Alejandro Valverde in stage races like these, did not follow the pace of the best climbers on the initial steep slopes of the Mortirolo and instead settled into his own rhythm. A great and cold-blooded tactic that paid off as on top of the Mortirolo (12km long, 10,5% on average with several bits up to 18% steep) Arroyo was surprisingly only 1'50" behind the leading trio of Basso, Nibali and Scarponi. The other Giro protagonists like Evans, Sastre, Vinoukourov, Gadret, Cunego were all struggling in between. It was all man-to-man. Veteran Stefano Garzelli, a superb winner of the mountain time trial on Kronplatz last Tuesday, had tried his luck with a brave and solid attack on the Valico di Santa Cristina earlier on, but the 37-year-old ran out of steam on the Mortirolo. Garzelli is an example for any young aspiring rider. Someone whose commitment to the sport and whose riding style -both aggressive and intelligent - has given him more successes than one could have expected. It is rather sad that Garzelli crashed badly in the descent of the Mortirolo, which may end his potentially final Giro prematurely.

Rain had come down on the riders, turning the descent of the Mortirolo into a hair-raising affair. Many riders missed corners, including Basso, Vinokourov and especially Evans who got off the road coming out of a hairbend and nearly slammed into a campervan! But David Arroyo was fearless. On his own he descended like mad in the wet and down in Edolo he caught Vinokourov and brought the gap to the leaders down to a mere 38 seconds!! Basso needed to make up 2'28" on Arroyo to get pink, so 10 km before the finish line the Giro was very much back into Arroyo's hands! But then the road started to go climb again towards Aprica. A very annoying stretch were sheer leg power was required. Thanks to his teammate Nibali and to Scarponi, Basso had the advantage there. Arroyo had to chase very much on his own, as Vinokourov was visibly dead. Also Evans, Gadret and Sastre were just happy enough they were still there. Evans never really surrenders, but his legs were gone. Sastre - the most boring and colourless 'star' rider of recent memory - mainly stuck to sucking wheels. Basso, Nibali and Scarponi, all visibly exhausted, increased their lead to over 3 minutes by the finish. Arroyo fought like a lion but the pink jersey was gone (the photo on the left says it all).

Today the Giro peloton has yet another 5000 Hm to conquer. They will go across the Forcola di Livigno and Gavia passes (2610m high!), but forecast snowfall might jeopardise the route. In any case, I do no expect another big battle. Everyone's knackered and the general classification seems rather fixed now. Only Cadel Evans needs to try something if he still wants a spot on the podium in Verona tomorrow.

Photos by cyclingnews.com

Links

Highlights stage 19 - Gazzetta TV

Tutto sul Giro d' Italia