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87th Giro d'Italia - Grand Tour
Italy, May 8-30, 2004
Map Stages Stage profile Start List Results Latest live report
Stage 13 - May 22: Trieste - Altopiano Carsico ITT, 52 Km
Commentary by Chris Henry
Complete live report
Live coverage starts: 14:30 CEST
Estimated finish time: 17:15 CEST
14:30 CEST
Welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of stage 13 of the Giro d'Italia. The
Giro is now two weeks old and today is a crucial stage, the big individual time
trial. The high mountains are stacked at the end of this year's Giro, and will
ultimately prove decisive, but today's time trial is an important test for the
GC contenders and the results of this stage will set things up for the mountains
to come.
Saeco's Damiano Cunego is still in the maglia rosa but he could be put under
pressure today. Australian Brad McGee, winner of the prologue, could move himself
back up in the general classification ahead of the pure climbers who may struggle
with the long 52km parcours. A battle is also brewing between defending champion
Gilberto Simoni and Yaroslav Popovych, while the man who finished between them
on last year's podium, Stefano Garzelli, seems to have been lacking a little
punch on the climbs this year. Can he make up time on Gibo in the TT?
14:39 CEST
So far today it's the big Swede, Magnus Bäckstedt, leading the standings
in the time trial. Fifty four out of the 152 starters have completed the test.
14:50 CEST
Over such a long parcours, which isn't exactly flat either, the time gaps are
bound to be big today. Already among the early starters (the start order is
the reverse of the general classification) the difference between the fastest
time set by Bäckstedt and last place Corrado Serina is eight and a half
minutes...
15:02 CEST
To recap the standings the general classification, Damiano Cunego leads his
Saeco teammate by 16", followed by Franco Pellizotti (Alessio) at 34", Yaroslav
Popovych (Landbouwkrediet) at 40", Giuliano Figueras (Ceramiche Panaria) at
58", and Stefano Garzelli (Vini Caldirola) at 1'15.
Meanwhile, Rubens Bertogliati (Saunier Duval) has just bumped Bäckstedt
from the top spot, beating the Paris-Roubaix winner's time by 20".
15:16 CEST
The fast man out of the blocks so far is Fassa Bortolo's Marzio Bruseghin, who
has set the time to beat at the first check points. At the 29 km mark he's 37"
faster than Bertogliati.
15:21 CEST
Bruseghin is still on pace to set the best time, clocking in 34" faster than
Bertogliati after 44 kilometres. Bruseghin has been a key team rider for Fassa
Bortolo and the "silver train", which has delivered Alessandro Petacchi to victory
in six out of the twelve stages covered thus far.
However, it's Dario David Cioni who is Fassa Bortolo's best-placed rider in
the general classification, sitting comfortably in 7th (at 1'19) at the start
of today's stage.
15:32 CEST
Bruseghin came in to set the fastest time, pushing Bertogliati back by almost
a minute. For the moment nobody behind the Fassa Bortolo rider is mounting a
threat through the intermediate time checks.
15:35 CEST
The top favourites are starting now, with FDJeux.com's Brad McGee taking off
from the start ramp in Trieste. Besides McGee, another top contender for today's
time trial is Serguei Gontchar (De Nardi), who already has a handful of Giro
TT victories to his name.
15:39 CEST
When Cyclingnews spoke with prologue winner McGee on the Giro's first rest day,
the Australian sounded excited at the prospect of challenging for the maglia
rosa in this time trial, even if he knows the high mountains will likely keep
his overall ambitions in check.
"It's something we've talked about... It's a possibility," he said of taking
back the jersey which he has held twice so far. "That would be pretty exciting,
coming so late in the Giro, to be back in the fight for the jersey. The major
climbs come later in the tour, which leaves me still in the fight for now."
15:43 CEST
McGee, who is clearly riding for the stage win, has taken a bit of a risk and
almost overshot a turn. He's through ok, keeping it upright and managing not
to smack into a wall in the process.
Rinaldo Nocentini (acqua & Sapone) has inserted himself into the provisional
top five, 59" behind Bruseghin's time.
15:47 CEST
The rain is starting to fall now, which could affect the times of the late starters.
McGee is looking smooth as he tackles one of the climbs before the first time
check.
Gontchar is in the start house now, about to begin his effort.
15:50 CEST
Lampre's Juan Manuel Garate has passed through the first time check one second
faster than Bruseghin, who during his ride set the time to beat at each intermediate
check. Can Garate maintain this speed?
The roads are quite wet now from the rain.
15:55 CEST
McGee is looking very strong on the bike but has had to take it easy through
the turns because of the rain.
On one of the early climbs, with a short stretch at 15%, Gontchar is grinding
an enormous gear to get over the hill. The styles of McGee and Gontchar are
a study in contrast. McGee is smooth, turning the legs quickly, while Gontchar
is all power and big gears.
16:00 CEST
Confirmation for McGee, who has set the fastest time at the first time check.
He's gone through seven seconds faster than Garate.
16:03 CEST
McGee is on the second part of the long climb. He crests the summit 10" faster
than Bruseghin's time at the same point.
Gontchar is really labouring on the bike. He doesn't look fast, but he's a powerful
rider and it will be interesting to see his intermediate time.
The final starters are beginning. Garzelli and Popovych are off, Simoni is now
taking the start.
16:09 CEST
Gontchar has passed through the first time check at 4 seconds behind McGee's
time. Ahead on the road, Garate has slowed a bit and is behind Bruseghin's time
at the next checks.
Race leader Cunego is awaiting his start, looking very relaxed. He is unlikely
to challenge in the stage, but a good ride could perhaps keep him in pink. He's
off, beginning what will be a soggy hour of riding against the clock.
16:12 CEST
The big surprise so far is Stefano Garzelli, who has passed through the first
time check 3" faster than McGee. The first half of the course contains the major
difficulties, which Garzelli has mastered, but he may have trouble staying ahead
in the time checks on the flatter, faster second half.
16:21 CEST
Stefano Garzelli has had to change bikes. The change was quick and he's rolling
again.
Gilberto Simoni has passed through the first time check with a respectable time,
just 11" behind Garzelli.
McGee's time is holding at the second time check but he's not yet made a big
difference relative to Marzio Bruseghin, who still has the time to beat at the
finish. Popovych and Garzelli are both pushing things very close at the early
checks.
16:24 CEST
Simoni has gone down! He's slipped on the slick roads but is back up and getting
a push from his mechanic. He was in a huge gear and needed a real hand to get
rolling again. His rear wheel slipped out on a painted white arrow on the road.
Garzelli, meanwhile, has lost considerable time by the second time check.
16:28 CEST
Former Giro winner Pavel Tonkov (Vini Caldirola) has come across the finish
line in a modest time of 1 hour 11 minutes.
Cunego has passed through the first time check but he's well off the pace, losing
20" already.
16:30 CEST
Simoni has a lump on his leg and cuts on his arm from his fall. His skinsuit
is ripped and he looks to have fallen rather heavily.
Popovych has passed through the second time check several seconds behind McGee's
time.
16:36 CEST
Simoni is now 50" behind McGee at the second time check. Another rider off the
pace is Pellizotti, who is 56" back. His third place in the general classification
is very much in jeopardy.
16:40 CEST
Cunego has lost 57" at the 19km mark and his quickly losing his grasp on the
maglia rosa.
Brad McGee is heading into the home stretch and he looks to have taken back
time on Bruseghin. Indeed. He comes across the line in a new best time, 26"
faster than Bruseghin.
16:46 CEST
McGee did a good ride in the finale of today's course, taking back considerable
time on Gontchar and Bruseghin, both of whom had moved ahead the third time
check. Gontchar's time at 29.8 kilometres is still the fastest.
Simoni is 1'07 back at this check, about 10" behind arch rival Garzelli.
16:53 CEST
Still waiting for confirmation of Popovych's time at the third time check, but
the Ukrainian is looking very strong and should solidify his position in the
general classification, perhaps taking the maglia rosa in the process. Popovych
is the best-placed of the time trial specialists.
Another rider who has had an unfortunate fall is Sven Montgomery of Gerolsteiner.
His right shoulder is ripped and he looks to be bleeding fairly heavily. He's
lost many minutes and will slide down the GC. Montgomery started the day in
13th place, just over 2 minutes behind Cunego.
16:56 CEST
Serguei Gontchar has just stormed across the finish line 18" faster than Brad
McGee. A nice ride by Gontchar, but it looks as though Popovych will give him
a good run for the money.
17:02 CEST
Sven Montgomery is getting his shoulder iced at the finish, looking rather dejected
after his fall and subsequent time loss in the general classification.
Popovych, meanwhile, is still flying and looking quite smooth. The rain has
stopped and the roads are drying out, even if the second half of the parcours
is much less technical and less dangerous.
17:04 CEST
Garzelli has come across the line. He's done a good time of 1.09.15, good enough
for 11th place at the moment. For a non-time trial specialist, who also had
to contend with an early bike change, it's a solid result for last year's Giro
runner-up.
17:08 CEST
Popovych, despite picking up steam mid-course, has just finished 34" down on
Gontchar! That puts him in third so far on the stage, but he looks satisfied
at the finish, most likely because he should take the jersey by mere seconds
over Gontchar.
17:13 CEST
Simoni is coming home now, more than two minutes behind Gontchar's time.
He finishes 14th on the stage, 2'31 back, and is quickly attended to by his
soigneur.
17:16 CEST
Pellizotti will be the next to finish, having started between Cunego and Simoni
to avoid having two Saeco riders starting one after another. Pelizzotti's time
is not bad. He finishes 9th on the stage, taking back some time on Simoni.
The last rider to finish will be the maglia rosa, Damiano Cunego.
17:18 CEST
Cunego is in the final kilometre now, but is without doubt out of the leader's
jersey. All things considered, he's done a respectable ride.
17:20 CEST
Cunego is across the line, making Gontchar the official stage winner and Popovych
the new maglia rosa. Gontchar is into second overall, McGee has moved into third.
Results
1 Serguei Gontchar (Ukr) De Nardi 1.06.45 2 Brad McGee (Aus) FDJeux.com 0.18 3 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago 0.34 4 Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 0.44 5 Rubens Bertogliati (Swi) Saunier Duval-Prodir 1.32 General classification after stage 13 1 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago 56.39.40 2 Serguei Gontchar (Ukr) De Nardi 0.03 3 Brad McGee (Aus) FDJeux.com 1.02 4 Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Saeco 1.27 5 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Alessio-Bianchi 1.32 6 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Saeco 1.48
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