Giro d'Italia 2015: Stage 15 preview
Map and profile
Cioni says
It’s the first major Dolomite stage, but one of the most important factors is how they recover from the previous day. This isn’t the longest, and nor the hardest, but I do think it could do some damage coming off the back of 60km against the watch.
There’s a good chance that a climber with no interest in the pink jersey will win. They ought to have had a comparatively easy ride the previous day, so they ought to be relatively fresh. You can expect to see a lot of attacks on the Passo Doane, because the chances are that the maglia rosa group won’t start to race until the final climb.
Then again it’s the day before the rest day, so if anybody from the GC group had a bad time trial they might take some risks early on the final climb. I don’t think it will be a huge stage for time differences, but it promises to be a really good day’s racing…
The events of 6 June 1999, when Marco Pantani was expelled from the Giro, are indelible for Italian sports fans. Though the controversy would rumble on, the consequences would be unthinkable for poor Pantani himself and for the sport of cycling.
What’s often overlooked amid the recrimination and the sadness is what preceded that fateful day. Going into the penultimate stage – a Dolomite mammoth Pantani looked certain to win – he had dominated the race. Not only had he won four stages, but he’d given the impression that he was toying with the rest. He attacked where and when he wanted, and seemingly took as much time as he wanted. The result was that even Italians who didn’t much care for cycling started tuning in. Il Pirata had started to transcend the sport, to become a superstar who happened to ride a bike.
Previously, cycling had been dominated by the gentle giant Miguel Indurain. Totally devoid of conceit, he would gladly throw bones to the third estate of the peloton. It had all been very cosy, but it hadn’t made for scintillating viewing. Pantani, on the other hand, was becoming insatiable. In that sense he was a mix between The Cannibal Merckx and the great climber, Charly Gaul. Within the peloton, however, there were already dissenting voices. Switzerland’s Pascal Richard bemoaned a lack of empathy on Pantani’s part, while Gilberto Simoni suggested his Mercatone Uno team were getting above their station. The whole thing seemed to be spinning out of control…
![](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/j0riqebpsw1715769462.png)
Thank you for reading 5 articles in the past 30 days*
Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read any 5 articles for free in each 30-day period, this automatically resets
After your trial you will be billed £4.99 $7.99 €5.99 per month, cancel anytime. Or sign up for one year for just £49 $79 €59
![](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/j0riqebpsw1715769462.png)
Join now for unlimited access
Try your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Most Popular
Latest on Cyclingnews
-
'Finally feel like a cyclist again' - Thomas Gloag to race for the first time in 362 days after being hit by a car in training
Talented young Brit makes return at four-day Czech Tour with Visma-Lease a Bike -
Volta a Portugal em Bicicleta: Rafael Reis wins prologue
Julius Johansen second as American Tyler Stites makes podium -
The Rift Gravel – Decker and Svendsen use two-up sprints to win elite titles at Gravel Earth Series stop in Iceland
Tiago Ferreira comes second in men's sprint while Karolina Migon claims women's runner-up spot -
Tour de Wallonie: Markus Hoelgaard outsprints Jimmy Janssens for stage 3 victory
Matteo Trentin wins the bunch sprint for third, as Corbin Strong maintains overall lead