For months we have waited to see what the Giro’s main contenders would bring to the table once they hit the high Italian mountain passes, and in ten kilometers of fireworks yesterday, our questions were spectacularly answered.
Stage 10 took the Giro peloton up two Category 1 climbs on the way to its first summit finish of 2013.
The route first traversed the Passo Cason di Lanza – a 907m elevation gain that is far less forgiving than its modest average gradient might suggest – before then attacking the Altopiano del Montasio and 22km of climbing that gradually ramps upward to a maximum of 20% near its summit.
In the early stages, a breakaway of thirteen was allowed to build a seven-minute lead as it approached the first climb and Elia Viviani was rewarded for his initiative, snatching vital points in the first intermediate sprint.
From then on, however, Team Sky’s control of the peloton reeled the escapees back in with impressive ease and caused the breakaway to splinter, with its last survivors eventually succumbing to the chase by the beginning of the final climb.
On this final climb, Team Sky continued to push a relentless pace, with riders falling off the back quicker than they could be named by commentators, before an attack by Rigoberto Uran Uran was allowed to disappear up the mountain by an already hurting group.
Uran Uran would never be caught, claiming an impressive victory atop the Montasio; one that will have the other GC contenders watching him far more closely over the coming stages.
Meanwhile, the arguably more exciting action was taking place behind the flying Columbian.
First, Ryder Hesjedal’s lackluster form caught up with him and an early dropping led to him losing over 20 minutes, and any chance of a Giro defense.
The real games didn’t start in earnest, though, until the incline hit its maximum and in the end it was Benat Intxausti who initiated the day’s most telling move.
His attack on the steepest section of the stage was quickly countered by Domenico Pozzovivo, and then Vincenzo Nibali, marked closely by Cadel Evans and Carlos Betancur.
This response brought about a momentary stall as Intxausti realised the ease with which his move had been marked, until all of the jumpers noticed at once that there were three faces missing from their sides: Bradley Wiggins couldn’t respond to the pace change, and neither could Michele Scarponi nor Robert Gesink.
The attackers made the most of the gradients and worked together to capitalise on their break.
Several small moves and counters in the closing two kilometers seemingly did nothing to blunt their momentum, as they stamped home their advantage over their GC rivals.
In the end, Betancur opened a small gap over the final 300m while Nibali, Santambrogio, Evans, Majka, Possovivo finished as a group and in that order.
So, what did we learn today?
Wiggins is beatable but not beaten.
While the major talking point from the day among cycling fans will be likely the dropping of Bradley Wiggins, I wouldn’t read too much into it.
He’s never liked steep gradients, and right up until the steepest ramp where he was dropped was looking as comfortable as anyone.
He rallied to minimize his time losses and will be back with a vengeance in the coming stages, while a high-placed Rigoberto Uran Uran will give Team Sky an enormous tactical advantage.
Vincenzo Nibali has a lot of answers.
Nibali was never under pressure, and never looked like he didn’t have more in him. It will take a lot to steal the Maglia Rosa from his shoulders.
Never play poker against Cadel Evans!
It’s official: Cadel’s back.
While his impressive results over the first week of racing provided us with a lot of optimism regarding his form, his real test was always going to be the high climbs.
He looked as strong as almost anyone today, and a completely different rider to the one we’ve seen in recent months.
I don’t doubt that he had been lacking form leading into the Giro, but surely he knew something the bookies didn’t.
Either way, it’s been great to watch him silencing the critics yet again.
People were calling for his retirement in 2008, to which he answered with a Road Race World Championship.
They were again calling for curtains in 2010, before he responded with a Tour de France victory.
Would you bet against a third comeback?
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