Alessandro Bertolini broke away to win the 11th stage of the Giro d'Italia,
which started in Urbania and finished after 199 kilometres in Cesena. The 36-year old Italian veteran from the Diquigiovanni-Androni
team beat Pablo Lastras (Caisse d'Epargne) by 7 seconds and Fortunato Baliani (CSF), who crashed in the final stretch, by
16 seconds. Baliani's teammate Tiziano dall'Antonia came in fourth, 42 seconds behind stage winner Bertolini.
The group with the overall favourites, following
Bennati’s pace, arrived 3 minutes and 55 seconds behind Bertolini. Giovanni Visconti (Quick Step) held on to the 'Maglia
Rosa', which he conquered in the Peschici stage. He has been wearing the leaders jersey for six days now.
173 riders took off at the starting line: Bellotti,
Moletta and Steurs did not start. Moletta was suspended from his team, Gerolsteiner, due to application of their internal
Code of Ethics, because his father is allegedly involved in an antidoping investigation. An initial attack by Rodriguez and
Millar was neutralised.
After 42 kilometres and the first hour of racing,
a group of five riders broke away: Dall’Antonia, Bertolini, Lastras, Mangel and Veikkanen. In San Marino, the first
Mountain of the day, the group had a lead of 7' 38“, while Santambrogio crashedl and was forced to abandone the race.
The riders then climbed the Carpegna, a category
one climb which is famous because of the way Pantani once rushed to the top. It was raining, and because of the fog the riders
couldn't see very well, and Soler and Verbrugghe abandoned as well.
The LPR-Ballan team moved to the front of the main
group, and stepped up the pace: above all Spezialetti did a great job for Danilo Di Luca. Di Luca leading, then Kloden, Contador,
Riccò, Simoni, and gradually all the other overall favourites caught up, while overall leader Visconti was dropped.
At the summit of Carpegna (with 91 kilometres to
go) the breakaway group had a lead of 5' 05“ on the group with the overall favourites and 6':12“ on the small
group including Bettini (who then caught up on the descent) and 7' 18“ on the group including Visconti.
Bertolini and Dall'Antonia crashed on the descent.
On the Perticara climb.(with 60 kilometres to go): Dall’Antonia, Bertolini, Lastras, Mangel and Veikkanen had a lead
of 1' 04“ on Bosisio and Baliani, who broke out of the group of the overall favourites, which was joined by Visconti
again. At that moment the breakaway group had a lead of 5' 45“ on the group with the overall favourites. With 40 kilometres
to go Baliani caught up with the race leaders, while Bosisio was delayed by a chrash and had to stop. Towards Monteleone Riccò
tried to attack, but the Saunier Duval rider did not manage to get away.
The breakaway group still had a lead of 3' 28“
on the group with the favourites, Visconti was slightly behind that group (3' 51“). Near Sorrivoli there was a major
crash: Sella, Piepoli, Visconti and Leipheimer were involved. On the descent it was a free for all: Di Luca and Savoldelli
fought the hardest while Visconti, hindered by a crash, remained behind, but without risking his jersey.
The group that broke away in the first hour of the
race battled for the stage victory, even though Veikkanen, Mangel and Dall’Antonia had lost contact with the rest of
the group.
The Giro will continue tomorrow with the 12th stage
which will start in Forlì and the riders will finish after 172 kilometres in Carpi. At tomorrows stage there are no specific
difficulties. A sprint is expected in this stage as well as on Fridays stage in Cittadella. Two relatively calm days for those
who want to win the overall before Saturday’s uphill finish on the Pampeago.
