May 25/12 13:48 pm - Giro d'Italia: Stage 19 results

Posted by Editoress on 05/25/12
 

The Czech Republic's Roman Kreuziger (Astana Pro Team) won the mountain stage of the Giro d'Italia from Treviso to Alpe di Pampeago with a daring solo attack.

Kreuziger finished 17 seconds ahead of Canada's Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Barracuda), with Spain's Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha Team) third at 32 seconds.

Rodriguez kept the race leader's pink jersey but Hesjedal is now just 17 seconds behind with just two stages remaining. Italy's Michele Scarponi (Lampre-ISD) is third overall at 1:39.

Kreuziger said: “Losing time on the stage to Cortina is still painful for me to accept and even this stage win can't heal that scare. I'd worked hard to try and win the Giro d'Italia and being dropped on the Passo Giau by the other favourites was difficult to take.” 

“Things went a lot better today. We started the stage with the idea of helping Paolo Tiralongo secure a top ten finish. When he was dropped the team told to not worry about him and ride my own race.”

“I was going to wait before attacking but then Cataldo attacked and so I went with him. While I was with him I managed to share the work but then when I was on my own and then in the last two kilometres, it was really hard. I only started to think I had a chance of victory in the last two hundred metres and that's when I gave it absolutely everything.”

Rodriguez said: “Today was a day to gain time on Hesjedal but the opposite happened and I lost time. He looked at us, put his team on the front to work and then dropped us. I can only congratulate him. He was really strong.”

“When Scarponi started attacking it hurt but that's part of racing. When Hesjedal attacked he was really strong and it was too much for me. I decided to climb at my own pace, following Pozzovivo, otherwise I'd have cracked.” 

“Tomorrow is a very important stage. I suffered today but as I've always said, the Giro d'Italia is fought day after day, all the way to Milan. Ryder is good at time trials and so he's not a surprise for me.”

“We climb the Mortirolo tomorrow. It's a climb I like a lot. A lot of riders have won the Giro d'Italia on these steep slopes but others have lost it. I just hope to have a great day.”

Results from today's Giro d'Italia in Italy

Stage 19: Treviso to Alpe di Pampeago/Val di Fiemme, 198 km
1 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Astana Pro Team, 6:18:03
2 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin-Barracuda, at 0:19
3 Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver (Esp) Katusha Team, 0:32
4 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre-ISD, 0:35
5 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Colnago-CSF Inox, 0:43
6 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale, 0:55
7 Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Sky Procycling, 0:57
8 Mikel Nieve Ituralde (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi, 1:18
9 Stefano Pirazzi (Ita) Colnago-CSF Inox, 1:22
10 John Gadret (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale, s.t.

124 Christian Meier (Can) Orica GreenEDGE Cycling Team, 38:44
143 Dominique Rollin (Can) FDJ-Big Mat, 40:42
144 Svein Tuft (Can) Orica GreenEDGE Cycling Team, s.t.

GC
1 Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver (Esp) Katusha Team, 84:06:13
2 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin-Barracuda, at 0:17
3 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre-ISD, 1:39
4 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale, 1:45
5 Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Sky Procycling, 3:21
6 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Colnago-CSF Inox, 3:30
7 John Gadret (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale, 5:36
8 Thomas de Gendt (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team, 5:40
9 Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Col) Sky Procycling, 5:47
10 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-ISD, 6:09

123 Dominique Rollin (Can) FDJ-Big Mat, 3:26:59
131 Christian Meier (Can) Orica GreenEDGE Cycling Team, 3:36:41
152 Svein Tuft (Can) Orica GreenEDGE Cycling Team, 4:10:15