Fear to three weeks
18 May 2014

Giro d'Italia (st. 9)

Pozzovivo (ALM) only GC rider moving up in Sestola climb; Nairo Quintana supported by Movistar Team until finale, reaches Giro second rest day in 9th spot overall

The usual vigilance between GC contenders in opening mountain stages of a Grand Tour repeated itself on Sunday during the final Apennines day of this year’s Giro d’Italia. The 172km stage nine from Lugo to the Cat-2 climb in Sestola awarded the win to Dutchman Pieter Weening (OGE), the strongest man into a 14-rider breakaway he broke into pieces together with Davide Malacarne (EUC) in the first slopes of the ascent, ultimately fighting for victory into a sprint à deux.

Behind, the Movistar Team protected Nairo Quintana for one more day till they could and with all strength available. The likes of Malori, Amador or Ventoso conducted the Blue train into good position at the foot of the last climb, where Castroviejo and Capecchi offered his final turns. Also featuring in that group were Herrada and Gorka Izagirre, who suffered the biggest scare of the day with a bad crash before the steepest part of the mountain, happily recovering to finish the stage.

The only main attack, offered by Domenico Pozzovivo (ALM), strung out the group -leaving only twenty riders up-front- and offered him a 26-second gap at the finish, causing the only change in the overall top-ten as the Colombian (13th) stays in ninth, 1’45” adrift of Cadel Evans (BMC). The Corsa Rosa will hold its second rest day tomorrow before going on with stage ten on Tuesday, 173km between Modena and Salsomaggiore Terme.