News Article -- May 20, 2006
Giro Stage 13: Basso Widens Lead in Alps
Ivan Basso finished second in Stage 13, increasing his overall lead.
Basso once again revealed his superb fitness and attacked with seven kilometers to go on the day’s lone, 10-kilometer climb up the Colle San Carlo. Only Italian rider Leonardo Piepoli (Saunier Duval) could follow and Basso was content to finish safely in second place.
“I rode well again today and that gives me satisfaction,” Basso said. “I was able to improve my lead. This is another positive step, but I have to keep my feet on the ground.”
Rain and wind pummeled the riders and Basso rode cautiously down the slippery six- kilometer descent to the finish line, allowing Piepoli to chase his first career Giro victory. Basso was comfortable to lose a little time on the tricky downhill rather than risk a fall.
“It was too cold and the corners were dangerous, so I decided not to risk anything,” he said. “I got cold on the descent because I didn’t put on my rain jacket, but I wanted to avoid any troubles. It was another good day.”
Basso came through second at 44 seconds back, but carved out even more time on his overall challengers to confirm his leadership position with a week left to go in the 21-stage Giro.
More importantly, Basso widened his lead by 35 seconds to Spanish rider José Enrique Gutiérrez (Phonak) to 3 minutes, 27 seconds. Last year’s winner Paolo Savoldelli (Discovery Channel) finished more than two minutes off the pace and sits third overall at 5:30 back.
Other dangerous rivals ceded more terrain, with 2004 Giro champion Damiano Cunego (Lampre) losing more than two minutes and falling back to eighth overall at nearly nine minutes off Basso’s pace.
With Basso’s dominance, Cunego has already conceded defeat and it looks like the other top favorites have determined their best chances are to duke it out for the final spots on the podium.
Team CSC was at its best again in Saturday’s cold and rainy stage. Michael Blaudzun and Jens Voigt helped set a brutal pace that topped 50kph to drive the peloton to the base of the 1,951-meter Colle San Carlo. Iñigo Cuesta and Carlos Sastre then each took impressive turns at the front of the fast-melting lead bunch before Basso made his attack.
Saturday’s 216-kilometer 13th stage marked the second foray into the mountains of this year’s Giro and the second time that Basso was able to slice away important time from his rivals.
Team CSC’s sport director Scott Sunderland cautioned it’s too early to start putting the champagne on ice. The hardest stages of the Giro are still looming in the Dolomites next week.
“When you’re trying to win a major three-week tour, like the Giro, the Tour or the Vuelta, you can never be too confident. That’s a dangerous formula,” he said. “Basso is a favorable position. It’s better to have a lead like he does now than just a few seconds, but we can’t let down our guard.”
Basso echoed that sentiment, adding that there are still eight days of hard racing left in the race, including brutal climbs such as the Plan de Corones on Wednesday and the famous Mortirolo on Thursday.
“The Giro isn’t over until Milan,” Basso said. “I won’t even look at the overall standings until next Saturday before the final stage. I will never say the race is over.”
The 89th Giro continues Sunday with the 224-kilometer climbing stage from Aosta to Domodossola. The course dips into Switzerland and features two big climbs before a long run down for the finish.
Team CSC will want to keep its guard up without spending too much energy before Tuesday’s much harder climbing stage finishing atop Monte Bondone in stage 16.