The fifth stage of the Giro d'Italia was a tale of two fortunes for the Trek team. While Julian Arredondo rode a great finish to take second, team captain Robert Kiserlovski lost precious time due to an untimely puncture.

The 203-kilometer stage five of the Giro d'Italia ended with a five-kilometer climb that was covered twice in the final kilometers. It was a stage the team had earmarked for Julian Arredondo, and the diminutive, explosive climber ended with a strong third place finish.  Diego Ulissi (Lampre-Merida) sprinted to the win, with Cadel Evans (BMC) edging around Arredondo in the last meters.

“I am very happy with third place it gives me a lot of confidence for the next stages, and tomorrow is another good stage for me, and I will try again," Arredondo said. " I did not attack; I waited and waited in the wheels. When Purito [Joaquin Rodriguez] attacked, I stuck to his wheel.

"At the end I gave everything but [Diego] Ulissi was the strongest today. I am happy - everything turned out quite well. But the characteristic of the race tomorrow suits me better. Tomorrow – I will try again.”

The intermittent rain that hampered the peloton all day began to fall again just as the riders began the penultimate ascent, and warnings from the tour’s radio cautioned of a treacherous descent.  After yesterday’s slick roads nervous riders carefully picked their way down with only a couple incidents.  Unfortunately, Fabio Felline was one victim of the ice-like roads as his tires slipped out just before the start of the finish climb.

Robert Kiserlovski and Julian Arredondo were still in the small front group that began the final five-kilometer uphill, until Kiserlovski punctured. With the team cars held up in a barrage in between the climbs, he had no choice but to ride the flat tire to the finish. He crossed the line 23 seconds back, which put a small dent into his overall GC standing.

“Robert had a flat tire at the bottom of last climb and he lost more or less 20 to 30 seconds riding with the puncture till the end," sports director Adriano Baffi said. "It was a very fast start, with 11 riders in the breakaway. We rode very well as a team until the last two climbs where it started to rain. The rest of the team did their job till the bottom; it was great work from everyone. But then Fabio crashed on the downhill, too. At least we have a third place to balance out that misfortune!”

A large 11-man breakaway established in the early kilometers. Cohesive for most of the race, they were able to gain upwards of five minutes, but with Orica GreenEdge protecting their maglia rosa, the gap fell rapidly. Sensing their demise, the breakaway began attacking one another, eventually drawing out four strong legs and leaving the rest to be gobbled up by the fast approaching peloton. 

But the four would also perish to the dogged pace from behind, and by the top of the second to last climb all was back together.  Julian Arredondo smartly crested in the top five, and was able to steer clear of any trouble on the wet, twisting descent leading into the last five uphill kilometers.  He moved into second wheel by the top of the gradual climb, and looked posed for victory until Diego Ulissi came flying by with speed no one could match.

“Five stages and three time in the top three so far -we are happy about that but we made a big effort for the win today, and it would have been more pleasurable to have the victory," manager Luca Guercilena said. "And despite the good place of Julian, Kiserlovski had the puncture in the last three kilometers, but with the barrage with the cars we did not know. And Felline was there - he had done very well in climbs - until he fell with five kilometers to go.  So we are fifty-fifty: Julian’s result was good, but we also had some bad luck, too.

“Everyday, on different parcours, we have always been present – always competing. The shape is there, and we have the confidence and feeling that we are able to win. That is good.  We are there, and we are making our presence in the races, and we are very happy about that.”