Diego Ulissi (Lampre-Merida) confirmed his status as the greatest stage hunter in the Giro d’Italia by taking his fifth win in just three years with a powerful late attack on stage 11 of the 2016 edition of the race. Hitting out with 5km to go, he bridged across to Bob Jungels (Etixx-QuickStep) and Andrey Amador (Movistar) who had attacked earlier after a fast start to the race and easily beat the pair in the three-rider sprint. Jungels worked for the GC and so had to settle for third but that allowed him to retain his lead and gain time on all his rivals except Amador.

 

We have gathered several reactions.

 

Mental coach helps Diego UIissi to be more focused at the Giro d’Italia

An impressive acceleration on Athe solo hill to bridge the gap from the leading duo Jungels-Amador, a perfect descent to defend the 10" of advantage on the chasing group of the top riders, 150 meters of sprinting to obtain the 2nd success in the Giro d'Italia 2016, the sixth victory in his career at the Pink Race: this was the formula for success for Diego Ulissi.

After having triumphed in Praia a Mare, Diego Ulissi delivered an additional masterpiece, winning the 11th stage of the Giro d'Italia.

Nibali, Chaves and Valverde attacked from the front group and Amador and Jungels made a counter-attack: these two riders would be the companions that escorted Ulissi towards his triumph.

In the first chasing group, Modolo was 7th and Conti 20th.

"Once again, the team built up a stunning victory thanks to a perfect performance, that's why I'm so happy to have hit this target,”Ulissi explained. “LAMPRE-MERIDA is a great group, there's a perfect harmony in the team and we work together to achieve top results. Today, I talked with Modolo, who was in a great form, and we agreed that I would try to attack, while he would have protected me in the bunch, waiting for an eventual sprint.
 

"I'm really happy. It's the result of an enormous team work. Everybody was kind of tired at the end. I was concerned about Amador but I've done it again. It's great

”Amador and Jungels were riding very fast in the front of the race, I was aware that I should have tried to attack on the final hill if I would have wanted to bridge the gap. I managed to reach them, then I found good cooperation from Jungels and I could perform a perfect sprint.

 

"I came here for a stage win and now I've got two, so I'm very happy - for the team as well because they worked very hard. They chased down the break today and spent a lot of energy doing so. We controlled it well after that - even Modolo worked for me.

"It was hard on the climb but I'm going well on the climbs at the moment. I can thank Mohoric and Conti for setting me up. I didn't want to wait for the sprint. I managed to save a bit of energy on the downhill bit and was able to use it in the sprint.

 

"After a difficult stage like yesterday, I kept the energy for a great action in the final. I am surprised and happy to win the stage. "

 

"In front they were very strong and it was impossible that we would get. One the climb, I thought, "it's now or never." Anyway, we had Sacha Modolo in the group behind. In case of problems, we were covered. It's a nice team result.

 

"I think I've improved a lot as a rider; now I try to be in the action, both on my own and with the team in the finale. That means that when I go for it, I go for it with the plan to strike.

 

"In the past I often raced passively; in the early years of my career I'd hesitate and wait for the key moment of the race. Now I try to be in the thick of it, without being on the receiving end. The team is backing me up too and so were all more motivated. Today I spoke to Sacha Modolo for just three seconds and we decided he'd wait for the sprint and I'd go on the attack.

 

“I’ve realized what my strengths are and I have the courage to attack. This morning, we studied the race route, then we agreed with Sacha that he’d wait for a possible sprint while I’d follow the attacks. I went after [Andrey] Amador and [Bob] Jungels. It proves that my first stage win at the Giro this year [stage 4] was no fluke.

 

"Last year was not an easy year and when you stay out of racing for a while it is difficult to find your form quickly. My wife Arianna was about to have our second child but the pregnancy was interrupted. You need a clear mind to do good things in our sport but it's not always easy. There's the person behind the rider and that counts a lot.

 

"I'm not afraid to reveal that I've been working with a mental coach since last winter. I think that I've perhaps over thought things in the past but you've always got to try to improve things if you want to succeed. I think l've also developed physically; I'm almost 27 and so it's natural that you gain experience and that you race better."

 

"For sure I'd love to be in Rio, even to work for the team. I've spoken to Cassani and I m sure we'll talk again. I think I've shown that even on very hard course that I'm up there, for example I was there yesterday on the stage to Sestola. The Olympic road race is also a one-day race and that changes a lot. It's a one off race and so you can give it everything just like I did today."

In the overall classification, Ulissi is 10th at 2'47".

 

Andrey Amador: It was a good opportunity to gain time and go for a stage win

It was an incredibly exciting, closing twenty kilometers in an insidious finale on stage eleven of the Giro d'Italia, another long run (227km) from Modena and through the plains of the Po river towards the finish in Asolo, surrounded by several ascents. Andrey Amador (Movistar Team) took the day's second place behind Diego Ulissi (LAM), after making a challenging move that continued a previous action at the front by team-mate Alejandro Valverde.

 

The Spanish road race champion followed an acceleration by Vincenzo Nibali (AST) on the descent of the Forcella Mostaccin (Cat-4). The duo, joined by Colombia's Esteban Chaves (OGE), tried to open a gap over a second echelon of favourites, which Amador briefly missed on the climb. As the GC contenders got back together with 13km to go, Amador upped the pace and went initially solo, then was joined by race leader Bob Jungels (EQS). On the final kick before the line, 4km from the end, Ulissi (LAM) launched a strong attack which neither Carlos Betancur nor Giovanni Visconti could follow despite trying their best. With Amador and Jungels soon caught by the Italian, the Lampre rider's better top speed at the finish got the better from the Amador’s courage.

 

Amador's second spot and Valverde's 10th, 13" back in the first main peloton, doesn't mean any real changes in the GC order despite the reformed margins: while Amador takes some time back on Jungels to sit now at 24" - always in 2nd - Valverde now finds himself 1'07" down, 43" after his team-mate yet still ahead of Kruijswijk (TLJ, 4th), Nibali (AST, 5th) or Majka (TCS; 6th, more than a minute after the Spaniard). Gaps shouldn't change on Thursday as a pan-flat route is scheduled from Noale to Bibione (182km).

 

Andrey Amador said:

 

"Reflecting on today's, I'm mostly happy about the result. It was quite a nervous stage, even if the opening 200 kilometers were basically flat. That big crash at the back of the group really showed what we could feel inside the peloton. Happily, the whole team had already passed and we could start the climb in good position. It was a short, yet demanding one, and Alejandro kept the focus to follow Nibali and Chaves in that move.

 

“Once I saw they were going to get caught, I tried to counter and take the others by surprise. Later on, Jungels showed up from behind - we decided it was a good break to keep alive and took all turns we could. It was a good chance to win a stage and gain some seconds - though it's still so early in this Giro when it comes to real mountains, such opportunities must not be missed. We must keep trying this way.

 

"Looking at we've done so far in this Giro, now that we're over halfway, we must remain satisfied. Leaving aside the abandonment by Javi Moreno, due to that crash, the team is showing good compenetration, we're working really well and my position overall, as well as Alejandro's, is ideal heading into the weekend. The good atmosphere in the squad really becomes visible in finishes like today's."

 

Alejandro Valverde refutes criticism from Nibali

Alejandro Valverde came under fire when Nibali accused him for not cooperating in the attacl

 

Valverde said: 

 

"What race were you watching? In what way did I not work with him? At all times, I worked with him.

 

 

"Did it seem like I didn't cooperate with Nibali? That's not right. I did, at all times. The thing is, when he attacked on the descent and Chaves and I went after him, he took some meters of advantage which I had to make up on the flat. I had to breathe for a bit and once I felt recovered, I took all turns I had to. In any case, I race as I consider it's better for me; he does the same.

 

"Last year Amador was fourth and he's going very well. There are still a lot of mountains to come, but we're second and third overall and the others are going to have to attack us."

 

Manager Eusebio Unzué added:

 

"Alejandro? I saw him taking turns with Chaves and Nibali when the three attacked. I think it was a beautiful attempt from Vincenzo, which Alejandro and Chaves countered attentively. Even though it seemed like they could win some seconds at the finish with that cooperation, the GC leader defended himself well. The same happened when Jungels made his move; the other favourites did everything they could behind so we couldn't open a gap.

 

"Andrey first went on a solo attack and later profited from Jungels's move to keep the front. It wasn't a bad position for us to stay with the Maglia Rosa and win some seconds before the high mountain stages. Chances to claim a stage win were also on the cards, but unfortunately, Ulissi coming from behind made them impossible to fructify. For the time being, we're finding these chances to improve our overall result and we try to take advantage. I think the guys rode again very well today."

 

Bob Jungels: I don’t think I can do what Dumoulin did at the Vuelta

Attack, counterattack, attack, counterattack – the last 20 kilometers of Giro d'Italia stage 11 had more action than a Bruce Willis "Die Hard" movie, and if John McClane was hard to get rid of, so was Bob Jungels, the overall leader of the Giro d'Italia. Many were expecting to see a sprinters' fest at the finish in Asolo, on a flat day with just a sting in the tail, but the stage turned out to be one for the GC riders, who signaled their intentions on the tough slopes of Forcella Mostaccin, a fourth-category climb with an average gradient of 10% over 2.9 kilometers and sections of even 16%.

 

Alone in the main group – after a crash that occurred a few kilometers earlier held most of his teammates behind – Bob Jungels found himself alone in the pack and attacked from all over the place, especially by the Movistar riders, who were keen to help Andrey Amador get the pink jersey at the end of the day. Steven Kruijswijk (LottoNL-Jumbo) and Carlos Betancur (Movistar) were the first to launch an attack, but the 23-year-old Luxembourger neutralized those actions, with a move which showed maturity and confidence beyond his age. Then, right before the top of the climb, Esteban Chaves (Orica-GreenEdge), Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) and Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) forged a break, which stayed at the front until the descent ended, Jungels being once again the one to lead the chase.

 

On the flat, it was the turn of Amador to attack and get a small gap, before the maglia rosa decided the time has come to take things into his own hands. Using his strong time trialing skills, the Etixx – Quick-Step rider made contact with the Costa Rican and giving a short look over the shoulder, decided to keep going and increase his gap on the other GC guys. Approaching the final lump of the day inside the last five kilometers, Jungels spent his every ounce of energy, honouring the maglia rosa and showing to his opponents that they will have a hard time taking it from his shoulders.

 

From behind, Diego Ulissi (Lampre-Merida) accelerated on the short climb and caught Jungels and Amador, and the trio worked together to hold the chase. In the last kilometers, Jungels moved again to the front and rode full gas, his effort eventually paying off in Asolo, where he finished third, notching his first podium in a Grand Tour, as well as bonifications on the line and important time on the road, which meant that now all the other riders, except for Amador, are at least one minute adrift, halfway through the race.

 

"I felt good today, but for sure it wasn't easy out there, especially as the crash took out of the pack some of our guys. On the climb, as soon as the attacks came, the group was narrowed to 7-8 riders. Then, when Amador went, I knew I had to follow him, so I made the most out of that action. When Ulissi bridged across, I became aware of the fact that I won't have a chance in a sprint, so I decided to go for seconds and try to take as many as possible. Overall, I'm content with the outcome of the stage and I'm looking forward to the next days", said Bob Jungels, a champion in the making, who brought Etixx – Quick-Step its fifth maglia rosa at the 99th Giro d'Italia.

 

"I want to say thank you to everyone in the team. I didn't know the Maglia Rosa could give me so much power and inspiration. When I saw the opportunity to get away from the group of favourites, I made my move. At the end I tried to gain as many seconds as I could in order to keep the Maglia Rosa as long as I can.

 

"I was expecting an attack from Amador, so I just went with him and in the end I felt really good. I wasn’t expecting that last small cobbled climb, when Ulissi jumped across, and in the end I thought I would go for the stage win, which would be hard in a sprint or I just keep pulling to gain time on the others. I lost two seconds on Amador but I gained a few on the others, which isn’t too bad.

 

"I was surprised that Amador was working with me. When you attack, you also have to continue. Movistar had two cards to play with Valverde and him.  These are the stages where I can still do something. I think in the harder stages with the big climbs, it will be harder for me, so I have to try to do my best here. A third place here isn’t too bad.

 

"We all knew about the narrow road on the climb in the finale. When Amador attacked, I knew I had to follow him. Then when Ulissi came across, I knew I had no chance – or next to no chance – in the sprint, so I decided to ride on the front and try to gain as many seconds as possible.

 

"Friday will be a hard day but maybe with the downhill the gaps won’t be that big. Saturday is a big day, a lot of time over 2000 metres, which should suit our Colombian friends. Then it’s the time trial which I’m looking forward to. I know the climb. It’s quite regular, not too steep, so it may be a chance for me to do something.

 

"I like to attack, I like to anticipate. Tom [Dumoulin] is not a pure climber and he's a very good time triallist, though I'm not as good in the time trial yet. But we can both follow on the climbs, even on long climbs. I hope I can do that at the weekend and maybe next week too.

 

"It was really impressive what he did [in the Vuelta], he went very far in a Grand Tour. He basically only lost the jersey on the last day. I don't think I'll be able to do that in this Giro, but I might be able to do it in the future.

 

"I'm feeling really good. But first of all, tomorrow is stage 12 and I don't think we've had a single easy stage yet. Today it was a fight for 75 kilometres before the break went and I'm expecting the same tomorrow. But let's hope it's the quiet before the storm."

 

Frustrating time loss for Gianluca Brambilla at the Giro d’Italia

It wasn't all roses on Wednesday, as several riders of Etixx-QuickStep were involved in the massive crash that split the peloton at 30 kilometers to go. Carlos Verona ended up with a right ankle contusion and pain at his right side ribs, Pieter Serry suffered two contusions, on his left knee, respectively right ankle, while Gianluca Brambilla, sixth at the start of the stage, is experiencing back pain after crashing and being hit by another rider from behind, an incident in which he also broke his wheel.

 

"Unfortunately, somebody hit me from behind right before the key moment of the day, and I couldn't return to the bunch. It's a pity, because I was having strong legs and was confident in what I could do on that climb. Hopefully, it isn't anything serious and tomorrow, when a flat course awaits, I will have an easy day and recover", were the words of Brambilla, who is still sitting in the top 10 overall, despite conceding more than one minute at the finish.

 

"I’m a bit sad because I had a fall. I didn’t get too injured but I was in that fall anyway. I got hit on my bike, they destroyed my wheel and I lost a few minutes, three minutes in fact to the pink jersey. It was bad luck because my position was fine, I was on the wheel of Jungels and it’s good that Bob kept the jersey. The Giro is long and I can still get up there and we’ll go again tomorrow.

Giacomo Nizzolo: You can say it’s good for a sprinter to be with all those climbers

Giacomo Nizzolo showed his determination – and versatility –  in a thrilling run-in to the 227-kilometer stage 11, joining a select chasing group that formed over the final steep climb that contained mostly the general classification contenders, including Ryder Hesjedal.

 

But two, then three men, ruined his chance at glory. The trio held a slight 10-second advantage over the final kilometers to win the pursuit to the line and contest a three-up sprint for the stage victory.

 

Giacomo Nizzolo arrived with the small bunch seconds later and easily sprinted in for fourth; best of the rest, but again thwarted from the elusive win after he battled so hard to be there – the only sprinter to make it over the climb – in a prickly run-in.

 

 "Today for us was an important stage because our sponsor Segafredo is from this town. We left everything on the road – big thanks to the team, they really believe in me. We took our responsibility today and we pulled from 70-kilometers. And then, I gave everything as always - 100 percent, maybe more today."

 

There were 200 kilometers of flat roads before everything tilted sharply upwards in the final 25 kilometers, and when the climbers punched over the category four steep climb, everything exploded.

 

"I really suffered on the climb, and in the end, I was with top riders from the GC, so I think you can say that was a good performance from a sprinter to be there with these climbers! In the sprint, I was the fastest," added Nizzolo.

 

"It was not quite enough, and I think we missed some luck today. It seems it has been 3 or 4 years that I have missed some luck… Maybe everything will come back at once?"Nizzolo laughed, the frustration evident but his spirit unbroken.

 

"Today there are no consolations. I wanted to win, it was an important stage, even a test of legs with the climb in the final. I have proven to have legs, but unfortunately I have no luck.

 

”The team was super, we believed from the beginning. I did my best, but it was not enough ..."

 

Diego Ulissi (Lampre-Merida) won the sprint from the three riders that included the pink-clad Bob Jungels (Etixx-Quick Step), who maintained his hold on the overall lead. 

 

Ryder Hesjedal finished with the leading bunch that numbered only 30 riders, moving him up one more spot in the GC to 13th place.

 

Tomorrow's stage 12 is a traditional sprinters stage; another opportunity for Nizzolo whose opportunities are narrowing as the high mountain stages approach.

 

Nizzolo said: "I think there are three more chances for me, not more. Still, it is a real missed chance today but we have to look forward, always. Tomorrow is another chance and we will regroup and be focused and go full again.  As I have said, and I will always say, I try 100 percent every time… One day it will come."

 

Sonny Colbrelli: The way they did the climb didn’t help me

After yesterday’s win, Bardiani tried again. Sonny Colbrelli, the most suitable man for the stage, was fifth.

 

"On paper I could aspire to a better result but with the way they did the final, it was hard," he explained. "There were so many accelerations that did not help my characteristics. I tried, with the support of the team and especially Andreetta on the last climb. It will not be the last attempt at this Giro.”

 

Aggressive Steven Kruijswijk: I wanted to test my legs

Steven Kruijswijk maintained his fourth position in the general classification of the Giro d’Italia with an aggressive ride during the final kilometres of stage 11 to Asolo. Diego Ulissi (Lampre - Merida) won the stage and LottoNL-Jumbo’s Enrico Battaglin finished eighth.

 

Kruijswijk and Battaglin both said before the stage that they were approaching it as an important one. Kruijswijk wanted to attack and Battaglin aimed for stage victory – they did so.

 

“Enrico was thinking about this stage for a while and he proved to be right,” Sports Director Addy Engels said. “The eighth place was the best possible for him today. The three riders who stayed in front of the peloton were too strong today. Enrico wasn’t able to follow Ulissi.”

 

Ulissi bridged to Bob Jungels (Etixx - Quick Step) and Andrey Amador (Movistar) from the chasing group in the final part of the stage. Kruijswijk attacked on top of the final climb and made sure that only nine riders maintained their positions in front of the race.

 

“I wanted to test myself,” Kruijswijk explained. “Besides that, it was important for me to start the descent in front of the group. I had a good day, but wasn’t able to follow Jungels and Amador unfortunately. They broke away quite easily and when I tried to react to them, Valverde caught me. It wasn’t worth it to go on afterwards.”

 

Just before the final part of the stage, many riders crashed but Team LottoNL-Jumbo escaped harm.

 

“We were in front of the peloton with the whole team at that moment,” Engels continued. “That says something about the level of the team. There are always risks, but when you ride like this, those risks are minimised.”

 

On Thursday, the riders are facing a completely flat stage.

 

“I’m counting on a bunch sprint,” Engels added. “The final part of the race is very technical and they’re predicting rain, so those factors are making it a little tricky.”

 

André Greipel: I saved energy for tomorrow

For Lotto Soudal, Tim Wellens finished ninth in the first chasing group. Also Maxime Monfort was part of that group and therefore he wins two places on GC; he’s now twentieth.

 

André Greipel remains leader in the points classification.

 

"We didn't expect the stage to happen as it did so I tried to save as much energy as possible. Tomorrow we will try everything we can for the bunch sprint,” Greipel said.

 

"We expected that the breakaway to go today but Lampre-Merida and Trek they controlled the race and Ulissi won, so the team worked hard for it and it was a deserved winner today."

 

"After my crash yesterday, I have not had a very good night,” Monfor said. “The stage was very fast. In the end, there was a big fight for position for the small hill 20 kilometers from the finish. There was a big crash but out team was not involved. So we started this climb with a small group. The pace was really high. Tim [Wellens] tried to attack at 4 kilometers from the finish but it did not work. I could only follow. Tomorrow we will have a great chance to finish in a sprint so it's all for André. The weekend will be much harder.”

 

Ilnur Zakarin: I am still recovering from my crash

After Stage 11 in the Giro d’Italia Team KATUSHA’s Ilnur Zakarin moved up two places again in the General Classification. Zakarin is 7th now, 2 minutes and 25 seconds behind race leader Bob Jungels from Etixx - Quick Step.

 

Ilnur Zakarin finished 12th in the stage, Rein Taaamaë 24th.

 

“I am still recovering after my crashes, so today the main goal was to follow the others. The final was quite dangerous, so I did my best to be in front and to control the situation. Every day is important here in the Giro. So, we will see how it will be in the next days,” said Ilnur Zakarin.

 

The 227 km stage from Modena to Asolo was colored by a three-men break. Team KATUSHA’s Anton Vorobyev was the most active rider of the break. Togeter with Vegard Stake Laengen (IAM Cycling) and Liam Bertazzo (Wilier-Southeast) he broke away at km 72 and rode a bonus gap of 11 minutes. Only in the final, on the Forcella de Mostaccin (4th category) the three were caught by the group of the favorites.

 

“It was to be expected that the break would get a chance today. So, I was motivated to try something, especially as I live here and I know these roads very well. In the beginning a group of 9 riders went away. I was there. But later the peloton really started to chase us. After some 50 km the peloton caught us, but after a number of attacks we broke away again. I thought that this could be a good opportunity. A few teams however started to work in the peloton. At the bottom of the last climb it was clear that our group would not go until the end. It’s a pity because I was really motivated for this stage. Anyway, I did my best and I can be happy with it,” said Anton Vorobyev.

 

Rafal Majka continues to move in Giro d’Italia GC

An innocuous-looking profile led to a battle for the GC standings on stage 11 of the Giro d’Italia. The flat profile had a fourth category climb towards the end, that acted as a launching platform for attacks from the GC contenders. With the support of his teammates, Rafal Majka finished the stage safely in 14th position. After a strong ride, tracking his GC rivals throughout, Majka climbs a place in the GC, now sitting in sixth overall.

 

An early attempt to break away came after just a few kilometres. A group of nine, which included Manuele Boaro in their midst, managed to stay out front, however with other teams not happy with the move the escapees were pulled back into the fold. The average speed of the first hour of the race was a huge 51.5km/h – a speed that was bound to take its toll on some in the peloton.

 

Sport Director, Tristan Hoffman, had expected a break to go early, and so had made sure the team was prepared.

 

“We were paying attention at the start of the day for the big break and Boaro was there for us in the first move, but some teams in the bunch weren't happy, so it came back and a small break followed.”

 

Just before the climb, a crash caused a split in the peloton, which affected Evgeny Petrov. While the Russian rider was able to rejoin the race, he was in some pain but fought on to finish the stage at his own pace. Further information will follow after medical assessments this evening.

 

With the first of the escapees reaching the top of the climb, the rest of the breakaway was falling apart behind them, while the peloton was only a little over twenty seconds behind, gradually swallowing up the break.

 

Hoffman explained the situation on the road further:

 

“The guys stayed around Rafal to stay safe for the stage and prepare for the final. There was a huge crash with about 30km to go and a few guys were involved. The whole peloton split up here and it was quite nervous, and also Evgeny Petrov was in pain and will need to see the doctor after the stage to assess the damage.”

 

The break almost caught, and just before the technical descent, the GC contenders started their attacks, and their rivals found they had no option but to go with them. As was the case in previous days, Rafal Majka had no problem holding the wheels of his GC rivals, matching them at every turn and every pedalstroke. As the group reached the bottom of the descent however, riders found themselves stretched out and a trio on the front opened up an advantage. Pulled back in by the chasers, another attack went and this time the Maglia Rosa went out with one other on the front. With the chasing group made up almost entirely of GC contenders, there was no way they would let this attack go without a fight, especially as the Maglia Rosa duo quickly became a trio – the ten second advantage could make all the difference on the GC.

 

As the Maglia Rosa trio entered the packed streets of Asolo, the chasing group was only eight seconds behind, with 4km to go. Majka had the support of Manuele Boaro to keep the pace high and bring the Tinkoff leader to the finish. With the trio across the line, Boaro controlled the pace of the group of chasers, making sure no further attacks came, and ensuring the group all finished with the same time. Majka crossed the line in 14th position, with Boaro shortly afterwards in 26th. Majka’s strong performance earns him another step up the GC, and he finishes the day in sixth.

 

After the stage, Manuele Boaro gave his thoughts:

 

"The big crash that took place had a big impact on the race today, but fortunately Rafal wasn't affected by this and we were able to keep him safety in the front group - this was the most important task of the stage.

 

"I myself would have liked to attack solo but the legs I had weren't able to do it at the end today. Overall after 11 stages I'm happy with how the team is positioned and how my shape is, and we still have ten stages, of which some are really important. We will continue working to hopefully help Rafal make some big differences over his GC rivals."

As on previous stages, it was a team effort from start to finish, as Hoffman explained.

 

“Tosatto did a great ride to bring Rafal in the front for the final climb and then he stayed well positioned at the front. It was good to see Boaro hanging in there on the climb too, and helping Rafal after. On paper this wasn't a stage with big time gaps but it proved tricky and we were ready for that.”

 

A pan-flat stage awaits riders tomorrow. The 182km route from Noale to Bibione takes place on an entirely flat parcours which finishes on two laps of an 8km circuit in the finishing town. While teams will be looking forward to a sprint, having been denied the opportunity today, the aim for Tinkoff will be to keep Rafal safe so that he can remain competitive for Friday’s tough mountain stage. As Hoffman explained from the finish.

 

“Tomorrow is a totally flat stage, so hopefully that should be bit less stressed, but today showed that at the Giro every day you need to stay at the front and pay attention. Tomorrow will be less crazy in the final and then we have the mountains from Friday.”

 

Bronchitis takes Kristian Sbaragli out of contention, Anton loses time

The race defining moment though came just a few kilometers before this climb, when there was a mass crash in the peloton. At least half the peloton was caught up in the carnage with a number of Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka riders delayed by the pile up. Igor Anton was the only rider to hit the deck but fortunately he was okay to carry on, the downside though was that he would lose some time on the stage.

 

Kanstanstin Siutsou made it through the chaos in good shape and he was part of the select group that started the 3 sharp rollers together, coming across with all the favourites, in 16th place and 13 seconds behind the stage winner. This ensured Siutsou kept his 16th position in the overall classification.

 

Sports director Jens Zemke said:
 

“So after a super tough stage yesterday where the riders suffered a lot, today was not as easy as we thought it might be. We selected this stage for Kristian some time ago already, unfortunately he caught a bit of bronchitis so he isn't on top of the game at the moment.

 

”We were riding to not lose any time for our GC riders, unfortunately just 10km before the climb there was a big crash and the bunch split into 7 or 8 groups. Kanstantsin was in the first group, that was a good thing, Igor was in the 2nd group with Kristian 1'30" down.

 

”If Kristian was 100% he would have stayed in the first group and we could have gone for the stage result. There are still a lot of tough stages to come which we look forward to.”

 

Esteban Chaves: I try to keep an eye on Nibali and Valverde

A 227kilometre stage eleven of the 99th Giro d’Italia saw Colombian Esteban Chaves jump up two places to eighth on the general classification after another strong performance by the ORICA-GreenEDGE rider.

 

The race covered over 200kilometres on flat roads before ramping viciously up a short but steep climb in the final 20kilometres leading into a technical and undulating finish.

 

Chaves and teammate Damien Howson made the split into the final selection with the other race favourites on the climb, with Howson playing an integral role in keeping Chaves and the group in contact with eventual stage winner Diego Ulissi (Lampre-Merida).

 

Chaves crossed the line 13seconds down on stage winner Ulissi and is now eighth on the general classification two minutes 43seconds behind race leader Bob Jungels (Etixx-Quickstep).

 

Sport director Matt White praised a strong team performance and in particular the work of Howson in the final kilometres of the stage.

 

“The team were superb today,” said White. “Damien (Howson) really made the step up today and he played a massively important role in keeping Esteban (Chaves) in contact over those tricky final kilometres.

 

“We had to fight for position after the crash with around 30kilometres to go but the guys did a fantastic job in bringing Esteban through safely and kept him at the front going into the climb.”

 

“Grand Tours are often about minimising risk,” explained White. “We wanted to maintain our position and come through the stage without any issues and I’m glad that we were able to do that and even improve slightly.

 

“Tomorrows stage is completely flat for 182kilometres and I’ll be very surprised if it doesn’t finish with a bunch sprint.”

 

"We arrived in the first group, so this is really important. It is one more day gone. Always in the Giro d'Italia something happens. This is the beautiful of this race but it's not predictable in any way," Chaves told Cyclingnews.

 

"You always you need to be up in the front, keep the concentration and stay focused with the team. It is 21 days of big pressure, and you saw today there are moves … it is hard."

 

"I remember I lost the Giro di Lombardia last year because Nibali attacked on the descent. Like with a dog: once bitten, twice shy. I hope that never happens to me again, so that's why I try to stay behind the big guys, behind him and Valverde, because for me they are the two biggest riders here.

 

"I am calm; I'm not excited, I'm just feeling the fatigue in the middle of the Giro and know that the more important days are coming – the hardest days.

 

"I know you need to save energy when you can and stay calm, so in the final climb the better you can be. We need to stay calm in the head because there are a lot of kilometres of mountains to come in the next week."

 

Important Nibali domestique suffers fractured wrist at the Giro d’Italia

"I saw some riders falling in front of me,” said Valerio Agnoli, “and so I immediately braked. Somebody hit me from behind and so I fell to the ground heavily.”

 

Along with the Italian rider, thirty riders, including teammates Jakob Fuglsang, Michele Scarponi and Tanel Kangert, crashed.

 

Agnoli was worst affected and after reaching the finish line was accompanied to make radiological examinations that found a hairline fracture of the wrist and a bone infringement of the right elbow.

 

The Team doctor Emilio Magni announced that the situation will be evaluated again tomorrow morning and it will be decided whether Agnoli can start the twelfth stage.

 

Nibali is still fifth in the standings with a 1 minute and 9 "gap from the leader while Fuglsang lost some places in the standings and is now twelfth in 3 minutes and 39".

 

Vincenzo Nibali critical of Alejandro Valverde after missed opportunity at the Giro d’Italia

Vincenzo Nibali was on the attack with Valverde and Chaves after the final descent.

 

"Every opportunity could be worth it, it could be the right move. We're here to race, not to go for a stroll," he told Cyclingnews and Spaziociclismo.

 

"When you see a chance, it's only right to go for it, and even to try surprise moves and counter attacks. That's racing. It didn't work out today but if it had, we could have gained 30 or 40 seconds, which could have been really important in the fight for the overall classification.

 

"I told Valverde to work to but he said ‘no, no' and said he had Amador behind. He wasn't convinced it would work and so we sat up. Then when we got caught, Amador attacked…

 

"It was perhaps difficult to do something today but it made me think that Movistar is now racing with two riders, I think they want to try to play the GC with two riders. But if Valverde wanted to gain time today he could have worked with me and it would have happened. He didn't and so that's what makes me think about their tactics. Today we missed chance to gain time on people like Pozzovivo, Majka, Kruijswijk and Zakarin."

 

"It's important to stay calm and focused. There's still a lot of racing ahead of us and a lot of climbing to do, which will reveal who is really riding well.

 

 

"After the crash, I had no teammates. I did not think abou taking the pink jersey. I was just thinking about gaining valuable seconds.

 

“We must also think about riders like Zakarin and Majka. From there, another race began: we got up and everyone returned. Ulissi chose the right time to attack. Congratulations to him.”

 

Jakob Fuglsang loses time at the Giro d’Italia

"I'm mad, but I am not injured. I landed on top of another rider so he saved me a bit. But I am obviously upset about losing time in this way. It is frustrating and it's annoying,” Jakob Fuglsang told TV 2 SPORT.

  

"We were relatively close to the front and that’s why we had six riders involved in the crash. Capecchi was attentive and quickly gave me his bike because mine was broken. The team had no time to react.

 

"It's obviously not ideal, and it is not what I had hoped for.”

 

Crash costs Sebastian Henao time on bad day for Sky at the Giro d’Italia

Mikel Nieve led the Team Sky charge on stage 11 at the Giro d'Italia, finishing amongst an elite front group in Asolo.

 

The Basque climber was able to avoid a mass pile-up 25 kilometres from home, and hung tough over an undulating run-in to finish 25th on the stage, 13 seconds behind the day's late breakaway winners.

 

Team Sky were unable to fully escape the carnage prior to the Forcella Mostaccin climb, with Nicolas Roche, Christian Knees and Ian Boswell going down in a crash that blocked the road. Sebastian Henao was forced to check up and took to the grass in a bid to not lose time.

 

The Colombian eventually crossed the line one minute and 30 seconds back as he and his counterparts fought to claw back some seconds. After the stage all the riders who were involved in the crash were checked out by the team doctor, with no injuries sustained.

 

The day began without Mikel Landa after the Spaniard had been forced to withdraw due to illness on Tuesday. A rapid start and numerous attempts to go clear, including a number from Team Sky riders, added up to 70km without a breakaway forming.

 

Sport Director Dario Cioni gave us the low-down on the mammoth 220km test, explaining: "It was a really fast stage. There were repeated attacks right from the start and in the first part of the race was averaging over 50km/h. It took almost 70km for the breakaway to finally go and with there being only three guys in that move, it was never going to stay away.

 

"We'd tried numerous times to get in that group but it just didn't happen, so the plan then was to sit back and wait for that lumpy last 25km. Unfortunately most of our team was caught up in the big crash and only Mikel [Nieve] made it through OK. He rode well all the way to the finish.

 

"Sebastian also proved again that he has good legs and he finished strongly in that group with Domenico Pozzovivo. The stages this weekend will suit our guys better than today's, so we're waiting for that now."  

Domenico Pozzovivo aims to take back lost time in the mountains after bad day at the Giro

Domenico Pozzovivo lost time due to the crash.

 

"We knew that the end of the stage was technical,” Ag2r sports director Laurent Bionci said. “27 km from the finish, you had to be in position and the teams wanted to get the leaders to the front. This caused a significant crash before the climb. We were trapped. Domenico Pozzovivo was involved in the crash. He was slow to start again as his front wheel was broken. He lost 1.30 to the race leader and 1.18 to the Valverde/Nibali group. We have to deal with it. We will treat wounds tonight, we'll do a full assessment tonight. Hubert (Dupont) was also affected. We will make up for lost time and try to attack on Friday .”

 

Pozzovivo added:

 

“Obviously, it is never ideal. I have not had time to understand what happened. I was slow to start again as my front wheel was broken. I losy time today, but I want to stay optimistic. The Giro is not over and I could still see that I had good legs. The mountains will arrive on Friday. I was hit on the hip so the physio will look at me. It should get better tomorrow

 

Tough finale too hard for Stefan Küng and BMC at the Giro d’Italia

Predicted as a good stage for the breakaway, Stage 11 saw an early nine-rider breakaway form including Manuel Quinziato. The peloton wasn’t happy with the composition and worked hard to reel them back in after 50 kilometers of racing.

 

Stefan Küng said:

 

“Today we thought it would be a good day for the breakaway so we tried really hard in the opening stages of the race. Maybe I was a little bit too excited and eager to get into the breakaway and used a lot of energy trying to do so. I felt quite bad in the middle of the race but got better towards the end. On the bottom of the descent after the climb I was in a group about 50 meters behind the front group and we couldn’t close. The race goes on ahead and then it’s done.

 

“I was lucky not to be caught in the crash as it happened just behind me. I didn’t even look back because it was so dangerous and afterwards it was really nervous. So we just tried to stick together as a team and I think by the end of the day we can say that we did a good job but it didn’t play out how we wanted it to.”

 

Max Sciandri, Sports Director, added:

 

“For the stage to go in our favour and we needed it to be with the right guy, who was Stefan. Knowing that the first 180 kilometers were completely flat we needed one of our strong guys in it, who couldn’t really work hard to establish a good gap. We were happy to have Manuel Quinziato in the first breakaway but we didn’t know how much room they would get to move.

 

“The crash split up the group which made the final even more complicated. We still had three guys up there, Stefan, Joey Rosskopf and Daniel Oss. They tried their best on the climb but it didn’t go our way today.”

 

Vegard Stake Laengen continues impressive showing at grand tour debut

Considering this is his first participation in a grand tour, Vegard Stake Laengen from IAM Cycling certainly did the job right.  Having already taken a brilliant 3rd place in the time trial on Sunday in the Chianti region, the 26 year old spent the day Wednesday at the front of the race for more than 124 kilometers.  His exceptional efforts, though, were not enough once the riders racing for the GC swept him up in the final hilly section of the stage. 

 

“I want to come away with more than time spent in a breakaway,” Vegard Stake Laengen explained as he was boarding the team bus.  “I got into the right break today, but the peloton never left us alone.  In spite of the fact we did have ten minutes at one point, we were always under control.”

 

Reeled in just a few hundred meters from the top of the categorized climb near the finish, Vegard Stake Laengen regretted not being able to hang with the best. 

 

“There wasn’t too much farther to go.  When my breakaway companions lost their impetus, I set out on my own with an acceleration, but it was too late.”

 

Kjell Carlström, one of the directeurs sportifs for IAM Cycling at the Giro along with Mario Chiesa, said:

 

“We will continue again and again to attack to try and win a stage, which is the stated goal of the team here at the Giro.  Today we started out with Howard and Kluge in a break, but Lampre and Trek-Segafredo foiled their attempts.  Then Stake Laengen managed to insert himself into a move with two other riders, but the top guys decided to go for the win themselves.  Then to add insult to injury, some of our best riders suffered a crash 25 kilometers from the finish.”

 

IAM Cycling paid a heavy price for the mass pile-up that happened some 25 kilometers from the finish.  Leigh Howard got up with bruises and abrasions to the shoulder and left wrist. Marcel Wyss hurt his elbow and left knee in addition to abrasions to his left shoulder and chest.  Finally, Matthias Brändle suffered a sprain to his right thumb.

 

Flat as a pancake, the 12th stage of the Giro from Noale to Bibione on Thursday should give the sprinters with a special kick of speed at the 300 meters to go mark, such as Leigh Howard or Heinrich Haussler for IAM Cycling, an opportunity.

 

Italian track rider on the attack in home stage at the Giro d'Italia

Wilier – Southeast were in the spotlight in the 11th stage of Giro d’Italia thanks to an aggressive attitude that let the riders be in the front throughout the stage.

 

The first ones to move were Eugert Zhupa and Filippo Pozzato but after one hour their attempt was neutralized.

 

After 70km of racing, it was Liam Bertazzo who attacked together with Vegard Stake Laengen and Anton Vorobyev but they were caught on the final climb.

 

A few km earlier the ambitions of Matteo Busato and Filippo Pozzato were stopped by the crash. Manuel Belletti, 48th at 2’22”, was the best rider from the team.

 

"The Giro passed by my house and I wanted to try to do something,” Bertazzo told Spaziociclismo. “I hoped until the end because in any case the advantage was always about two minutes. The problem is that Vorobyev attacked on the climb and that destroyed the plans because we had worked well together. Then just before the top, the group arrived at double speed. I tried to hang on but the pace was too high.

 

"It was an indescribable feeling. To ride on the roads where I train and see all the people screaming my name was something unique. Something that only happens in this race. Now let’s try again.”

 

Bad day for Giant-Alpecin at the Giro d’Italia

Unfortunately, it was a difficult day for Team Giant-Alpecin as Tom Dumoulin abandoned the race as he has been suffering from complications from saddle sores.

 

A big crash occurred at the back of the bunch, 30km from the finish. None of the team riders were involved in the crash but they were caught up in it and they were not able to return to the select group up front.

 

For the team, Georg Preidler was the first to cross the line in 57th place.

 

Coach Marc Reef said: “Today’s stage was very fast and the breakaway took a long time to be the right one. In the end, there were three guys in front in the finale and they controlled the race. It was unlucky we were behind the crash with 30km to go and then the race was over for us.”