2013 Cycling Thread

[Smallville22]

Demare in pink after opening stage triumph on Dunkerque

Frenchman Arnaud Demare sprinted to victory on the opening day of the 4 Jours de Dunkerque in Courrières.
The 21-year-old was set up nicely by his FDJ team-mates and superbly timed his run to the line down the right side of the finishing straight, outsprinting Kenny Robert Van Hummel (Vacansoleil-DCM) after a 155.1km stage from Dunkerque.
To add insult to injury for the Dutchman, his compatriot Ramon Sinkeldam (Argos-Shimano) arrived in between them to snatch second.
Demare is therefore the first holder of the leader's pink jersey in the five-day race which finishes back in Dunkerque on Sunday.
Tim Mertens (Topsport), Robert Busch and Julien Duval had been part of a breakaway which had held a lead of just over a minute with a third of the 155.1km stage remaining. But they were reeled in with 23km to go, and a sprint had always seemed inevitable.

 

[Smallville22]

Vacansoleil leave out Rujano, place trust in youthful line-up

Vacansoleil left Venezuelan cyclist Jose Rujano out of the 2013 Giro d'Italia because of his involvement in a doping case.
Instead the team has a youthful line-up, while Rujano, third in the 2005 Giro, will switch focus to racing later in the summer.
"We concluded there was no facts against him, since the suspect ***** values could not be used against him," said Dutch team manager Daan Luijkx, "The products Rujano was involved with don't figure on the ****** list. If we stick to the rules he could run. But we prefer not to take the risk.
"We do not want to risk discrediting the organisers, team, sport, and the rider himself while he is the subject of an investigation."
Sport director Jean-Paul van Poppel added: "The facts on Rujano in the Italian investigation seem pretty innocent but to get a credible sport we cannot take decisions on the fact that it seems innocent.
"We have to put to light on orange for him as long as the public prosecutor doesn’t take a decision and this decision will be taken in May according to Italian insiders.
"Lammertink and Wauters debut in a giant tour and it will be a trip in which they can explore their boundaries. Both riders are fit and prepared after the first month of the season. The fact that they are solid in the mountains gives me the confidence that they will be able to finish the race.
"I expect that we will see them, like the others on the team, in the picture a few times."

Full Vacansoleil roster for the Giro d'Italia: Grega Bole, Martijn Keizer, Maurits Lammertink, Pim Ligthart, Marco Marcato, Rob Ruijgh, Willem Wauters, Rafael Valls and Frederik Veuchelen.

 

[Smallville22]

Confident Hesjedal fired up ahead of Giro defence

Those who still think Ryder Hesjedal's 2012 Giro d'Italia victory was a fluke may end up eating their words with the Garmin-Sharp rider in great shape to defend his title.
Hesjedal took the favourites by surprise last year to become the first Canadian to win a Grand Tour and the towering climber sees no reason why he cannot repeat the feat.
"I don't think winning that three-week race can be a fluke," Hesjedal, 32, told Reuters in a telephone interview on Thursday.
"There was no gift in that race, it was a day-to-day battle against strong riders. You don't have to win another Grand Tour to validate the one before."
Just like last year, Hesjedal goes into the Giro on the back of decent results in the Ardennes classics, managing a top 10 finish in Liege-Bastogne-Liege despite working for eventual winner Dan Martin of Ireland.
"I feel good, better than I did last year at this time. I'm ready to go," he said.
"Obviously my bar is high, I won the race last year so that's my personal standard for judging my results."
A brilliant showing in the 2009 Tour de France team time trial and helping then team mate Bradley Wiggins finish fourth overall revealed Hesjedal's potential for three-week stage racing.
Victory in the Vuelta's toughest single mountain stage the same year after 6,000 metres of climbing further increased Hesjedal's confidence in his stage racing abilities and in 2010 he claimed seventh in the Tour de France, his best overall finish in a Grand Tour prior to his 2012 Giro triumph.
Garmin-Sharp, for whom Hesjedal earned a maiden Grand Tour title, have a strong team on the Giro which starts on Saturday in Naples.
"The team we have here is one of the strongest we ever had if not the strongest," said Hesjedal. "I think we've covered everything."
Americans Christian Vande Velde and Tom Danielson bring Grand Tour experience, sharing four top 10 finishes in Grand Tours between themselves -- although none of them came in the Giro.
That gap can be filled by sports director Charly Wegelius, who completed seven Giros as a domestique and knows the race inside out - even if it remains unpredictable.
"The Giro is an ****** who changes character during the race. You can make plans but it's a race that needs reinterpreting as you move along," the Briton told Reuters.
Wiggins's Team Sky may be the favourites along with Vincenzo Nibali's Astana but "nothing is set in stone".
"The main focus and expectations lie on the Astana and Sky teams," said Wegelius.
"This is the race that presents the more unpredictable elements because of the weather, the roads. Having said that Bradley Wiggins has the experience of the Giro from the beginning of his career. I'm quite sure they've done their homework and they still have the favourites' status."

 

[Smallville22]

Double champion Basso pulls out of Giro

Double champion Ivan Basso of Italy has pulled out of the Giro d'Italia because of a cyst in his lower back, according to a media report on Thursday.
Basso was suffering from a cyst, which made it impossible for him to pedal correctly, his Cannondale team said in a statement on Thursday.
Compatriot Damiano Caruso would replace Basso in the squad, Cannondale said.
The 35-year-old climber won the Giro in 2006 and 2010 but was not regarded as a top contender this year, having shown poor form this season.
Basso also twice finished on the Tour de France podium, taking third place in 2004 and second place in 2005.
The Giro starts in Naples on Saturday and finishes in Brescia on May 26.

 

[Smallville22]

Spilak denies Moser in Rund um den Finanzplatz

Simon Spilak (Katusha) won the Rund um den Finanzplatz from last year's winner Moreno Moser (Cannondale).
The Slovenian outpaced the Italian on the run to the line, with André Greipel (Lotto-Belisol) third - just metres behind - ahead of fellow German sprinters John Degenkolb (Argos-Shimano) and Gerald Ciolek (MTN Qhubeka).
The front two attacked late in the race alongside Domenico Pozzovivo (AG2R La Mondiale) and managed to stay out to the end as the Italian climber was caught.
The race, held between Eschborn and Frankfurt, is the traditional German May Day race.
Nine riders escaped early in the 200.9km race - Marcel Sieberg (Lotto-Belisol), Paul Voss (NetApp-Endura), Michael Mørkøv (Saxo-Tinkoff), Sébastien Reichenbach (IAM Cycling), Jan-Nicklas Droste (Heizomat), Tim Gebauer (Stölting), Georg Preidler (Argos-Shimano) and Michael Schweizer and Sven Forberger (both NSP-Ghost).
Their lead maxed out at 3:50 after 61km at the summit at Feldberg - returning to the route after two years - then Priedler, Voss, Sieberg, Reichenbach and Mørkøv moved out alone on the following climb, the Mammolshainer.
The others were gradually scooped up by the peloton while the front five's lead was cut to 1:40 on the second ascent of the Mammolshainer. Priedler and Reichenbach fell away and world time trial champion Tony Martin (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) caught up with the leaders to make it four riders at the front with 60km to go.
The peloton reeled them in 20km later then, heading up the Mammolshainer for a third and final time, Spilak, Moser and Pozzovivo made their move.
Their lead was 40s on the long flat finish heading into the centre of Frankfurt but that was eaten up: Pozzovivo dropped away, Moser attacked with 700m to go then Spilak responded late to snatch victory with the pack snapping at their wheels.
Danish track rider Lasse Norman Hansen (Blue Water Cycling) won the U23 race.

 

[Smallville22]

Demare doubles up with second Dunkerque win

Frenchman Arnaud Demare sprinted to victory on stage two of the 4 Jours de Dunkerque in Douchy-les-Mines.
Again the 21-year-old was teed up by a strong effort from his FDJ team-mates, allowing him to blast past Kenny Van Hummel (Vacansoleil-DCM) and Ramon Sinkeldam (Argos-Shimano) for victory.
The 178.2km stage featured cobbled parts and some trickier terrain than the opening day, prompting Evaldas Siskevicius (Sojasun) to make an early breakaway. Florian Vachon (Bretagne), Flavien Dassonville (BigMat-Auber 93) and Yves Lampaert (Topsport Vlaanderen) joined him to race at the front, but the peloton never allowed them to escape to more than a couple of minutes up the road.
The break was caught on the cobbles, although Julien El Fares (Sojasun) then made a move of his own, joined by Rudy Kowalski (Roubaix Lille Metropole).
With 18km remaining, however, they were reeled back in, making the sprint inevitable.
FDJ were in control of the peloton and despite Vacansoleil moving ahead, Demare made his move 200m from the line, taking a 10-second lead via time bonuses in the general classification.
The five-day race finishes back in Dunkerque on Sunday.

 

[Smallville22]

Demare wins again in Dunkerque

Arnaud Demare continued his winning streak at the 4 Jours de Dunkerque by claiming the third stage in a bunch sprint in Lievin.
FDJ rider Demare, who won stages one and two, beat team-mate Geoffrey Soupe into second, with Ramon Sinkeldam of Argos-Shimano third.
Demare stays atop the GC, 16 seconds clear of Sinkeldam, with Kenny van Hummel third 20s back.
An early break saw Maxime Daniel, Hugo Houle, Maxime Le Montagner and Jani Tewelde move ahead but the two climbs ahead – and some attacks from the peleton – made for an engaging climax as Blel Kadri dropped the leaders before going it alone.
However his 1:30 lead shrank with 10km remaining and, as the Frenchman tired, Jose Goncalvez bridged the gap during the final ascent of the Notre Dame de Lorette, and while Kadri saw him off the damage was done and the peleton closed in.
The final 5km was downhill and Kadri could not hang on, FDJ leading the charge as they set up the in-form Demare for a sprint finish.

 

[Smallville22]

Manning named GB men's coach, Newton gets women's role

Chris Newton will be looking to pick up where Paul Manning left off with the women's team pursuit after it was announced the latter will become British Cycling's men's endurance coach.
Great Britain won gold medals at the London 2012 Olympic Games in both men's and women's team pursuits – two of seven gold medals claimed on the capital’s track last summer.
But following a coaching restructure Manning moves across from his successful tenure as women's endurance coach to take up the same role with the men.
This means Manning will now be responsible for the men's team pursuit, among other endurance disciplines, while Newton will replace him as women’s endurance coach.
Keith Lambert will replace Newton to coach the GB men's endurance academy riders on the road, while head coach Shane Sutton will continue to oversee GB track coaching as a whole.
"We've got a fantastic track record in the team pursuit and we have accumulated a wealth of knowledge of the discipline over previous Olympic Games," said British Cycling performance director Sir David Brailsford.
"As the UCI have changed the women's team pursuit event to four riders over four kilometres just like the men, it seems the perfect time for us to pool all this knowledge in order for the endurance riders to continue to perform optimally.
"In both Chris and Paul we have experienced and successful coaches who have also both competed themselves at Olympic level in the track endurance disciplines and I'm confident they can continue to move us forward as we progress along the road to Rio."

 

[Smallville22]

Rebellin claims Polish opener

Davide Rebellin led a CCC Polsat Polkowice one-two in the first stage of the Szlakiem Grodow Piastowskich in Poland.
Italian rider Rebellin claimed the stage victory ahead of Polsat team-mate Marek Rutkiewicz, with Bartosz Huzarskiemu of Team NetApp-Endura third.
Conditions were poor, with riders’ efforts hampered by cold, rain and mist, with several players pulling out early in anticipation of five gruelling categorised climbs.
Polsat’s Bartlomiej Matysiak, who had been in the lead after winning Thursday’s Criterion stage, was involved in the first ****** but his role was primarily to reel in the likes of Marek Mixa, Marcin Sapa, Tino Thomel and Roger Kluge.
Polsat continued to dictate the pace, while a second breakaway also came to little as Matysiak and Sapa took points in the mountains.
But the peleton caught up for the final sprint, which was led by Rebellin, who takes a three-second overall lead ahead of Rutkiewicz.

 

[Smallville22]

INTERVIEW-Wiggins won't have it all his own way - Millar

David Millar, the last British rider to lead the Giro d'Italia, has no doubt about which of his compatriots is most likely to become the first Briton to win the race starting on Saturday.
"Bradley (Wiggins) is the favourite, he's the world's best stage racer now," the Garmin-Sharp veteran told Reuters as he waited outside his team bus in warm weather before the start of the first stage in Naples.
But Millar, who led the Giro during the first week of the 2011 race and was Wiggins's team mate in 2009, said he believes Sky will have at least as tough a time trying to win the Giro as they did in their successful Tour de France bid with Wiggins last July.
Wiggins won the Tour thanks to his impressive time-trialling skills and his team's ability to nullify their rivals' attacks in the mountains.
The Giro could be even harder to control.
"It's a very different kettle of fish racing here in the Giro, they (Sky) will need their A team here on top form to keep wearing the opposition down," Millar said.
Among Wiggins's main rivals should be Italian Vincenzo Nibali, who won the Tirreno-Adriatico week-long race last month in very aggressive fashion.
"Vincenzo Nibali is very motivated, he's on home terrain and he has beaten Sky twice already this year," Millar said, referring to Nibali's wins in Tirreno and in the Giro del Trentino.
While next Saturday's long individual time-trial from Saltara to Gabicce Mare is expected to favour Wiggins, Millar warned that for his team leader, defending champion Ryder Hesjedal of Canada, the route was even better.
"It's a route which has got Ryder all over it," said Millar, who with Americans Tom Danielson and Christian Vande Velde forms the old guard of Gamrin-Sharp in the Giro.
"He's probably in better shape than he was last year, it's going to be a great race."
Millar was the only rider from the 207 starters not to take part in Friday's pre-race presentation, after his wife gave birth to their second *****, a boy, this week.
"It was pretty straightforward, I contacted (cycling's governing body) the UCI and did all my (obligatory pre-race) ***** tests in Girona (Spain) on Thursday and here again this morning, so it was good they were so helpful," he explained.
"It was perfect, although it doesn't feel like I'm at a Grand Tour race, though I guess I'll get there soon."
Looking ahead at Sunday's team time trial, the first important challenge for the overall contenders which Garmin won in the 2008 Giro, Millar said: "It will set the tone for the race, even if you don't win.
"If you have a good day and you're smooth and fast as a squad, then it helps boost everybody's confidence. And if you have a bad one, you get on the bad foot and the morale goes down.
"It may not make a huge difference overall but it can have a major psychological effect."

 

[Smallville22]

Cavendish in pink after victory in stage one

Britain's Mark Cavendish won the opening stage of the Giro d'Italia in sunny Naples to take the first maglia rosa of the 96th edition of the race.
Omega Pharma-Quick Step's Cavendish came from far back to pip Italian Elia Viviani (Cannondale) and Frenchman Nacer Bouhanni (FDJ) in an explosive bunch sprint in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius.
After time bonuses allotted to the top three, Cavendish now holds an eight-second lead over Viviani in the overall standings with Bouhanni third at 12 seconds.
The final sprint on the Naples seafront was a splintered affair after a crash inside the final two kilometres of the short 130km circuit race caused a huge split in the pack.
The Orica-GreenEdge team of Matt Goss had three men in the small leading group entering the closing straight, but the Australian - a former team-mate of Cavendish - faded in the final sprint and came home in fifth place behind young Italian Giacomo Nizzolo (RadioShack-Leopard).
Despite being isolated at the business end of the stage, Cavendish showed his strength by powering past his rivals and edge out an irate Viviani at the death.
It was Cavendish's 11th career victory on the Giro d'Italia - and the second time he has picked up the famous maglia rosa on the opening day of the race.
Asked after the stage if he felt more relief than joy, the 27-year-old Manxman said: "A bit of both. It was a difficult stage for me. With all the corners it wasn't easy. The team were incredible in staying in front but we didn't get it right at the end.
"It's cost us a lot recently but I managed to come round and win. I was in the red for most of the stage. I was so tired and it was so hot."
In stark contrast to this season's spring classics campaign, the 96th edition of Giro d'Italia started under bright blue skies and in 30-degree temperatures.
A break of seven riders - Cameron Wurf (Cannondale), Giovanni Visconti (Movistar), Guillaume Bonnafond (Ag2R-La Mondiale), Marco Canola (Bardiani Valvole), Ricardo Mestre (Euskaltel), Brian Bulgac (Lotto-Belisol) and Martijn Keizer (Vacansoleil-DCM) - formed on the first of four undulating 16.4km laps around Naples.
Former Olympic lightweight rower Wurf broke clear on the third of four ascents and soon held a gap of more than two minutes over the peloton after his fellow escapees were reeled in by the pack on the first of eight 8km flat circuits that made up the second phase of the stage.
Australian Wurf had picked up enough points over the two categorised ascents in the opening half of the stage to secure the race's first blue king of the mountains jersey. Despite numerous crashes slowing down the peloton through the narrow cobbled streets of Naples, Wurf's lead came tumbling down and the 29-year-old was swept up on the third last lap, 20km from the finish.
Cavendish's Omega Pharma-Quick Step team had controlled the stage with aplomb alongside the Argos Shimano outfit of German sprinter Degenkolb. Meanwhile the Sky team-mates of British race favourite Bradley Wiggins kept their man near the front and out of trouble - as did the Garmin-Sharp team-mates of defending champion Ryder Hesjedal.
When the race entered its decisive phase in the final lap, both OPQS and Argos Shimano suddenly found themselves lacking - with GreenEdge, Lampre-Merida and Cannondale coming to the fore. The crash inside the final 2km left only a dozen or so riders out ahead and ended the chances of Degenkolb, winner of five stages in last year's Vuelta a Espana.
Cavendish had to dig deep to first get back with the leaders and then nullify the threat imposed by GreenEdge.
But the former world champion showed just why he is considered the fastest man on two wheels with an expertly time push to the line to deny Viviani a maiden victory in his home tour.
"My friend Paul Smith is here today so it's great to get the win in front of him," said Cavendish, referring to the famous British fashion guru who designed this year's Giro jerseys.
With Cavendish sitting pretty in pink, the Giro d'Italia continues on Sunday with a 17.4km team time trial on the nearby island of Ischia.

 

[Smallville22]

Barta bags overall lead after time trial win in Poland

Czech Jan Barta won the time trial in Polkowice and took an overall lead after stage two of the Szlakiem Grodow Piastowskich.
Barta proved up to the test in rainy conditions, holding off Stefan Schumacher and Sven Forberger.
Overnight leader Davide Rebellin slipped down the pecking order after finishing seventh on the day.

Time trial results

1. BARTA Jan TNE Team NETAPP - ENDURA 0h 38' 25" .30 47.167 km/h

2. SCHUMACHER Stefan CW CHRISTINA WATCHES - ONFONE 0h 38' 31" .75 + 00'06" 47.045 km/h

3. FORBERGER Sven NSP Team NSP - GHOST 0h 38' 34" .59 + 00'09" 46.984 km/h

4. KUREK Adrian CCC CCC POLSAT Polkowice 0h 38' 39" .44 + 00'14" 46.882 km/h

5. TACIAK Mateusz CCC CCC POLSAT Polkowice 0h 38' 43" .25 + 00'18" 46.802 km/h

6. GRADEK Kamil BDC BDC - MARCPOL Team 0h 38' 44" .09 + 00'19" 46.781 km/h

7. REBELLIN Davide CCC CCC POLSAT Polkowice 0h 38' 57" .79 + 00'32" 46.521 km/h

8. RUTKIEWICZ Marek CCC CCC POLSAT Polkowice 0h 39' 04" .03 + 00'39" 46.382 km/h

9. MARYCZ Jarosław CCC CCC POLSAT Polkowice 0h 39' 16" .65 + 00'51" 46.146 km/h

10. STACHOWIAK Adam BGZ BANK BGŻ 0h 39' 22" .76 + 00'57" 46.029 km/h

 

[Smallville22]

Moreno wins Vuelta a Madrid

Javi Moreno bagged the 11th victory of the season for his Movistar team after triumphing in the Vuelta a Madrid.
The Spaniard overcome Landa (Euskaltel), Fernandez (OFM) and team-mate Ruben Plaza as the race culminated at the top of the 1,800m-high La Morcuera peak.
Moreno and Landa shared the same time as the duo raced for the line after 167.6km, but Moreno had the edge.
Fernandez finished four seconds further down, with Plaza fading.

 

[Smallville22]

Kreder sprints to win as Demare stays ahead in Dunkerque

Michel Kreder won a sprint finish to take stage four of the 4 Jours de Dunkerque, with Arnaud Demare still leading going into the final day.
Garmin-Sharp rider Kreder took the spoils of an eight-man breakaway sprint, while Demare finished fifth, content with his day’s work after posting the same time as the stage winner.
Florian Vachon (Bretagne-Seche) came second, having initially led the breakaway, which Demare had chased down in the final uphill kilometre.
Julien El Fares (Sojasun) was third.
The 181.6km stage comprised a 25.3km opening loop followed by seven hilly 21.6km laps.
An initial 19-man breakaway halfway through the stage was reduced to 11 before El Fares led a late four-man escape heading into the final circuit.
The FDJ and Garmin riders managed to haul them back though, before setting up the final breakaway that Kreder clinched with 30m left.

 

[Smallville22]

Barta triumphs in Szlakiem Grodow Piastowskich

Jan Barta of the Czech Republic secured the overall victory in the Szlakiem Grodow Piastowskich on Sunday after Davide Rebellin won the fourth stage of the race.
Barta came through in a time of 11:53.47 to take the general classification ahead of Italy’s Rebellin, who prevailed on Sunday’s final stage but was still 12 seconds adrift.
Rebellin’s winning time was 4:02.45 in the 161.7km final stage from Jawor to Zlotoryja with Alois Kankovsky of the Czech Republic in second and NetApp-Endura’s Bartosz Huzarski in third.
Matthew Taciak of CCC Polkowice Polstat was third in the overall standings.

 

[Smallville22]

Demare victorious in 4 Jours de Dunkerque

Yannick Martinez of France was victorious on stage five as Arnaud Demare took the 4 Jours de Dunkerque title on Sunday.
Martinez came through to take the 164.1km stage to Estaires in a time of 3:41.28 from Matthias Friedemann of Germany and compatriot Benoit Drujon.
But it was Demare, also of France, who gave his FDJ team the overall victory in the Tour du Nord-pas-de-Calais after finishing 17th in the final stage.
Demare, who narrowly missed out on a fourth straight stage victory on day four, was the comprehensive winner of the race with Florian Vachon of France fully 16 seconds back in second place.
Ramon Sinkeldam of the Netherlands finished a further 10 seconds back to take third place in the general classification.

 

[Smallville22]

Puccio in pink after Sky win Giro team time trial

Youngster Salvatore Puccio rode into the pink jersey after the Sky team of Bradley Wiggins won stage two of the Giro d'Italia - a team time trial on the island of Ischia.
Team Sky completed the highly technical 17.4km course in a time of 22 minutes and five seconds to beat Movistar by nine seconds and the Astana team of Wiggins's big rival, Vincenzo Nibali, by 14 seconds.
Twenty-three-year-old Italian Puccio, riding his debut Giro d'Italia, was one of five riders from Team Sky who crossed the line to set the best time. Puccio tops the general classification by virtue of his placing in Saturday's opening stage. He is tied at the top with Wiggins, fellow Italian Dario Cataldo and Colombian pair Rigoberto Uran and Sergio Henao.
Overnight leader Mark Cavendish, the former Team Sky sprinter, lost the maglia rosa after his Omega Pharma-Quick Step team could only post the 17th best time, 48 seconds slower than Sky. Cavendish swapped the pink jersey for the red points jersey on the back of his victory in Saturday's opening stage in Naples.
It was the first time the Corsa Rosa had visited the picturesque island of Ischia in 54 years. Under a bright sun and temperatures in the high 20s, each of the race's 23 teams tackled a demanding course that featured four climbs and numerous bends.
Spanish outfit Movistar produced the surprise of the day, bettering Sky by two seconds at the first check point before crossing the line nine seconds behind the British team. Movistar now have a cluster of riders nine seconds down on the Sky quintet on GC, with Spaniard Benat Intxausti top of the pack in sixth place. Movistar's Giovanni Visconti retained the blue jersey as the race's best climber.
Italian race favourite Nibali - who will look to make up lost time on Wiggins in the mountains - limited his losses to just 14 seconds after a strong ride from his Astana team.
Deprived of last year's Giro runner-up Joaquim Rodriguez, Katusha nevertheless set the fourth best time at 19 seconds while Italian wildcards Vini Fantini took fifth. The Pro Continental team crossed the line 22 seconds down on Sky and level with fellow Italian outfit Lampre.
Victors in last year's team time trial in Verona, the Garmin-Sharp team of defending champion Ryder Hesjedal were uncharacteristically disorganised in their race against the clock, coming home 25 seconds off the pace.
Blanco Procycling - the former Rabobank team of Dutch 'eternal hope' Robert Gesink - set the early benchmark time but slipped to eighth at the finish, 28 seconds in arrears and tied for time with Orica-GreenEdge.
The BMC team of Australia's Cadel Evans took 12th at 37 seconds while Dutch team Argos-Shimano brought up the rear, 1:13 down on winners Sky.
With Bradley Wiggins in a commanding position as he bids to become the first Briton to win Italy's major stage race, the Giro continues on Monday with the undulating 222km stage three from Sorrento to Marina di Ascea on the Mediterranean coast.

 

[Smallville22]

Froome confirmed as Sky's team leader for Tour

Dave Brailsford has confirmed that Chris Froome - and not defending champion Bradley Wiggins - will lead Team Sky in this year's Tour de France.
The Team Sky general manager ended months of speculation by giving his formal backing to Kenyan-born Froome ahead of the Tour, which starts in Corsica on June 29.
"As always, the team selection is a management decision and it will be evidence-based," Brailsford told Team Sky's official website. "However, it is crucial there is clarity of purpose and, for that reason, we will go to the Tour with one leader.
"Taking that into consideration and given Chris's step up in performances this year, our plan, as it has been since January, is to have him lead the Tour de France team.
"With over seven weeks until the Tour and the Giro [d'Italia] to focus on, our final selection of nine won't be confirmed until after the [Criterium du] Dauphine.
"Everyone here is 100 per cent focused on this race [the Giro] and the next three weeks."
Froome, 27, has been in promising form this season, winning the Tour of Oman, the Criterium International and the Tour de Romandie, as well as finishing runner-up in Tirreno-Adriatico.
Defending Tour champion Wiggins is currently spearheading Team Sky's Giro d'Italia campaign. The 33-year-old's quest to become the first Briton to win the Giro has got off to a promising start following Sky's victory in Sunday's team time trial on the island of Ischia, during which Wiggins took time off his main rival Vincenzo Nibali of Astana.
Prior to the Corsa Rosa, Wiggins spoke of his desire to win both the Giro and Tour, claiming both he and Froome would enjoy joint leadership during the Grande Boucle.
The comment enraged Froome, who took to Twitter to stress his annoyance at his team-mate's comment.
Froome finished runner-up in the 2012 Tour after supporting Wiggins - the designated team leader - during the key mountain stages. With more climbing and less time trials featuring on the 2013 Tour route, the course is said to favour the in-form Froome more than Olympic time trial champion Wiggins.
Brailsford stressed that despite all the media attention regarding his team's leadership, Sky were focused and strong ahead of the season's main targets.
"We are in a fantastic position," he added. "We have two of the best GC [general classification] riders in the world and they are both great racers with a competitive will to win.
"Since the start of season, Bradley's performance plan has focused around training specifically to try and win the Giro and then ride the Tour, while Chris's has been focused on attempting to win the Tour.
"Now we are here. The Giro has started and Bradley has done a brilliant job of getting in the best-possible condition for his assault on the race."

 

[Smallville22]

Paolini picks up pink after stage three win

Italian veteran Luca Paolini of Katusha soloed to victory in stage three of the Giro d'Italia to take the race lead in Ascea.
Thirty-six-year-old Paolini used all his guile and experience to ****** on a fast descent seven kilometres from the finish to take a first career stage victory in his home tour.
Winner of the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad semi-classic race in February, Paolini's only previous Grand Tour stage victory came in the 2006 Vuelta a Espana.
"It's incredible to win like that and take the pink jersey as well," he said. "My ****** was in hospital today for a ***** operation and so this pink jersey is for him."
"I suffered to stay on during the climb and tried to ride at my pace. I knew there was a little climb near the finish and know I can descend pretty well. I went for it. I rode as if it was a Classic. We had a good TTT and so I knew I could take pink if I won. I did it."
Australian Cadel Evans (BMC) crossed the line 16 seconds down to take second place with defending champion Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Sharp) right in his wheel for third.
Britain's Bradley Wiggins also finished safely in the chasing pack and is now second in the general classification, 17 seconds behind Paolini. But team-mate Salvatore Puccio, the overnight race leader, was dropped on the second of two climbs towards the finish of the 222km stage from Sorrento and so surrendered the maglia rosa to his elder countryman.
Italian race favourite Vincenzo Nibali of Astana sits in fifth position on GC, 31 seconds behind Paolini, while Hesjedal - who put in several digs on the final climb - is seventh, a further three seconds back.
Michele Scarponi (Lampre-Merida) saw his chances for a high overall finish dented after the Italian suffered a crash close to the finish of the long 222km stage from Sorrento.
Instigated by Italian Manuele Boaro (Saxo Bank-Tinkoff), a group of seven riders attacked from the outset to build up a maximum lead of seven minutes as the race headed south along the picturesque Amalfi Coast.
Fabio Taborre (Vini Fantini), Willem Wauters (Vacansoleil-DCM), Jarlison Pantano (Colombia), Bert De Backer (Argos Shimano), Dirk Bellemakers (Lotto Belisol), Jackson Rodriguez (Androni Giocattoli) and Boaro reached the foot of the first major test of the day - the Cat.3 San Mauro Cilento - with a lead of 6:50 over the pack.
Belgian youngster Wauters took maximum points over the summit, 68km from the finish, to secure the blue king of the mountains jersey.
Meanwhile, pure sprinters such as stage one winner Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) and French national champion Nacer Bouhanni (FDJ) had been dropped off the back of the peloton.
Team Sky led the peloton over the summit 3:42 down on the six leaders, who had dropped Belgium's De Backer on the opening section of steep hairpin bends.
In a sudden rush of ***** to the head, Taborre - just 22 seconds down off the race summit after Vini Fantini's fifth place ride in Sunday's team time trial on the island of Ischia - attacked his fellow escapees on the undulating drag ahead of the final climb.
Dreaming of both the stage victory and the pink jersey, 27-year-old Taborre soon held a one-minute gap over the chasing quintet and 3:30 over the peloton.
But there were still 40km left to ride and once Garmin, Sky and Astana combined to drive the pace on the front of the peloton, Taborre's lead came tumbling down.
First the remnants of the break were swept up then, with 25km remaining, an exhausted Taborre was caught at the same moment Hesjedal put in a surprise ****** from the main pack.
The Canadian opened up a small gap over his rivals on the Cat.3 Sella di Catona before easing up to nestle back inside the group containing all the race favourites. But now the 23-year-old Puccio had called it a day, opening the door for a new race leader.
With the group staying together over the summit, that new race leader looked all but certain to be his team-mate Wiggins - until Paolini made his move on the crash-strewn descent.
While the likes of Carlos Betancur (Ag2R-La Mondiale), Tanel Kangert (Astana) and Emanuele Sella (Androni Giocattoli) were amongst the many falls, Paolini kept his cool on the highly technical descent back towards the Mediterranean coast.
Blanco pair Robert Gesink and Steven Kruijswijk led the chase - but both riders overshot a tight bend and tumbled in a heap. In the melee, Scarponi also came a cropper and crashed heavily onto his shoulder.
Gesink remounted quickly and Kruijswijk soon followed. But Scarponi's bike was broken and the 2011 Giro d'Italia champion was ****** to wait for a replacement.
Paolini ploughed on and had the luxury of being able to sit up and savour the finishing straight before crossing the line - safe in the knowledge that the bonus seconds would propel him to the pink jersey.
As for Scarponi, the 33-year-old came home one minute down - and so lost 44 seconds to his rivals on GC. But spare a thought for another Italian veteran, Astana's Paolo Tiralongo, who finished the stage in last position 20 minutes in arrears after crashing in the feed zone.
The Giro d'Italia continues on Tuesday with the 246km stage four - which, with two decisive climbs tagged on the end, is an almost carbon copy of Monday's stage.

 

[Smallville22]

Team pursuit changes won't affect GB women says Trott

Double Olympic champion Laura Trott insists changes to the team pursuit will not stop Britain's women from ruling the track for years to come.
Trott along with Dani King and Jo Rowsell lit up the Olympic Velodrome in the team pursuit at London 2012, setting a world record each time they took to the track on route to gold.
Fast forward to February this year and Trott and King, this time accompanied by teenager Elinor Barker, were standing atop another podium as they claimed World Championship gold in Belarus.
However, changes to the event for all future competitions now mean the race will take place over 4km rather than 3km, while the team will also comprise of four members rather than the traditional three.
And, while Trott admits the changes will take some getting used to, she is adamant it will be the GB flag that continues to fly at all major events.
"I know Jo sat out the worlds but the type of person she is she is still hungry for more and I know that she will be back as good as ever, the same for Dani," said Trott.
"We really became a close unit over the years and that won't change and I couldn't ask for better team-mates really.
"It will take time to get used to the new format I am sure but I think with Dani and Jo we will be hopefully able to hit the ground running.
"I think it showed in what we did going unbeaten up to the Games that we are always looking to improve and it is no different after the Games, that is the competitive athletes we are.
"We want to keep raising the bar and we are confident we can do it and I am confident with my team."