Stage results

• 1. Peter SAGAN, Liquigas-Cannondale in 5:18:08
• 2. Heinrich HAUSSLER, Garmin-Barracuda, at s.t.
• 3. Michael MATTHEWS, Rabobank, at s.t.
• 4. Tom BOONEN, Omega Pharma-Quick Step, at s.t.
• 5. Roger KLUGE, Argos-Shimano, at s.t.
• 6. Jasper STUYVEN, Bontrager-Livestrong, at s.t.
• 7. Guillaume BOIVIN, Spidertech-C10, at s.t.
• 8. Alexander CANDELARIO, Optum, at s.t.
• 9. Leigh HOWARD, Orica-GreenEdge, at s.t.
• 10. Lloyd MONDORY, Ag2r La Mondiale, at s.t.
• 11. Fred RODRIGUEZ, Exergy, at s.t.
• 12. Ben JACQUES-MAYNES, Bissell, at s.t.
• 13. Luis Leon SANCHEZ GIL, Rabobank, at s.t.
• 14. Peter VELITS, Omega Pharma-Quick Step, at s.t.
• 15. Andrew TALANSKY, Garmin-Barracuda, at s.t.
• 16. Tiago MACHADO, RadioShack-Nissan, at s.t.
• 17. Alex HOWES, Garmin-Barracuda, at s.t.
• 18. Tejay VAN GARDEREN, BMC Racing, at s.t.
• 19. Nicolas ROCHE, Ag2r La Mondiale, at s.t.
• 20. George HINCAPIE, BMC Racing, at s.t.
• 21. Tom DUMOULIN, Argos-Shimano, at s.t.
• 22. Wesley SULZBERGER, Orica-GreenEdge, at s.t.
• 23. Laurens TEN DAM, Rabobank, at s.t.
• 24. Daniel OSS, Liquigas-Cannondale, at s.t.
• 25. Timothy DUGGAN, Liquigas-Cannondale, at s.t.
• 26. Markel IRIZAR ARANBURU, RadioShack-Nissan, at s.t.
• 27. Christopher HORNER, RadioShack-Nissan, at s.t.
• 28. Thomas DANIELSON, Garmin-Barracuda, at s.t.
• 29. Marc DE MAAR, UnitedHealthcare, at s.t.
• 30. Maarten TJALLINGII, Rabobank, at s.t.
• 31. Robert GESINK, Rabobank, at s.t.
• 32. Koen DE KORT, Argos-Shimano, at s.t.
• 33. Edward KING, Liquigas-Cannondale, at s.t.
• 34. Brent BOOKWALTER, BMC Racing, at s.t.
• 35. Lawson CRADDOCK, Bontrager-Livestrong, at s.t.
• 36. Bradley WHITE, UnitedHealthcare, at s.t.
• 37. Brian VANDBORG, Spidertech-C10, at s.t.
• 38. Christopher JONES, UnitedHealthcare, at s.t.
• 39. Rory SUTHERLAND, UnitedHealthcare, at s.t.
• 40. Raymond KUNZLI, Spidertech-C10, at s.t.
• 41. Darwin ATAPUMA HURTADO, Colombia-Coldeportes, at s.t.
• 42. Luke DURBRIDGE, Orica-GreenEdge, at s.t.
• 43. Bram TANKINK, Rabobank, at s.t.
• 44. George BENNETT, RadioShack-Nissan, at s.t.
• 45. Joe DOMBROSKI, Bontrager-Livestrong, at s.t.
• 46. Pieter WEENING, Orica-GreenEdge, at s.t.
• 47. Mikael CHEREL, Ag2r La Mondiale, at s.t.
• 48. Greg VAN AVERMAET, BMC Racing, at s.t.
• 49. Yannick EIJSSEN, BMC Racing, at s.t.
• 50. Mauro DA DALTO, Liquigas-Cannondale, at s.t.
• 51. Paul MARTENS, Rabobank, at s.t.
• 52. Sylvain GEORGES, Ag2r La Mondiale, at s.t.
• 53. Levi LEIPHEIMER, Omega Pharma-Quick Step, at s.t.
• 54. David ZABRISKIE, Garmin-Barracuda, at s.t.
• 55. Fabio Andres DUARTE AREVALO, Colombia-Coldeportes, at s.t.
• 56. Kristijan KOREN, Liquigas-Cannondale, at s.t.
• 57. Cameron MEYER, Orica-GreenEdge, at s.t.
• 58. Benjamin KING, RadioShack-Nissan, at s.t.
• 59. Ryan EASTMAN, Bontrager-Livestrong, at s.t.
• 60. Philip DEIGNAN, UnitedHealthcare, at s.t.
• 61. Jeffry LOUDER, UnitedHealthcare, at s.t.
• 62. Hugo HOULE, Spidertech-C10, at s.t.
• 63. Matthew BUSCHE, RadioShack-Nissan, at s.t.
• 64. Frank Kevin PIPP, Bissell, at s.t.
• 65. Vincenzo NIBALI, Liquigas-Cannondale, at s.t.
• 66. Maxime BOUET, Ag2r La Mondiale, at s.t.
• 67. Stijn VANDENBERGH, Omega Pharma-Quick Step, at s.t.
• 68. Ken HANSON, Optum, at s.t.
• 69. Wilco KELDERMAN, Rabobank, at s.t.
• 70. Romain BARDET, Ag2r La Mondiale, at s.t.
• 71. Christopher BALDWIN, Bissell, at s.t.
• 72. Matt COOKE, Exergy, at s.t.
• 73. Andrès Miguel DIAZ CORRALES, Exergy, at s.t.
• 74. Thomas PETERSON, Garmin-Barracuda, at s.t.
• 75. Thimothy ROE, BMC Racing, at s.t.
• 76. Joshua ATKINS, Bontrager-Livestrong, at s.t.
• 77. Tom ZIRBEL, Optum, at s.t.
• 78. Andrew BAJADALI, Optum, at s.t.
• 79. Nathan BROWN, Bontrager-Livestrong, at s.t.
• 80. Ian BOSWELL, Bontrager-Livestrong, at s.t.
• 81. Tom STAMSNIJDER, Argos-Shimano, at s.t.
• 82. Jens VOIGT, RadioShack-Nissan, at s.t.
• 83. Ryan ANDERSON, Spidertech-C10, at s.t.
• 84. Bert GRABSCH, Omega Pharma-Quick Step, at s.t.
• 85. Yukihiro DOI, Argos-Shimano, at s.t.
• 86. Gavin MANNION, Bontrager-Livestrong, at s.t.
• 87. Alessandro VANOTTI, Liquigas-Cannondale, at s.t.
• 88. Dries DEVENYNS, Omega Pharma-Quick Step, at s.t.
• 89. Thomas DAMUSEAU, Argos-Shimano, at s.t.
• 90. Scott ZWIZANSKI, Optum, at s.t.
• 91. Nathan HAAS, Garmin-Barracuda +24
• 92. Alexandre GENIEZ, Argos-Shimano +31
• 93. Sebastian SALAS, Optum +36
• 94. Victor Hugo PENA GRISALES, Colombia-Coldeportes +36
• 95. Michael RODRIGUEZ GALINDO, Colombia-Coldeportes +36
• 96. Morgan SCHMITT, Exergy +49
• 97. Jacob RATHE, Garmin-Barracuda +49
• 98. Jason MCCARTNEY, UnitedHealthcare +49
• 99. Lucas EUSER, Spidertech-C10 +49
• 100. Serghei TVETCOV, Exergy +1:01
• 101. Grégory RAST, RadioShack-Nissan +1:01
• 102. Jeremy VENNELL, Bissell +1:09
• 103. Gerald CIOLEK, Omega Pharma-Quick Step +1:09
• 104. Michael CREED, Optum +1:09
• 105. Matthew WILSON, Orica-GreenEdge +1:22
• 106. Jonathan CLARKE, UnitedHealthcare +1:22
• 107. David BOILY, Spidertech-C10 +1:22
• 108. Frantisek RABON, Omega Pharma-Quick Step +2:15
• 109. Robbie MCEWEN, Orica-GreenEdge +14:50
• 110. Logan LOADER, Exergy +14:50
• 111. Carlos Julian QUINTERO, Colombia-Coldeportes +14:50
• 112. Juan Pablo SUAREZ SUAREZ, Colombia-Coldeportes +14:50
• 113. Wilson Alexander MARENTES TORRES, Colombia-Coldeportes +14:50
• 114. Carter JONES, Bissell +14:50
• 115. Travis MEYER, Orica-GreenEdge +14:50
• 116. Christophe RIBLON, Ag2r La Mondiale +14:50
• 117. Marcel KITTEL, Argos-Shimano +14:50
• 118. Jonathan Patrick MC CARTY, Spidertech-C10 +14:50

Michael Matthews (Rabobank) was third.

With a 10-second time bonus at the finish, Sagan extended his overall lead over Haussler to 16 seconds, unofficially.

“Today was a harder stage,” said Sagan. “Today I was thinking it was not possible for me to win, but Daniel (Oss) said, ‘today we work for you.’

“I think tomorrow I will say good-bye [to the] yellow jersey, but maybe tomorrow I recover for Big Bear and try for another [stage] there.”

For Haussler, the stage marked his fourth close call to Sagan, but also his fourth disappointment in California.

“I felt really good during the stage today. I was comfortable on the climbs. And the team had another strong day despite the brutal heat,” he said. “Sagan is the fastest guy at the moment and he proved it again today. I believe we’ve got one more opportunity for a sprint. And I’m very motivated, but there’s some serious racing to get through in the next few days.”

The theme of the day was more that of a long, hot grind to set up Thursday’s time trial than a thrilling spectacle of racing. Six categorized climbs lay in the first 140km of the stage, but the last of them, the third-category Crane Valley Road, came more than 60km from the finish.

On a day like this, only the strong make the breakaway and when an 11-rider move materialized on the second climb, it was filled with names of the top domestiques from many of the race’s biggest teams.

Markel Irizar and Ben King (RadioShack-Nissan) were there, with Dries Devenyns (Omega Pharma-Quick Step), Yannick Eijssen (BMC Racing), Wilco Kelderman (Rabobank), Alex Howes (Garmin-Barracuda), Timmy Duggan (Liquigas-Cannondale), Wesley Sulzberger (Orica-GreenEdge), Mikael Chérel (Ag2r La Mondiale), and Darwin Hurtado and Carlos Quintero (Colombia-Coldeportes).

RadioShack turned Jens Voigt loose on the front of the peloton after the penultimate climb, however, and the German drew in the breakaway low down on the Crane Valley Road climb.

Tom Peterson (Garmin) and George Bennett (RadioShack) countered the catch 4km from the summit of the climb and rolled off the front easily, chatting as they built a lead of a handful of seconds over 2km. Michael Rodriguez (Colombia) got the pair going with a more serious tone when he bridged across, and Bram Tankink (Rabobank), Brian Vandborg (Spidertech-C10) and Mikael Chérel (Ag2r La Mondiale) set out in pursuit.

With RadioShack and Garmin both represented in the move, Liquigas went to the front of the peloton and ticked up the pace.

The three chasers led the peloton by 45 seconds over the summit of the climb and before long all six riders were together at the front. They pushed out to over a minute on the field, but with Vandborg and Chérel at just 30 seconds back on GC, and Bennett and Tankink also within a minute, Sagan’s green-clad mates had no appetite for letting the break breathe.

With 70km to go, the race was back together, with the familiar sight of Ted King pulling the peloton downhill toward Clovis.

The inertia of wide, downhill-trending roads carried the peloton toward Clovis for 55km. At times, it appeared as though a large, very professional charity ride was taking place with little reason for anyone to attack.

UnitedHealthcare’s Jonathan Clarke took the initiative 15km from the line, however, and set out solo. No one was biting on the move and the Aussie rode solo for a handful of kilometers before Ag2r and Rabobank led the bunch around him 9km from the finish.

With 5.3km to go, a Bontrager-Livestrong rider and Exergy’s Logan Loader found themselves with a gap and tested the waters, but to no avail. David Zabriskie (Garmin) countered that move on the right, however, and with 4.5km to go, the U.S. time trial champion carried an almost 15-second advantage on the field.

The move caught the field napping and looked dangerous, but Tom Boonen told VeloNews this morning that today was his last shot at a stage win and Omega Pharma shut the move down.

The attack did what Garmin had hoped, however, and the leadout developed without any real organization in the final 2km. Marcel Kittel’s Argos-Shimano squad did show itself at the front inside the final kilometer, but once again, Daniel Oss navigated his way to the front inside 500km with Sagan on his wheel.

The 22-year-old opened up throttle inside 300 meters to go and once again edged out Haussler for his record-setting seventh stage win in the one-week race.

Race results >>

Editor’s Note: Keep your browser pointed to VeloNews.com for analysis, galleries, video interviews and more from the Amgen Tour of California.

Each crankset is claimed to have the lowest “U-factor” (width of the crank at the bottom bracket; i.e., ankle clearance) and “Q-factor” (width of the crank at the pedal eye; i.e., pedaling stance width) in its class. Campagnolo claims shifting speed and precision on par with double drivetrains.

These will be Campagnolo’s first ultra-light, hollow-forged aluminum cranks. Three new triple cranksets will be available: Athena 11-speed in Deep Black and Bright Silver versions, Centaur 10-speed in Deep Black and Black-and-Red versions, and Veloce 10-speed in Deep Black and Bright Silver versions. Chainring sizes will be 30-39-50 (10-speed only) and 30-39-52 (11-speed or Centaur 10-speed).

The triple front derailleur has been completely redesigned, while the rear derailleur, which will be available with a short (55mm), medium (72.5mm), medium+ (82mm; 11-speed Athena only), or long (89mm, 10-speed only) cage, has the same body as in the standard 10- and 11-speed Athena, Centaur and Veloce groups. The long-cage derailleur will be needed with the new Centaur 10-speed 12-30 cogset; a new 12-27 Centaur 10-speed cogset will also be available. The cogsets will be quieter and more durable, thanks to a special surface hardening treatment and geometry synchronized with the Teflon-coated Centaur 10-speed chain.

In 11-speed compact double cranks, Campagnolo is announcing that it will offer a new chainring combination: 52/36. The new compact 52/36 carbon-only cranksets will be available for all 11-speed Campagnolo groups, namely Super Record, Record, Chorus and Athena. Available lengths will be in 165, 170, 172.5 and 175mm. Weights will be: 663g for Athena Carbon, 690g for Chorus, 40g less for Record (650g), and 607g for the Super Record. The 52/36 Super Record and Record cranksets are compatible with the Campagnolo EPS electronic drivetrain.

After three bunch sprint finishes, UnitedHealthcare’s Marc De Maar is sitting in sixth place overall at the Amgen Tour of Calfornia, just 27 seconds behind the race leader, Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale).

Stage 3 was not an easy day for the riders as half way through the 115-mile stage they passed over the Cat. 2 Mount Diablo for the first time in race history. De Maar averaged 341W (365np) on the climb. Later in the stage the riders climbed through a headwind on the third category Patterson Pass, where de Maar averaged 344W, yet the normalized power of 384 was much higher than Mount Diablo. This is a clear indication that riders were attacking and surging at much higher power outputs than on the earlier climb.

Patterson Pass topped out just nine kilometers from the finish, so this was the last chance for climbers to get away from the sprinters. However, the windy conditions on the climb were not favorable and did not allow for a small breakaway.

The peloton regrouped and got back to business as usual with another field sprint to determine the stage winner. As we all know, Peter Sagan won stage 3 and is now undefeated in this year’s race. De Maar finished 21st and by looking at his TrainingPeaks file viewer you can see that he averaged 641W and 35 mph in the final 800 meters of the race. His peak power reading during the final sprint was 1039W.

UnitedHealthcare’s team doctor, Iñigo San Millan gave some insight into Tuesday’s tough stage: “[Tuesday’s] stage was another hard race as it was the first stage under heat conditions as well as the windy conditions in the last part of the stage. It was difficult to drink in this last part of the race due to the heat and the wind so a few cyclists finished a bit dehydrated, which may interfere with their recovery for [Wednesday] and the subsequent stages. Our guys from UnitedHealthcare rode in the front and we all are waiting for Bakersfield time trial to see all the cards on the table.”

Click here to view the TrainingPeaks File Viewer.

Summary

Time: 4:50
Distance: 115 miles
Training Stress Score: 276 TSS
Energy: 3911 KJ
Body Weight: 70kg

Peak Power Values
Average Watts: 225 W
Max Watts: 1039 W
Normalized Power: 295
Peak 5-seconds: 899 W
Peak 1-minute: 612 W
Peak 6-minutes: 424 W
Peak 20-minutes: 354 W
Peak 180-minutes: 240 W

Stage 2: San Francisco — Santa Cruz County (188.5km)

Tensions were high before the second stage, as many experts felt this might be a day that the general classification favorites would do battle up the Cat. 1 Empire Grade and Cat. 2 Bear Creek Road climbs. As the race entered the bottom of Empire Grade the big teams were setting a furious pace, averaging over 30 mph for over two miles. But when the road tilted up, everyone rode at a high tempo and it seemed as if the riders were nervous and waiting for the first attack, which never really came.

In fact the separation of the group actually came on the decent as the race headed towards the second climb. The first five minutes of descending saw de Maar average 38 mph and he peaked out at 47 mph on this technical decent.

Click here to view the TrainingPeaks File Viewer.

Summary

Time: 5:02
Distance: 117 miles
Training Stress Score: 320 TSS
Energy: 4329 KJ
Body Weight: 70kg

Peak Power Values
Average Watts: 240 W
Max Watts: 1206
Normalized Power: 312
Peak 5-seconds: 1124 W
Peak 1-minute: 558 W
Peak 6-minutes: 422 W
Peak 20-minutes: 367 W
Peak 180-minutes: 262 W

As the race entered the Bear Creek Rod climb, just as groups were catching back on, the pace ratcheted up and de Maar averaged a staggering 394 W for the first 10 minutes on the final climb. He managed to get over the top with the front group and the attention now turned to the sprint finish in Santa Cruz.

De Maar rode a very aggressive final five kilometers and he even made a big attack off of the front of the peloton. The final two miles averaged 28 mph and 429 W. He reached his max power output of the race so far during the final sprint, at 1206 watts.

“I wanted to win a stage to show to everyone that day was an off day, that I had the legs and that I have what it takes to win a stage,” Ferrari said in a post-race press conference. “I’m sorry for all that happened and what I said right after the stage. Sometimes, when something just happens, it’s hard to think clearly.”

Ferrari shot between Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Barracuda) and Cavendish in the final 250 meters of stage 3 in Horsens, Denmark. He clipped Cavendish’s front wheel and caused a wave a crashes that likely ultimately cost Taylor Phinney (BMC Racing) his overall lead. Immediately afterwards, he put the blame on Cavendish.

Critics argued that the race jury should eject him from the Giro d’Italia, but Ferrari was allowed to continue, albeit with a relegation to last on the stage. Today in Tuscany, nearly 2000 kilometers away from Denmark, he made headlines for all the right reasons.

Cavendish lost ground after teammate Geraint Thomas’ pedal touched the pavement through a right-hand corner in the final 350 meters. Ferrari was able to maintain his momentum and carry on, catching Tomas Vaitkus (Orica-GreenEdge) and holding off Omega Pharma-Quick Step’s Francesco Chicci for the win. Cavendish settled for fourth.

“I talked with a lot of other sprinters, they didn’t say I was in the right, but they said that these things happen. They told me to go ahead, sprint as I know how to do,” Ferrari continued.

“I’m thankful for the jury to allow me to race. It was my fault, but I didn’t do it on purpose.”

Italy’s RAI television invited Cavendish to speak on its Processo della Tappa show after the stage. He complimented Ferrari’s sprint, but said that he was lucky to have the chance.

“He’s lucky to stay in the race,” explained Cavendish. “It’s not his fault he’s still in the race, he doesn’t make the decisions.”

Ferrari said that he’s thankful to the jury for the simple relegation and for the right to continue racing. He built his season around the Giro d’Italia, the biggest race of the year for his second division team.

The stage marks the 29-year-old’s biggest win to date, joining a win in the GP Lugano on his palmarès. To earn a place in bigger races outside of Italy, such as the Tour de France or the classics, he would almost certainly need to switch teams, perhaps joining the first division. Ferrari said he would consider opportunities in the future, but is satisfied with Gianni Savio’s Pro Continental squad.

“I have a good relationship with Gianni Savio, he allows me to win in Italy and doesn’t put on pressure,” said Ferrari. “Who knows, though, in the future maybe I’ll have a chance, but I’d need to evaluate the offer.”

Savio told VeloNews that Ferrari’s contract ends with the close of this season.

“Like everything, there’s pro and cons to switching teams,” Savio said. “He has a good contact with our team, but yes, with this win, his value increases.”

After it bottomed out last Monday in Horsens, Ferrari’s stock is back on the rise.

“If Mark was strong, he would have won today,” Cipollini said on RAI. “I am beginning to wonder if he’s at the same level as last year. Will he be ready for the Olympics? I do not know. Even when his team delivers him, he’s not winning as easily as he used to.”

Cavendish didn’t take the bait and defended his ride so far through this Giro, which includes two stage victories and the red points jersey, which he took off the shoulders of rival Matt Goss (Orica-GreenEdge) in Wednesday’s 11th stage.

“I come to this Giro in good condition. I have come through the climbs in good shape. I will be better at the Tour de France. It’s normal that you get better throughout the season,” Cavendish said. “I lost a week due to my crash (in stage 3). I am disappointed I did not win today. I was screaming in the last kilometer, Geraint (Thomas) was not careful. It was close to home and it was an important stage for me.”

Cavendish missed out on Wednesday’s sprint after the final corner with 350 meters to go saw him undermined by arch-nemesis Roberto Ferrari, who swept out his front wheel in stage 3. It’s the first stage in which Cavendish missed the win without crashing in the finale. The world champion has hit the deck twice in this Giro, but he also defended his new-look Sky train.

“We are still learning. As with anything when you change teams, you have to start fresh,” he said. “I am lucky to have won six or seven races so far this year with this new team. I don’t think we’ve done such a bad job.”

Per Cipollini, Cavendish kept it classy.

“I’m not a sprinter like you,” Cavendish said. “You were much stronger than me. I am faster than you.”

Stage 4 — Wednesday May 16

Breakfast Menu

Biju’s Oatmeal with Toasted Nut Mix
Muesli
Beet Juice
Pasta and Eggs
Mixed Berries and Fruit with Yogurt
Soft Scrambled Eggs with Fresh Herbs

Ride Menu

Allen Lim’s Rice Cakes

Recovery Menu

Sweet Potato and Egg Burrito
Chicken Fried Rice

Chicken Fried Rice
Servings > 2
Time > 10-15 minutes

This recipe is exactly as Allen presented it to his class in the third grade and exactly as he serves it to athletes at training camps, races, or impromptu dinners at his place in Boulder, Colorado. At the 2010 Tour de France, this was Lance Armstrong’s favorite post-race dish.

1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
2–3 green onions, diced or thinly sliced
3 eggs
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 cups cooked rice
1 cup cooked boneless chicken thighs (2–3 pieces)
1 cup frozen peas and corn

Optional Additions
Sriracha sauce
sesame oil

1. Bring a lightly oiled sauté pan to mediumhigh heat. Add the garlic and green onions and sauté for about 1 minute.
2. In a small bowl, beat the eggs and soy sauce vigorously and pour into the hot pan. The pan should be hot enough to cause the eggs to fluff. Stir the eggs to cook them quickly.
3. Add the rice and cooked chicken thighs and fry the mixture for 5–6 minutes.
4. Add the peas and corn and cook until the vegetables heat through and are vibrant in color.

Season to taste with salt, Sriracha sauce, and additional soy sauce or sesame oil.

PER SERVING> Energy 605 cal • Fat 17 g • Sodium 727 mg • Carbs 68 g • Fiber 4 g • Protein 39 g

WATCH A VIDEO: Allen Lim demonstrates how to whip up Chicken Fried Rice, the favorite recovery meal of riders at the Tour de France.

This recipe used with permission from “The Feed Zone Cookbook”

Dinner Menu

White Beans and Chicken
Rice and Eggs
Salad with Bitter Greens
Pasta with Olive Oil and Parmesan
Fresh Fruit and Yogurt with Toasted Nut Mix

The pint-sized “Purito” is convinced more than ever he can win the Giro d’Italia, and says that he intends to fight all the way to Milan to try to follow in the shoes of Miguel Indurain and Alberto Contador as the only Spaniards who have won the corsa rosa.

“The objective is to win the Giro,” Rodríguez said confidently Wednesday morning in Assisi. “I know I can climb well and it will be difficult for the others to drop me. I come to this Giro in the best condition of my career. We are here to win.”

Katusha sport director Valerio Piva, at least publicly, is not quite as confident as his star rider and realizes the real Giro is only beginning.

“Of course, we are very happy to have the pink jersey, but the hardest part of the Giro is still to come,” Piva told VeloNews. “We have a strong team here and we are going to support him. We are not saying anything is won yet. Far from that, the Giro is just starting. The hardest stages are all still to come.”

Piva expressed satisfaction that Rodríguez made it through the first half of the Giro in excellent position, thanks in large part to the team’s surprising second-place finish in the stage 4 team time trial. Piva said the squad was expecting a good ride, but admitted that stopping the clock just five seconds slower than Garmin-Barracuda was a shock.

“I brought a team here with riders for the team time trial. Brutt, Ignatyev, Smukulis and Kuschynski are all powerful riders to pull him on the flats and we had Vicioso and Moreno for the climb,” Piva said. “We have worked on the bikes and with Purito on his time trial, but to finish second to Garmin by just five seconds was a surprise. A good one!”

That set up Rodríguez to take aim at Ryder Hesjedal’s pink jersey and Piva said the team rode perfectly Tuesday to set him up for the final steep charge up Assisi. Now comes the hard part.

“We might not want to keep the jersey all the way to Cervinia (Saturday). Thursday’s stage is very hard along the coast and if there is a break that goes away, we might let the jersey go with it,” Piva said. “We do not want to stress the team too much. We want the team to be at its best in the final week.”

Rodríguez says this year is different and that he won’t have one of his infamous late-race collapses that have so far handicapped his chances of winning a grand tour. He’s ridden into the top 10 in five grand tours over the past four seasons, but inevitably crumpled in the high mountains or in the individual time trial every time.

Stage results

• 1. Roberto FERRARI, Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela in 6:49:05
• 2. Francesco CHICCHI, Omega Pharma-Quick Step at s.t.
• 3. Tomas VAITKUS, Orica-GreenEdge at s.t.
• 4. Mark CAVENDISH, Sky at s.t.
• 5. Manuel BELLETTI, Ag2r La Mondiale at s.t.
• 6. Giacomo NIZZOLO, RadioShack-Nissan at s.t.
• 7. Daniel SCHORN, Team NetApp at s.t.
• 8. Arnaud DEMARE, FDJ-Big Mat at s.t.
• 9. Danilo WYSS, BMC Racing at s.t.
• 10. Geoffrey SOUPE, FDJ-Big Mat at s.t.
• 11. Fabio SABATINI, Liquigas-Cannondale at s.t.
• 12. Nikolas MAES, Omega Pharma-Quick Step at s.t.
• 13. Geraint THOMAS, Sky at s.t.
• 14. Fabio FELLINE, Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela at s.t.
• 15. Christian MEIER, Orica-GreenEdge at s.t.
• 16. Mark RENSHAW, Rabobank at s.t.
• 17. Mirko SELVAGGI, Vacansoleil-DCM at s.t.
• 18. Lars Ytting BAK, Lotto-Belisol at s.t.
• 19. Julien VERMOTE, Omega Pharma-Quick Step at s.t.
• 20. Kevin SEELDRAEYERS, Astana at s.t.
• 21. Sergey LAGUTIN, Vacansoleil-DCM at s.t.
• 22. Ryder HESJEDAL, Garmin-Barracuda at s.t.
• 23. Michal GOLAS, Omega Pharma-Quick Step at s.t.
• 24. Giovanni VISCONTI, Movistar at s.t.
• 25. Thomas DE GENDT, Vacansoleil-DCM at s.t.
• 26. Peter KENNAUGH, Sky at s.t.
• 27. Marco PINOTTI, BMC Racing at s.t.
• 28. Francis DE GREEF, Lotto-Belisol at s.t.
• 29. Bart DE CLERCQ, Lotto-Belisol at s.t.
• 30. Bartosz HUZARSKI, Team NetApp at s.t.
• 31. Damiano CARUSO, Liquigas-Cannondale at s.t.
• 32. Marzio BRUSEGHIN, Movistar at s.t.
• 33. Sébastien ROSSELER, Garmin-Barracuda at s.t.
• 34. Gustav LARSSON, Vacansoleil-DCM at s.t.
• 35. Peter STETINA, Garmin-Barracuda at s.t.
• 36. Damiano CUNEGO, Lampre-ISD at s.t.
• 37. Juan Jose OROZ UGALDE, Euskaltel-Euskadi at s.t.
• 38. Volodymir GUSTOV, Saxo Bank at s.t.
• 39. Serge PAUWELS, Omega Pharma-Quick Step at s.t.
• 40. Daniel MORENO FERNANDEZ, Katusha at s.t.
• 41. Mikel NIEVE ITURALDE, Euskaltel-Euskadi at s.t.
• 42. Paolo TIRALONGO, Astana at s.t.
• 43. Joaquin RODRIGUEZ OLIVER, Katusha at s.t.
• 44. Francisco José VENTOSO ALBERDI, Movistar at s.t.
• 45. Oscar GATTO, Farnese Vini-Selle Italia at s.t.
• 46. Pier Paolo DE NEGRI, Farnese Vini-Selle Italia at s.t.
• 47. Elia FAVILLI, Farnese Vini-Selle Italia at s.t.
• 48. Daniele PIETROPOLLI, Lampre-ISD at s.t.
• 49. Hubert DUPONT, Ag2r La Mondiale at s.t.
• 50. Andreas DIETZIKER, Team NetApp at s.t.
• 51. Daniele RIGHI, Lampre-ISD at s.t.
• 52. Gianluca BRAMBILLA, Colnago-CSF Bardiani at s.t.
• 53. Andrey AMADOR BAKKAZAKOVA, Movistar at s.t.
• 54. Jackson RODRIGUEZ, Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela at s.t.
• 55. Michele SCARPONI, Lampre-ISD at s.t.
• 56. Roman KREUZIGER, Astana at s.t.
• 57. Juan Antonio FLECHA GIANNONI, Sky at s.t.
• 58. Jan BARTA, Team NetApp at s.t.
• 59. Tanel KANGERT, Astana at s.t.
• 60. José RUJANO GUILLEN, Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela at s.t.
• 61. Dario CATALDO, Omega Pharma-Quick Step at s.t.
• 62. Grischa NIERMANN, Rabobank at s.t.
• 63. Sergio PARDILLA BELLON, Movistar at s.t.
• 64. Juan Manuel GARATE, Rabobank at s.t.
• 65. Rigoberto URAN URAN, Sky at s.t.
• 66. Angel VICIOSO ARCOS, Katusha at s.t.
• 67. Francesco FAILLI, Farnese Vini-Selle Italia at s.t.
• 68. Domenico POZZOVIVO, Colnago-CSF Bardiani at s.t.
• 69. Aliaksandr KUSCHYNSKI, Katusha at s.t.
• 70. Valerio AGNOLI, Liquigas-Cannondale at s.t.
• 71. Ivan BASSO, Liquigas-Cannondale at s.t.
• 72. Benat INTXAUSTI ELORRIAGA, Movistar at s.t.
• 73. Johann TSCHOPP, BMC Racing at s.t.
• 74. Eros CAPECCHI, Liquigas-Cannondale at s.t.
• 75. Sergio Luis HENAO MONTOYA, Sky at s.t.
• 76. Sandy CASAR, FDJ-Big Mat at s.t.
• 77. John GADRET, Ag2r La Mondiale at s.t.
• 78. Sylvester SZMYD, Liquigas-Cannondale at s.t.
• 79. Francis MOUREY, FDJ-Big Mat at s.t.
• 80. Ivan SANTAROMITA, BMC Racing at s.t.
• 81. Tom Jelte SLAGTER, Rabobank at s.t.
• 82. Martin VELITS, Omega Pharma-Quick Step at s.t.
• 83. Diego ULISSI, Lampre-ISD at s.t.
• 84. Evgeny PETROV, Astana at s.t.
• 85. Christian VANDEVELDE, Garmin-Barracuda at s.t.
• 86. Matteo MONTAGUTI, Ag2r La Mondiale at s.t.
• 87. Enrico GASPAROTTO, Astana at s.t.
• 88. Enrico BATTAGLIN, Colnago-CSF Bardiani at s.t.
• 89. Gaetan BILLE, Lotto-Belisol at s.t.
• 90. Marco BANDIERA, Omega Pharma-Quick Step at s.t.
• 91. Alessandro BALLAN, BMC Racing at s.t.
• 92. Anders LUND, Saxo Bank at s.t.
• 93. Matteo TOSATTO, Saxo Bank at s.t.
• 94. Ian STANNARD, Sky at s.t.
• 95. Frank SCHLECK, RadioShack-Nissan at s.t.
• 96. Amets TXURRUKA, Euskaltel-Euskadi at s.t.
• 97. Fumiyuki BEPPU, Orica-GreenEdge at s.t.
• 98. Cesare BENEDETTI, Team NetApp at s.t.
• 99. Stefano PIRAZZI, Colnago-CSF Bardiani at s.t.
• 100. Emanuele SELLA, Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela at s.t.
• 101. Alessandro DE MARCHI, Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela at s.t.
• 102. Matteo RABOTTINI, Farnese Vini-Selle Italia at s.t.
• 103. Carlos José OCHOA, Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela at s.t.
• 104. Adam HANSEN, Lotto-Belisol at s.t.
• 105. Bernhard EISEL, Sky at s.t.
• 106. Miguel Angel RUBIANO CHAVEZ, Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela at s.t.
• 107. Lucas Sebastian HAEDO, Saxo Bank at s.t.
• 108. Juan José HAEDO, Saxo Bank at s.t.
• 109. Jan BAKELANTS, RadioShack-Nissan at s.t.
• 110. Thomas ROHREGGER, RadioShack-Nissan at s.t.
• 111. Jack BAUER, Garmin-Barracuda at s.t.
• 112. Ramunas NAVARDAUSKAS, Garmin-Barracuda at s.t.
• 113. Sonny COLBRELLI, Colnago-CSF Bardiani at s.t.
• 114. Daryl IMPEY, Orica-GreenEdge at s.t.
• 115. Jonas Aaen JÖRGENSEN, Saxo Bank at s.t.
• 116. Sacha MODOLO, Colnago-CSF Bardiani at s.t.
• 117. Matthias BRANDLE, Team NetApp +3:18
• 118. Andrey ZEITS, Astana +3:18
• 119. Mathieu PERGET, Ag2r La Mondiale +3:18
• 120. Luke ROBERTS, Saxo Bank +3:18
• 121. Graeme BROWN, Rabobank +3:18
• 122. Alexander KRISTOFF, Katusha +3:18
• 123. Jon IZAGUIRRE INSAUSTI, Euskaltel-Euskadi +3:28
• 124. Simone PONZI, Astana +3:58
• 125. Luca MAZZANTI, Farnese Vini-Selle Italia +3:58
• 126. Theo BOS, Rabobank +4:00
• 127. Brett LANCASTER, Orica-GreenEdge +4:00
• 128. Dennis VANENDERT, Lotto-Belisol +4:00
• 129. Dominique ROLLIN, FDJ-Big Mat +4:00
• 130. Svein TUFT, Orica-GreenEdge +4:00
• 131. Przemyslaw NIEMIEC, Lampre-ISD +4:00
• 132. Angelo PAGANI, Colnago-CSF Bardiani +4:00
• 133. Ben GASTAUER, Ag2r La Mondiale +4:00
• 134. Tomasz MARCZYNSKI, Vacansoleil-DCM +4:00
• 135. Guillaume BONNAFOND, Ag2r La Mondiale +4:00
• 136. Julien BERARD, Ag2r La Mondiale +4:00
• 137. Adriano MALORI, Lampre-ISD +4:00
• 138. Nelson Filipe SANTOS SIMOES OLIVEIRA, RadioShack-Nissan +4:00
• 139. Matteo BONO, Lampre-ISD +4:00
• 140. Oliver ZAUGG, RadioShack-Nissan +4:00
• 141. Alberto LOSADA ALGUACIL, Katusha +4:00
• 142. Brian BULGAC, Lotto-Belisol +6:43
• 143. Branislau SAMOILAU, Movistar +6:43
• 144. Andrea GUARDINI, Farnese Vini-Selle Italia +6:43
• 145. José HERRADA LOPEZ, Movistar +6:43
• 146. Reto HOLLENSTEIN, Team NetApp +6:43
• 147. Mathias FRANK, BMC Racing +6:43
• 148. Gabriel RASCH, FDJ-Big Mat +6:43
• 149. Jens KEUKELEIRE, Orica-GreenEdge +7:44
• 150. Maciej BODNAR, Liquigas-Cannondale +10:02
• 151. Michal KWIATKOWSKI, Omega Pharma-Quick Step +10:02
• 152. Alessandro SPEZIALETTI, Lampre-ISD +10:02
• 153. Paolo LONGO BORGHINI, Liquigas-Cannondale +10:02
• 154. Mauro SANTAMBROGIO, BMC Racing +10:02
• 155. Cristiano SALERNO, Liquigas-Cannondale +10:02
• 156. Stef CLEMENT, Rabobank +10:02
• 157. Jesse SERGENT, RadioShack-Nissan +10:02
• 158. Taylor PHINNEY, BMC Racing +10:02
• 159. Ben HERMANS, RadioShack-Nissan +10:02
• 160. Victor CABEDO, Euskaltel-Euskadi +10:02
• 161. Ivan VELASCO MURILLO, Euskaltel-Euskadi +10:02
• 162. Stefan DENIFL, Vacansoleil-DCM +10:02
• 163. Martijn KEIZER, Vacansoleil-DCM +10:02
• 164. Matteo CARRARA, Vacansoleil-DCM +10:02
• 165. Mads CHRISTENSEN, Saxo Bank +10:02
• 166. Alex RASMUSSEN, Garmin-Barracuda +10:02
• 167. Gatis SMUKULIS, Katusha +10:02
• 168. Gregor GAZVODA, Ag2r La Mondiale +10:02
• 169. Jose Rodolfo SERPA PEREZ, Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela +10:02
• 170. Alexsandr DYACHENKO, Astana +10:02
• 171. Mickael DELAGE, FDJ-Big Mat +10:02
• 172. Jussi VEIKKANEN, FDJ-Big Mat +10:02
• 173. Manuele BOARO, Saxo Bank +10:02
• 174. Marco COLEDAN, Colnago-CSF Bardiani +10:02
• 175. Stefano LOCATELLI, Colnago-CSF Bardiani +10:02
• 176. William BONNET, FDJ-Big Mat +10:02
• 177. Andreas SCHILLINGER, Team NetApp +10:02
• 178. Timon SEUBERT, Team NetApp +10:02
• 179. Olivier KAISEN, Lotto-Belisol +10:02
• 180. Robert HUNTER, Garmin-Barracuda +10:02
• 181. Jack BOBRIDGE, Orica-GreenEdge +10:02
• 182. Alfredo BALLONI, Farnese Vini-Selle Italia +10:02
• 183. Matthew Harley GOSS, Orica-GreenEdge +10:02
• 184. Pierre CAZAUX, Euskaltel-Euskadi +10:02
• 185. Pavel BRUTT, Katusha +10:02
• 186. Mikhail IGNATYEV, Katusha +10:02
• 187. Jeremy HUNT, Sky +10:02
• 188. Adrian SAEZ, Euskaltel-Euskadi +12:33
• 189. Miguel MINGUEZ AYALA, Euskaltel-Euskadi +12:33