Joaquim Rodríguez (Katusha) managed to hang onto the pink jersey, but Hesjedal’s surge trimmed his lead to 17 seconds with two stages left to go.

Rodríguez admitted the obvious on Saturday and said the Canadian is on a higher plane than just about everyone right now as the Giro continues to churn toward Sunday’s finale in Milan.

“Today was a day when we all needed to take time on Hesjedal and instead he took time on us,” Rodríguez said. “I am happy to have kept the pink jersey, but if Ryder continues like this, this Giro will be his.”

That sentiment spread among the Giro “big” in the aftermath of Hesjedal’s aggressive tactics on a day when it was the others who needed put pressure on him.

After the dust settled, Hesjedal reconfirmed his position as the most serious threat for final victory when the 95th Giro ends Sunday in Milan with a time trial.

Rodríguez matched a surge by Michele Scarponi (Lampre-ISD), but couldn’t match when Hesjedal finally pulled clear with 1.5km to go. He later managed to counter in the final 500m to limit the bleeding.

Rodríguez acknowledged that Hesjedal will take that and a lot more if the differences remain the same following Saturday’s “queen stage” over the Mortirolo and finishing atop the Stelvio.

“I have improved a lot in the time trial, but Ryder will have had to become a lot worse if I can expect to keep pink on Sunday with these differences,” he said. “My only hope now is that he has a bad day tomorrow.”

That sense of resignation was universal among the top GC contenders. Ivan Basso (Liquigas-Cannondale) slipped from third to fourth, now at 1:45 back, after he couldn’t answer Hesjedal’s late-race acceleration.

“We have seen since the start of this Giro that Ryder has been very strong,” Basso said. “It’s coming down to tomorrow on the Stelvio. We have to put him under pressure, but so far, he is very strong. If he ends up winning, we only have to congratulate him.”

Scarponi, too, seemed ready to throw in the towel. The Italian inherited the 2011 Giro crown following the disqualification of Alberto Contador, but he came into this Giro hoping to win outright.

Now third at 1:39 back, Scarponi realizes the fight is on for the podium if Hesjedal doesn’t crack tomorrow.

“I was confident I could attack and I wanted to, but sometimes the tactics that we make inside the team bus do not translate onto the race,” Scarponi said. “This final mountain stage tomorrow will mean suffering for all of us. If Ryder doesn’t have a bad moment, this Giro looks like it’s his. The only answer is to attack.”

Aside from Scarponi’s today, so far Hesjedal and Rodríguez have been the only other major GC threats who have managed to throw down attacks.

And as Hesjedal has always said, he gets stronger as the race progresses.

When asked if how the tactics played out, he answered with a few choice words: “I felt good … and you saw what happened.”

So did the GC favorites. Their only hope is that Hesjedal cracks. So far, he’s shown no signs that should give them reason for optimism for Saturday.

For Timmy Duggan of the Liquigas-Cannondale team, the 2012 Amgen Tour of California proved to be an outstanding race. Peter Sagan’s five stage wins showed that the team had come to win, and they supported Sagan throughout the event. As one of those support riders, Duggan also had an impressive return to form.

Duggan was highly visible almost every single stage of the race, whether in a breakaway group or driving the front of the peloton in support of Sagan. Some stages saw both within the same day.

Here at FasCat Coaching and Performance Center we’ve had the pleasure of helping Duggan prepare for some of his racing this year through supplemental oxygen training and motorpacing. We also occasionally assist with power file review as well as general advice on training and altitude adaptation.

Prior to his departure for USA Cycling’s Professional National Championships this weekend in Greenville, South Carolina we sat down with Duggan to discuss how the ATOC went and to examine the highlights from some his SRM power meter files. For those who really love number crunching, according to Duggan he currently weighs around 133.4lbs or 60.5kgs and has a functional threshold power of 315 watts at sea level, equaling 5.2 W/Kg.

Having suffered from respiratory issues and allergies for a good portion of the spring he was unsure of how he would perform in California. Any doubts were put to rest after Stage 1, which saw him spend a significant amount of time on the front. The final descent, where many TV viewers saw Liquigas control the front of the race, required 20 minutes with a normalized power of 310W. While not a huge power output, this effort came at the end of 4hrs and 2800kj of work, including a 10min effort at 367W (6.12W/Kg) ascending the final climb of the day.

After another day of setting tempo and helping to deliver Sagan to the line of Stage 2, Stage 3 was a great show of force by Duggan. It started right from the gun with an opening climb of 15 min at 350W as the early break left for the day. After segments of setting tempo for the field and the climb of Mt Diablo (25min @280W) the break was coming back into the field as Garmin lined up at the front in attempt to split the field in a crosswind. After this normally draining effort, Duggan hit the front yet again, and after 4.5hrs and 3000kj of work he led the Patterson pass climb into a driving headwind for 10 min @ 365W (6 W/Kg). This is a very impressive effort for being well into a difficult stage race on a hot day.

A truly epic day for Duggan was Stage 4. Duggan found himself in the early break; Garmin deemed that move a threat and brought the move back. Upon returning to the peloton Duggan was on the front of the field yet again. While there were no individual efforts that stood out on this day, the culmination of work for the day was 5hrs and 20min, 4000kj’s and a normalized power of 260W equating to a Training Stress Score (TSS) of 378.

By the time the riders survived the heat and solitude of the Stage 5 Bakersfield TT, the chronic fatigue of the event was beginning to set in. Duggan was again on the front attempting to reel in the break during the closing kilometers of Stage 6. The final 20 minutes of chasing saw a normalized power of only 275W. However, that came after1.5 hours of climbing to reach Big Bear Lake at a normalized power of 300W.

Stage 7 to Mt Baldy was another fine example of how hard otherwise “short” stages can be. An initial surge of 10 min at 385W (6.4 W/Kg) put Duggan in the break for the day. As the day wore on the wear and tear of the week caught up with all but the top riders. Duggan’s final challenging day of the race finished in just under 4 hours but with an astonishing normalized power of 295W.

All things considered Duggan was happy with his week at the ATOC. And with an average daily training stress of over 300 and a jump in Chronic Training Load from 141 to 172 TSS/Day, including the time trial and final stage, the event was clearly not a walk in the park. Duggan arrived home content with a return to the type of form that was typical for him prior to his traumatic crash at the 2008 Tour of Georgia. He’s had glimpses of that form over the past few years but his look back at the week shows he may be heading to another level. He admits that despite the difficulty of the week he felt as though the race put him “in the red” no more than once or twice and described the overall effort as “cruisy.”

Duggan’s summer racing plans are still being determined but there is one definitive race on the horizon this weekend. One is left to wonder the true impacts of a race like the Amgen Tour of California prior to Nationals. Thinking back to a similar final few days of the 2011 ATOC the dramatic exploits of one rising domestique, Matt Busche, come to mind. He went on to race for himself the following week, and as a result is now the defending champion heading into the road race in Greenville.

Will history repeat itself with a clearly on-form Duggan? The Liquigas rider demonstrated several times late in stages that he is currently capable of producing 6+ W/Kg for 10minutes. This power to weight ratio has been viewed as the “magic number” needed to make the final selection on Paris Mountain in Greenville. In a few days the dramatic race will unfold on the roads around the famous climb, and the 2012 National Champion will be crowned. For now it’s clear Duggan is ready for more action in 2012.

Slowly it has filled with scraps of the Giro train it boarded in Verona two weeks ago: bits of start lists and classification sheets; a few free water bottles handed out by local tourist boards; three empty bags of Pepperidge Farm double chocolate chip cookies (sure to be four after Friday’s long transfer). The back seats are filling up, without time to clean or even care in the midst of Giro madness.

The innards of our Peugeot are something of a fun-house mirror of Italy outside, and a metaphor for Giro travel itself. Dirty at times, lacking order and organization at others, sometimes poorly built, but generally quite reliable and full of beauty where it matters most.

Sure, you can’t lock the doors without the little key beeper thing, the paneling inside seems ready to disintegrate and the gearbox already despises fourth. But that built-in iPhone jack, allowing us to avoid the terrors of Italian pop radio, and the automatic hill-start brake in this country apparently devoid of flat roads — these are things of beauty. It’s always best to focus on the beauty.

For two years now – many more for my colleague Andy Hood – Italy has been seen through a car window. We’ve eaten our way through the nation’s highway AutoGrills, Panini in one hand a cappuccino in the other. We’ve exited the Autostrade, sworn at ourselves for our poor navigational skills, and pulled U-turns before reaching the tollbooth.

We’ve blindly followed the little pink signs that point our way through start and finish towns to press parking kilometers away from the actual press room, hoping beyond hope that the navette driver won’t decide to take a coffee break and leave us stranded.

We’ve fought with Italian police over parking spaces close to the finish, inevitably being sent sulking away to the end of a long row of cars that all had the same idea. When no police are near, we are the Leonardo Da Vinci of inventing parking spots, creatively driving up forested hills in the woods, on sidewalks in town, down the wrong way on one-way streets. With our pink and green press car stickers, we feel invincible. (We are not.)

The daily schedule is always subject to change — skipping a start here, or a finish there, depending on logistics. Mornings start slowly, barely making the hotel breakfast around 9, perhaps getting out for a short ride in whatever town we’ve found ourselves.
More inner beauty found in the Partner Tepee: It’s big enough to fit a bike. Ride until lost, ask Garmin to get you home.

The real day begins an hour before the start, when team busses arrive and sign-in begins. Start times can range from before 11 to after 2.

Louis Garneau Carbon Pro Team Shoes >> $330

The Lowdown: High quality materials and functionality throughout the year.
Pros: Versatility to keep you comfortable and attractive color ways.
Cons: High weight and heavy price tag.

Louis Garneau brought their flagship Carbon Pro Team shoes to the market this past winter. The Carbon Pro Team, like most shoes with “Pro” in the name, sports a high modulus carbon sole and a ratcheting buckle. You can find the Carbon Pro Teams being worn by Europcar, though after some investigation we found that Thomas Voekler opts for LG’s lightest weight Carbon X-Lites that lack a ratcheting buckle in favor of a third Velcro strap.

Initial Thoughts

Out of the box, the LG Carbon Pro Teams (their name is a bit of a jumble) appear straightforward. The black and white patent-leather-looking color way that we have are subtle enough to match everything though still maintain some personality. The other color option, “ginger,” is bright red and is the loud and proud option.

Features Inside and Out

The Carbon Pro Teams have a two strap, one buckle, design. The ratchet has two micro-adjustment tabs. While being useful on the bike these tabs let out one click of the buckle at a time, the micro adjusters double as the full release and are easy to use.

The shoes come with two pairs of insoles, the blue soles are clearly labeled “Cool Stuff” and the red sole’s “Hot Stuff.” The blue ones have a well-perforated construction designed to channel air onto the rider’s foot. The red insole, for cooler temperatures, has a solid construction to keep warmth in.

The shoe itself has a channel beneath the footbed that channels air from the port at the front of the shoe, and out the port in the middle. This airflow should be noticeable when the blue footbed is installed as there are noticeable holes drilled from the footbed into this air channel.

What Intrigues Us

For us, the blue “Cool Stuff” insole is what separates this shoe from the pack. While the insole has over 100 tiny perorations its still just as stiff as the solid winter insole. Additionally the air channel beneath the footbed should make air flow quite well through this shoe. At 591 grams the Carbon Pro Team’s are no lightweight and with their price tag of $330 they will need to make up for their burley weight in performance on the road. With that price the Carbon Pro Teams are in the same arena as Specialized’s S-Work shoes which retail for $360, though the S-Works are more expensive they are also 100 grams lighter. Our hope is that the air channel makes this a go-to shoe for summer riding. We will be testing them in the heat of the summer and we hope to find what benefits this airflow technology presents.

Stage results

• 1. Roman KREUZIGER, Astana in 6:18:03
• 2. Ryder HESJEDAL, Garmin-Barracuda +19
• 3. Joaquin RODRIGUEZ OLIVER, Katusha +32
• 4. Michele SCARPONI, Lampre-ISD +35
• 5. Domenico POZZOVIVO, Colnago-CSF Bardiani +43
• 6. Ivan BASSO, Liquigas-Cannondale +55
• 7. Rigoberto URAN URAN, Sky +57
• 8. Mikel NIEVE ITURALDE, Euskaltel-Euskadi +1:18
• 9. Stefano PIRAZZI, Colnago-CSF Bardiani +1:22
• 10. John GADRET, Ag2r La Mondiale +1:22
• 11. Thomas DE GENDT, Vacansoleil-DCM +1:34
• 12. Damiano CUNEGO, Lampre-ISD +1:34
• 13. Sergio Luis HENAO MONTOYA, Sky +1:37
• 14. Sandy CASAR, FDJ-Big Mat +1:41
• 15. Dario CATALDO, Omega Pharma-Quick Step +1:52
• 16. Johann TSCHOPP, BMC Racing +2:04
• 17. Marzio BRUSEGHIN, Movistar +2:13
• 18. Hubert DUPONT, Ag2r La Mondiale +2:16
• 19. Daniel MORENO FERNANDEZ, Katusha +2:18
• 20. Gianluca BRAMBILLA, Colnago-CSF Bardiani +2:21
• 21. Branislau SAMOILAU, Movistar +2:33
• 22. Thomas ROHREGGER, RadioShack-Nissan +2:48
• 23. Jon IZAGUIRRE INSAUSTI, Euskaltel-Euskadi +2:53
• 24. Tanel KANGERT, Astana +3:10
• 25. Diego ULISSI, Lampre-ISD +3:24
• 26. Sergio PARDILLA BELLON, Movistar +4:14
• 27. Emanuele SELLA, Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela +4:14
• 28. Tom Jelte SLAGTER, Rabobank +4:31
• 29. Andrey AMADOR BAKKAZAKOVA, Movistar +5:01
• 30. Damiano CARUSO, Liquigas-Cannondale +5:33
• 31. Przemyslaw NIEMIEC, Lampre-ISD +5:39
• 32. Peter STETINA, Garmin-Barracuda +6:11
• 33. Serge PAUWELS, Omega Pharma-Quick Step +6:36
• 34. Christian VANDEVELDE, Garmin-Barracuda +6:44
• 35. Francis DE GREEF, Lotto-Belisol +7:02
• 36. Andrey ZEITS, Astana +7:15
• 37. Pierre CAZAUX, Euskaltel-Euskadi +7:27
• 38. Juan Antonio FLECHA GIANNONI, Sky +8:25
• 39. Alberto LOSADA ALGUACIL, Katusha +9:01
• 40. Sylvester SZMYD, Liquigas-Cannondale +10:18
• 41. Mathieu PERGET, Ag2r La Mondiale +10:30
• 42. Juan Manuel GARATE, Rabobank +10:30
• 43. Kevin SEELDRAEYERS, Astana +10:52
• 44. Sergey LAGUTIN, Vacansoleil-DCM +11:53
• 45. Bart DE CLERCQ, Lotto-Belisol +12:42
• 46. Francesco FAILLI, Farnese Vini-Selle Italia +12:42
• 47. Adriano MALORI, Lampre-ISD +14:01
• 48. Enrico BATTAGLIN, Colnago-CSF Bardiani +14:01
• 49. Adam HANSEN, Lotto-Belisol +14:48
• 50. Valerio AGNOLI, Liquigas-Cannondale +16:07
• 51. Miguel Angel RUBIANO CHAVEZ, Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela +17:42
• 52. Paolo TIRALONGO, Astana +17:51
• 53. Marco PINOTTI, BMC Racing +18:21
• 54. Mauro SANTAMBROGIO, BMC Racing +18:46
• 55. Ivan SANTAROMITA, BMC Racing +19:03
• 56. Eros CAPECCHI, Liquigas-Cannondale +19:11
• 57. Juan Jose OROZ UGALDE, Euskaltel-Euskadi +21:10
• 58. Amets TXURRUKA, Euskaltel-Euskadi +21:10
• 59. Ivan VELASCO MURILLO, Euskaltel-Euskadi +21:10
• 60. Volodymir GUSTOV, Saxo Bank +21:10
• 61. Francisco José VENTOSO ALBERDI, Movistar +21:40
• 62. Danilo WYSS, BMC Racing +23:36
• 63. Alessandro BALLAN, BMC Racing +23:36
• 64. Ben GASTAUER, Ag2r La Mondiale +23:36
• 65. Gatis SMUKULIS, Katusha +23:36
• 66. Grischa NIERMANN, Rabobank +23:36
• 67. Nelson Filipe SANTOS SIMOES OLIVEIRA, RadioShack-Nissan +24:29
• 68. Cristiano SALERNO, Liquigas-Cannondale +24:29
• 69. Jan BAKELANTS, RadioShack-Nissan +24:31
• 70. Alessandro SPEZIALETTI, Lampre-ISD +24:44
• 71. Geraint THOMAS, Sky +24:48
• 72. Jackson RODRIGUEZ, Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela +25:02
• 73. Angel VICIOSO ARCOS, Katusha +25:15
• 74. José HERRADA LOPEZ, Movistar +25:15
• 75. Cesare BENEDETTI, Team NetApp +25:30
• 76. Mathias FRANK, BMC Racing +25:30
• 77. Daniele RIGHI, Lampre-ISD +25:44
• 78. Enrico GASPAROTTO, Astana +26:01
• 79. Gustav LARSSON, Vacansoleil-DCM +26:18
• 80. Fabio SABATINI, Liquigas-Cannondale +26:18
• 81. Francis MOUREY, FDJ-Big Mat +26:18
• 82. Guillaume BONNAFOND, Ag2r La Mondiale +26:30
• 83. Lars Ytting BAK, Lotto-Belisol +26:32
• 84. Jose Rodolfo SERPA PEREZ, Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela +26:36
• 85. Matteo MONTAGUTI, Ag2r La Mondiale +26:36
• 86. Paolo LONGO BORGHINI, Liquigas-Cannondale +27:32
• 87. Angelo PAGANI, Colnago-CSF Bardiani +27:41
• 88. Matteo CARRARA, Vacansoleil-DCM +28:06
• 89. Stefan DENIFL, Vacansoleil-DCM +28:06
• 90. Alessandro DE MARCHI, Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela +28:28
• 91. Michal GOLAS, Omega Pharma-Quick Step +28:32
• 92. Ben HERMANS, RadioShack-Nissan +28:35
• 93. Ian STANNARD, Sky +28:35
• 94. Anders LUND, Saxo Bank +28:44
• 95. Mirko SELVAGGI, Vacansoleil-DCM +29:17
• 96. Evgeny PETROV, Astana +29:22
• 97. Mikhail IGNATYEV, Katusha +29:39
• 98. Manuele BOARO, Saxo Bank +30:03
• 99. Pier Paolo DE NEGRI, Farnese Vini-Selle Italia +30:36
• 100. Matteo RABOTTINI, Farnese Vini-Selle Italia +30:36
• 101. Jan BARTA, Team NetApp +31:13
• 102. Stef CLEMENT, Rabobank +31:37
• 103. Lucas Sebastian HAEDO, Saxo Bank +32:50
• 104. Oscar GATTO, Farnese Vini-Selle Italia +33:05
• 105. Luca MAZZANTI, Farnese Vini-Selle Italia +34:44
• 106. Simone PONZI, Astana +34:44
• 107. Matteo TOSATTO, Saxo Bank +34:44
• 108. Brian BULGAC, Lotto-Belisol +34:44
• 109. Matteo BONO, Lampre-ISD +34:44
• 110. Fabio FELLINE, Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela +34:44
• 111. Aliaksandr KUSCHYNSKI, Katusha +34:44
• 112. Sonny COLBRELLI, Colnago-CSF Bardiani +34:44
• 113. Dennis VANENDERT, Lotto-Belisol +34:44
• 114. Andreas DIETZIKER, Team NetApp +34:44
• 115. Daniele PIETROPOLLI, Lampre-ISD +34:44
• 116. Julien BERARD, Ag2r La Mondiale +34:44
• 117. Ramunas NAVARDAUSKAS, Garmin-Barracuda +34:44
• 118. Andreas SCHILLINGER, Team NetApp +34:44
• 119. Julien VERMOTE, Omega Pharma-Quick Step +34:44
• 120. Jack BOBRIDGE, Orica-GreenEdge +34:44
• 121. Miguel MINGUEZ AYALA, Euskaltel-Euskadi +34:44
• 122. Alexsandr DYACHENKO, Astana +34:44
• 123. Jesse SERGENT, RadioShack-Nissan +34:44
• 124. Christian MEIER, Orica-GreenEdge +34:44
• 125. Taylor PHINNEY, BMC Racing +34:44
• 126. Martijn KEIZER, Vacansoleil-DCM +34:44
• 127. Oliver ZAUGG, RadioShack-Nissan +34:44
• 128. Pavel BRUTT, Katusha +34:44
• 129. Michal KWIATKOWSKI, Omega Pharma-Quick Step +34:44
• 130. Adrian SAEZ, Euskaltel-Euskadi +34:44
• 131. Victor CABEDO, Euskaltel-Euskadi +34:44
• 132. Marco COLEDAN, Colnago-CSF Bardiani +40:28
• 133. Sacha MODOLO, Colnago-CSF Bardiani +40:28
• 134. Fumiyuki BEPPU, Orica-GreenEdge +40:33
• 135. Jens KEUKELEIRE, Orica-GreenEdge +40:42
• 136. Alex RASMUSSEN, Garmin-Barracuda +40:42
• 137. Geoffrey SOUPE, FDJ-Big Mat +40:42
• 138. Gabriel RASCH, FDJ-Big Mat +40:42
• 139. Olivier KAISEN, Lotto-Belisol +40:42
• 140. Jack BAUER, Garmin-Barracuda +40:42
• 141. Sébastien ROSSELER, Garmin-Barracuda +40:42
• 142. Bartosz HUZARSKI, Team NetApp +40:42
• 143. Dominique ROLLIN, FDJ-Big Mat +40:42
• 144. Svein TUFT, Orica-GreenEdge +40:42
• 145. Daniel SCHORN, Team NetApp +40:42
• 146. Matthias BRANDLE, Team NetApp +40:42
• 147. Jussi VEIKKANEN, FDJ-Big Mat +40:42
• 148. Maciej BODNAR, Liquigas-Cannondale +40:42
• 149. Luke ROBERTS, Saxo Bank +40:42
• 150. Robert HUNTER, Garmin-Barracuda +40:42
• 151. Alexander KRISTOFF, Katusha +40:42
• 152. Marco BANDIERA, Omega Pharma-Quick Step +40:42
• 153. Giacomo NIZZOLO, RadioShack-Nissan +40:42
• 154. Bernhard EISEL, Sky +40:42
• 155. Nikolas MAES, Omega Pharma-Quick Step +40:42
• 156. Roberto FERRARI, Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela +40:42
• 157. Benat INTXAUSTI ELORRIAGA, Movistar +40:42
• 158. Timon SEUBERT, Team NetApp +40:42
• 159. Mark CAVENDISH, Sky +40:42
• 160. Gregor GAZVODA, Ag2r La Mondiale +40:42
• 161. Mickael DELAGE, FDJ-Big Mat +40:42
• 162. Jonas Aaen JÖRGENSEN, Saxo Bank +41:11
• 163. Andrea GUARDINI, Farnese Vini-Selle Italia +46:44

General classification

• 1. Michael ROGERS, Sky in 15:07:00
• 2. Vladimir GUSEV, Katusha +5
• 3. Jerome COPPEL, Saur-Sojasun +9
• 4. Kanstantsin SIVTSOV, Sky +12
• 5. Haimar ZUBELDIA AGIRRE, RadioShack-Nissan +13
• 6. Alessandro PETACCHI, Lampre-ISD +16
• 7. Allan DAVIS, Orica-GreenEdge +30
• 8. John DEGENKOLB, Argos-Shimano +32
• 9. Markus FOTHEN +33
• 10. Michael SCHWARZMANN, Team NetApp +34
• 11. Tony GALLOPIN, RadioShack-Nissan +36
• 12. Ricardo GARCIA AMBROA, Euskaltel-Euskadi +36
• 13. Rafaa CHTIOUI, Europcar +36
• 14. Jaroslaw MARYCZ, Saxo Bank +36
• 15. Alexandre PICHOT, Europcar +36
• 16. Alexander KRIEGER +36
• 17. Blaz JARC, Team NetApp +36
• 18. Christian KNEES, Sky +36
• 19. Anthony DELAPLACE, Saur-Sojasun +36
• 20. David TANNER, Saxo Bank +36
• 21. Richie PORTE, Sky +36
• 22. Gijs VAN HOECKE, Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator +36
• 23. Thomas LÖVKVIST, Sky +36
• 24. Tim DECLERCQ, Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator +36
• 25. Davide MALACARNE, Europcar +36
• 26. Johan VAN SUMMEREN, Garmin-Barracuda +36
• 27. Danilo HONDO, Lampre-ISD +36
• 28. Yaroslav POPOVYCH, RadioShack-Nissan +36
• 29. Christophe LE MEVEL, Garmin-Barracuda +36
• 30. Laurent DIDIER, RadioShack-Nissan +36
• 31. Fabrice JEANDESBOZ, Saur-Sojasun +36
• 32. Joost POSTHUMA, RadioShack-Nissan +36
• 33. Benjamin NOVAL GONZALEZ, Saxo Bank +36
• 34. Jérémy ROY, FDJ-Big Mat +36
• 35. David MILLAR, Garmin-Barracuda +36
• 36. David LELAY, Saur-Sojasun +36
• 37. Alan PEREZ LEZAUN, Euskaltel-Euskadi +36
• 38. Gorka IZAGUIRRE INSAUSTI, Euskaltel-Euskadi +36
• 39. Johannes FRÖHLINGER, Argos-Shimano +36
• 40. Leopold KONIG, Team NetApp +36
• 41. Marco HALLER, Katusha +36
• 42. Patrick GRETSCH, Argos-Shimano +36
• 43. Cédric PINEAU, FDJ-Big Mat +36
• 44. Guillaume LEVARLET, Saur-Sojasun +36
• 45. Sander ARMEE, Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator +36
• 46. Peio BILBAO, Euskaltel-Euskadi +36
• 47. Christophe KERN, Europcar +36
• 48. Paul POUX, Saur-Sojasun +36
• 49. Giampaolo CARUSO, Katusha +36
• 50. Thomas DEKKER, Garmin-Barracuda +36
• 51. Manuele MORI, Lampre-ISD +36
• 52. Preben VAN HECKE, Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator +36
• 53. Christopher JUUL JENSEN, Saxo Bank +36
• 54. Xabier ZANDIO ECHAIDE, Sky +36
• 55. Mikel LANDA MEANA, Euskaltel-Euskadi +36
• 56. Kenny ELISSONDE, FDJ-Big Mat +36
• 57. Jakob STEIGMILLER +36
• 58. Sebastian LANGEVELD, Orica-GreenEdge +36
• 59. Anthony CHARTEAU, Europcar +36
• 60. Thierry HUPOND, Argos-Shimano +36
• 61. Michael ALBASINI, Orica-GreenEdge +36
• 62. Grega BOLE, Lampre-ISD +36
• 63. Karsten KROON, Saxo Bank +1:28
• 64. Davide VIGANO, Lampre-ISD +1:52
• 65. Thibaut PINOT, FDJ-Big Mat +3:03
• 66. Jérôme BAUGNIES, Team NetApp +3:34
• 67. Fabian WEGMANN, Garmin-Barracuda +3:58
• 68. Bjorn THURAU, Europcar +5:22
• 69. Davide CIMOLAI, Lampre-ISD +5:55
• 70. Yauheni HUTAROVICH, FDJ-Big Mat +6:24
• 71. Christian Mager +6:30
• 72. Baden COOKE, Orica-GreenEdge +6:34
• 73. Sven VANDOUSSELAERE, Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator +6:34
• 74. Ruben PEREZ MORENO, Euskaltel-Euskadi +6:34
• 75. Stéphane POULHIES, Saur-Sojasun +6:34
• 76. Ralf MATZKA +6:34
• 77. Anthony ROUX, FDJ-Big Mat +6:34
• 78. Stefan GANSER +6:34
• 79. Arthur VAN OVERBERGHE, Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator +6:34
• 80. Andreas KLIER, Garmin-Barracuda +6:34
• 81. Yuriy KRIVTSOV, Lampre-ISD +6:34
• 82. Fabian THIEL +6:34
• 83. Raffael FREIENSTEIN +6:34
• 84. Rudiger SELIG, Katusha +6:51
• 85. Troels Ronning VINTHER, Saxo Bank +6:51
• 86. Sam BEWLEY +7:08
• 87. Jens MOURIS, Orica-GreenEdge +7:40
• 88. Thomas VOECKLER, Europcar +7:45
• 89. Dirk MÜLLER +7:50
• 90. Jacob FIEDLER +8:05
• 91. Steffen RADOCHLA +9:26
• 92. Alexander PORSEV, Katusha +9:28
• 93. Andreas STAUFF +9:28
• 94. Robert RETSCHKE +9:28
• 95. Pablo URTASUN PEREZ, Euskaltel-Euskadi +9:28
• 96. Bastian BÜRGEL +9:29
• 97. Danny PATE, Sky +9:32
• 98. Vladimir ISAICHEV, Katusha +9:32
• 99. Markus EICHLER, Team NetApp +9:45
• 100. Sven JODTS, Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator +9:48
• 101. Alexander NORDHOFF +9:51
• 102. Koldo FERNANDEZ, Garmin-Barracuda +10:19
• 103. Daniel WESTMATTELMANN +10:39
• 104. Jasha SÜTTERLIN +10:42
• 105. Fabian CANCELLARA, RadioShack-Nissan +10:47
• 106. Matthieu SPRICK, Argos-Shimano +12:26
• 107. Maximilian WERDA +12:26
• 108. Marius JESSENBERGER +12:45
• 109. Stuart O’GRADY, Orica-GreenEdge +13:03
• 110. Dominic KLEMME, Argos-Shimano +13:03
• 111. René HOOGHIEMSTER +15:09
• 112. David BOUCHER, FDJ-Big Mat +15:12
• 113. Holger BURKHARDT +15:28
• 114. Jonas SCHMEISER +15:57
• 115. Jannick GEISLER +15:57
• 116. Thomas BONNIN, Argos-Shimano +17:34
• 117. Alexander SCHMITT +18:55
• 118. Michael SCHWEIZER +18:58
• 119. Timo THÖMEL +18:58
• 120. Michael KURTH +18:58
• 121. André SCHULZE, Team NetApp +19:08
• 122. Benjamin DIETRICH +19:41
• 123. André BENOIT +21:15
• 124. Fabian Bruno +21:47
• 125. Ran MARGALIOT, Saxo Bank +21:56
• 126. Sebastian Körber +21:56
• 127. René OBST +25:12
• 128. Florian MONREAL +29:39

Astana’s Roman Kreuziger made amends for a huge time loss on Wednesday’s stage 17, winning today’s 198km stage from Treviso to Alpe Pampeago. The 26-year-old Czech bridged up to what was left of the day’s main break, only to drop them on the final climb, then holding off a hard-chasing group of GC contenders.

But just behind him the real race for this year’s Giro was taking form, with Hesjedal pulling away from the other favorites near the final summit.

While Hesjedal’s rivals for GC were all saying they’d need to attack him today to win the overall, it was the Canadian who delivered the fatal attack in the end.

“The legs felt good there at the end. I have to take advantage of the situation,” he said. “Today was hard, tomorrow is going to be harder. The team is supporting me. Everything is possible.”

He now trails Purito by just 17 seconds overall, in what was a huge gain with the individual time trial still to come on Sunday – as he is widely expected to gain big time on the other favorites in that stage.

“I wanted to attack today, but I couldn’t,” admitted Rodríguez. “When [Michele] Scarponi went, I could follow. I was suffering but I was OK. When Ryder went, I knew I couldn’t match his tempo and I had to ride my own pace. I am glad to still have the pink jersey.”

Scarponi (Lampre-ISD) started a flurry of attacks on the leader’s group, all of which were matched by Hesjedal first, then the Spaniard and eventually Ivan Basso (Liquigas-Cannondale). But then Hesjedal attacked, bringing Scarponi with him but gapping the others.

Scarponi, who finished fourth on the day, leapfrogged over Basso into third overall, 1:39 behind.

Soon after Hesjedal would attack again and drop Scarponi, pulling away for good for second place.

The big loser of the day was Basso. Placed third overall, at 1min 22sec back in the overall standings before the start of the day’s action, the Italian came home 40sec behind Hesjedal and dropped to fourth on GC.

A 17-man group broke away from the peloton at the start to attack the first climb, the Passo Manghen, with a lead of almost nine minutes. On the first passage through the Pampeago summit France’s Sandy Casar (FDJ-BigMat) and Italian Stefano Pirazzi (Colnago-CSF) were dueling up front.

Kreuziger made a forward move away from the main pack on the climb up Passo Lavaze at 30 km from the finish, accompanied by Italian Dario Cataldo (Omega Pharma-Quick Step). He joined pacesetters Pirazzi and Casar at the 4km mark, before leaving this duo behind shortly after as he made his successful bid for glory.

He celebrates his first-ever stage win in the Giro after finishing last year’s race as best young rider, in fifth place overall after Alberto Contador’s disqualification.

“I came here for GC. Cortina was a big blow. I am very happy with this win, but I wanted more in this Giro,” said the Czech. “Today I felt better during the race and I used my anger to attack. I heard the others were coming behind. I knew it was going to be close. I was very happy to see the finish line.”

With Hesjedal fancied to upstage Rodríguez in the closing time trial, the Spaniard goes into the penultimate stage on Saturday knowing he will have to ride for his life if he is to retain the pink jersey after Sunday’s finish in Milan.

“We can only hope tomorrow [Hesjedal] has a bad day. I am going to attack if I can. I have no choice,” said Rodríguez.

Saturday’s second day in the Italian Alps is a 219km run featuring the
dreaded Mortirolo, one of the toughest climbs in Europe, before reaching the Passo Stelvio summit, at 2757m altitude the highest point of the Tour.

Race results >>

General classification

• 1. André GREIPEL, Lotto-Belisol in 11:22:28
• 2. Danilo NAPOLITANO, Acqua & Sapone +12
• 3. Kenny Robert VAN HUMMEL, Vacansoleil-DCM +26
• 4. Adam BLYTHE, BMC Racing +26
• 5. Jacopo GUARNIERI, Astana +26
• 6. Pim LIGTHART, Vacansoleil-DCM +27
• 7. Egidijus JUODVALKIS, Landbouwkrediet-Euphony +27
• 8. Maxim BELKOV, Katusha +27
• 9. Lars BOOM, Rabobank +28
• 10. Mark MCNALLY, An Post-Sean Kelly +28
• 11. Leonardo Fabio DUQUE, Cofidis +29
• 12. Kevin VERWAEST, +29
• 13. Ramon SINKELDAM, Argos-Shimano +29
• 14. Michael VAN STAEYEN, Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator +30
• 15. Tom VAN ASBROECK, Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator +30
• 16. Sven VANTHOURENHOUT, Landbouwkrediet-Euphony +30
• 17. Bert DE BACKER, Argos-Shimano +30
• 18. Alexey TSATEVITCH, Katusha +30
• 19. Baptiste PLACKAERT, Landbouwkrediet-Euphony +30
• 20. Andrew FENN, Omega Pharma-Quick Step +30
• 21. Timothy DUPONT, +30
• 22. Robin STENUIT, +30
• 23. Tim MERLIER, Sunweb-Revor +30
• 24. Jacobe KEOUGH, UnitedHealthcare +30
• 25. Nikolay TRUSOV, RusVelo +30
• 26. Bert VAN LERBERGHE, +30
• 27. Maarten WYNANTS, Rabobank +30
• 28. Tom MEEUSEN, Telenet-Fidea +30
• 29. Jim AERNOUTS, Sunweb-Revor +30
• 30. Marcus BURGHARDT, BMC Racing +30
• 31. Maxime VANTOMME, Katusha +30
• 32. Gert STEEGMANS, Omega Pharma-Quick Step +30
• 33. Jos VAN EMDEN, Rabobank +30
• 34. Wietse BOSMANS, +30
• 35. Kenneth VAN BILSEN, An Post-Sean Kelly +30
• 36. Boy VAN POPPEL, UnitedHealthcare +30
• 37. James VANLANDSCHOOT, +30
• 38. Niki TERPSTRA, Omega Pharma-Quick Step +30
• 39. Jurgen ROELANDTS, Lotto-Belisol +30
• 40. Gianni VERMEERSCH, +30
• 41. Adrien PETIT, Cofidis +30
• 42. Philippe GILBERT, BMC Racing +30
• 43. Kris BOECKMANS, Vacansoleil-DCM +30
• 44. Borut BOZIC, Astana +30
• 45. Carlos BARREDO LLAMAZALES, Rabobank +30
• 46. Andriy GRIVKO, Astana +30
• 47. Tony MARTIN, Omega Pharma-Quick Step +30
• 48. Matti BRESCHEL, Rabobank +30
• 49. Greg HENDERSON, Lotto-Belisol +30
• 50. Zdenek STYBAR, Omega Pharma-Quick Step +30
• 51. Dmitriy MURAVYEV, Astana +30
• 52. Dirk BELLEMAKERS, Landbouwkrediet-Euphony +30
• 53. Benjamin VERRAES, +30
• 54. Lieuwe WESTRA, Vacansoleil-DCM +30
• 55. Laurens DE VREESE, Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator +30
• 56. Bobbie TRAKSEL, Landbouwkrediet-Euphony +30
• 57. Romain ZINGLE, Cofidis +30
• 58. Manuel QUINZIATO, BMC Racing +30
• 59. Leif HOSTE, +30
• 60. Francesco REDA, Acqua & Sapone +30
• 61. Francesco GAVAZZI, Astana +30
• 62. Carlos Alberto BETANCUR GOMEZ, Acqua & Sapone +30
• 63. Björn LEUKEMANS, Vacansoleil-DCM +30
• 64. Sven NYS, Landbouwkrediet-Euphony +30
• 65. Christophe PREMONT, +30
• 66. Sergey FIRSANOV, RusVelo +30
• 67. Simon SPILAK, Katusha +30
• 68. Francesco DI PAOLO, Acqua & Sapone +30
• 69. Stijn DEVOLDER, Vacansoleil-DCM +30
• 70. Matteo TRENTIN, Omega Pharma-Quick Step +30
• 71. Ronan VAN ZANDBEEK, Argos-Shimano +30
• 72. Tobias LUDVIGSSON, Argos-Shimano +30
• 73. Kévin THOME, +30
• 74. Aleksejs SARAMOTINS, Cofidis +30
• 75. Pieter JACOBS, Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator +30
• 76. Dmitriy FOFONOV, Astana +30
• 77. Jay Robert THOMSON, UnitedHealthcare +30
• 78. Jérôme GILBERT, +30
• 79. Jan GHYSELINCK, Cofidis +30
• 80. Bertjan LINDEMAN, Vacansoleil-DCM +30
• 81. Pieter SERRY, Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator +30
• 82. Dieter VANTHOURENHOUT, +30
• 83. Nikita ESKOV, RusVelo +30
• 84. Bert DE WAELE, Landbouwkrediet-Euphony +30
• 85. Vinnie BRAET, Sunweb-Revor +30
• 86. Lubomir PETRUS, +30
• 87. Klaas LODEWYCK, BMC Racing +30
• 88. Dmitry KOZONTCHUK, RusVelo +30
• 89. Alessandro DONATI, Acqua & Sapone +30
• 90. Bart WELLENS, Telenet-Fidea +30
• 91. Michael SCHÄR, BMC Racing +30
• 92. Alexandr KOLOBNEV, Katusha +30
• 93. Nico SIJMENS, Cofidis +30
• 94. Pieter VANSPEYBROUCK, Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator +30
• 95. Amaël MOINARD, BMC Racing +30
• 96. Fabio POLAZZI, +30
• 97. Guillaume VAN KEIRSBULCK, Omega Pharma-Quick Step +30
• 98. Alexander SEROV, RusVelo +30
• 99. Davide FRATTINI, UnitedHealthcare +30
• 100. Sergey KLIMOV, RusVelo +30
• 101. Andy CAPPELLE, +30
• 102. Jurgen VAN GOOLEN, +30
• 103. Quentin BERTHOLET, +30
• 104. Massimo CODOL, Acqua & Sapone +30
• 105. Albert TIMMER, Argos-Shimano +30
• 106. Petr IGNATENKO, Katusha +30
• 107. Dmitriy GRUZDEV, Astana +30
• 108. Frederik VEUCHELEN, Vacansoleil-DCM +30
• 109. Wim DE VOCHT, +30
• 110. Steven VAN VOOREN, Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator +30
• 111. Rob GORIS, +30
• 112. Martin KOHLER, BMC Racing +30
• 113. Niels ALBERT, +30
• 114. Radomir SIMUNEK, +30
• 115. Yann HUGUET, Argos-Shimano +30
• 116. Juan HORRACH RIPPOLL, Katusha +30
• 117. Philipp WALSLEBEN, +30
• 118. Joeri ADAMS, Telenet-Fidea +30
• 119. Pieter GHYLLEBERT, An Post-Sean Kelly +30
• 120. Jelle WALLAYS, Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator +30
• 121. Karel HNIK, Sunweb-Revor +1:04
• 122. Claudio CORIONI, Acqua & Sapone +1:09
• 123. Robert FöRSTER, UnitedHealthcare +1:27
• 124. Marcel SIEBERG, Lotto-Belisol +1:30
• 125. Paolo CIAVATTA, Acqua & Sapone +1:32
• 126. Arnaud JOUFFROY, Telenet-Fidea +1:40
• 127. Jetse BOL, Rabobank +1:50
• 128. Sergey RENEV, Astana +1:50
• 129. Niels WYTINCK, An Post-Sean Kelly +1:58
• 130. Francesco VAN COPPERNOLLE, +1:58
• 131. Stefan VAN DIJK, +2:04
• 132. Philippe LEGRAND, +2:43
• 133. Steve SCHETS, +3:19
• 134. Valery VALYNIN, RusVelo +3:19
• 135. Jens DEBUSSCHERE, Lotto-Belisol +3:27
• 136. Sander CORDEEL, Lotto-Belisol +6:16
• 137. Kenny DE HAES, Lotto-Belisol +6:27
• 138. Hilton CLARKE, UnitedHealthcare +8:33
• 139. Roy JANS, An Post-Sean Kelly +8:37
• 140. Justin VAN HOECKE, +8:37
• 141. Sven BEELEN, Sunweb-Revor +8:37
• 142. Coen VERMELTFOORT, Rabobank +8:37
• 143. Michael VANTHOURENHOUT, +8:37
• 144. Rick FLENS, Rabobank +8:37
• 145. Frédéric AMORISON, Landbouwkrediet-Euphony +8:37
• 146. Niels VANDYCK, +8:37
• 147. Adrian HEGYVARY, UnitedHealthcare +8:37
• 148. Niko EECKHOUT, An Post-Sean Kelly +8:37
• 149. Moreno DE PAUW, +8:37
• 150. Rob PEETERS, Telenet-Fidea +8:37
• 151. Iljo KEISSE, Omega Pharma-Quick Step +8:37
• 152. Tijmen EISING, Sunweb-Revor +8:42
• 153. Julien FOUCHARD, Cofidis +9:07
• 154. Kevin PAUWELS, Sunweb-Revor +9:39
• 155. Cheng JI, Argos-Shimano +9:39
• 156. Karl MENZIES, UnitedHealthcare +9:39
• 157. Corne VAN KESSEL, Telenet-Fidea +9:56
• 158. Jurgen VAN DE WALLE, Lotto-Belisol +11:47

The Italian formed part of an elite group with pink jersey Joaquim Rodríguez (Katusha), Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Barracuda), Ivan Basso (Liquigas-Cannondale), Rigoberto Urán (Sky) and Domenico Pozzovivo (Colnago-CSF Inox) on the Passo Giau. But in the last kilometer, he lost ground and over the top and trailed by 20 seconds.

Only a desperate and dangerous ride down to Cortina d’Ampezzo saved his day and his chance to defend his overall title. He re-joined at two kilometers left, and ahead of today’s stage to Alpe di Pampeago he trailed Rodríguez by 1’36″.

“I’m tired! I’m tired and I hope the others are worse off than I am!” Scarponi told VeloNews at the Lampre team bus this morning in Treviso.

The race sees its last two mountain days today and tomorrow. After Pampeago today, they race over the Mortirolo and Stelvio on Saturday. If the others are going to try to get an advantage over Hesjedal before Milan’s 30km TT, they’ll need to make their moves soon, and Scarponi is not hiding his intentions.

“I’m starting today confident to be able to play my cards and try to win the Giro d’Italia,” he added. “The others are thinking about their power. I’d be worried if I were them.”

Scarponi rode off surrounded by a mechanic and a circle of fans after Friday’s stage. They hope that today Scarponi will erase any doubts from Cortina d’Ampezzo and attack to win.

“Everyone is waiting for these last two days because, in the end, whoever wants to win the race has to play their cards today,” Lampre sports director, Maurizio Piovani told VeloNews. “I’m convinced that whoever wants to win the Giro will have to show themselves today. Pampeago is a hard stage, you have to do it two times and doesn’t allow for any excuses.

“They have to face the Stelvio tomorrow – it will be hard. It won’t be as bad though, as the Mortirolo is too far away to make the difference. If you don’t go today then it will stay status quo to the Milan time trial, and [then] it’s likely Hesjedal will win.”

Piovani and Scarponi admitted cramps were the problem over the Passo Giau. Others, including Hesjedal, suffered cramps that day too.

“If Michele had cramps two days ago, maybe one of the others will today. The Pampeago is a climb that doesn’t offer excuses. It’s a stage that won’t allow excuses,” Piovani added.

“It’s not a bad sign. It was hot stage. You have to drink a lot. It was an episode which could’ve happened to anyone. We are calm; we are not lowering our guard. He’s still convinced to do something great; he’s still fighting to win this Giro. Otherwise, if you start already beat, then there’s no reason to start racing these three days.”

The professional men’s field will vie for national championship jerseys currently held by Garmin-Barracuda’s David Zabriskie (time trial) and Radio Shack-Nissan’s Matthew Busche (road), both of whom plan to be on hand to defend their 2011 titles.

A bumper crop of WorldTour riders – many fresh off of eight days of racing at the Amgen Tour of California – will be racing during Greenville’s final turn as host city, including BMC Racing’s George Hincapie (a three-time prior champion and Greenville resident), Tejay van Garderen and Brent Bookwalter, Radio Shack-Nissan’s Busche, Ben King and Chris Horner, and Liquigas-Cannondale’s Timmy Duggan and Ted King.

If numbers play a role, however, it could be Garmin-Barracuda’s weekend to shine. The Colorado-based team will be out in force, fielding a seven-man squad for Monday’s 112.4-mile road race, including Tour de France stage winners Zabriskie and Tyler Farrar. Can spectators expect shock and awe from the Argyle Armada?

“To sweep the weekend would be a good thing for sure,” Garmin manager Jonathan Vaughters told VeloNews Thursday. “And for the first time in a while, I think we’ve got a couple of guys who could win.”

Should the race end in a sprint, as it often does, the team may hold a trump card in Farrar. The Washington-native is making an unplanned appearance after crashing out of the Giro d’Italia on stage 6. After only a week back on the bike, Farrar is hoping for the best, but comforted knowing the team has several cards to play.

“With perfect preparation and all guns blazing, I think [winning] would definitely be my plan, but I’m also not sure where I am following the crash,” admitted Farrar. “We’ll just have to see how the race unfolds once we get out there. It’ll be pretty obvious to me, once we hit the first climb, whether I have it or not. If I feel good, then great, but if I don’t it’ll give the team free reign to run with a different strategy.”

The climb of which Farrar speaks is Paris Mountain, a grueling 2.2-mile ascent (maximum gradient 15%) that the peloton will visit four times this year. Clearly the course’s most selective element (and the site of this year’s inaugural Volkswagen King of the Mountain points competition), the climb may favor Farrar’s teammate Tom Danielson – or perhaps the man who knows it best, BMC’s George Hincapie, who lives near its base.

“Yeah, we definitely have the home-court advantage,” explained Hincapie’s BMC teammate van Garderen, fresh off a Paris Mountain recon ride Thursday with his teammate. “We’ve been talking strategy for the race. We’re both really motivated and it’s great being with George in his home town.”

Van Garderen may be among a few riders with legitimate hopes of snagging a pair of championship jerseys. Not only is the 23-year-old a spectacular climber, he’s also one of the only American cyclists capable of holding his own in a time trial field currently ruled by Zabriskie.

Despite Zabriskie’s dominant performance at the Amgen Tour of California, van Garderen insists the defending time trial national champ is not invincible, particularly with a little help from the Greenville parcours.

“I think this time trial is a little different [from that of the ATOC],” explains van Garderen.

“You know, California was all in the [aero] bars, it was just straight and flat. This course [three laps of a 6.9-mile course] is a bit more technical. You can make up time in the corners, sometimes you get out of the aero bars and stand, so it’s a bit more dynamic as opposed to the whole time in just one position. It’s a little different approach here, so I think that might favor me a little bit.”

Whoever takes the weekend’s most coveted podium positions will be in for a treat: the opportunity to sport stars-and-stripes within the peloton for a year. 2011 road champion Matthew Busche says the experience has been humbling.

“[Wearing the national champion’s jersey] has been great. It’s given me a little bit of notoriety. I don’t know if you’d call it clout or recognition or what, but it’s been a big honor to wear my country’s colors and represent the United States. I hope that I’ve done that well.”

Busche plans to defend his title, despite having battled flu-like symptoms since April’s Vuelta a Castilla y Leon.

“I’ve definitely had less than a perfect lead up having been sick over these past few weeks, but sometimes that’s just the way it works. You can’t think about it come race day. I’ll definitely be back to do my best.”

For live race updates and commentary throughout the weekend, follow VeloNews’ Dan Wuori on Twitter at @dwuori.

With the race still undecided, many believe Hesjedal – who currently sits in second place overall, just 30 seconds behind Katusha’s Joaquim Rodríguez – is the strongest rider against the clock, and stands a good chance of taking the maglia rosa during Sunday’s final time trial in Milan.

But Vaughters, who stayed stateside to lead Garmin’s Amgen Tour of California squad, has not yet travelled to Italy to share in the Canadian’s success. And he isn’t planning to do so until Saturday’s ascent of the Passo Dello Stelvio is complete.

“I’m not jinxing anything. I feel like I haven’t been at the race so far, so… I have a plane ticket to Milan reserved, but not purchased, arriving Sunday morning. I’m not moving forward until the Stelvio stage is done.”

It would appear that Vaughters, who has previously compared his squad to the underpaid but overachieving 2002 Oakland A’s of Moneyball fame, shares more than a little of General Manager Billy Beane’s famed superstition.

“I’m not even talking about the Giro. We’re obviously sitting in a very good position with a couple days to go. We just need to keep our cool and hope for the best.”

Despite his best efforts to ward off a grand tour jinx, Vaughters does take some satisfaction in his role in Hesjedal’s amazing May.

“The only part I had in this whole thing was that in November when the directors were meeting, I said, ‘You know, I think the Giro is more suited to Ryder than the Tour de France. I think we need to send Ryder to the Giro as our GC rider.’ And everyone said, ‘Okay, yeah, let’s do that.’”

Hesjedal, who has traditionally followed a different path to the Tour de France, needed a little convincing at first.

“Ryder’s had the same run up to the Tour for the past couple years. He’s gone to the Tour of California and then the Tour de Suisse. So when we mentioned the Giro he was a little hesitant at first, but then it was like ‘No, you’re going to be the absolute leader of the team at the Giro and I think this race is going to be better for you.’ It was a chance to really shine. So it didn’t take long, maybe 20 minutes, before he was into it.”

And what of the Tour? Given Hesjedal’s outstanding Giro performance, Vaughters plans to leave that option in the Canadian’s hands.

“At the end of the day, [participation in this year’s Tour de France] is going to be Ryder’s decision. If he feels like he can take some time to really think about what he’s accomplished at the Giro, spend a little recovery time with his family, and then come back and race at a high level at the Tour de France? If that’s what he wants to do then we will be supportive of that.

If, conversely, he feels he’s physically spent from the Giro, and says ‘I’m tired’ and maybe wants to focus on the Olympic games or something other than the Tour to give him more time to recover, then we will respect that as well. Most of the time these decisions are really made by myself and Alan Peiper, but this is an exception. We’ll probably leave it up to Ryder.”

With two hard days of climbing ahead, Vaughters is cautiously optimistic about the team’s first grand tour win. As long as Hesjedal can hang with the leaders until then, Sunday’s TT should suit him well.

“I think Ryder’s going to be fine on the Stelvio, but the next two days will be key. As you know, hanging with those guys [in the mountains] is far from simple.”

Gillian Carleton (Canadian National Team) took second, just a few hundredths of a second behind Whitten while Clara Hughes (Specialized-lululemon) rounded out the podium one second back.

The 3.2 km course took riders over the Boise River and up a short hill to the Boise Bus Depot where the road narrowed into several technical turns. Once around the Bus Depot, racers hit a fast downhill on the way back to the finish. The short course favored track riders like Whitten, but the hill before the turnaround made for a challenging start.

“Three kilometers is a distance I do quite often on the track, but [the prologue] felt the opposite of how it feels on the track. The hard section was the first half of it. It was just so much more intense, whereas the track is steadier. It was quite painful.” said Whitten, the 2011 Track Omnium World Champion.

Current national time trial champion Evelyn Stevens (Specialized-lululemon) set the earliest fast time, coming though the finish at 4:12. Her time was quickly toppled by teammate Ina-Yoko Teutenberg. Teutenberg, a powerful sprinter, gave it full gas from the gun.

“No pacing. All out, and hoping just to keep it going,” said Teutenberg, who ended up fourth. “My acceleration is my good point against the others. Probably ran a bit to fast.”

Twenty-two starters later, Canadian national team member Carleton, 22, eclipsed Teutenberg’s time, coming in three seconds faster than the German. Carleton also rocketed out of the start with all engines firing.

“I didn’t pace it at all. I went out like it was a kilometer long, and just tried not to die. [The hill] was pretty brutal because I ran out of gas about three-quarters of the way up and had to get out of the saddle,” said Carleton. “I wasn’t really expecting anything, I just wanted to go as hard as I could.”

The young Canadian led the prologue until Tara Whitten blasted through the finish just a hair under her time. None of the remaining 23 starters could beat Whitten, and she will start tomorrow’s race with the first-ever Exergy Tour leader’s jersey on her back. It’s an honor, but it also puts the pressure on Team Tibco.

“We haven’t discussed our team strategy yet, and we’ll see what happens tomorrow,” said Whitten in a post-race press conference.
For all three women, the Canadian podium sweep is testament to a nationwide trend. There’s also a Canadian vying for pink right now in the Giro, said Hughes, a sign of a new energy surrounding the country’s cycling.

“Cycling in Canada right now is just growing, and it’s not just in road cycling. It’s in track, and mountain bike, men and women,” said Hughes. “It’s an exciting time for our country. I’m so honored and proud to be a part of it.”

Race results >>

General classification

• 1. Tara WHITTEN, Tib in 4:09
• 2. Gillian CARLETON, Can +0
• 3. Clara HUGHES, Slu +1
• 4. Ina TEUTENBERG, Slu +3
• 5. Evelyn STEVENS, Slu +3
• 6. Alison POWERS +3
• 7. Shara GILLOW, Gew +4
• 8. Jade WILCOXSON +6
• 9. Trixi WORRACK, Slu +6
• 10. Amber NEBEN, Slu +7
• 11. Rachel NEYLAN, Nxx +8
• 12. Laura BROWN, Can +8
• 13. Kristin ARMSTRONG, Exg +8
• 14. Megan GUARNIER, Tib +10
• 15. Janel holcomb +11
• 16. Jacquelyn CROWELL, Exg +11
• 17. Lauren HALL, Tib +12
• 18. Tiffany CROMWELL, Gew +12
• 19. Lex ALBRECHT +13
• 20. Leah KIRCHMANN +13
• 21. Emilia FAHLIN, Slu +13
• 22. Jasmin GLAESSER, Can +13
• 23. Rhae-Christie SHAW, Exg +13
• 24. Loren ROWNEY, Slu +13
• 25. Sari SAARELAINEN, Fcl +14
• 26. Alexis RHODES, Gew +15
• 27. Kristin MCGRATH, Exg +15
• 28. Carmen MCNELLIS SMALL +15
• 29. Jennifer WHEELER, Tib +16
• 30. Stephanie ROORDA, Can +16
• 31. Robin FARINA +16
• 32. Jessie MACLEAN, Gew +16
• 33. Tayler WILES, Exg +17
• 34. Julie BEVERIDGE, Can +17
• 35. Olivia DILLON +17
• 36. Maria Luisa CALLE WILLIAMS +17
• 37. Alison STARNES, Exg +18
• 38. Amanda MILLER, Tib +18
• 39. Christina SMITH +18
• 40. Theresa CLIFF-RYAN, Exg +19
• 41. Inga CILVINAITE, Dpz +19
• 42. Geerike SCHREURS, Slt +20
• 43. Anne SAMPLONIUS +21
• 44. Polona BATAGELJ, Dpz +22
• 45. Jamie DINKINS +22
• 46. Rebecca WERNER +22
• 47. Devon GORRY +22
• 48. Ana Bianca SCHNITZMEIER, Nxx +22
• 49. Emily KACHOREK +23
• 50. Kelly DRUYTS, Vll +23
• 51. Joelle NUMAINVILLE +23
• 52. Lindsay MYERS, Tib +23
• 53. Jolien D’HOORE, Vll +24
• 54. Andrea DVORAK, Exg +24
• 55. Emma MACKIE, Nxx +24
• 56. Elizabeth NEWELL +25
• 57. Rowena FRY, Gew +25
• 58. Claudia HÄUSLER, Gew +26
• 59. Jennifer PURCELL, Tib +26
• 60. Jacqueline KURTH +27
• 61. Nicole COOKE, Fht +27
• 62. Maaike POLSPOEL, Vll +27
• 63. Whitney GAGGIOLI, Fcl +27
• 64. Mary ZIDER +28
• 65. Joanie CARON +28
• 66. Courteney LOWE +29
• 67. Karol-Ann CANUEL, Can +29
• 68. Jennifer WEINBRECHT +30
• 69. Marlen JÖHREND, Nxx +30
• 70. Addyson ALBERSHARDT +30
• 71. Ally STACHER, Slu +30
• 72. Kristen LASASSO +30
• 73. Els BELMANS, Vll +31
• 74. Amber PIERCE, Dpz +31
• 75. Anna SANDERS +32
• 76. Liza RACHETTO, Fcl +32
• 77. Alessandra D’ETTORRE, Dpz +32
• 78. Leah GULOIEN +32
• 79. Kathryn BERTINE +33
• 80. Denise RAMSDEN +33
• 81. Fabiana LUPERINI, Fht +33
• 82. Flavia OLIVEIRA, Fcl +33
• 83. Alisha WELSH +34
• 84. Ine BEYEN, Vll +35
• 85. Rochelle GILMORE, Fht +35
• 86. Mei Yu HSIAO, Att +35
• 87. Giorgia BRONZINI, Dpz +37
• 88. Jessica UEBELHART, Fcl +38
• 89. Moriah MACGREGOR +38
• 90. Kendall RYAN, Tib +38
• 91. Chiara NADALUTTI, Fht +39
• 92. Belinda GOSS, Nxx +42
• 93. Ho Hsiung HUANG, Att +43
• 94. Kimberly BUYL, Slt +44
• 95. Kathryn DONOVAN +44
• 96. Jennifer HOHL, Fht +46
• 97. Myfanwy GALLOWAY, Fht +48
• 98. Anouk ROCKX, Slt +49
• 99. Yu Hsuan LEE, Att +52
• 100. Hsiao Chia TSENG, Att +53
• 101. Celine VAN SEVEREN, Slt +54
• 102. Sofie DE NYS, Slt +57
• 103. Chia Hui LIN, Att +1:06

The reigning Olympic time trial gold medalist flew out of the gate and looked to be on her way to setting the fastest time on the course when she went down halfway through the race at the Boise Bus Depot.

The spot proved difficult to several riders, including Canadian Clara Hughes (Specialized-lululemon) who went down in a practice run in the same turn.

Armstrong, cheered on by hometown Idaho fans and the last starter of the day, had the fastest time at the split before she went down.

“It’s the hometown, you give 110 percent,” said Simon Cope, Exergy Twenty12’s director. “You take those corners too fast.”

Armstrong still came in with the 13th-fastest time despite being on the ground for over 15 seconds, but she rolled through the finish gripping her shoulder.

After the race, she was led to the Exergy Twenty12 team cars in tears, and was quickly surrounded by a team of doctors and taken to a hospital for X-rays, which confirmed a broken collarbone.

Armstrong’s husband, Joe Savola, told the Idaho Statesman that she is out for the rest of the Exergy Tour and is expected to undergo surgery Friday morning.

Her team issued a press release stating that Armstrong has a mid-shaft clavicle fracture. Surgery was scheduled for Friday morning where the injury will be stabilized with clavicle pins. Armstrong is expected back on her trainer within a few days to continue her pursuit of a second Olympic gold medal.

“It’s a bit of a blow, but what can you do? I’ve seen it time and time again, I’ve been in the sport for 25, 30 years — things happen,” said Cope.

“We are all absolutely heartbroken for Kristin, but we are ready to rally and do this for her and her hometown,” said Armstrong’s teammate Tayler Wiles.

Tara Whitten (Tibco-To the Top) won the prologue with a time of 4:09.640, just three-tenths of a second faster than compatriot Gillian Carleton of the Canadian national team. Hughes placed third, one second down, followed by Specialized-lululemon teammates Ina Teutenberg and Evelyn Stevens, both three seconds off Whitten’s winning time.

“It was such a strong field today. I am very proud to wear the first ever yellow jersey at the Exergy Tour,” said Whitten while talking to race announcer Dave Towle after the podium ceremony. “The Canadian cycling program made huge improvements over past several years. Gillian is a strong member of the women’s team pursuit on the track, and I am very excited for the Olympic Games coming up this summer. I am thrilled that we’re both in top form. We are only getting stronger.”

Added Whitten, “The first comment I got from one of my teammate coming back was that the crowds were amazing, and it pushes you to give everything you have in there. We have a really strong team here and we are excited for the days to come.”

Race results >>

The 16 teams of tanned, fit women warmed up under the Idaho morning sun with an unspoken, yet tangible tension in the air. Time for planning, training and traveling was over. The day had arrived, the winds were blowing, and these racers were ready to fly.

At one end of the parking lot was America’s newly structured national team, sponsored by T-Mobile and led by 2000 world time trial champion Mari Holden. Around the corner was the Canadian team, Rona, bringing to the race the 20-year-old sensation Geneviève Jeanson in her much-anticipated HP debut.

The rainbow jersey of the current world champion, Acca Due O’s Rasa Polikeviciute, was also present. Polikeviciute was riding for the Lithuanian national team alongside twin sister Jolanta and 1998 world champion Diana Ziliute.

And then there was Saturn. Off in a corner, almost cautiously out of sight, the Saturn women assembled in a circle and prepared for flight. The six-woman roster read like a fantasy cycling team come to life: Catherine Marsal, a former world road and time trial champion and four-time Olympian; Judith Arndt, another former world champion (individual pursuit), two-time Olympian, and recent winner of the Tour de L’Aude; American Kimberly Bruckner, wearing the stars and stripes of both the road and time trial national champion; Petra Rossner, the 24-time German national champion, and recent winner of the First Union Liberty Classic for a record sixth time; Ina Teutenberg, a powerful sprinter and Olympian; and Anna Millward, last year’s World Cup overall champ and two-time winner of the Women’s Challenge.

It was fair to say the other teams had their work cut out for them.

Conspicuously missing from the Saturn lineup, but not the start area, was defending HP champion Lyne Bessette. Instead, Bessette calmly rode her former Team Saturn bike — a piece of black electrical tape now covering the title-sponsor’s name — on a trainer across the parking lot, next to the Canadian national team van.

Last year, Bessette enjoyed the best season of her career as a Saturn rider. Even after a broken collarbone at Redlands, she returned to take overall wins at the Tour de L’Aude and HP, overall points on the NRC Series, and even a cyclo-cross World Cup in her first season racing ’cross. She ended the season ninth in the UCI rankings.

The 2002 season promised to be another great year and started out with an overall win at Sea Otter. But behind the scenes, Bessette had grown unhappy at Saturn, and citing the demands of being on the world’s No. 1 team, she took a “sabbatical” just a month before the start of the Women’s Challenge.

“It’s not that they were holding me from reaching my own goals,” said Bessette. “I just didn’t feel comfortable anymore. I guess that’s the main reason…. I think the only way people will have the real explanation is one day, when I’m 50, and I write a book about myself.”