Giro d'Italia Stage 9 San Sepolcro - Firenze

Yesterday the individual time trial stage was hillier than most and had a monster of a climb to the finish. This may well have been why it was those who are climbers didn't suffer so much and some of the time trial specialists didn't make as big an impression as they may have hoped on a 58.4km stage.

Dowsett during yesterday's stage

That being said there was a British winner, but not the one many were talking about, even though he was wearing the national champion's jersey Alex Dowsett was so far down the GC that he had completed the course before the TV coverage kicked in.but as rider after rider came after him his time was looking more and more secure.

His compatriot Bradley Wiggins was starting 23 from the end and therefore instead of the usual 3 minute intervals he was only 1 minute down on the person in front, so he was capturing people on a regular basis during his run. He even disgarded his new Pinarello Bolide bike for his trusted Graal, on which he won Olympic gold. He was well down at the first intermediate time, but at the end he was only 10 seconds down on Dowsett. However, behind him some of the GC contenders had gone through the split faster than Wiggins, but worryingly Vincenzo Nibali who is not a traditional time trialist.

But as each of the main challengers reached the line time was being clawed back by Wiggins. Franco Pellizotti (AND) who had 30 seconds advantage lost over 4 minutes. Michele Scarponi (LAM) with 35 seconds, lost 43 to still be in touch if behind. Samuel Sanchez (EUS) a further 5 seconds ahead was 3 minutes 7 seconds slower than Wiggins.

Robert Gesink of Blanco had been 1'19" ahead of Wiggins, he lost all but one second of that, to take the virtual Maglia Rosa on the line off Wiggins, with just 8 more men to finish. But next up was Cadel Evans (BMC) who had been ahead of Wiggins at the intermediate and is a decent time trialist and climber. He crossed the line only 29 seconds down on Wiggins on the day but enough to remain 47 seconds in front of the man who succeeded him as Tour de France Champion. Ryder Hesjedal (GRS) was third from the end but he lost 2'13" on Wiggins. Vincenzo Nibali (AST) was next up and rode and very impressive time, for him, losing only 11 seconds to Wiggins, but enough to climb into the Maglia Rosa as Movistar's Beñat Intxausti who was the surprise leader after the carnage on stage 7 was just over 4 minutes slower than his team mate Dowsett who was winning his first Grand Tour stage.

The GC now after the first major shake up looks like this:

1 Nibali 29:46:57
2. Evans +29
3. Gesink +1:15
4. Wiggins +1:16
5. Scarponi +1:24
6. Hesjedal +2:04
7. Sergio Henao (SKY) +2:11
8. Santambrogio (VIN) +2:43
9. Niemiec (LAM) +2:44
10. Uran (SKY) + 2:49

Today's stage is the first in which the riders will not see the sea at any point of their route. It also contains the first first category climb of the tour the Vallombrosa, coming about the middle of the stage immediately at the ascent and descent of the category 2 Passa Dello Consuma. There remains a category 3 and 4 climb on the run into Firenze, but this is the harderst medium mountain stage so far this Giro.

After the shake up yesterday today may be too early for some to try and make time back, tomorrow is a rest day with the first high mountains coming on Tuesday. So expect control of the race not to let anyone who may have slipped a few minutes back to make up too much time, but not too much attacking, especially as there are still 54km from the summit of Vallombrosa to the end of the stage. It is just possible that another break away might prove successful today as the big guys are waiting and planning for Tuesday.

Giro d'Italia Stage 8 Gabicce Mare - Saltara

Today's stage is the individual time trial over 56.4km. Before yesterday it was probably the stage that Olympic Time Trial Champion Sir Bradley Wiggins thought he would be able to do enough to overcome the 17 seconds he lost to his GC contenders the other day into Matera due to the time splits, in the wet. As I said that was before yesterday.

Yesterday I did mention the weather forecast said there might be rain, and rain there was. Coming down the last descent. Adam Hansen and Aussie on the Lotto-Belisol team became the first member of a long break away to stay away and win a stage in this years race. Although that was not for lack of trying from behind. Vincenzo Nibali (AST) tried to make the most of his famous descending ability in the wet, but he overcooked it into a corner and came down. By the time he had recovered his bike he was in a group with more of the GC contenders. But nervously at the back of the group was Wiggins. At one point on the coverage it looked like a Sky rider, suspiciously like Wiggins was back in the cars after someone else was reported to have gone down. The later there was a Wiggins crash captured on camera. He didn't get back into his riding quickly and the gap went up. But his team mate Rigoberto Uran and Sergio Henao canme back to pace him to the finish. But in the end he lost 1'23" to Nibali, Cadel Evans (BMC), Michele Scarponi (LAM) and Ryder Hesjedal (GRM).

Today is a long individual time trial, one that normally would suit Wiggins. But what has the effect of the last few days and especially yesterday had on him.

Yesterday Dave Braislford said that he was not injured yet he didn't look his usual easy self even when the road stopped going downhill in the wet. If he isn't in the right frame of mind today he may end up not eating into the time of those other GC contenders anywhere near enough if he is to be a serious challenger in this Giro later on.

If he is he could take a minute at least out of anyone, there is no Tony Martin or Chris Froome here who in recent TTs have been the only people to really stay within that of him over this sort of distance. If that Wiggins that was dominant last summer turns up today he could very well turnaround yesterday and climb into the Maglia Rosa, or at least get very close to it.

Andrew Simpson Olympic Yachtsman 1976-2013

Simpson on the right with Iain Percy

Andrew Simpson was the crewman who along with Iain Percy won gold in the Star class at the Beijing Olympics and silver in the same class last summer.

He was a competitive sailor in the Finn class before teaming up with Percy, winning silver in the 2001 European Championships and bronze in the 2003 worlds. But of course that was a class where fellow Brit Ben Ainslie ruled supreme so the chance to crew for Percy allowed him to take part in two Olympics.

With the Star class cut from the 2016 Olympic regatta Simpson's eyes turned towards the America's Cup, like those of his teenage training partner and rival Ben Ainslie. Yesterday he was training with the Swedish crew Artemis Racing in San Francisco Bay for who he was the strategist. The catamaran flipped over and he was trapped underneath for 10 minutes and efforts from doctors out in the bay and onshore were unable to revive him.

Speaking after missing out on gold only in the medal race last summer when the wind shifted Simpson said,

"It's a lottery at times. That last run proved it. We didn't get it right. Sorry for everyone who's watching. We tried our hardest." 

Sadly that lottery of water, wind and men trying to control both claimed his life yesterday.

Thoughts are with his wife Leah, their young son Freddie, the rest of the Artemis crew and all his friends and family.

Andrew Simpson 17 December 1976 - 9 May 2013

Giro d'Italia stage 7 San Slavo - Pescara

Yesterday's stage did indeed prove to be a sprinters finish, although the first time over the finish line before two circuits did cause a major pile up. Coming just after Bradley Wiggins it could have been a disaster to him and other GC contenders if Kathusha on the front didn't neatralise proceedings while the pile of bikes at the back was sorted out. Team Sky then were at the front of the chasers as they came back taking most of the lap to catch the leaders and then Sky continued up the side of the road to announce they were back by taking the head of the race. Obviously the scare of losing more time as the result of a crash was praying on Bradley Wiggins' mind just a bid as he was leading the race into the final 3km, after which time a dealy would give him the same time as the leaders.

However, when it came to the sprint Argos Shimano hit the front a little too early with only one man in front of John Degenkolb. In his wheel was Gert Steegmans of Omega Pharma-Quickstep who was leading out Mark Cavendish. When the time came the Manxman was unleashed for his 12 Giro stage victory, although behind him Nacer Bouhanni. In his post race interviews and stage presentation Cav remembered Wouter Weylandt, the Belgian rider for Leopard Trek, who died in the road in the Giro 2 years previously. He has started his professional career with Quickstep and it was fitting that another rider of that team was first across the line yesterday to honour his memory.

Today is another 177km of going up and down, this time most of the way in some sort of undulation. So with two category three and two category four climbs toward the end of these stage of rise and fall do not expect to see Cavendish add to his stage wins today.

There are 11km from the last categorised climb to the finish and more rain is possible at the finish today. So there is a chance that on the descent there may well be slick conditions under wheel. But again it will largely be mechanicals, crashes or conditions that separate the main GC contenders from each other today. If someone is going to struggle today to keep up with the main pack they are unlikely to be able to do so day in, day out when the high mountain passes come.

Giro d'Italia Stage 6 Mola di Bari - Margherita di Savoia

Yesterday I did mention those couple of sharp left hand bends toward the end of the stage and they certainly did prove to be decisive in yesterday's race.

But before we got there, despite his best efforts to hang in there on the two climbs of the day Mark Cavendish was kicked out the back and his Omega Pharma-Quickstep team were trying to pace him back when a second kick up came along, he was in a group amongst the team cars some 45 seconds down, when the main peleton kicked on to the finsh.

Degenkolb triumphant and on the right in green Canola

There were several attacks on the drying roads towards the finish, one from Hubert Duport AG2R. But he was hauled back with Valvole Bardiani-CSF Inox on the front with Argos-Shimano in close attendance. However, on the first of those left hand bends Luka Mezgec ARG was second wheel and got caught out on the damp zebra crossing and slid into the barriers about another ten riders follwed as they attempted to break. It left Bardiani's Marco Canola in the clear, with John Degenkolb having lost his lead out man many bike lengths down, but everyone else was even worse affected. Degenkolb set off in pursuit and captured the fading Canola, meant to be a lead out man, in the final 400m, before powering to a 10 bike length win as the chasing group swallowed Canola as well.

Today's stage is 169 miles of flat road, without any little humps to take the pure sprinters out of the picture, There are two and bit laps of 16 km around Margherita di Savoia at the end, but today this should be gearing up to a group finish. The Omega Phara-Quickstep team once they realised they weren't going to get Mark Cavendish back into the hunt did all coast in for the last 20kms or so, so may be reasonably fresh in comparison to other teams, especially those that had a sprinter or lead out man fall in the crash. So things are looking good possibly for another Cavendish stage win today.

Giro d'Italia Stage 5 Cosenza - Matera

This year's Giro yesterday reached it the south and the rain, before today heading north to finish in the arch of Italy's foot. Yet again yesterday it was the mountains that separated the race. The final summit the Croce Ferrata had plenty of action.

A group of five hit the lower slopes ahead of the race, but with that gap coming down as Sky applied the pressure on the front of the peleton one of their number AG2R's Sylvian Georges pulled out a lead of his own. He was soon joined by Vini Fantini's Danilo Di Luca and then Robinson Chalapud of Colombia both bridged across to him in the wet and mist of the tree lined ascent. Georges couldn't hold their wheels for long and slide back into the pack, but these two reached the summit with a 10 seconds gap. There was 7km of downhill and flat wet roads and some of that pavé (cobbles), anything could yet happen.

As it was the two held on, mainly due to the work of Di Luca until the final km, but with Katusha leading the peleton with Paolini in his Maglia Rosa comfortable in second wheel chasing them down, Di Luca launched one final solo attack in the final 700m only to be absorbed by the peleton in the final 300m. The first man across the line was Enrico Battaglin, who shares the same name but is not a close relative of the 1981 champion of the Giro and Vuelta Giovanni. The young Italian on the Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox, lead an Italian 1-2-3 over the line with Felline AND and Giovanni Visconti in his wake, but further down what was meant to be the main pack there were time gaps of over a second meaning that not everyone who crested the Croce Ferrata together clocked the same time. Most significantly for GC may have been that after not just one but 2 splits was Sky's Bradley Wiggins so he clocked a time 17 seconds slower than most of the other serious contenders.

After the mountains of the last two days, today we have a flat stage as the Giro starts to head north once again. Mark Cavendish may be back in his Omega Pharma-Quickstep jersey having lost the red points jersey to Luca Paolini after his efforts over the last two day, but he may well be claiming it back on the line in Matera this afternoon.

There are a couple of sharp bends in the run in, but the last of this is at a roundabout with a km to go. Then it is the sort of sprint that you can expect to see the touch paper under the Manx Missile ignited once again and providing there isn't any unexpected rough stuff, mechanicals or crashes he may very well hit the line at the front once again. If OPQ actually get a lead out for him this time it could be by bike lengths rather than a wheel.

Giro d'Italia Stage 4 Policastro Bussentino - Serra San Bruno

Yesterday's two climbs really started to separate the contenders in this year's Giro.

The first of yesterday's climbs, San Mauru Cilento saw a group of six up the road, though with their gap already coming down, only 3'42" ahead of the peleton. But riders including the first Maglia Rosa Mark Cavendish OPQ had been dropped on the ascent, but Cav was only 28 seconds off the pace and not in the Autobus bringing up the rear which was over a minute down, he was to catch the peleton on the descent.

However, up at the front Vini Fantini rider Fabio Taborre set off from the leading pack in a bid for a long solo ride to the finish, as behind the breakaway Sky had come to the front of the peleton to ride at a tempo to bring the race altogether. When Taborre hit the slopes of the Sella di Catona he had opened a gap of 1'11" ahead of the rest of the group he had reached the previous summit with and 2'33" ahead of the peleton.

On that climb first Sky and then Garmin-Sharp started to boss the peleton. The slowing group and then Taborre were absorbed and then spat out the back of the peleton. Then with about 3km to the summit last year's champion Ryder Hesjedal GRS went on an attack after Rigoberto Uran SKY had opened a few bike lengths gap, but he was soon brought back in. But it wasn't to be his last attempt. However, this attack did see Salvatore Puccio in his pink jersey dropped from the confines of his Sky team mates. When they reached the summit there was a group of 33 left.

Then on the descent Hesjedal went again along with Luca Paolini KAT and Valerio Agnoli AST went up the road descending fast but others soon caught them up, when the descent flattened out a little. Then Paolini went solo with 6.5km to go. Behind him the Blanco Team took up the pursuit and Michele Scarponi was in third wheel when into one hairpin, first Scarponi the 2011 champion came off and the two Blanco riders collided with the wall, while the rest of the group came past unscathed.

In the end Paolini crossed the line 16 seconds clear, which with his time bonuses would leave him 17 seconds clear in the Maglia Rosa. Next over the line was a group of 16 lead by Cadel Evans BMC, then Hesjedal but also including Samuel Sanchez EUS, Bradley Wiggins SKY, Robert Gesink BLA and Vincenzo Nibali AST amongst others. Scarponi after his crash was a minute down on Paolini.

Today's stage again has a kick up at the end with first a category 3 climb of Vibo Valentia then the final category 2 climb of Croce Ferrata a mere 7km from the finish. It will be another day that those serious for the GC will be going out to steal seconds of the bonus seconds for a top three finish.

Once again expect to see a small selection at that final summit and don't expect many who may be dropped unless by only a handful of seconds to get back on the final run in, it is almost flat this time and not a twisting and complicated descent.

Giro d'Italia Stage 3 Sorrento - Marina di Ascea

The time time trial on the island of Ischia was dominated by Team Sky. They even in the early part of the route sat up slightly to let Danny Pate get back on their train, to reach the intermediate time check in what was the second fastest time, as only Moviestar managed to be faster at that point. In the end Sky were 9 seconds faster than Moviestar, but one of the shock results was one of the innvited teams Vini Fantani who at only 22 seconds down  beat all but four of the pro-world tour teams.

So first time Giro rider Salvator Puccio from Sky slipped on the Maglia Rosa yesterday with the Tour de France champion in 2nd, but 14 seconds ahead of Vincenzo Nibali (AST) and 25 ahead of Giro champion Ryder Hesjedal (GRS).

Today sees the first point to point road stage, without circuits as the 23 teams head south from the southern end of the Bay of Naples at Sorrento, largely hugging the coast towards Marina di Ascea. However, there are two climbs on today's route. The category two San Mauro Cilento 69km from the finish and the category three Sella di Catona 19.8km from the finish.

It is probably a good thing for the sprinters that the climbs are in that order, it means there is a chance that they might be there for the finish. When the last 5km drop 200m to get to the sea level finish on the coast it is going to be fast and furious at the finale of today. So if the sprinters can get over the two climbs with the peleton today could well be another day for them to shine. But although Puccio is the surprised Maglia Rosa don't expect to see Team Sky going out to defend it, they have bigger battles to fight further down the road in the high mountain passes. They are liable to leave the hauling back of the break away to the sprinters' teams.

With Mark Cavendish (OPQ) and Matthew Goss (OGE) the best placed of the big name sprinters both at 28 seconds, even with the 18 second time bonus for winning they can only expect to rise to 11th in the GC all other things being equal.

Giro d'Italia Stage 2 Ischia to Forio

So stage one yesterday eventually came down to a sprint after Cannondale's Australia rider Cameron Wurf, who has been the lone survivor of a seven man breakaway. Wurf took part in the 2004 Olympics but on the rowing lake in the lightweight double skull. However it wasn't the total mass sprint finish that everyone was expecting after the work largely of Omega Pharma-Quickstep to bring it all under control with just over two laps of the 8km smaller circuit to complete.

After a while Sky took over the pace setting not for a sprinter but to keep Bradley Wiggins safe near the front, then it was the turn of Orega-GreenEDGE to take it up inside the final 10km, with Cannondale and Radioshack-Leopard also in close attendance. But with 5km to go Omega Phrama-Quickstep for so long at the head of the peleton had disappeared from proceedings.

Inside the final three km and Cannondale had taken up the pace, but then there was a crash near the frong from which only 13 riders rode clear unscathed or delayed. Orega-GreenEDGE with three men in the group including their sprinter Matthew Goss, Omega Pharma-Quick had one rider, Gert Steegmans, there to help Mark Cavendish, but there was also Cannondale's sprinter Elia Viviani, Radioshack's Giacomo Nizzolo,. Moviestar's Francisco Ventoso and two young spinters FDJ's Nacer Bouhanni and BMC's Brit Adam Blythe.

Into the final km it was Orega-GreenEDGE who were attempting to open it up for Goss, but Steegmans suffered a mechanical just as that point as the three Orega-GreenEDGE riders and Viviani gained daylight.  He came back unto fifth wheel with Bouhanni and Blythe had a little bit of shoulder banging as they both tried to stay in Cav's wheel. Then Radioshack's Danilo Hondo brought Nizzolo up alongside so Cavendish went wide to the left, only for Hondo to peel off almost into Cavendish's way. Goss and Viviani were heading straightest to the line, while Bouhanni was on Cav's wheel. But the engine was ignited in the Manx Missile and he crossed the line for his eleventh stage win in the Giro and to pull on the Maglia Rosa for a third time. He was followed by Viviani then Bouhanni.

Cav taking the line and the Maglia Rosa in Napoli

After racing around the streets of Napoli (Naples) today the Giro tomorrow heads out past the Bay of Naples to the volcanic island to Ischia in the Tyrrherian Sea, the largest of the Phlegrean islands.

The island is small but big enough to run a 17.4km team time trial. It is only a short time trial but in the team time trial you are only as good as your fifth best man, so any crashes or a deterioration in the weather for the later starters can be a disaster.

However, Sky are one of the best drilled team when it comes to TTT, but so are Omega Pharma-Quickstep indeed don't forget last year in TTT that Cavendish often took pride in doing good stints on the front especially toward the end, so it is possible with his 8 second lead thanks to the time bonuses that Cavendish might still be in pink when the team pack up to leave the island after the day's racing.

Giro d'Italia Stage 1 Napoli

Today's opening stage is a double loop criterium race. First there are four laps of the blue western loop, which includes a fourth category climb. There it is around the city for eight laps of the pink loop.

None of the GC contenders are going to win the Giro over today's 130km, but if there is a nervy start and the bunch gets jittery on the flatter circuits as they pick up speed to get their sprinter into the Maglia Rosa for the stage tomorrow wheels could touch and a collar bone of any rider even a team leader could break like that, remember Bradley Wiggins fate in the Tour of 2011 before he got to take the other contenders on in the first mountains.

So everyone is going to have to be alert at all times, which means that GC riders and sprinters will all be racing to stay near the front and out of danger, ironically opening the possibility of more danger, as the thread through the city street. Hopefully every rider will complete the day in one piece but watch out the shifting in the peleton going on all the time.

But today should be a stage set for the sprinters. Will Mark Cavendish win his first stage in a grand tour wearing the colours of Omega Pharma Quickstep. If he does he will go into tomorrow's time trail in the Maglia Rosa, but today we shall see which of the teams' sprinters have it in their legs. Even if they do not win it will be a matter of how much each of them ends up doing and also how well organised their  lead out trains can be. There aren't that many out and out sprinters opportunities in the Giro this year so they will all have to start out on form, even traditional late starter Cavendish.