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2015 Giro d’Italia Stage 11: Ilnur Zakarin triumphs on another day for the breakaway

May 20, 2015
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For the second consecutive stage of the 2015 Giro d’Italia, a fugitive from a breakaway took a victory Wednesday, with Russian Ilnur Zakarin of Katusha, recent winner of the Tour de Romandie, prevailing in the rain. Alberto Contador (Spain/Tinkoff-Saxo) continued on in the pink leader’s jersey.

The buzz at the beginning of the day was still about the two-minute time penalty imposed on Australians Richie Porte (Sky) and former pink jersey wearer Simon Clarke (Orica-GreenEdge) for an illegal wheel swap. The ruling has changed the complexion of the race, some say harshly.

It took a while for the break of the wet, 153-km stage to form, with the peloton intact for the first intermediate sprint and Giacomo Nizzolo (Italy/Trek) taking the maximum points. When the dust had settled there was a 10-rider move with Zakarin, Ryder Hesjedal and former blue mountains jersey wearer Beñat Intxausti (Spain/Movistar) included.

The break rolled over the first two Cat. 3 climbs of the day, with a reanimated Carlos Betancur (Colombia/Ag2r) leading over the second one, the Valico del Prugno. The course then headed towards the finishing circuit around Imola for three laps and four passages up the Cat. 4 Tre Monti climb. Each 15.4-km lap would end in the world famous Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari motor racing circuit, famously used in the 1968 World Championships.

With the escape heading for its first trip up the Tre Monti, BMC suddenly turned on the gas in the peloton, creating a split. With 67-km remaining the gap was 2:00 and it didn’t look likely that there would be two magical days for the breakaway in a row.

Though the race went up the Tre Monti four times, the only KOM points were offered on the penultimate ascent. Astana appeared at the front of the reduced peloton on the first trip and all the riders eased down the slick descent.

Intxausti tried to keep the break going as the BMC-whipped peloton closed in, and the escape shrank. Intxausti’s efforts on Wednesday regained him the blue climber’s jersey. Hesjedal led the survivors over the second passage of Tre Monti. Zakarin snatched the maximum KOM points on the third ascent and then kept going. Orica-GreenEdge assumed the pace-making duties in the peloton.

At the beginning of the bell lap, the sky tipping down on him, Zakarin had 1:20 over the maglia rosa group and 40-seconds over his former breakmates. Back in the peloton Rigoberto Uran’s hard luck continued as the Colombian crashed.

Five-kilometres into the final circuit, neither group had made inroads into Zakarin’s lead. When the pink jersey came to the final passage up Tre Monti, he attacked. Fabio Aru (Italy/Astana) and Porte weren’t able to react. Contador was brought back, but it was an ominous moment for the Spaniard’s rivals.

Zakarin finished 53-seconds in front of Betancur. Hesjedal was seventh on the day and remains in 21st on GC.

Thursday’s stage has three small climbs in the final third of its 190-km after 130-km of pancake-flatness. There is a Cat. 4 ascent to the finish line in Vicenza.

2015 Giro d’Italia Stage 11
1) Ilnur Zakarin (Russia/Katusha) 3:55:08
2) Carlos Betancur (Colombia/Ag2r) +0:53
3) Franco Pellizotti (Italy/Androni Giocattoli) s.t.
7) Ryder Hesjedal (Canada/Cannondale-Garmin) s.t.
157) Hugo Houle (Canada/Ag2r) +19:05


2015 Giro d’Italia GC
1) Alberto Contador (Spain/Tinkoff-Saxo) 46:54:19
2) Fabio Aru (Italy/Astana) +0:03
3) Mikel Landa (Spain/Astana) +0:46
21) Ryder Hesjedal (Canada/Cannondale-Garmin) +6:07
118) Hugo Houle (Canada/Ag2r) +1:50:07