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2015 Giro d’Italia Stage 12: Philippe Gilbert clambers to victory, Contador increases lead

May 21, 2015
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Vicenza, home of Campagnolo components, was the setting for Philippe Gilbert’s first Giro d’Italia victory in Thursday’s Stage 12. Gilbert (Belgium/BMC) was one of the favourites at the beginning of the Classics-style stage. Alberto Contador (Spain/Tinkoff-Saxo) increased his lead over Fabio Aru (Italy/Astana) by 14-seconds.

The peloton wasn’t interested in letting a break succeed until the 70-km mark on the flat part of the day’s course. Finally, five men scampered away but didn’t take a very big gap as the race headed to the first climb of the day, the Cat. 4 Castelnuovo. Orica-GreenEdge did the work at the head of the peloton to keep the quintet on a short leash.

After the fugitives rolled through the first intermediate sprint, Elia Viviani (Italy/Sky) flared out of the peloton to take the sixth spot and try to regain the red points jersey from holder Nicola Boem (Italy/Bardiani). The riders had seen a little rain earlier in the day, but were heading towards more as the ascents drew closer. Etixx-QuickStep became interested in controlling the pace as the sky tipped down.

There was only one fugitive, Patrick Gretsch (Germany/Ag2r), left when the peloton sopped him on the Castelnuovo with 57-km to go. The three categorized climbs peaked with 54, 27 and 0-km remaining, but there was an uncategorized climb in between the last two. Simon Geschke (Germany/Giant-Alpecin) roared up the road to take the Castelnuovo’s maximum points.

Geschke was only one of several riders who attacked on the Cat. 4 climb. One of them was Louis Vervaeke (Belgium/Lotto-Soudal), who descended alone and then carried on solo.

The Cat. 3 Crosara was the next ascent, a tough 3.7-km clamber of 9.1% and a maximum of 17%. Vervaeke surrendered at the foot of the climb and Tinkoff-Saxo led the way up. Blue mountains jersey wearer Beñat Intxausti (Spain/Movistar) attacked in pursuit of more KOM points, prompting his Italian teammate Giovani Visconti and Darwin Atapuma (Colombia/BMC) to escape as well.

Contador accelerated in the last 500-metres of the climb, Intxausti prevailed and it all came back together before the descent. Simon Gerrans (Australia/Orica-GreenEdge), one of the day’s favourites, crashed on the slick downhill, where FDJ’s Alexandre Geniez (France/FDJ) got as loose as creamed corn trying to attack off the front.

A short flat passage led to the uncategorized Perarolo climb that peaked with 13-km to the finish at the Monte Berico monastery. It was on the start of the flat where Rigoberto Uran (Colombia/Etixx-QuickStep) took a surprise dig. When he turned around, he could see that he was in a small group with the other favourites and a slightly larger group containing Contador’s teammates just behind. When the two groups joined, Franco Pellizotti (Italy/Androni Giocattoli) took off.

Pellizotti climbed with a pink ribbon hanging perilously close to his rear derailleur and cassette. After the favourites group rode through pink smoke, the very lively Dutchman Steven Kruijswijk (LottoNL-Jumbo) attacked, drawing Visconti’s counterattack and Contador’s reaction to draw it all back together. Pellizoti peaked and plunged.

Again, the gravity work was treacherous. Pellizotti descended gingerly and found Tanel Kangert (Estonia/Astana) joining him with 6-km to go. The final climb to the finish line was 1.2-km and 7.1% with a maximum of 12%. The leading duo hit it with 22-seconds on the 30-man pink jersey group. Kangert dropped the Italian but the favourites were coming quickly.

Gilbert came around the Estonian in the final 200-metres, and Contador placed second to take bonus seconds. Aru crossed 26th, 8-seconds behind the race leader, and just ahead of Ryder Hesjedal.

Friday’s course is as flat as it gets.

Stage 13: No chance of a breakaway surviving on this day.
Stage 13: No chance of a breakaway surviving on this day.

2015 Giro d’Italia Stage 12
1) Philippe Gilbert (Belgium/BMC) 4:22:50
2) Alberto Contador (Spain/Tinkoff-Saxo) +0:03
3) Diego Ulissi (Italy/Lampre) s.t.
27) Ryder Hesjedal (Canada/Cannondale-Garmin) +0:11
162) Hugo Houle (Canada/Ag2r) +17:21

2015 Giro d’Italia GC
1) Alberto Contador (Spain/Tinkoff-Saxo) 51:17:06
2) Fabio Aru (Italy/Astana) +0:17
3) Mikel Landa (Spain/Astana) +0:55
21) Ryder Hesjedal (Canada/Cannondale-Garmin) +6:21
124) Hugo Houle (Canada/Ag2r) +2:07:31