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2015 Giro d’Italia Stage 9: Astana’s Paolo Tiralongo solos to victory

May 17, 2015
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Paolo Tiralongo (Italy/Astana) snatched his third career Giro d’Italia win in San Giorgio Del Sannio on Sunday. It’s the fourth win by an Italian in nine stages of racing. It was also a stage in which Ryder Hesjedal was prominent. Alberto Contador (Spain/Tinkoff-Saxo) kept the pink jersey for a fourth day.

It took a long time for a breakaway to form. The pace was frantic and several moves were shut down before 11-riders stole away after 50-km of riding. In the break was a determined Ryder Hesjedal, who had been in one of the nullified earlier moves, along with two men from Saturday’s escape, Carlos Betancur (Colombia/Ag2r) and Dutchman Steven Kruijswijk (LottoNL-Jumbo).

There were three climbs on offer, and fugitive Simon Geschke (Germany/Giant-Alpecin) nicked the maximum mountains points on the first one, the long, mildly graded Cat. 2 Monte Terminio.

As the break assailed the next climb, Cat. 1 Colle Mollela, Tinkoff-Saxo sent a man in a solo chase, as Astana had Tiralongo up the road. The Tinkoff man soon found company in one escapee who fell off the pace. Meanwhile, Astana sent another Italian, Dario Cataldo, clear, but like Tiralongo he was brought back. Geschke scooped the maximum points again, and will take the blue jersey from Saturday’s winner Beñat Intxausti (Spain/Movistar).

There were several ripples in the altimetry before the last climb that peaked with 12-km to go. Hesjedal’s Dutch teammate Tom-Jelte Slagter shimmered away from his breakmates on the descent of Colle Mollela and had established a 1:12 gap on the rest of the escape with 62-km remaining. Hesjedal covered any move that tried to bridge to his teammate.

Slagter still had 5:16 over the peloton with 36-km to go. By the time he hit the foot of the 3.6-km, 8% average Passo Serra, the Cannondale-Garmin rider had 5:50 over the bunch and 1:45 over the chasers. Attacks continued to flare out from the chase but, with Hesjedal marking, only Tiralongo’s stuck. Tinkoff-Saxo’s work at the front of the peloton brought it closer.

Fabio Aru (Italy/Astana) finally made his attack, which his teammate Mikel Landa (Spain), Contador and Richie Porte (Australia/Sky) were able to go, just like on Saturday.

Slagter summited and plummeted, but Tiralongo had the Dutchman in his sights. The GC favourites gang was also on its way to making the junction. Tiralongo grabbed Slagter with 8-km to go. There was a kick-up with 4.5-km remaining and it was here that the Italian dropped Slagter. Landa did most of the heavy lifting in the pink-jersey quartet, pushing Rigoberto Uran (Colombia/Etixx-QuickStep) farther behind.

Kruijswijk attacked the chase group after is sopped up Slagter, but Tiralongo would not be denied his third Giro stage win. At nearly 38-years-old, Tiralongo is the oldest Giro stage winner. Aru sprinted to the line to put a second into Contador and Porte.

Hesjedal was ninth on the stage and moved up one spot on GC to 21st.

Monday is the first rest day (whew!).

2015 Giro d’Italia Stage 9
1) Paolo Tiralongo (Italy/Astana) 5:50:31
2) Steven Kruijswijk (The Netherlands/LottoNL-Jumbo) +0:21
3) Simon Geschke (Germany/Giant-Alpecin) +0:23
9) Ryder Hesjedal (Canada/Cannondale-Garmin) +0:27
139) Hugo Houle (Canada/Ag2r) +17:53

2015 Giro d’Italia GC
1) Alberto Contador (Spain/Tinkoff-Saxo) 38:31:35
2) Fabio Aru (Italy/Astana) +0:03
3) Richie Porte (Australia/Sky) +0:22
21) Ryder Hesjedal (Canada/Cannondale-Garmin) +6:16