Hesjedal retakes the pink!

Ryder Hesjedal made a devastating attack in the final kilometres of stage 14’s summit finish at Cervinia to take back the pink jersey from Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha). Hesjedal finished 20 seconds behind stage winner Andrei Amador, who took his first career win by outsprinting his breakmates at the line. The Canadian now leads Rodriguez by nine seconds.

A breakaway of eight men formed early on the 205-kilometre route from Cherasco to Cervinia. As the escape headed up the first climb, the Cat. 1 Col de Joux, rain began to tip down on the race. Liquigas controlling the peloton behind, Net App’s Jan Barta (Czech Republic) attacked over the summit. Amador caught and surpassed Barta on the descent. Meanwhile, first José Rujano and then Damiano Cunego lit out from the select peloton but were eventually caught.

On the Cervinia, Androni Giacattoli’s Alessandro De Marchi reached Amador, and as the select peloton closed in they were joined by the relentless Barta. Though a couple GC men tried unsuccessfully to forge ahead of the pack, it was a move by Euskatel’s Mikel Nieve that prompted Ryder to attack. Rodriguez left it late to try to reel him back but could not. Hesjedal time trialed away and, if not for a flat last kilometre, might have reached the tiring front trio.

When the intrepid three reached the one kilometre marker, Barta was gulping and gasping with the exertion and looked to be out of contention for the win. But it was the Czech who led out the sprint, and Amador swung around him to win the first ever Grand Tour stage for a Costa Rican.

Tomorrow the Giro continues in the Alps before a well-deserved day off.

Stage 14 Top 3
1) Andrei Amador (Costa Rica/Movistar)
2) Jan Barta (Czech Republic/Net App)
3) Alessandro De Marchi (Italy/Androni Giacattoli) +0:02

GC Top 3
1) Ryder Hesjedal (Canada/Garmin-Barracuda)
2) Joaquim Rodriguez (Spain/Katusha) +0:09
3) Paolo Tiralongo (Italy/Astana) +0:41