Capeechi Wins Giro 18th Stage

Last updated : 26 May 2011 By Kev Monks

Liquigas' won the 18th stage of the Giro D'Italia.

This 151km stage from Morbegno to San Pellegrino Terme saw the race pass by Lake Como, Lecco and Bergamo. Team Sky's Russell Downing was in the early escapees along with the likes of Marco Pinotti and Jerome Pineau, getting 4.32 ahead of the peleton.

In glorious sunshine, Pinotti, Eros Capeechi and Kevin Seeldrayers headed for the finish with Colnago's Gianluca Brambilla some fifteen seconds back along with Tiralongo, Pineau and Downing just behind him.

The trio were still out in front as they approached the line with 500m to go. It went to a sprint and it was Eros Capeechi who was first over the line in a time of 3hrs 20 mins and 38 seconds with Pinotti second and Seeldrayers in third. Brambilla was fourth with Tiralongo in fifth.

Russell Downing came in four minutes and 33 seconds back in the eighth place.

Alberto Contador continues to lead the race.

Tomorrow's stage is from Bergamo to Macugnaga and is 209km long.

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HTC-Highroad's John Degenkolb has captured the victory in stage two of the Bayern Rundfahrt in Germany, outpowering Germany's Marcel Kittel and Norway's Edvald Boasson Hagen.

Degenkolb claimed his fourth win of the 2011 season on a 206 kilometer stage from Freystadt to Bad Gogging in a bunch sprint.

"It's a great victory for John, just in his first year as a pro. And to take a stage win in Germany's biggest stage race is very important for a local rider," said HTC-Highroad sports director Jan Schaffrath, "He's always very motivated but today on home soil he was giving it more than 100 percent."

"We did a good stage throughout, [HTC-Highroad team-mate] Gatis [Smukulis] was in a break of four all day and did a fantastic job because we didn't have to work so hard and could keep all our options option for the final sprint."

"Then we worked hard after the break was caught with 10 kilometers and even if it was a bit windy, we kept everything under control."

"John was ready to go for the bunch sprint, we'd told him yesterday that he had to stay close to the front and he was exactly in the right position to go for it when it counted."