Rogers Wins Giro D'Italia Stage Eleven

Last updated : 21 May 2014 By Covsupport News Service

Michael Rogers of Tinkoff Saxo has won the eleventh stage of the 97th Giro D'Italia.

On what was supposed to be the longest stage of the race until stage six saw ten kilometres added, stage eleven was a 249km stage from Collecchio to Savona.

It was a stage which started without former race leader Michael Matthews. The one hundred and seventy nine who did start took their time to establish the first break and it came when twenty two riders including Nicholas Roche of Tink-Off Saxo, got away just before the second climb at Passo Cento Croci.

Blue jersey wearing Julien Arredondo, who took the first climb, Bjorn Thurau and Roche were the first over the climb but on the descent, there was a crash and Luke Durbridge of Orica Greenedge was forced to abandon with a suspected broken collarbone along with Garmin-Sharp's Fabian Wegmann who suffered a complete tear of the hamstrings in his left leg.

Fourteen riders in Francesco Bongiorno (Bardiani), Moreno Moser (Cannondale), Francis Mourey (FDJ), Enrico Barbin, Yonathan Monsalve (Nero Sottoli), Perrig Quemeneur (Europcar), Romain Sicard (Europcar), Björn Thurau (Europcar), Georg Preidler (Giant-Shimano), Daniel Moreno (Katusha), Eduard Vorganov (Katusha), Phililp Deignan (Sky), Nicolas Roche (Tinkoff-Saxo) and Ivan Rovny (Tinkoff-Saxo) had got away and after 118kms, they were 4.42 ahead.

Into the final one hundred kilometres of the stage and  Roche, Monsalve, Quemener and Moser had escaped and got twenty seconds ahead of the rest of break and some 4.50 over peloton.

Through the port city of Genoa and the quartet had been caught by the rest of the escapers who were 4.25 ahead. Then there was a crash and a number of riders hit the deck with ten to fifteen riders including David Malacarne and Steve Morabito, the latest to suffer the road rash which had left the likes of Salvatore Puccio of Team Sky and Dylan van Baarle of Garmin-Sharp.

Enrico Barbin of Bardiani took the sprint points with just over 54 kilometres still to race as the gap started to drop below two minutes. Phillip Deignan had suffered a puncture but rode hard and was back in the lead group as they started on the climb up to the 740m Nasso di Gatto which had gradients of 8%..

Francesco Bongiorno attacked with the peloton now 22 seconds behind with Nicholas Roche and Dani Moreno also attacking as Arredondo came out of the peloton and caught the trailers from the front group and then Roche and the company he was in.

Roche got back onto the wheel of Arredondo who was thirty seconds clear ahead Edorda Zardini and then the peloton.

Austrian Georg Preidler of Giant Shimano got past Roche and joined Arredondo who was 25 seconds ahead of the peloton now being led by BMC.

Arredondo of Trek Factory Racing, who was the virtual leader on the road took the maximum points over the climb.

Arredondo and Preidlier were soon swept up on the descent and with twenty kilometres remaining, Michael Rogers of Tinkoff Saxo went away.

Rogers was eleven seconds clear with 1.5kms left on the cobbles of Savona. Heading towards the marina, Rogers extended his lead and won in 5.48.08 ahead of Geschke, Battaglin, Kelderman and Gianluca Brambrilla

Speaking about his win, Rogers said to Dan Lloyd: "This was a beautiful moment. We have Nicholas Roche and Ivan out up front but a gap opened for me and I was able to take advantage of it."

Cadel Evans, who continues to lead Rigoberto Uran by 57 seconds, after finishing 13th, said: "It was a hot stage and it was difficult. "The time trial tomorrow looks good for me and hopefully I can get it down on the results sheet. I was pleased for winner Michael Matthews today and hopefully things will continue to improve for him."