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Big victory for Tinkoff-Saxo’s Michael Rogers on Zoncolan

  • Ron 

Today was the very final realistic chance to make a difference in the GC and for the breakaway riders to make it to the finish line as tomorrow’s parade to Trieste probably will end up in a bunch sprint. The 167 kilometer long 20th stage from Maniaco to the mythical uphill finish in Monte Zoncolan contained three climbs with plenty of opportunities to attack.

And both Michael Rogers and Nicolas Roche decided to do so and were in the big break of 20 riders. However on the first descent, Rogers had a mechanical and was distanced for a whle but the tough Aussie made his way back on the following climb. The front group kept getting smaller as the gradient took the best out of the tired legs after three weeks of hard riding. Movistar were in control of the pace and seemingly unworried and as the gap rose to more than 6 minutes, Europcar took over the reigns of the field.

But suddenly, Pierre Rolland created a gap on the group of favorites was accompanied by Domenico Pozzovivo (ALM) and Tinkoff-Saxo’s Rafal Majka who defied his stomach problems. But Movistar slowly and surely closed the gap before the top of the penultimate climb and they kept on the pressure on the final descent of this year’s Giro d’Italia.

At the bottom of the Zoncolan, the Rogers/Roche group had a lead of almost 8 minutes and when the peloton hit the slopes it was like watching a full-blooded bunch sprint for position. Up the road, the front group was reduced to only 7 riders including both Rogers and Roche with 6 kilometers to go but the hardest bit to come.

But then the gradient kicked up and Rogers pulled the group to pieces and was only followed Francesco Bongiorno (Bardiani) and Franco Pellizotti (Androni) in the front of the race. First Pellizotti cracked, and then a spectator decided to give a supporting push in the back of Bongiorno but it made the Italian break to avoid crashing in to Rogers.

The Tinkoff-Saxo Aussie was now on his way to his second stage win and he took it in convincing style while teammate, Nicolas Roche finished 4th.

Behind him, Rafal Majka fought his way up the steep slope and maintained 6th overall.

Rogers says after crossing the finish line:

“It was such a hard climb and I was battling myself at a number of times. But on the final bit of the slope when I was riding with Bongiorno, I believed it was possible to pull it through and when I discovered I was alone, there was no other way to go but head down, full speed. I’m really honored to win here on this legendary climb in these fantastic surroundings. We knew this was our final chance of winning and we pulled it off,” said a very happy Michael Rogers.

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