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14 May 2006

15 May News ...

Verbrugghe Triples in Giro d'Italia

BiciRace.com caught up with Giro d'Italia stage 7 winner, Rik Verbrugghe. The Belgian of team Cofidis made his winning move from an escape of five with five kilometers remaining to Saltara. It was a move that had to be made, had he waited for the finish then he would have surely been out done by a Gárate or Vila on the steep rise. As it was, he caught the others "napping" and gained enough of an advantage to stay clear.

"This morning with the team we had a meeting about how we would ride the stage. I had the permission to try in an escape," explained the 31 year-old to BiciRace.com. "For me it was an ideal situation to have a teammate up front, with Staf Scheirlinckx."

"I selected the moment," continued the Belgian, winner of three Giro stages. "First because the climb was better for the other riders in the escape, and also because my teammates were riding for the green jersey behind. It was a good situation for me." His teammate, Staf Scheirlinckx, moved into the Maglia Verde after stage 7.

What did you think of the finish in Saltara? "It was a surprise for me in the last 600 meters. I did not expect it to be so hard. A truly hard climb. ... This zone is good for me, with the Pescara win, but I can also go well in Toscana."

How does this win rank with those other Giro wins? "Today was a beautiful victory. Also the victory in Pescara, the four days in the Maglia Rosa, ..."

What are your other goals for this year's Giro? "I came here to win a stage, so everything is good now. That was my goal."

Did you know Savoldelli was finishing behind you? "I did not really think in the final kilometers. Well, just to manage my strength. I did not know about Savoldelli's attack from behind."

Honchar is Happy in Pink

Serhiy Honchar is one of the most charismatic riders in the Giro d'Italia. When BiciRace.com caught up with Honchar he was very excited to talk, explaining anything that was asked. The Ukrainian, after finishing seventh in stage 7 to Saltara, moved back into the Maglia Rosa, taking the race leadership from his T-Mobile teammate, Olaf Pollack.

"Yesterday, Pollack made a great sprint and took the Maglia Rosa," said Honchar on Saturday evening. "Thanks to our great team time trial we are all near the top. After the arrival Pollack said sorry for taking the Maglia, but I said it was fine, and we hugged. It is good to keep the Maglia Rosa in the team. Today I thought about Kessler, maybe winning a stage, but then without Kessler in the move, the team started to think of thinking the Maglia Rosa."

What did you think of the stage 7 parcours? "Before we started I thought it was going to be a long and tough stage, but afterwards it went fine," explained Honchar. "They were hard climbs, above all the finale."

"I watched Basso, and when Savoldelli went [in the final kilometer] I thought it was impossible to catch the leaders," continued the 35 year-old Ukrainian. "But we pulled the remainder of the escape back at 100 meters to go, and I then did my best to get more seconds for the jersey."

As a rider you are changing. Lighter, and doing well in the mountain stages. "Now with T-Mobile I am learning a lot! German, after Italian and English! [He is in great sprites and laughs.] I am learning a lot with T-Mobile."

"Tomorrow... I will arrive and keep the Maglia Rosa! ... I think that the Maglia Rosa is a huge part of my life, even now in the pink colors of this new team," finished Honchar on his new German squadra. "I did not know about racing all the year in pink colors, but over the winter I put on the team jersey and ... well, it was nice."

Il Falco Blasts in Final Kilometer

Lampre-Fondital were firing on all cylinders in the finish of stage 7 for Damiano Cunego but they were overtaken by the flying Bergamasco, Paolo Savoldelli. Il Falco (Discovery Channel) blasted away under the final kilometer, helping Lampre-Fondital to further turn the screws on a suffering Di Luca and distancing all of his GC rivals at the line. Savoldelli's Saltara gains: 2" to Basso and Simoni, 6" to Cunego and 20" Di Luca.

"It was a very hard day," explained Savoldelli after finishing second behind Verbrugghe in stage 7. "I am going well. Today, at the finish, I saw the riders ahead, and I attacked to try to win the stage. But there was still Verbrugghe off the front."

Where you trying to put in time on riders like Basso and Di Luca? "It was not an ideal stage to really gap off the rivals. I was going for the stage win. There will be stages later for putting in the big attacks, on the true mountain top finishes."

Saturday Suffering for Di Luca

Just like on those club rides that you gone, there are those in the professional peloton who can't stand the pace. Saturday, in the stage to Saltara, Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas), was put in to the red by trying to keep up with the GC favorites.

"It was not too good of a stage for me today," explained the Killer after stage 7. "I paid today and I hope that this is a day which will pass. Sure, it was normal for Lampre to work so hard in the finale. They were trying to catch the escape and put me off the back."

Di Luca faces a tough stage today: 171K from Civitanova Marche to Maielletta. The stage, which is near Di Luca's home, will finish with the Passo Lanciano and offer a chance at redemption for The Killer. Expect to see Di Luca's tifosi lined up along the roads cheering on their favorite rider.

89th Giro d'Italia, 6 - 28 May
Main, Startlist, Classifications, Giro Favorites
Stages and Maps, Key Stages, Overall Map
Photos, The Dust Devil's Daily Wrap
Aaron Olson and Saunier Duval-Prodir Updates
2005 Giro d'Italia

13 May News ...