Today’s stage of the Giro was one of the most beautiful stages of any race I have seen so far this year, the stage finished in the Italian town of Peschici which sits on a hillside and looks over the deep blue ocean. The historic city is lined with many old buildings that seams to hang off the mountain side, it was this steep hill that provided the fireworks at the finish. Starting in Termoli the stage ran parallel to the Mar Adriatico coast for 80 or 90 miles until it started weaving in and out of lush green forest areas with rolling hills. Just perfect for a breakaway, and riders from many teams continued to attack one after another. At one point there was a fairly large group of about twenty riders that were about a minute ahead of the peleton, however they were brought back into the fold.
Today’s defining moment came from the Belgium rider Axel Mercks who made an incredibly bold and gutsy move attacking with about 12 kilometers to go. Axel was giving it everything and nearly ran into the motor bike (film crew) as he came out of a corner. Then minutes later he was coming out of another sharp corner and nearly clipped a tree branch, he was taking all kinds of chances to squeak out as much time as he could as he broke away. However Mercks was caught with less than 150 meters to the line. My heart just sank for Axle as the peleton caught him with just seconds left in the race, it was such a glorious breakaway… one that you really want to see succeed.
As the peleton drove down Mercks like a mad bull the Liquigas boys as they tried to set one up for one of their own, I was thinking possibly Di Luca but instead Franco Pellizotti was the one all smiles at the end of the stage. While Pellizotti won the stage the victory in my book goes to Axel, it is these types of solo breakaways that define “great” cyclists. Possibly Axel should have waited till about 6 or 7 kilometers to go? It is hard to say but in my book that was one dam fine breakaway. Mercks told reports afterwards: “I tried everything to win because I knew didn’t have a chance in a sprint. I attacked with 15 kilometres to go, got a gap and gave it my all. It’s a pity to lose like that but the strongest rider won.”
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