Yesterday was to be the day in the mountains with an epic climb which was both long and steep (were talking 24% straight up), it was such a hard climb that many of the riders wanted nothing to due with it when the Giro course was announced last year. What would have made the climb even more epic was the fact that the last 7 kilometers were unpaved! However it was not to be, as you can image spring time in the mountains can often produce nasty weather and that was the case as the rain and snow flew.
At the beginning of the day the riders were not happy at all and very worried about descending in the mountains (who can blame them with icy, slick roads and tempatures barely above freezing). After a delay the race officials made several revisions to the stage and removed one mountain decent and then shorted the last climb by 5 kilometers. Too bad, it would have been one to remember.
Todays stage winner was Leonardo Piepoli (Saunier Duval) who has really been on form during this Grand Tour, Piepoli has been the one rider to be able to hang with Basso on several climbs where no other rider has been able to and has now won two stages.
Giro d’ Italia Stage 17 Race Results
1 Leonardo Piepoli (Ita) Saunier Duval-Prodir
2 Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC
3 José Enrique Gutierrez (Spa) Phonak 0.15
4 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas 0.19
5 Julio Pérez (Mex) Panaria-Navigare 0.28
6 John Gadret (Fra) Ag2R Prévoyance 0.37
7 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-Fondital 0.41
8 Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Saunier Duval-Prodir 0.48
9 Sergio Ghisalberti (Ita) Milram 0.58
10 Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) Liberty Seguros-Würth
11 Sandy Casar (Fra) Française Des Jeux 1.14
12 Juan Manuel Gárate (Spa) Quick-Step
13 Charles Wegelius (GBr) Liquigas 1.29
14 Andrea Noè (Ita) Liquigas
15 José Luis Rubiera (Spa) Discovery Channel
16 Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Discovery Channel
17 Victor Hugo Peña (Col) Phonak
18 Francisco Pérez (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne-Illes Balears
19 Maxime Monfort (Bel) Cofidis 1.33
20 Johann Tschopp (Swi) Phonak 1.35
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