Giro D’Italia – Day 10 News and Notes

Here’s all of the latest cycling news from the 10th day of the Giro.

Race leader Danilo Di Luca asserted his position today, tragedy strikes again, Stefano Garzelli stirred up the fans, more doping controls took place on the rest day, Alejandro Valverde leads in Spain and more cycling news below:

Giro d’Italia Day 10 News and Notes:

• Today was the race’s most difficult stage. Danilo Di Luca wanted to make sure everyone knew that he was here to win, and soloed to a victory that gained him some precious seconds on the rest of the G.C.
• Lance Armstrong seemed to be helped by the rest day. While he wasn’t right in there at the end, he seemed to hang on better than he did last week.
• Stefano Garzelli (Acqua & Sapone) was the man to catch for most of the race. Even when he did get caught by ISD’s Giovanni Visconti and Andriy Grivko, he rode with them for a while before attacking once more.
• Six additional teams were visited by doping controllers on Monday morning: Liquigas, Astana, Diquigiovanni, Garmin, Barloworld and ISD.
• Johan Bruyneel feels that the race really began today and stresses that we have not seen the last of Levi Leipheimer and Lance Armstrong.
• Pedro Horrillo has already received surgery on his leg, but further work will be required. He’s still under medication, but doctors are hoping that he’ll wake up and be responsive soon. He had no damage to his head or his spine, so he’s expected to make a full recovery. Whether he will be able to race again is another matter.
• Columbia Highroad’s Michael Rogers is looking to tomorrow’s time trial as a chance to move into the maglia rosa. Leipheimer will also be gunning to make his mark.
• Johan Bruyneel received news that Astana sponsors have paid about 2 months of the past due rider salaries. While this is progress, he noted that the UCI is still pursuing full payment and that he may pursue forming a new team with Lance.
• The race was once again marked by tragedy as a motorcycle driver for a photographer covering the race died in a crash while heading to the start of the 10th stage. Fabio Saccani worked for cycling photographer Roberto Bettini, who was not on the motorcycle at the time of the crash. Saccani, 69, was working in his 32nd Giro.

Other Results:

• Ian Wilkinson (Halfords) won the second stage of the FDB Insurance Ras and took over the leader’s jersey.
• Tania Belvederesi from Italy nearly won the third stage of the Tour de l’Aude, finishing right with Columbia Highroad’s Ina-Yoko Teutenberg. Amber Neben (Equipe Nürnberger) still leads the race, but Teutenberg gained some time and is now in second.
• Zach Bell outsprinted the field in downtown Wilmington, Delaware to complete Saturday’s Bank of America Wilmington Grand Prix. In the pro women’s race Laura Van Gilder did the same on the nearly one-mile, rectangle course.
• Saxo Bank’s Matti Breschel won the first stage of the Tour of Catalonia today. Alejandro Valverde is the new race leader. Yesterday’s winner Thor Hushovd finished more than eight minutes back today.

Other News:

• A 62-year-old man has been arrested over the sabotage of the Etape Caledonia in Scotland last weekend. He is accused of spreading carpet tacks over “significant sections” of the course, causing mass punctures and crashes.
• Athletes at the Belgian Bodybuilding Championshps left the competition when controllers arrived at the event. The tournament had to be cancelled. [At least cyclists don't run away from doping controllers! - Ed.]
• This week’s Tour of Catalonia is focusing on mountains and will give the climbers a chance to gain ground in the UCI World Rankings.
• Bert Grabsch (Columbia High Road) will be aiming at General Classification for the the 30th Tour of Bavaria. The five stage race starts May 27th.
• The Soto Classic, May 30-31 in Nashville, Tenn., will serve as the 2009 UCI Junior Road and Time Trial World Championship U.S. trials. The event’s male and female winner for both the road race and time trial event will secure an automatic bid to the 2009 UCI Road and Time Trial World Championships set for August 7-15 in Moscow, Russia.
• Following the NRC’s eighth event, Rory Sutherland and Alison Powers remain atop the individual standings, while Bissell and Webcor lead the team standings.
• Yes, we’re still deep in the midst of the Giro, but Rabobank already knows part of their squad for the Tour de France. Denis Menchov, Robert Gesink, Oscar Freire , Juan Manuel Garate, Juan Antonio Flecha and Laurens ten Dam are all expected to line up at the start on July 4th in Monaco.

Tags: acqua & sapone, Alejandro Valverde, Alison Powers, Amber Neben, Andriy Grivko, Barloworld, Bert Grabsch, columbia high road, Columbia Highroad, cycling news, danilo di luca, denis menchov, Giovanni Visconti, Giro d'Italia, Ina-Yoko Teutenberg, Lance Armstrong, Laura Van Gilder, Levi Leipheimer, Liquigas, Matti Breschel, Michael Rogers, Oscar Freire, pedro horrillo, Rabobank, Robert Gesink, Rory Sutherland, Saxo Bank, Stefano Garzelli, Thor Hushovd