Domenico Pozzovivo of Colnago showed he can handle power climbs as well as steep climbs, winning the Giro del Trentino with a third-place finish in Stage Four.
The diminutive Italian showed he could ride power climbs as well as the super-steep ascents, as he rode easily in the front group up the Cat 1 Passo Pordoi, then dropped the favorites in the final kilometer. He was not bothered by the long, medium-grade climb, the cold, the snow or the altitude; he never looked stressed, no matter the pace.
“When I think back to the cold we suffered today – I am still shivering,” Pozzovivo told cyclingnews.com.
“I found the right rhythm and a rising determination as the Tour progressed. It was important to do well as a team as the Giro d'Italia is coming up very soon and we were immediately comfortable with the team time trial on the opening day.
“My teammates have been busy all day to keep the race closed for me. Lots of riders tried to attack me and it was not always easy to answer. But I never had moments of great crisis and in the end I felt so good that I was also able to attack in the finale.”
Pozzovivo had the reputation for being a super-steep specialist, best on the climbs with double-figure gradients, but not strong enough to match the bigger men on the long power climbs. Lampre’s Damiano Cunego and Liquigas’s Sylvester Szmyd, third and second in the General Classification, were favored for the final stage.
Liquigas set a huge pace on the final climb, hoping Pozzovivo wouldn’t have the strength to stay with them. However, the tiny Italian climber handled the pace with ease.
