Eros Capecchi of Liquigas-Cannondale won the sprint among three breakaway riders to take victory in Stage 18 of the 2011 Giro d’Italia, six minutes ahead of the race leaders.
In a short (151 km) stage with 111 km of flat and only a single Cat Two climb (and tricky descent) at the end, it took 85 km for a break to form and stay away, as the peloton pushed the pace over 50 kph on the flat section.
First seven riders got away, than a couple of dozen tried to follow. Within 20 km, this group had stabilized to twenty riders two minutes ahead of the peloton.
A few kilometers later Jermoe Pineau (QuickStep) attacked, followed by Kevin Seelgraeyers (Quick Step,) Eros Capecchi (Liquigas,) Gianluca Brambilla (Cognago,) Marco Pinotti (HTC-Highroad,) and Russell Downing (Sky.)
This group fractured further once it hit the climb up Passo di Ganda, leaving Capecchi, Pinotti and Seelgraeyers in the lead, with the rest falling back.
This trio stayed together all the way up the climb and over the top, onto a narrow, technical descent with some small climbs in the first half, followed by ten kilometers all downhill and five km of flat riding through the streets of San Pellegrino Terme.
Behind this trio Guianluca Brambilla and Paolo Tirolondo of Astana worked hard but unsuccessfully to catch up.
The leading trio worked well together until the final few kilometers when the watching and waiting began. The road to the finish was filled with 90-degree turns and narrow bridges, and at every corner each rider prepared for one of the others to attack.
Marco Pinotti led the group into the final kilometer, around the final bend, and with 250 meters to go, started to sprint. Eros Capecchi was ready; he moved right and passed the HTC rider. Behind them both, Kevin Seelgraeyers tried to pass; he had position, he just didn’t have the legs, leaving him third.
Brambilla and Tirolongo came home 1:22 after the three leaders, and three minutes later, the remains of the break had their own little sprint.
The rest of the peloton including race leader Alberto Contador, rolled across the line a minute-and-a-half later. There were no changes in the top of the General Classification.
Stage 19: Another Mountaintop Finish
Stage Nineteen, 209 km from Bergamo to Macugnaga, features a Cat One climb in the middle and a Cat Three mountaintop finish. This could be a boring stage, if all the GC contenders decide to risk it all on a single roll of the dice in Stage 20.
On the other hand, second- and third-place riders Michele Scarponi and Vincenzo Nibali might urge their teams to push the pace hard on the first climb to try to isolate Alberto Contador on the final ascent, there to take turns attacking him until—and if—he cracks.
Equally possibly, Contador might merely mark his rivals until the final kilometer and then launch one of his typical, lazy-looking attacks which no one else can follow.
Possibly some of the other climbers further back in the GC, will make their moves in this stage. John Gadret and teammate Hubert Dupont, José Rujano, Mikel Nieves or Igor Anton perhaps, might take a shot, which should bring a reaction from the leaders.
Some riders even further down will almost certainly attack, knowing that they will be allowed to escape. Stage wins mean nothing to the top GC riders at this point. Closing the gap to Alberto Contador is the focus.
For Alberto Contador, five minutes ahead and sure to win barring disaster, the question might be whether or not to let the other contenders wear themselves out shaving a few seconds of his lead, so he can better crush them in the more difficult Stage 20.
| 2011 Giro d’Italia Stage 18 Results | ||||
| 1 | Eros Capecchi | ITA | Liquigas | 3:20:38 |
| 2 | Marco Pinotti | ITA | HTC-Highroad | 0:00 |
| 3 | Kevin Seeldrayers | BEL | Quick Step | 0:00 |
| 4 | Gianluca Brambilla | ITA | Conalgo | +1:20 |
| 5 | Paolo Tiralongo | ITA | Astana | +1:20 |
| 6 | Dario Cataldo | ITA | Quick Step | +2:49 |
| 7 | Alberto Losada | ESP | Katusha | +3:46 |
| 8 | Russel Downing | GBR | Sky | +4:34 |
| 9 | Oscar Gatto | ITA | Farnese-Vini | +4:34 |
| 10 | Jan Bakelandts | BEL | Omega Pharma-Lotto | +4:34 |
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| General Classification after Stage 18 | ||||
| 1 | Alberto Contador | ESP | Saxo Bank | 71:45:09 |
| 2 | Michele Scarponi | ITA | Lampre | +4:58 |
| 3 | Vincenzo Nibali | ITA | Liquigas | +5:45 |
| 4 | John Gadret | FRA | AG2R | +7:35 |
| 5 | Kanstantsin Sivtsov | BLR | HTC-Highroad | +9:12 |
| 6 | José Rujano | VEN | Androni | +9:18 |
| 7 | Mikel Nieve | ESP | Euskatel Euskadi | +9:22 |
| 8 | Denis Menchov | RUS | Geox | +9:38 |
| 9 | Roman Kreuziger | CZE | Astana | +9:47 |
| 10 | Joaquin Rodriguez | ESP | Katusha | +10:25 |
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