[Francis Cebedo]

Another great stage today! Great job Salvodelli. Danielson had a nice pull at the end too.

Soo much was said about Di Luca's problems. But in the end, he recovered nicely and was only 20 seconds back from Salvodelli. Rujano, who was back of the pack like Di Luca on the other hand lost about a minute.

Cunego's Lampre squad had a powerful rally on the final climb. In the end, he didn't quite have it and Simoni had a big 'win' beating him by four seconds.

Rasmussen finished with the Peloton, 13 minutes back!!

francois
Stage Results


1 Rik Verbrugghe (Bel) Cofidis, le Credit par Telephone 6.42.15 (35.201 km/h)
2 Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 0.14
3 Luca Mazzanti (Ita) Ceramica Panaria-Navigare
4 José E. Gutierrez Cataluna (Spa) Phonak Hearing Systems
5 Davide Rebellin (Ita) Gerolsteiner 0.16
6 Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC
7 Serguei Gonchar (Ukr) T-Mobile Team
8 Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Saunier Duval-Prodir
9 Laurent Lefevre (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 0.20
10 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Liberty Seguros-Würth Team
11 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-Fondital
12 Victor Hugo Pena Grisales (Col) Phonak Hearing Systems 0.24
13 Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) Liberty Seguros-Würth Team
14 Juan Manuel Garate (Spa) Quick Step-Innergetic
15 Francisco J. Vila Errandonea (Spa) Lampre-Fondital
16 Manuele Mori (Ita) Saunier Duval-Prodir
17 Tom Danielson (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 0.29
18 Roberto Laiseka Jaio (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
19 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas 0.34
20 Emanuele Sella (Ita) Ceramica Panaria-Navigare
21 Axel Merckx (Bel) Phonak Hearing Systems
22 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Liquigas
23 Andrea Noe' (Ita) Liquigas
24 Unai Osa Eizaguirre (Spa) Liberty Seguros-Würth Team
25 José Luis Rubiera Vigil (Spa) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
26 Wladimir Belli (Ita) Selle Italia-Serramenti Diquigiovanni 0.39
27 José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears 0.42
28 Manuel Beltran Martinez (Spa) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
29 Michael Rogers (Aus) T-Mobile Team
35 José Rujano Guillen (Ven) Selle Italia-Serramenti Diquigiovanni 1.03
36 Jan Ullrich (Ger) T-Mobile Team



General classification after stage 7

1 Serguei Gonchar (Ukr) T-Mobile Team 27.37.07
2 Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 0.06
3 Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC 0.11
4 Michael Rogers (Aus) T-Mobile Team 0.32
5 Davide Rebellin (Ita) Gerolsteiner 0.54
6 José Luis Rubiera Vigil (Spa) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 0.56
7 Tom Danielson (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 0.57
8 José E. Gutierrez Cataluna (Spa) Phonak Hearing Systems 1.03
9 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Liquigas 1.07
10 Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC 1.09
11 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-Fondital 1.21
12 Andrea Noe' (Ita) Liquigas 1.27
13 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas 1.30
14 Francisco J. Vila Errandonea (Spa) Lampre-Fondital 1.32
15 Juan Manuel Garate (Spa) Quick Step-Innergetic 1.35
16 José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears 1.37
17 Victor Hugo Pena Grisales (Col) Phonak Hearing Systems 1.38
18 Axel Merckx (Bel) Phonak Hearing Systems 1.54
19 Rik Verbrugghe (Bel) Cofidis, le Credit par Telephone 1.56
20 Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Saunier Duval-Prodir
30 Leonardo Duque (Col) Cofidis, le Credit par Telephone

 

[cadence90]

Savoldelli was impressive, great management.
Di Luca could have been much worse off. He came back gamely.
Cunego, is he the '04 or '05 version? He disappointed a bit.
Rujano won't light it up this year.
Ullrich looked right on schedule (for July).
I thought that Danielson could have had a shot today.
But right now Basso is still in control.
Tomorrow the first real fireworks start!

 

[orange_julius]

Molto bellissimo!

That was an awesome stage! Thank you RAI.it!

Don't forget that even Jan Ullrich showed that he's not to be written off the list of potential tour winners. The real test of character will be the Plan de Corones stage. We'll see if he can limit the damages there, or maybe even do well in one of the upcoming ITT stages.

Even though Kid Cunego was not able to capitalize on Lampre's display of strength, it was a good demonstration of how well-rehearsed Beppe Saronni's kids are. On the other hand, SDV had only a few riders alongside Simoni. Is it the battle of the heating duct companies, Fondital vs. Saunier-Duval, yet?

What is surprising is the lack of depth in Disco's train. I only saw Savoldelli and Danielson anywhere near the front. However, Savoldelli's final acceleration was impressive! He has really honed his killer instinct, both on and off the podium!

Di Luca was the last of the Delusionals. It was just sad to hear the first winner of the ProTour basically lambast it and say that he only cares about the Giro. Let's see how/if he can limit the damage that is sure to come in tomorrow's stage.

That was a very good win for Verbrugghe though, he is long overdue for another worthy win after his impressive victory on the Muur de Huy. I would have been happy with Garate winning, but I suspect that it will not be too long in waiting, either.

 

[55x11]

That was an awesome stage! Thank you RAI.it!

Don't forget that even Jan Ullrich showed that he's not to be written off the list of potential tour winners. The real test of character will be the Plan de Corones stage. We'll see if he can limit the damages there, or maybe even do well in one of the upcoming ITT stages.

Even though Kid Cunego was not able to capitalize on Lampre's display of strength, it was a good demonstration of how well-rehearsed Beppe Saronni's kids are. On the other hand, SDV had only a few riders alongside Simoni. Is it the battle of the heating duct companies, Fondital vs. Saunier-Duval, yet?

What is surprising is the lack of depth in Disco's train. I only saw Savoldelli and Danielson anywhere near the front. However, Savoldelli's final acceleration was impressive! He has really honed his killer instinct, both on and off the podium!

Di Luca was the last of the Delusionals. It was just sad to hear the first winner of the ProTour basically lambast it and say that he only cares about the Giro. Let's see how/if he can limit the damage that is sure to come in tomorrow's stage.

That was a very good win for Verbrugghe though, he is long overdue for another worthy win after his impressive victory on the Muur de Huy. I would have been happy with Garate
winning, but I suspect that it will not be too long in waiting, either.

Surprise: Verbrugghe, Gonchar, Savoldelli.

Disappointments: Cunego, DiLuca (those two are suited for bunch uphill sprints), Rasmussen.

Ulle seems to be finding his stride. People overestimate his lack of form based on Romandie ITT, then overestimate greatness of his form based on TTT.
The truth is, he is in semi-Ok shape, but a LOONG way from his top form. He might find it just in time for TdF, especially since all tough mountains are in the last 3 or 4 stages, but he is playing it way too close.

 

[chuckice]

Surprise: Verbrugghe, Gonchar, Savoldelli.

Disappointments: Cunego, DiLuca (those two are suited for bunch uphill sprints), Rasmussen.

Ulle seems to be finding his stride. People overestimate his lack of form based on Romandie ITT, then overestimate greatness of his form based on TTT.
The truth is, he is in semi-Ok shape, but a LOONG way from his top form. He might find it just in time for TdF, especially since all tough mountains are in the last 3 or 4 stages, but he is playing it way too close.

Don't forget that the Kaiser is usually trying/finishing to lose a lot of weight at this point...that's seriously detrimental to power output. Even if his form is ok but his weight is close that's a great leg up. He looks good...

 

[cadence90]

What is surprising is the lack of depth in Disco's train. I only saw Savoldelli and Danielson anywhere near the front. However, Savoldelli's final acceleration was impressive! He has really honed his killer instinct, both on and off the podium!

What do you mean? Rubiera and Beltran did good work and were there 'til the end, reliable as always.

 

[Americano_a_Roma]

I don't think Rasmussen is riding for GC; I seem to remember him giving a wheel to a team mate a few days back...

DiLuca was a bit off what one would expect from a serious contender, but other than that I don't think much can be said. Savoldelli lit up the final (short) climb, and blew the rest of the group all over the road, but the final time gaps were small and were really just a function of who managed to react to the move the most quickly. Tomorrow's finish should cause a shakeout of the GC; we still haven't seen the knives come out on a longer climb.

Nice racing, though!

 

[il sogno]

Good stage. I wonder why Disco did not come to the front and help chase the break down. Salvodelli could have won the stage.

 

[tricycletalent]

I don't think Rasmussen is riding for GC; I seem to remember him giving a wheel to a team mate a few days back...
Nice racing, though!

Rasmussen is riding smart. He seems to be an intelligent guy, albeit not the average american charismatic christian firing up crowds. He has said himself he is only gonna go for stage victories in the tour, but he is such a bad liar. Would not be surprised to see him try something out later on in the Giro, and in the tour, I hope for his own sake he gives it a try, instead of pathetically underestimating his own chances.

 

[TitaniumFemur]

Rasmussen is riding smart. He seems to be an intelligent guy, albeit not the average american charismatic christian firing up crowds. He has said himself he is only gonna go for stage victories in the tour, but he is such a bad liar. Would not be surprised to see him try something out later on in the Giro, and in the tour, I hope for his own sake he gives it a try, instead of pathetically underestimating his own chances.

lose big time so that u can have the freedom to try and get mountain wins without being marked

 

[TitaniumFemur]

Good stage. I wonder why Disco did not come to the front and help chase the break down. Salvodelli could have won the stage.

if Salvodelli is trying to win the GC - disco is probably saving their legs for harder stages... no point trying to win a stage and using up all your legs so early in the race.

 

[Guest]

if Salvodelli is trying to win the GC - disco is probably saving their legs for harder stages... no point trying to win a stage and using up all your legs so early in the race.

Right, though Salovdelli appears to be trying to pick up a few seconds where he can. I think he wants more time over basso b/4 the really hard climbs - just guessing though.

 

[Francis Cebedo]

Rasmussen is riding smart. He seems to be an intelligent guy, albeit not the average american charismatic christian firing up crowds. He has said himself he is only gonna go for stage victories in the tour, but he is such a bad liar. Would not be surprised to see him try something out later on in the Giro, and in the tour, I hope for his own sake he gives it a try, instead of pathetically underestimating his own chances.

Somewhere in there is a thought that makes sense. Still looking though...

fc

 

[Bianchigirl]

Agreed, AJL, this is exactly the sort of stage where Savoldelli needs to try and pick up time over Basso - also to get and stay ahead of him for the ITT - because come week 3 he'll be limiting his losses on the really big stuff.