2008 Giro - Stage 14

What a hum-dinger of a stage! Not much beats signing in and seeing that C and Jens! are both in the break away! There were only 4 video cameras(ish) so we didn't get to see a lot of them today but the shots we did were great. I laughed as one now has to wonder what kind of bedtime story Jens! told C last night! Tee hee hee!!! When I called John he was out and about with Ian up in Madison. Get to a computer! :-) It's always fun keeping him updated but it's kind of nerve wracking too as things change so fast - even while on the phone. One call he's just over 4 mins back from Sella and about 4 in front of the other GC guys. The next, they're all over the place and the other GC guys are all around him. I rely on feeds and such and the typed stuff is usually minutes behind the video I watch.

Watching the last climb was nail biting, not in a freak out way but, in hopes that C could hang on knowing the group was coming up from behind. And hang on he did - with Alberto Contador! I am a bit disappointed in Graham as his caption says "Vande Velde has waited for Contador and paces the Spaniard towards the line..." WTH Graham? Seriously?!?

It was a great opener to the mountains and I'm happy C had a good day. He only moved up one overall spot on GC but is now within 3 minutes of the leader. That is awesome! Tomorrow has a wee bit more climbing(!) and should be incredible to watch. I can not wait for my Norwegian cycling language lesson to begin again!

CW: Giro Analysis: How Cavendish compares to sprint stars
EuroPeloton: Giro Mountains Loom, Contador Sounds Off
LaGazzetta: PreRace Fun Bikes
CycleTo: All Smiles At The Start (C & Jens! included)

Live Chatter: CN - VN - DP - PC1 - PC2

Stage 14 - Saturday 5/24: Verona - Alpe di Pampeago/Val di Fiemme, 195km
Results
1 Emanuele Sella (Ita) CSF Group Navigare 5.37.14 (34.338 km/h)
15 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana 9.33
16 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Slipstream Chipotle P/b H30 9.38
34 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana 13.08
39 Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC 13.46
109 Jason McCartney (USA) Team CSC 34.37
113 Julian Dean (NZl) Slipstream Chipotle P/b H30 35.59
131 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Slipstream Chipotle P/b H30 41.37
136 David Millar (GBr) Slipstream Chipotle P/b H30
144 Danny Pate (USA) Slipstream Chipotle P/b H30
148 Christopher Sutton (Aus) Slipstream Chipotle P/b H30
DNF Pat McCarty (USA) Slipstream Chipotle P/b H30
General classification after stage 14
1 Gabriele Bosisio (Ita) LPR Brakes 63.10.47
2 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana 0.05
15 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Slipstream Chipotle P/b H30 2.54
23 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana 5.51
61 Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC 43.42
77 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Slipstream Chipotle P/b H30 57.38
91 David Millar (GBr) Slipstream Chipotle P/b H30 1.09.50
104 Jason McCartney (USA) Team CSC 1.25.32
143 Julian Dean (NZl) Slipstream Chipotle P/b H30 1.58.54
153 Danny Pate (USA) Slipstream Chipotle P/b H30 2.15.52
156 Christopher Sutton (Aus) Slipstream Chipotle P/b H30 2.25.42

Slipstream_CVV: Digging deep for a dream
Slipstream: Tenacious Vande Velde only 3' down on GC after first mountain reality check
TeamCSC: Brilliant Stage Win by Sella
Astana_CMehl: Sella Soars While Contador Moves Up a Notch
PEZ_Jered: Sella Storms Pampeago
CW: Giro d'Italia contenders suffer in Dolomites
CW: Sella wins first Giro d'Italia mountain stage
ROAD: Giro: Stage 14

Graham Watson Photos: Stage 14
Astana: Stage 14