Giro d’Italia – Relaxed 16th Stage Keeps Status Quo

[W:Team Sky] duo Sergio Henao and [W:Mark Cavendish] both retained their respective jerseys on a relatively relaxed 16th stage of the [W:Giro d’Italia]. Jon Izagirre (Euskaltel-Euskadi) won the stage as his fellow Spaniard [W:Joaquim Rodr?guez] (Katusha) kept his overall lead on a day which was dominated by a 10-man breakaway group. Alessandro De Marchi (Androni Giocattoli – Venezuela) and Stef Clement (Rabobank) were second and third respectively, both 16 seconds behind. Team Sky duo Henao and Rigoberto Ur?n continue to sit first and second on the young rider standings, while Cavendish remains top of the points classification and in the maglia rossa. It’s as you were in the overall standings, with Rodr?guez still 30 seconds ahead of [W:Ryder Hesjedal] (Garmin-Barracuda), with [W:Ivan Basso] (Liquigas-Cannondale) 1:22 back in third. Henao is eighth and Ur?n 11th. Steven de Jongh, Team Sky Sports Director: “It was a good day for the team and we were happy that the breakaway went because it meant we could almost have a second rest day. “The main thing I asked for the team to do was take care of Rigoberto and Sergio before that last climb and they did a brilliant job there and neither rider lost any time on the GC. “Everyone was feeling good when they got back on the bus and they?ll rest up tonight now before a tough day tomorrow. It?s up and down the whole day and going to play a major part in the outcome of the maglia rosa but we?ll do all we can to ensure Rigo and Sergio stay right in the mix.” Fresh off a rest day, Nikolas Maes was part of a 10 rider breakaway that escaped 80km into the 174km race. The break had almost 12 minutes on the peloton at one point, in Stage 16 of the Giro d’Italia on Tuesday. The peloton never put much of a dent into the gap, which kept all of the riders in the break in contention for the stage victory in the final kilometers. “Today I did my best,” Maes said. “The first part of the race was really fast. As a team, we tried to be present in all the breakaways. Then, I jumped into the right one. We were a good group and we worked good together. I had good legs, but I have to say that the last climb was too much for me. It’s a question of weight and attitude when it comes to the climbs. The first part of the climb I managed to stay with the best, but then I simply couldn’t follow the pace of riders who are better than me on the climbs. However, I’m happy that I did it today. I’m in good shape, and with the difficult stages we will have in the next days, it was important to take the chance today.” Team Saxo Bank’s Manuele Boaro was extremely aggressive from the very start of today’s 173 kilometer long 16th stage of Giro d’Italia from Limone sul Garda to Falzes where the young Italian participated in numerous attacks before, the crucial breakaway went away. In the first hour of the race, the peloton did no less than 50 kilometers. The ten riders in the front quickly gained a lead big enough to make it last to the finish line and it was then up to the escapees to decide the stage win in a finale with a short but steep climb a few kilometers from the finish line. The first attack in the group was launched four kilometers to go and suddenly the group exploded and scattered the riders all over the mountain side and one on one, they were fighting to get over the climb in the first group. First to get over the top was Izagirre Insausti (Euskaltel) who soloed his way to the finish line taking the stage win while Team Saxo Bank Italian, Manuele Boaro bravely fought his way to sixth place. ?I knew this was one of the last opportunities for me to make a top result in the race so I took part in as much as I could in the first hour where we were going really really fast. Naturally, I was tired when we hit the final climb but I fought as hard as I could to make a satisfying finale,? said a very tired Manuele Boaro after the stage. Lampre-ISD?s riders were not in the break, but their made attempts to escape from the bunch in the early part of the stage, that was covered at a very high average speed (49,8 km/h in the first hour). At km 15 Righi tried to join a 13 athletes breakaway, but the bunch neutralized the attempt; then, after 39 km, it was Ulissi?s turn to attack with other 5 cyclists, but he had no luck. For what concerns the top riders, no battle on the hill in the final part of the race. ?Today no one of the big riders tried to attack, but the stage had been anyway demanding in the beginning, since the speed was very high until the breakaway began ? [W:Michele Scarponi] commented ? Tomorrow we?ll cover so many climbs, Falzarego, Passo Duran, Forcella Staulanza and Passo Giau, no one could hide. I don?t know which climb I like the most, they?re all so tough and so exciting at the same time. I know I?ll be supported by very competitive team mates, this will be very important in a stage in which not so many riders will still be in the head group after the first climb. [W:Damiano Cunego] is pedaling in a good way, it will be important he?ll be on my side?.