Peloton Cafe || 2015 Giro d’Italia Stage 10 – Richie Porte (image copyright Team Sky)
Richie Porte dropped to 12th overall at the Giro d’Italia after picking up a puncture and subsequent penalty on stage 10.
With the help of his Team Sky team-mates the Tasmanian was forced to chase back to a flying peloton as the race approached the finish in Forlì at full speed.
Porte received a wheel from Orica-GreenEdge rider Simon Clarke on the roadside, and post-race both riders received a two-minute time penalty for non-regulation assistance to a rider of another team.
2015 Giro d’Italia: Stage 10 Results
After losing 47 seconds at the finish, the addition of the penalty sees Porte pushed back to 12th on the general classification, three minutes and nine seconds back on leader Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo).
Team Sky riders began to check up with around seven kilometres to go to wait for Porte, with Bernhard Eisel, Sebastian Henao, Salvatore Puccio and Kanstantsin Siutsou helping to pace their team leader.
Matters were made even more difficult with the peloton embroiled in a frantic chase of their own, as four breakaway riders timed their efforts well to stay clear.
On a day that looked set to be a straightforward bunch sprint it was Nicola Boem (Bardiani-CSF) who took the victory, out-sprinting compatriots Matteo Busato (Southeast) and Alan Marangoni (Cannondale-Garmin) at the finish. The peloton arrived home just 18 seconds later, with Elia Viviani 16th across the line.
Porte suffered a flat tyre inside the last 10km of Monday’s stage into Forlì and received a spare wheel from Orica-GreenEdge rider Simon Clarke. Unbeknownst to the riders, the move contravened a UCI ruling for ‘non-regulation assistance to a rider of another team’. Both received a time penalty after the stage, and a fine of 200 Swiss Francs.
The decision means Porte has dropped to 12th place in the general classification, three minutes and nine seconds behind race leader Alberto Contador.
Commenting on the time penalty, Team Principal Sir Dave Brailsford said: “It is obviously disappointing that a sporting gesture made in the heat of the moment has resulted in such a strong penalty. No one was trying to gain an unfair advantage.
“This has however just strengthened our resolve and determination to fight for this race. Richie and the whole team are ready to take it on and there is a lot of this Giro left.”
