It was a career-best win for 27-year-old Swiss Johann Tschopp of the Bbox Bouygues Telecom team after a brave solo ride to the peak of the Passa del Tonale at the conclusion of today's penultimate stage of the Giro d'Italia.
16 seconds behind was a fast-closing Cadel Evans (BMC Racing) who had attacked his exclusive maglia rosa group with 3km to go, thereby grabbing back some precious seconds and a time bonus. Unfortunately for Evans, the maglia rosa himself, Ivan Basso of the Liquigas team managed to finish only 9 seconds behind and also with a time bonus so it is likely that unless the 2nd-placed Spaniard Aroyo can take 1:15 out of him, the Italian's lead is unassailable going into tomorrow's short final time trial.
The day took in five major climbs over 178 tortuous kilometres including the highest of this year's Giro, the Passo do Gavia at 2,618m, all adding up to an immense 6,320m of climbing. With hours to spare, the organisers considered routing the race away from the Gavia, such was the depth of snow still lying at the peak. As it happened, the riders stuck to the originally scheduled route but the scenes more resembled an installment of Ski Sunday than pictures from one of the most important bikes races in the world, in May.
Giro d'Italia Stage 20 Top 20 Result
1 TSCHOPP Johann SUI BTL 5:26:47 0:00 20" bonus
2 EVANS Cadel AUS BMC 5:27:03 0:16 12" bonus
3 BASSO Ivan ITA LIQ 5:27:12 0:25 8" bonus
4 SCARPONI Michele ITA AND 5:27:12 0:25
5 ARROYO David ESP GCE 5:27:28 0:41
6 NIBALI Vincenzo ITA LIQ 5:27:30 0:43
7 GADRET John FRA ALM 5:27:35 0:48
8 MOLLEMA Bauke NED RAB 5:27:37 0:50
9 RIGHI Daniele ITA LAM 5:27:44 0:57
10 KIRYIENKA Vasil BLR GCE 5:27:49 1:02
11 VINOKOUROV Alexandre KAZ AST 5:28:13 1:26
12 VOECKLER Thomas FRA BTL 5:28:26 1:39
13 CUNEGO Damiano ITA LAM 5:28:26 1:39
14 KRUIJSWIJK Steven NED RAB 5:28:26 1:39
15 SARMIENTO Cayetano COL ASA 5:28:26 1:39
16 KISERLOVSKI Robert CRO LIQ 5:28:26 1:39
17 PINOTTI Marco ITA THR 5:28:26 1:39 2" bonus
18 TROFIMOV Yury RUS BTL 5:28:29 1:42
19 PORTE Richie AUS SAX 5:28:29 1:42
20 WEGELIUS Charles GBR OLO 5:29:00 2:13
Giro d'Italia Top 20 Overall after Stage 20
1 BASSO Ivan ITA LIQ 87:23:00 0:00
2 ARROYO David ESP GCE 87:24:15 1:15
3 NIBALI Vincenzo ITA LIQ 87:25:56 2:56
4 SCARPONI Michele ITA AND 87:25:57 2:57
5 EVANS Cadel AUS BMC 87:26:47 3:47
6 PORTE Richie AUS SAX 87:30:25 7:25
7 VINOKOUROV Alexandre KAZ AST 87:30:31 7:31
8 SASTRE Carlos ESP CTT 87:31:55 8:55
9 KISERLOVSKI Robert CRO LIQ 87:37:06 14:06
10 PINOTTI Marco ITA THR 87:38:00 15:00
11 CUNEGO Damiano ITA LAM 87:39:45 16:45
12 MOLLEMA Bauke NED RAB 87:42:09 19:09
13 GADRET John FRA ALM 87:45:28 22:28
14 KARPETS Vladimir RUS KAT 87:48:09 25:09
15 ARDILA Mauricio COL RAB 87:55:23 32:23
16 GERDEMANN Linus GER MRM 87:57:31 34:31
17 CIONI David ITA SKY 87:58:35 35:35
18 KRUIJSWIJK Steven NED RAB 88:00:13 37:13
19 EFIMKIN Alexander RUS ALM 88:01:41 38:41
20 DUPONT Hubert FRA ALM 88:07:43 44:43
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