The Quick Step team today took their second stage of this year's Giro d'Italia, with Jérôme Pineau outsprinting his two breakaway companions Julien Fouchard (Cofidis) and Yukiya Arashiro (Bbox) with the pack breathing directly down their necks, seconds behind.
Japanese Arashiro had been away since 15 km into the stage and was joined 10 km later by a further three including Fouchard, Pineau and Paul Voss (Milram) who later fell away with 30 km to go.
The ensuing stage had the usual air of inevitability that the break would be caught with 10 km to go and one train sprinter or another would triumph to enthusiastic acclaim. The only problem was the eventual three survivors hadn't read that script and with Arashiro in particular absolutely committed to the task of staying away for the win, they buried themselves for a well deserved but nevertheless very surprising trio victory.
Today's 162 km fifth stage from Novara to Novi Ligure commemorated the 50th anniversary of the death of legendary Italian cycling champion Fasto Coppi in January 1960. Novi Ligure was Coppi's home town and he is buried nearby in Castellania, where he was born.
GC leader Vincenzo Nibali told the Gazzetta dello Sport earlier today that if he finished today's stage still wearing the maglia rosa, he was going to give it to Fausto Coppi's son, Faustino, so he can place it on his father's tomb. As he rolled over the line mere seconds behind today's winners, it's safe to say that the Gazzetta's front page headline has been written.
Giro d'Italia stage 5 result Top 10
1 Jerome Jérôme (Quick Step)
2 Julien Fouchard (Cofidis)
3 Yukiya Arashiro (Bbox Bouygues Telecom)
4 Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Transitions)
5 Gregory Henderson (Sky)
6 Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre-Farnese Vini)
7 Graeme Brown (Rabobank)
8 Andre Greipel (HTC-Columbia)
9 Lucas Haedo (Saxo Bank
10 William Bonnet (Bbox Bouygues Telecom) at same time
General classification after stage 5 Top 10
1 Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Doimo) 14:30:03
2 Ivan Basso (Liquigas-Doimo) + 13
3 Valerio Agnoli (Liquigas-Doimo) + 20
4 Matthew Goss (HTC-Columbia) + 26
5 Andre Greipel (HTC-Columbia) + 26
6 Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) + 33
7 Vladimir Karpets (Katusha) + 39
8 Richie Porte (Saxo Bank) + 45
9 David Millar (Garmin-Transitions) + 45
10 Paolo Tiralongo (Astana) + 59
Radar tells me their closing speed, if they are slowing and how far away. Then I decide to say a prayer. The change of light pattern is incidental.
Quite so, which is why our village 20mph zone covers the whole residential extent. Of course, enforcement is another thing..
£4.
No, that's very doubtful while proper testing would be fully destructive.
In that £1000 exactly scenario, beginners should probably be made aware that pedals will be extra.
What's wrong with dropping down on to the Millenium Bridge, or the swing bridge, then the brief, but satisfying climb back up the hill? #training....
The relatives might of course disagree, but in general I'd countenance a relatively light sentence* if only we could fix it so that those who...
Id forgotten that I got a second hand set of project two's for my getting to work bike over twenty years back.
My bet is that all these tires popping off are from people with bad pressure gauges or they're simply just putting too much air in on purpose. ...
David9694 - you were right! These new autonomous vehicles really are conspiring to run out of control!...