Roche confidently passes first Giro climbing test with late attack in hunt for stage win

Nicolas Roche put in a bid for victory in the final kilometre of the uphill finish on Giro d'Italia stage 5 today. But while he climbed into the top 10 overall, nobody could stop this man Diego Ullisi (Lampre Merida) from winning the day. 

Nicolas Roche has put in a very strong ride as the Giro d’Italia today headed into the mountains for the first time on this year’s race; easily making the select group and putting in an attack in search of a stage win inside the final kilometre.

While the Tinkoff-Saxo rider was overhauled by a Katusha-led front group after no more than 200 metres out front, his aggression suggests he is feeling strong and confident.

The Irish man is now lying in 7^th place overall, still some 37 seconds down on race leader Michael Matthews; the young Orica-GreenEDGE rider putting in a quality performance to retain his Maglia Rosa.

The stage was won by Italian Diego Ullisi (Lampre Merida), who timed his sprint perfectly. He waited as some of the others went a little early on the uphill sprint from the group of 29 riders, seeing off Cadel Evans (BMC), with Julian Arredondo Moreno (Trek Racing) rounding out the podium.

The 203km stage 5 trek from Taranto to Viggiano was billed as a “medium mountain stage”, seeing the riders take in a cat 3 ascent with 65km remaining and the two cat 4 climbs to Viggiano inside the last 16km, with the stage finishing atop the second ascent.

Earlier in the day, after just over 20km of racing, a breakaway moved clear that would open a gap of four minutes. And judging by its composition it was clear that a number of teams believed they could fire their fast men up the road in the hope they would remain out front and pick up points at the intermediate sprints and possibly stage honours.

In that group were Miguel Angel Rubiano (Colombia), Tony Hurel and Bjorn Thurau (Europcar), Marco Frapporti (Androni Giocattoli), Elia Viviani (Cannondale), Ben Swift (Team Sky), Tyler Farrar and Fabian Wegmann (Garmin-Sharp), Yonathan Monsalve (Neri Sottoli), Kenny Dehaes and Tosh Van der Sande (Lotto-Belisol).

The 8km cat 3 climb of Valico di Serra di San Chirico would split the escape, but it would regroup as attacks came thick and fast on the descent. In the end, four men from the move pulled clear as the sprinters in the group dropped back.

But with Orica-GreenEDGE riding to defend Matthews’ pink jersey, and being aided by some of the teams of the main overall challengers, it never looked like a day when the early move would win out. And with just over 20km remaining and the race heading into that final section with the cat 4 climbs to Viggiano to tackle, the last of the breakaway men were swallowed up.

The peloton stayed largely intact on the first climb to Viggiano, but some crashes coming off it, as rainfall again hit the race and made the road surface slippy, increased the tension.

With the Katusha team of main GC favourite Joaquin Rodriguez determined to hit out, the bunch reduced very significantly up the last climb. Roche was the first to have a real dig for stage honours just after the 1km to go red kite.

The attentive group responded and it was clear after a couple of hundred metres that he posed too much a threat overall to be let go.

Related News

Lara Gillespie attacks Dolomite stage as Giro hits high mountains

Video - Italy's hero Balsamo mobbed mid-stage during Giro TT

Rodriguez piles the pressure on inside the final 500 metres, but he was no match for the pink jersey of Matthews, on the front of the second group just behind. The young Australian was determined to hold his overall lead (Photo: Sirotti)

Just as he was reabsorbed, it was Rodriguez who let rip with 500m remaining, pulling a small group of four or five just a couple of seconds clear of what was now a large select group rather than a peloton.

And closing the gap up to them was the pink jersey of Matthews, who towed everyone else to their rear wheels in defence of his overall lead; a fantastic ride for a man more renowned for winning big races from bunch sprints.

With that regrouping coming to pass around 200 metres from the finish, it was the diesel engine of Evans who could be seen loitering near the front.

And while he made a strong effort to take the stage and time on his main rivals, when Ullisi hit for home it was lights out for everyone else.

He immediately looked the winner and opened a gap clocked at one second on the line. Evans was in second place, leading a strung out group of 28 riders who were all, surprisingly, credited with the same time as the Australian.

Race leader Matthews took an excellent 6^th place, with Roche in the group on the same time as him, eventually coming over the line in 15^th place. His team mate and co-leader Rafal Majka was up ahead; 5^th placed on the stage.

Philip Deignan was 119^th in a group 9:18 back; a placing in keeping with his pre-race plan of losing time on the first two weeks in an effort to ride himself into the race after an injury hit start to the season.

He believes if he looks after himself for the first fortnight, and is so far down as to be out of contention; he may have the legs and be given the leeway to strike in the tough final week when the long mountainous stages will hopefully suit him.

Tomorrow’s stage 6 is a 247km mainly flat stage from Sassano to Montecassion. But finishing on top of a cat 2 climb, plenty of damage can be done as the main contenders for outright victory will come out to play.

May 9th-June 1st: Giro d'Italia

May 14th: Stage 5, Taranto to Viggiano (203km)

General Classification