MENCHOV DEFENDS LEAD IN GIRO’S TOUGHEST MOUNTAIN STAGE

Rabobank still in pink after “Queen Stage” of Italian grand tour

Rabobank’s Denis Menchov remained firmly in the overall lead of the Giro d’Italia after the race’s toughest day yet. Riding his Giant TCR Advanced SL team bike, Menchov finished an excellent second on the final Monte Petrano climb at the end of a massive 237-kilometer stage that wound through the Abruzzi mountains of central Italy.

After a grueling day’s racing made even more difficult with temperatures soaring to more than 90 degrees Fahrenheit, Menchov increased his lead to 35 seconds ahead of Italian Danilo Di Luca and is now two minutes and 19 seconds up on third-placed Carlos Sastre of Spain.

Just five days of racing remain, but even though he has already won the Vuelta a España twice, the experienced Menchov is still cautious about the prospects of winning the third major grand tour of his career.

“It’s too soon,” Menchov warned. “We still have some important stages ahead of us. However, I will say that this stage was absolutely crucial because it was very long and there were lots of climbs.”

Menchov paid tribute to his Rabobank team, which he said had been vital for keeping the race under control in exceptionally difficult terrain.

“We had to race very intelligently and things turned out well,” Menchov said. “But you can never say you’ve won in cycling until you cross the final finish line.”

Menchov said that on the last climb he tried to stay calm and control his most dangerous rivals—a tactic that paid off in full.

“I had to wait and see what happened,” Menchov said. “Some guys like [Levi] Leipheimer [third overall before the stage, now sixth] were in difficulties, so I tried to take advantage of that. My condition was much better than at the start of the Tour of Italy, so I can be confident for the days to come.”

Now Menchov looks forward to the final five days, after a rest day on Tuesday.

“Overall, I’m pleased,” he said. “This was a difficult stage, but I was in the right place at the right moment all the way up the climb. So another piece of the jigsaw has fallen into place.”

Photo credit: Cor Vos.