MENCHOV TAKES TOP HONORS IN GIRO D’ITALIA

Rabobank leader overcomes crash in final TT to score the Maglia Rosa

Denis Menchov of Team Rabobank secured the overall victory at the Giro d’Italia on Sunday, riding his prototype Giant time trial bike to a 10th place finish in the 14.4-kilometer final stage TT. Menchov overcame a crash on rain-soaked cobbletones in the final kilometer to put the finishing touch on the biggest win of his career.

A quick bike change after the crash allowed Menchov to hold off Danilo Di Luca of Italy by 41 seconds in the overall standings. Franco Pellizotti, also of Italy, was third overall.

With the win, Menchov became just the third Russian to win the Giro. He joined countrymen Evgeni Berzin (1994) and Pavel Tonkov (1996) as winners of the Giro.

Having led the race for nine days, the 31-year-old Menchov gave Rabobank its first overall win at the Giro. He also captured the Rabobank team’s first Giro stage wins when he won the challenging and critical time trial through the Cinque Terre region and the mountaintop finish in Alpe di Siusi.

Already a two-time winner at the Vuelta a España, Menchov described the Giro victory as the “most important of my career, by far the biggest.”

Menchov is now one of the few active pros who have won stages in all three major races: the Vuelta a España, the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France.

“I was in control throughout the Giro, but I was really happy to have won too, so when I crossed the line, I got very emotional,” Menchov explained afterward.
“All the stress of the last three weeks was finally over and I could let myself go and relax.”

Rabobank sports director Erik Breukink said Menchov’s performance was the best he had ever seen from the Russian.

Menchov agreed. “I think I was the strongest here I’ve ever been,” he said.

Menchov added that he felt that way coming into the race. “I don’t know why but before the Giro I felt very good, very confident,” he said. “And it’s all worked out perfectly. This is the biggest win I’ve ever had for several reasons: because it’s the centenary Tour of Italy, because of the media attention and because I’ve had to fight hard all the way from start to finish.”

Menchov now turns his attention to the Tour de France. Fourth last year, the Russian believes he can win it this year.

“I’m one of the best riders in the world, and I will do my utmost,” he said. “After taking the Tour of Italy, the second biggest race in the world, it’s only natural to go for the most important bike race of them all.”

Informed shortly before starting that the Giro will begin next year in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, where the Rabobank team is based—and close to Giant’s European headquarters—Menchov said the team now has another reason to celebrate.

“We’ve already won the Giro this year, and next year we’ll have an extra important reason to be motivated to win it again,” he said.