Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Transitions) won his second stage of the Giro d’Italia, outsprinting the peloton at the end of the 230km stage 10 between Avellino and Bitonto. Fabio Sabatini (Liquigas-Doimo) was second and Farrar’s teammate Julian Dean, having given the American a perfect lead out, held on for third.
After the heavy rain and misty conditions of the past few stages the peloton was finally treated to conditions that they would expect in southern Italy at this time of year. Riders set out from the start in Avellino, to the east of Naples under sunny skies, warm temperatures and very little wind. When Charly Wegelius (OmegaPharma-Lotto), Dario Cataldo (Quick Step) and Hubert Dupont (AG2R-La Mondiale) in the first 20km the peloton, as in yesterday’s monsoon-like stage, was happy to let them go.
Unlike yesterday though, the three riders were allowed to build a much bigger lead before the peloton reacted. In just 20km the trio managed to build a lead of 6 minutes; in the next 20km the lead had grown to 7’50” before Team Sky decided that enough was enough and started to pull the three fugitives back. As Wegelius took the points over the 3rd category valico dell’Imbandina after 91km the gap was reduced to 4’30”.
Team Sky was joined at the front by HTC-Columbia and the trio’s lead fell steadily. At 50km to go it was reduced to 1’30” and dropped below 1 minute a few kilometres later; but a crash in the peloton at 42km to go, along with the sprinte’s' teams not wanting to make the catch too soon, saw it rise again to 1’36” with 40km to go.
HTC-Columbia, with help from Garmin-Transitions, Team Sky and Quick Step riders allowed the three riders to dangle off the front of the race until they were finally captured with just over 16km to go.
As the peloton passed through the narrow streets of Giovinazzo with less than 15km to go a small crash in the middle of the peloton brought down a handful of riders. Among those to come down were sprinters Greg Henderson (Team Sky) and Wouter Weylandt (Quick Step); both remounted but the Belgian was unable to catch up to the front of the peloton, driven as it was by HTC-Columbia.
Cadel Evans (BMC Racing), along with much of his team, was baulked by the incident but managed to stay upright.
As the peloton approached the finish town of Bitonto several sprinters’ teams were vying for supremacy at the front of the peloton. As it entered the narrow twisting streets though, Matteo Tosatto (Quick Step) decided that as his sprinter had been left behind he would make a solo attempt at victory. The Italian managed to get just a few metres in front of the peloton, with Yukiya Arashiro (Bbox Bouyges Telecom) on his wheel; ominously behind the Japanese rider though was Dean, ready to lead out Farrar.
Dean’s surge in the final few hundred metres gapped almost everyone, but Farrar was latched onto the New Zealander’s wheel. As Dean pulled over Farrar put in another spurt that only Sabatini had any response to, but the Italian was unable to come past. The leadout, on top of Tosatto’s attack, had been so fast and so devastating that Farrar had time to look around before celebrating the victory. Dean took third, also celebrating his teammate’s win.
With almost the entire peloton arriving at the finish together there are no changes to the top of the overall standings. Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) remains in pink, ahead of Evans and Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Doimo).
Result stage 10
1. Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin-Transitions
2. Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo
3. Julian Dean (NZl) Garmin-Transitions
4. Robbie McEwen (Aus) Team Katusha
5. Robert Förster (Ger) Team Milram
6. Sébastien Hinault (Fra) AG2R-La Mondiale
7. André Greipel (Ger) HTC-Columbia
8. Danilo Hondo (Ger) Lampre-Farnese Vini
9. Leonardo Duque (Col) Cofidis
10. Mathew Hayman (Aus) Team Sky @ 3s
Standings after stage 10
1. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana
2. Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing @ 1’12”
3. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo @ 1’33”
4. Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo @ 1’51”
5. Marco Pinotti (Ita) HTC-Columbia @ 2’17”