For Team Sky sprinter Russell Downing, there is very little left to aim at in this year’s Giro d’Italia, except, that is, for the prospect of completing the first ever Grand Tour of his long career. At the age of 32, Downing has finally been given the opportunity to compete at the sport’s highest level and, up until today’s stage from Bergamo to Macugnaga, he has been relishing the chance.
Unfortunately, on what was the first properly wet stage of the race, the former British champion was the victim of one of a number of crashes; which could see his dreams of completing the Giro d’Italia dashed.
“I was pretty lucky really,” said the Yorkshireman after the stage. There was a Rabobank rider immediately before me who overshot the corner, and that meant that I was catapulted sideways. I hit the barrier and then went straight over it and down about 20 metres into the woods. My bike went even further than me but fortunately I hit a tree, which stopped me falling even further.
“After dusting myself down I managed to scramble up the slope with some help from the fans and get back on my bike, but the fall had broken my shoe plate, which offset my balance, and I crashed into the barrier again about two corners further down the road.
“That completely broke my bike, so I had to wait for a spare, and then 5km later I had to change my shoe before I could sprint back on to the gruppetto and then climb the last 28km to the finish.”
Downing managed to join the gruppetto and was the last man to finish the stage; despite losing contact with the back of the bunch in the final metres, and so given a separate time, he crossed the line 27’26” behind, well within the time limit.
“I was happy to finish but we’ll have to see how I shape up for tomorrow now. It’s dependant on what the doctors have to say, but I would really like to start.
“I’m feeling pretty rough and have given my ribs a fair old crack. I’m coughing a bit of blood up, which is never a great sign, but I’ll survive. I’ve worked really hard to get here and it would be a shame if I wasn’t able to make it to the finish line now.”
Things couldn’t be more different now than yesterday’s stage from Morbegno to San Pellegrino Terme. When VelonNation caught up with Downing before the stage he was looking forward to reaching the finish of the race, despite the fact that as one of the few sprinters left in the race, there have been slim pickings since his HTC-Highroad compatriot Mark Cavendish won stage twelve into Ravenna.
“It’s still pretty mountainous, just like the whole Giro really, so the only thing in it for me is tired legs now,” he joked at the time. “Yeah, it’s been a really hard tour and a load of sprinters have gone home and I’m still trying to battle it out and get to Milan, which is not easy.
“I’m going to keep trying; I was trying in the first week; its quite hard, everybody wants to be in the break and there’s only today left so it’s not just going to be me trying to get in there. It’s not easy!”
“[It’s been] tough, very tough,” he continued. “Obviously, it’s my first Grand Tour and I think I picked the hardest one! It’s a tough race to be in, but I’m enjoying it. It’s been really good; a lot of the other guys that have ridden Grand Tours before have really looked after myself and Pete [Kennaugh], so it’s been quite enjoyable.
“The first week was tough, with the pressure and, obviously being a Grand Tour, but we’ve all relaxed and tried to make the most of it really.”
That day, when the break finally got away on the short, fast stage to San Pelligrino Terme, Downing was in it. Although he was unable to hold on to the accelerations of Eros Carpecchi (Liquigas-Cannondale), Marco Pinotti (HTC-Highroad) and Kevin Seeldraeyers (Quick Step) on the Passo di Ganda, he managed to put his fast kick to good use to win the small group sprint and take eighth.