RACE REPORTS: GIRO D'ITALIA STAGE 8: SORENSEN RULES TERMINILLO

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RACE REPORTS: GIRO D'ITALIA STAGE 8: SORENSEN RULES TERMINILLO
Road Bike Action and AFP
May 16, 2010

Sorensen crosses the line alone in the fog.
(Photo: Roberto Bettini)

Chris Anker Sorensen of the Saxo Bank team soloed to victory in the Tour of Italy eighth stage, a 189 kilometer ride which ended on the race's first summit finish in Terminillo. Kazakhstan's Alexandre Vinokourov kept the race leader's pink jersey with his 1min 12sec lead on Australian Cadel Evans intact following a largely uneventful stage.

Vino tucked safely in the peloton, remains in pink after Stage 8
(Photo: Roberto Bettini)

Vinokourov and many other race favorites finished just under a minute behind Sorensen, whose decision to chase down Italian Simoni Stortoni halfway up the 16.1km climb of the Terminillo led to the biggest win of his career. Sorensen, 25, finished around 30secs ahead of Colnago rider Stortoni but even those present would have struggled to see the Dane's celebrations due to fog shrouding much of the mountain. Still, Sorensen raised his arms in triumph to claim his most significant win since winning stage six on the 2008 Dauphine Libere stage race. Perhaps sensing there would be no real skirmishes between the real victory contenders on the 16.1km climb to Terminillo following Saturday's epic seventh stage, Sorensen did well to join a breakaway which formed after 76km of racing. Leading up to the foot of the climb Frenchman Thomas Voeckler and Britain's Steven Cummings took reponsibility for helping to drive the 16-man break which held a lead of 2:20 before the climb. That ultimately helped Sorensen keep the chasing pack at bay.

However, the Dane was given the real spur to go for it when Stortoni jumped out of an eight-man lead group with 10km to race to enjoy freedom for nearly two kilometers of racing. Sorensen was the only rider to chase him down, and soon afterwards his superior experience told as 24-year-old Stortoni trailed slowly off the pace. After the slog of Saturday's rain-hit stage which left the entire peloton covered in mud, the lack of ambition on the real victory contenders was perhaps understandable.

Various attacks in the final kilometers, like this one from Cunego animated the foggy climb.
(Photo: Roberto Bettini)

Italian Michele Scarponi attempted a brief attack that was easily countered, while further on Frenchman John Gadret launched a futile bid to claim victory on the stage. Spaniard Xavier Tondo, the main support rider at Cervelo for pink jersey contender Carlos Sastre, had managed to escape the group of favourites and
went on to claim third place ahead of Russian Yevgeny Petrov. AG2R rider Gadret finished fifth just ahead of a group which contained Vinokourov and Australia's world champion Cadel Evans.

On Monday the race heads back down to sea level for the ninth stage, a 187km ride from Frosinone to Cava de' Tirreni.

Stage 8 Results: Chianciano Terme-Terminillo, 189 kilometers
1. Chris Sorensen (DEN/SAX) 4hr 50min 48sec (average: 38.995 km/h)
2. Simone Stortoni (ITA/CSF) @ 30 seconds
3. Xavier Tondo (ESP/CTT) @ 36
4. Evgueni Petrov (RUS/KAT) @ 49
5. John Gadret (FRA/ALM) @ 55
6. Damiano Cunego (ITA/LAM) @ 56
7. Stefano Garzelli (ITA/ASA) @ 56
8. Alexandre Vinokourov (KAZ/AST) @ s.t.
9. Cadel Evans (AUS/BMC)
10. Ivan Basso (ITA/LIQ)

Overall Standings after Stage 8
1. Alexander Vinokourov (KAZ/AST) 29:01:26
2. Cadel Evans (AUS/BMC) @ 1:12
3. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA/LIQ) @ 1:33
4. Ivan Basso (ITA/LIQ) @ 1:51
5. Marco Pinotti (ITA/THR)@ 2:17
6. Richie Porte (AUS/SAX) @ 2:26
7. Vladimir Karpets (RUS/KAT) @ 2:34
8. Stefano Garzelli (ITA/ASA) @ 2:47
9. Damiano Cunego (ITA/LAM) @ 3:08
10. Michele Scarponi (ITA/AND) @ 3:09

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