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GIRO RACE REPORTS: 92ND GIRO D'ITALIA STAGE 15: LEONARDO BERTAGNOLLI FINISHES STRONG
AFP and Road Bike Action
May 24, 2009
(Photo: Roberto Bettini)

Italy's Leonardo Bertagnolli of the Diquigiovanni team broke away to win the 15th stage of the Tour of Italy here on Sunday. Russia's Denis Menchov of Rabobank held onto the leader's pink jersey after a race that took place amid soaring temperatures and featured a spirited attack from Italy's Ivan Basso.

Belgium's Serge Pauwels nosed ahead of a group of pursuers on the line to take second place, less than a minute behind the winner of the 161km course.   Bertagnolli broke clear from Pauwels with 12km to go, the 25-year-old Belgian having been the only rider from the initial breakaway to stick with the Italian during the closing stages of the arduous race.  With 40km to race, Basso launched an attack from the head of the peloton on the slopes of Monte Casale after his team isolated his rivals with a sudden burst of acceleration.

Basso's compatriot Stefano Garzelli was the only man to follow him and the duo quickly closed the gap on a group of 16 riders who had broken away within the first hour of the race. The gap between Basso and his direct rivals in the general classification peaked at 1min 10sec on the approach to the summit of Monte Trebbio before being whittled away on the road down to the rolling plains of Faenza. The pair were eventually swallowed back into the main group with 15km remaining.

Menchov found himself marooned without team support in the group chasing Basso, but the Russia managed to keep his main challenger Danilo Di Luca in his sights. Lance Armstrong lost ground on the last two climbs but limited his loss of time on the favourites to just one minute.

Bertagnolli's victory was the 31-year-old's first in the Giro d'Italia, having been recruited by Diquigiovanni at the beginning of the month in anticipation of the race. His most notable successes to date include a stage win at the 2005 Tour of Spain and victory in the 2007 San Sebastian classic.

Monday's 16th stage, considered the race's most gruelling, is a mountainous 237km trek through the Apennines between Pergola and Monte Petrano.


Stage 15 Results

1.Leonardo Bertagnolli (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli    4.18.34 (37.359km/h)
2. Serge Pauwels (Bel) Cervelo Test Team                                            0.54
3. Marco Pinotti (Ita) Team Columbia - Highroad                                        
4. Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Team Saxo Bank                                                
5. Marco Marzano (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C.                                              0.56
6. Andriy Grivko (Ukr) ISD                                                          1.27
7. Mauro Facci (Ita) Quick Step                                                     1.49
8. Tadej Valjavec (Slo) AG2R La Mondiale                                            1.51
9. Eduard Vorganov (Rus) Xacobeo Galicia                                               
10. Kevin Seeldrayers (Bel) Quick Step                                              1.56

Overall After Stage 15

1. Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank                                                 62.54.23
2. Danilo Di Luca (Ita) LPR Brakes - Farnese Vini                                   0.34
3. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana                                                     0.43
4. Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas                                                 2.00
5. Carlos Sastre (Spa) Cervelo Test Team                                            2.52
6. Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas                                                        3.03
7. Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Columbia - Highroad                                    3.05
8. Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C.                                           5.26
9. David Arroyo (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne                                              6.01
10. Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Team Columbia - Highroad                                  6.26
11. Tadej Valjavec (Slo) AG2R La Mondiale                                           6.49
12. Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo                           7.15
13. Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana                                                    8.28
14. Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Astana                                                  9.00
15. Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C.                                            9.43
16. Jose Serpa (Col) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli                9.52
17. Kevin Seeldrayers (Bel) Quick Step                                             11.08
18. Fredrik Kessiakoff (Swe) Fuji-Servetto                                         14.17
19. Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr) Team Columbia - Highroad                             14.40
20. Francesco Masciarelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo                     17.02
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