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Stage 17, May 23: Falzes - Cortina d'Ampezzo, 187 km

Major ascents:

Passo Valparola: 14.1 km, 5.5% average and 13% maximum gradient
Passo Duran: 12.2 km, 8.1% average and 14% maximum gradient
Forcella Staulanza: 12.3 km, 6.9% average and 11% maximum gradient
Passo Giau: 9.9 km, 9.3% average and 14% maximum gradient

The Race: By the time the peloton reached the foot of the day's final climb, Passo Giau, it had been reduced to 25 riders. Astana's Kreuziger had shown weakness on earlier climbs and when the Giau began to bite, Astana's designated team leader was gone. Teammate Tiralongo, who was looking so good so far this Giro, was also put to the sword. Liquigas again spent a lot of the race at the front but the plan to have Sylvester Szmyd take the final pull on the Giau before handing the race over to Ivan Basso was scotched by what appeared to be a mechanical problem at the base of the Giau. Basso spent much of the ascent of the Giau at the front without teammates.

The accumulated fatigue of 16 stages and three major climbs really showed on the Giau. Very early on the Giau ascent the front group was reduced to just six. Near the top Domenico Pozzovivo put in a brutal acceleration that popped Michele Scarponi and Rigoberto Uran. Despite severe cramps, Scarponi chased and regained the front group, as did Uran. In Cortina d'Ampezzo, Ivan Basso tried to take a flyer, but was chased down. Scarponi led out the sprint and from quite a ways back, Joaquin Rodriguez easily passed everyone. He would be the favorite for pink in Milan except Ryder Hesjedal was third and maintained his second place in the GC. And Hesjedal can time trial. I don't think Rodriguez has enough time on Hesjedal to beat the Canadian in Sunday's Milan time trial.

Results:

1. Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) 5hr 24min 41sec. 34.371 km/hr
2. Ivan Basso (Liquigas) s.t.
3. Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Barracuda) s.t.
4. Rigoberto Uran (Sky) s.t.
5. Michele Scarponi (Lampre) s.t.
6. Domenico Pozzovivo (Colnago-CSF) @ 2sec
7. Benat Intxausti (Movistar) @ 1min 22sec
8. Daniel Moreno (Katusha) s.t.
9. Thomas de Gendt (Vacansoleil) s.t.
10. Johann Tschopp (BMC) s.t.
11. John Gadret (Ag2r) s.t.
12. Mikel Nieve (Euskaltel) s.t.
13. Damiano Cunego (Lampre) s.t.
14. Sergio Pardilla (Movistar) s.t.
15. Gianluca Brambilla (Colnago-CSF) @ 1min 44sec
16. Marzio Bruseghin (Movistar) @ 2min 13sec
17. Paolo Tiralongo (Astana) @ 2min 47sec
18. Sergio Henao (Sky) s.t.
19. Dario Cataldo (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) s.t.
20. Francesco Failli (Farnese Vini) @ 2min 51sec
21. Hubert Dupont (Ag2r) @ 4min 21sec
22. Diego Ulissi (Lampre) @ 6min 11sec
23. Francis De Greef (Lotto-Belisol) @ 6min 53sec
24. Eros Capecchi (Liquigas) @ 8min 28sec
25. Amets Txurruka (Euskaltel) @ 8min 36sec
26. Fabio Felline (Androni Giocattoli) @ 9min 32sec
27. Sandy Casar (FDJ-Big Mat) @ 10min 12sec
28. Thomas Rohregger (Radio Shack-Nissan) s.t.
29. Andrey Amador (Movistar) s.t.
30. Roman Kreuziger (Astana) @ 11min 26sec
31. Sergey Lagutin (Vacansoleil) s.t.
32. Keven Seeldrayers (Astana) s.t.
33. Bart De Clercq (Lotto-Belisol) s.t.
34. Peter Stetina (Garmin-Belisol) s.t.
35. Branislau Samoilau (Movistar) s.t.
36. José Herrada (Movistar) s.t.
37. Tanel Kangert (Astana) @ 11min 41sec
38. Gustav Erik Larsson (Vacansoleil) @ 13min 59sec
39. Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Barracuda) @ 14min12sec
40. Juan Antonio Flecha (Sky) s.t.
41. José Rodolfo Serpa (Androni Giocattoli) s.t.
42. Ben Hermans (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 16min 40sec
43. Sylvester Szmyd (Liquigas) @ 20min 3sec
44. Damiano Caruso (Liquigas) s.t.
45. Ivan Velasco (Euskaltel) @ 21min 1sec
46. Tom Jelte Slagter (Rabobank) @ 23min 11sec
47. Alessandro Spexialetti (Lampre) @ 24min 54sec
48. Martijn Keizer (Vacansoleil) s.t.
49. Mathieu Perget (Ag2r) s.t.
50. Adriano Malori (Lampre) s.t.

GC after Stage 17:

1. Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) 74hr 46min 46sec
2. Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Barracuda) @ 30sec
3. Ivan Basso (Liquigas) @ 1min 22sec
4. Michele Scarponi (Lampre) @ 1min 36sec
5. Rigoberto Uran (Sky) @ 2min 56sec
6. Benat Intxausti (Sky) @ 3min 4sec
7. Domenico Pozzovivo (Colnago-CSF) @ 3min 19sec
8. Paolo Tiralongo (Astana) @ 4min 13sec
9. Thomas De Gendt (Vacansoleil) @ 4min 38sec
10. Sergio Henao (Sky) @ 4min 42sec
11. Johann Tschopp (BMC) @ 4min 46sec
12. John Gadret (Ag2r) s.t.
13. Daniel Moreno (Katusha) @ 4min 55sec
14. Dario Cataldo (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) @ 4min 59sec
15. Damiano Cunego (Lampre) @ 5min 7sec
16. Mikel Nieve (Euskaltel) @ 5min 42sec
17. Gianluca Brambilla (Colnago-CSF) @ 6min 29sec
18. Sergio PArdilla (Movistar) @ 6min 53sec
19. Sandy Casar (FDJ-Big Mat) @ 12min 25sec
20. Roman Kreuziger (Astana) @ 12min 53sec
21. Marzio Bruseghin (Movistar) @ 14min 38sec
22. Hubert Dupont (Ag2r) @ 14min 47sec
23. Diego Ulissi (Lampre) @ 16min 20sec
24. Francis De Greef (Lotto-Belisol) @ 17min 9sec
25. Sergey Lagutin (Vacansoleil) @ 22min 1sec
26. Gustav Erik Larsson (Vacansoleil) @ 23min 3sec
27. Eros Capecchi (Liquigas) @ 24min 5sec
28. Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Barracuda) @ 24min 37sec
29. Kevin Seeldrayers (Astana) @ 26min 23sec
30. Sylvester Sxmyd (Liquigas) @ 26min 38sec
31. Peter Stetina (Garmin-Barracuda) @ 31min 33sec
32. Damiano Caruso (Liquigas) @ 32min 17sec
33. Tom Jelte Slagter (Rabobank) @ 33min 59sec
34. José Herrada (Movistar) @ 25min 12sec
35. Tanel Kangert (Astana) @ 36min 56sec
36. Andrey Amador (Movistar) @ 41min 31sec
37. Jan Bakelants (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 46min 35sec
38. Bart De Clercq (Lotto-Belisol) @ 47min 2sec
39. Thomas Rohregger (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 48min 33sec
40. Emanuele Sella (Androni Giocattoli) @ 51min 5sec
41. Amets Txurruka (Euskaltel) @ 53min 55sec
42. Juan José Oroz (Euskaltel) @ 53min 57sec
43. Stefano Pirazzi (Colnago-CSF) @ 56min 12sec
44. Branislau Samoilau (Movistar) @ 59min 11sec
45. Juan Antonio Flecha (Sky) @ 1min 2min 16sec
46. Fabio Felline (Androni Giocattoli) @ 1hr 10min 59sec
47. Bartosz Huzarski (NetApp) @ 1hr 18min 35sec
48. Matteo Rabottini (Farnese Vini) @ 1hr 20min 53sec
49. Evgeni Petrov (Astana) @ 1hr 23min 24sec
50. Valerio Agnoli (Liquigas) @ 1hr 24min 48sec

Points Competition

1. Mark Cavendish (Sky) 110 points
2. Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha): 109
3. Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Barracuda): 72
4. Domenico Pozzovivo (Colnago-CSF): 63
5. Andrey Amador (Movistar): 52

Climbers' Competition

1. Matteo Rabottini (Farnese Vini): 65 points
2. Michal Golas (Omega Pharma-Quick Step): 34
3. Andrey Amador (Movistar): 28
4. Domenico Pozzovivo (Colnago-CSF): 24
5. Jan Barta (NetApp): 24

Young Rider

1. Rigoberto Uran (Sky) 74hr 49min 42sec
2. Sergio Henao (Sky) @ 1min 46sec
3. Gianluca Brambilla (Colnago-CSF) @ 3min 33sec
4. Diego Ulissi (Lampre) @ 13min 24sec
5. Peter Stetina (Garmin-Barracuda) @ 28min 37sec

Team GC:

1. Movistar: 223hr 11min 25sec
2. Lampre @ 12min 4sec
3. Astana @ 29min 28sec
4. Euskaltel @ 36min 38sec
5. Vacansoleil @ 39min 0sec

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Stage 17 map and profile

Stage 17 map

Stage 17 profile

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Stage 17 photos

I think this is the descent of the Staulanza

Scarponi leads the final six left in the front group up the Giau.

Euskaltel had ambitions for the day, but they came up empty.

Rodriguez never looked to be in trouble.

Paolo Tiralongo and Roman Kreuziger, however, had a a rough time today. Kreuziger came off the front group early on the Giau.

The scenery today was spectacular.

They're lined out on the descent.

Mikel Nieve's temporary escape put a scare into the peloton.

Despite this crash, Gustav Erik Larrson still finished 38th.

Rodriguez came from way back to easily win the sprint.

Rodriguez is looking ever more likely to be the man in pink in Milan

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