Back to 2012 Giro page | Stage 20 map and profile | Photos from Stage 20 |

Stage 20, May 26: Caldes/ Val di Sole - Passo dello Stelvio, 218 km

Major Ascents:

Passo del Tonale: 15.1 km, 6.1 average and 8% maximum gradient
Aprica: 15.9 km, 3.1% average, 9% maximum gradient
Teglio: 5.9 km, 8% average and 15% maximum gradient
Mortirolo: 11.4 km, 10.5% average and 22% maximum gradient
Passo dello Stelvio (Cima Coppi): 22.4 km, 6.9% average, 12% maximum gradient

The Race: As the race began ascending the south face of the Stelvio, a group of six were four minutes off the front of a peloton that had regrouped after the Mortirolo. From that front group Thomas de Gendt, then Mikel Nieve and Damiano Cunego took off. Back in a now reduced maglia rosa group, things slowed way down with no one willing to make a hard pace. Basso was toast and was in no position to help.

Garmin-Barracuda called Christian Vande Velde back from the break to help Ryder Hesjedal. After Vande Velde did a huge amount of work and swung off, Hesjedal took the reasonability of pacing his group. If De Gendt's growing lead weren't dealt with, De Gendt would be the new Giro leader. Up front, De Gendt was maintaining his lead, keeping Cunego a minute back. And that's how they finished, his lead being reduced only when the maglia rosa group began the final kilometers. De Gendt took a fabulous victory on the Giro's iconic climb.

With two kilometers to go, the exhausted riders in the Pink Jersey group started to get active. Scarponi took off and Hesjedal couldn't answer. Joaquin Rodriguez sat on Hesjedal's wheel for a bit, then jumped after Scarponi, passing him, getting fourth place and enough points to take the red sprinter's jersey from Mark Cavendish. Hesjedal rolled in two seconds after Scarponi, back to a half-minute behind Rodriguez in the GC. Tomorrow is the last stage, a time trial in Milan. Hesjedal is favored to gain enough time to win the 2012 Giro d'Italia.

Results :

1. Thomas de Gendt (Vacansoleil) 6hr 54min 51sec. 38.831 km/hr

2. Damiano Cunego (Lampre) @ 56sec
3. Mikel Nieve (Euskaltel) @ 2min 50sec
4. Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) @ 3min 22sec
5. Michele Scarponi (Lampre) @ 3min 34sec
6. Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Barracuda) @ 3min 36sec
7. John Gadret (Ag2r) @ 4min 29sec
8. Rigoberto Uran (Sky) @ 4min 53sec
9. Sergio Henao (Sky) @ 4min 55sec
10. Ivan Basso (Liquigas) s.t.
11. Domenico Pozzovivo (Colnago-CSF) @ 5min 39sec
12. Hubert Dupont (Ag2r) @ 5min 53sec
13. Ben Hermans (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 7min 58sec
14. Gianluca Brambilla (Colnago-CSF) @ 8min 32se3c
15. Roman Kreuziger (Astana) @ 9min 10sec
16. Dario Cataldo (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) @ 9min 17sec
17. Johann Tschopp (BMC) @ 9min 38sec
18. Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Barracuda) @ 11min 0sec
19. Andrey Amador (Movistr) s.t.
20. Marzio Bruseghin (Movistar) @ 11min 35sec
21. Jan Bakelants (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 12min 6sec
22. Francis De Greef (Lotto-Belisol) @ 13min 16sec
23. Tanel Kangert (Astana) @ 14min 4sec
24. Damiano Caruso (Liquigas) @ 14min 4sec
25. Serge Pauwels (Omega Pharma-Quick step) @ 16min 18sec
26. Fabio Felline (Androni Giocattoli) @ 16min 24sec
27. Miguel Angel Rubiano (Androni Giocattoli) @ 16min 27sec
28. Thomas Rohregger (Radio shack-Nissan) @ 16min 39sec
29. Mathieu Perget (Ag2r) @ 17min 2sec
30. Juan Antonio Flecha (Sky) @ 17min 46sec
31. Peter Stetina (Garmin-Barracuda) @ 18min 11sec
32. Sylvester Szmyd (Liquigas) @ 19min 34sec
33. Sergio Pardilla (Movistar) s.t.
34. Diego Ulussi (Lampre) @ 20min 9sec
35. Enrico Gasparotto (Astana) @ 20min 42sec
36. Amets Txurruka (Euskaltel) @ 21min 27sec
37. Jon Izaguirre (Euskaltel) s.t.
38. Paolo Tialongo (Astana) @ 22min 5sec
39. Tom Jelte Slagter (Rabobank) @ 22min 17sec
40. Oliver Zaugg (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 22min 50sec
41. Ben Gastauer (Ag2r) @ 25min 55sec
42. Guillaume Bonnafond (Ag2r) s.t.
43. Geoggrey Soupe (FDJ-Big Mat) @ 28min 23sec
44. Daniel Moreno (Katusha) @ 30min 53sec
45. José Rodolfo Serpa (Androni Giocattoli) @ 35min 59sec
46. Mathias Frank (BMC) @ 36min 8sec
47. Adam Hansen (Lotto-Belisol) @ 36min 31sec
48. Matteo Carrara (Vacansoleil) @ 36min 37sec
49. Alberto Losada (Katusha) s.t.
50. Matteo Bono (Lampre) s.t.

GC after Stage 20:

1. Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) 91hr 4min 16sec
2. Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Barrcuda) @ 31sec
3. Michele Scarponi (Lampre) @ 1min 51sec
4. Thomas De Gendt (Vacansoleil) @ 2min 18sec
5. Ivan Basso (Liquigas) @ 3min 18sec
6. Damiano Cunego (Lampre) @ 3min 43sec
7. Rigobeto Uran (Sky) @ 4min 52sec
8. Domenico Pozzovivo (Colnago-CSF) @ 5min 47sec
9. Mikel Nieve (Euskaltel) @ 5min 56sec
10. John Gadret (Ag2r) @ 6min 53sec
11. Sergio Henao (Sky) @ 7min 20sec
12. Dario Cataldo (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) @ 12min 14sec
13. Johann Tschopp (BMC) @ 12min 34sec
14. Gianluca Brambilla (Colnago-CSF) @ 13min 28sec
15. Roman Kreuziger (Astana) @ 18min 9sec
16. Hubert Dupont (Ag2r) @ 19min 2sec
17. Marzio Bruseghin (Movistar) @ 24min 32sec
18. Sergio Pardilla (Movistar) @ 26min 47sec
19. Francis De Greef (Lotto-Belisol) @ 33min 33sec
20. Daniel Moreno (Katusha) @ 34min 12sec
21. Diego Ulissi (Lampre) @ 35min 59sec
22. Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Barracuda) @ 38min 27sec
23. Paolo Tiralongo (Astana) @ 40min 15sec
24. Damiano Caruso (Liquigas) @ 48min 0sec
25. Sandy Casar (FDJ) @ 49min 42sec
26. Tanel Kangert (Astana) @ 50min 16sec
27. Peter Stetina (Garmin-Barracuda) @ 52min 1sec
28. Sylvester Szmyd (Liquigas) @ 52min 36sec
29. Andrey Amador (Movistar) @ 53min 38sec
30. Tom Jelte Slagter (Rabobank) @ 56min 53sec
31. Thomas Rohregger (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 1hr 4min 6sec
32. Sergey Lagutin (Vacansoleil) @ 1hr 9min 50sec
33. Kevin Seeldrayers (Astana) @ 1hr 15min 55sec
34. Jan Bakelants (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 1hr 19min 18sec
35. Juan Antonio Flecha (Sky) @ 1hr 24min 33sec
36. Gustav Erik Larsson (Vacansoleil) @ 1hr 24min 57sec
37. Eros Capecchi (Liquigas) @ 1hr 25min 22sec
38. Benat Intxausti (Movistar) @ 1hr 25min 52sec
39. Przemyslaw Niemiec (Lampre) @ 1hr 31min 2sec
40. Bart De Clercq (Lotto-Belisol) @ 1hr 32min 33sec
41. Amets Txurruka (Euskaltel) @ 1hr 32min 38sec
42. José Herrada (Movistar) @ 1hr 36min 3sec
43. Marco Pinotti (BMC) @ 1hr 36min 17sec
44. Branislau Samoilau (Movistar) @ 1hr 37min 20sec
45. Emanuele Sella (Androni Giocattoli) @ 1hr 37min 25sec
46. Stefano Pirazzi (Colnago-CSF) @ 1hr 39min 40sec
47. Serge Pauwels (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) @ 1hr 42min 2sec
48. Jon Iziaguirre (Euskaltel) @ 1hr 47min 21sec
49. Jackson Rodriguez (Androni Giocattoli) @ 1hr 51min 28sec
50. Juan José Oroz (Euskaltel) @ 1hr 57min 13sec

Points Competition

1. Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha): 139 points
2. Mark Cavendish (Sky): 138
3. Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Barracuda): 103
4. Michele Scarponi (Lampre): 81
5. Domenico Pozzovivo (Colnago-CSF): 80

Climbers' Competition

1. Matteo Rabottini (Farnese Vini): 84 points
2. Stefano Pirazzi (Colnago-CSF): 44
3. Andrey Amador (Movistar): 43
4. Michal Golas (Omega Pharma-Quick Step): 34
5. Domenico Pozzovivo (Colnago-CSF): 26

Young Rider

1. Rigoberto Uran (Sky) 91hr 9min 8sec
2. Sergio Henao (Sky) @ 2min 29sec
3. Gianluca Brambilla (Colnago-CSF) @ 8min 36sec
4. Diego Ulissi (Lampre) @ 31min 7sec
5. Damiano Caruso (Liquigas) @ 43min 8sec

Team GC:

1. Lampre: 272hr 34min 29sec
2. Movistr @ 8min 53sec
3. Sky @ 38min 53sec
4. Astana @ 41min 53sec
5. Euskaltel @ 51min 44sec

---

Stage 20 map and profile

Stage 20 map

Stage 20 profile

---

Stage 20 photos

Thomas De Gendt makes his way up the Stelvio.

Michele has finally attacked near the top.

Ryder Hesjedal works to limit the damge with Joaquin Rodriguez on his wheel.

Damiano Cunego was a minute behind De Gendt.

Mikel Nieve was chasing Cunego, but well ahead of the Hesjedal group.

Hesjdeal tried to drop Rodriguez

But not today. Rodriguez dropped Hesjedal and went past Scarponi.

Thre's the summit. You can turn left and go to Switzerland via the Umbrial Pass or keep going down the Stelvio's 48 switchbacks. Last time I rode it, the Umbrial was still unpaved.

Thomas De Gendt takes a well-earned victory

Cunego comes in a minute later.

Joaquin Rodriguez sand the gap to Hesjedal back to 31 seconds and takes the red points jersey from Cavendish.

Scarponi looks back to see if he inflicted any damage of Hesjedal. Probably not enough.

John Gadret attacked several times on the stelvio, but didn't quite have enough horsepower to make them stick.

Who will be wearing the maglia rosa tomorrow afternoon, after the time trial.

---