2010 Giro d'Italia - Part 3: Getting You Up To Speed With Speed...

After our first stage win, naturally the goal was to get another one and stage 5 was almost it. In fact, it couldn't have been any closer. Had some of the other teams chipped in then we would've caught the 3-man break that eluded us by three seconds in the finish.

Tyler wrapped up the bunch sprint no problem but only ended up 4th which was a bummer for us all. Anyway, we just had to be content with the fact that we did all we could and it was just a bit unfortunate that we didn't get as much help as we should have from other teams in the chase.

I felt pretty good in the final but coming into the last corner, which was a tight right-hander, I had positioned myself on the outside. As usual there are always those who choose to risk more than others and as I slowed for the corner a bunch of guys who chose to come into the corner at lightning speed, cut through underneath me and then locked up their brakes to make the corner. Of course I got quacked and lost position, although by then it didn't really matter. Tyler managed to come out of the corner fine and he was in a great spot from which to start his sprint.

Stage 6 finished in the home town of Italian sprinter, Petacchi. You would've thought the finish would've been tailor-made for him but the run into Carrara looked pretty difficult in the book and indeed proved too hard for most sprinters, including the local hero. It was all in all a hard day, raced full gas from the gun and the final two climbs with 40km to go saw the race explode as the peloton tried to bring back the two breakaway riders in a bid for any sprinters who were able to make it over the climbs to contend the final sprint.

It never happened though with most sprinters getting dropped on the climbs and the chase losing steam over the final kilometres. The break held off the peloton for a second day in a row. The win went to affable Aussie rider, Matt Lloyd, so it was nice that a guy who is so often doing everything for others gets to stand on the podium himself for a change.

Julz

The whole team here at Roadcycling.com wishes you and the rest of Team Garmin-Transitions great success in the 2010 Giro Julz! Burn rubber!

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