Menchov wins 2009 Giro; Wiggins second in final TT

Denis Menchov has won the 2009 Giro d'Italia today after a nail-biting final individual time trial stage in Rome.

The Russian Rabobank rider clocked 19-06 to come 10th on the twisting 14.4km (8.95 mile) course and secure the overall win. But it wasn't without a spirited fight by Danilo Di Luca (LPR Brakes), who threw his bike around Rome in a last ditch attempt to overthrow Menchov's lead.

At the start of the day, race leader Menchov had a 20 second advantage over his main rival Di Luca. Di Luca - the weaker of the two in time trials - had already conceded defeat at the end of stage 20, but this appeared to be a ruse as he rocketed out of the start house.

Di Luca posted the fastest time of the day at the first checkpoint, perhaps in an attempt to panic Menchov into taking risks. By the second checkpoint, Di Luca had slowed and by the finish he posted 19-27. The gamble looked like it had failed to pay off.

Out on the course, Menchov was posting good times at the intermediate checks and had gained time on Di Luca by the third checkpoint. Then disaster struck - he crashed within the final kilometre, sliding along the road for 20 metres. Thanks to a quick bike change by the Rabobank mechanic in the following car, he quickly remounted, but the clock was ticking.

Di Luca was watching at the finish, sweating for every second passing on the clock. A muddied and torn Menchov composed himself to accelerate to the finish and deny Di Luca the win. It couldn't have been closer. After 86 hours of racing, Menchov beat his big rival by just 41 seconds.

Ignatas Konovalovas (Cervelo) won the stage after setting the fastest time of 18-42 early in the day. Britain's Bradley Wiggins (Garmin-Slipstream) finished in second place, just one second behind Konovalovas with 18-43. Only five riders finished under the 19 minute mark.

Bad luck for Wiggins

Bradley Wiggins had targeted this final stage as one he could win and went out at full gas.

Everything seemed to be going to plan, as Wiggins set the fastest times at the second and third checkpoints. Luck wasn't on his side, as the heavens temporarily opened making the course slippery and slowing the Garmin man's progress.

Just as Wiggins was approaching the Coliseum, Matthieu Sprick (Bbox-Bouyges Telecom) fell in front of him, slowing him further. By the finish, Wiggins had fallen one agonising second short of the top time set by Lithuanian time trial champion Konovalovas.

With another shower slowing the progress of later riders, Wiggins and Konovalovas's time stood, but the Briton must be cursing his bad luck after losing the final stage by such a slim margin.

Di Luca: "Menchov deserved to win"

Danilo Di Luca stood in silence as he watched Denis Menchov get back up after his crash, ride to the finish and win the Giro.

“I risked it on the corners on my road bike but I didn’t have the legs in the finale. I can only congratulate Menchov. He deserved to win.”

After crossing the line and sealing victory in the Giro, Menchov punched the air and let out all the adrenaline that must have been pumping through his body after his spill in the final kilometre.

“I’m really happy. This is a the biggest win of my life. I was told that I had 31 seconds and didn’t have to risk it. I just had to bring it home,” he said.

Another controversial stage

If the winding, narrow course wasn't technical enough, a short rain storm rendered it treacherous. Cobbled sections in particular turned to ice, with several riders slipping on the surface - not least race winner Menchov. Even the tarmac sections were littered with bumps and potholes.

Many riders not in the hunt for stage victory or hoping to improve their overall classification placing took it very easy, some electing to use standard road bikes. After three weeks of racing, it wasn't worth taking any risks.

For some riders and teams it was the final straw. Astana directeur sportif Johan Bruyneel drove around the course before the start, and even before the effects of rain, he branded it "a joke. Ridiculous". It's been a controversial Giro - the other showcase city centre stage, a criterium around Milan, turned into farce as the riders staged a go-slow protest.

RESULTS
Stage 21: Rome individual time trial, 14.4km
1. Ignatas Konovalovas (Lithuania) Cervelo in 18-42

2. Bradley Wiggins (GB) Garmin-Slipstream at 1sec

3. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Norway) Columbia-Highroad at 7sec

4. Yaroslav Popovych (Ukraine) Astana at 11sec

5. Marzio Bruseghin (Italy) Lampre at 16sec

6. Giovanni Visconti (Italy) ISD at 18sec

7. Dries Devenyns (Belgium) Quick Step at 20sec

8. Maarten Tjallingii (Netherlands) Rabobank at 21sec

9. Stefano Garzelli (Italy) Acqua & Sapone at 23sec

10. Denis Menchov (Russia) Rabobank at 24sec

Other

16. Danilo Di Luca (Italy) LPR Brakes at 45sec

29. Ian Stannard (GB) ISD at 54sec

32. Chris Froome (GB) Barloworld at 1-00

40. Daniel Lloyd (GB) Cervelo at 1-05

53. Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana at 1-19

63. Charly Wegelius (GB) Silence-Lotto at 1-24

74. Jeremy Hunt (GB) Cervelo at 1-32

165. Ben Swift (GB) Katusha at 3-53

Final overall classification
1. Denis Menchov (Russia) Rabobank in 86-03-11

2. Danilo Di Luca (Italy) LPR Brakes at 41sec

3. Franco Pellizotti (Italy) Liquigas at 1-59

4. Carlos Sastre (Spain) Cervelo at 3-46

5. Ivan Basso (Italy) Liquigas at 3-59

6. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana at 5-28

7. Stefano Garzelli (Italy) Acqua & Sapone at 8-43

8. Michael Rogers (Australia) Columbi -Highroad at 10-01

9. Tadej Valjavec (Slovakia) AG2R La Mondiale at 11-13

10. Marzio Bruseghin (Italy) Lampre at 11-28

11. David Arroyo (Spain) Caisse d'Epargne at 12-50

12. Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana at 15-59

13. Jose Serpa (Colombia) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni at 16-11

14. Kevin Seeldrayers (Belgium) Quick Step at 16-15

15. Yaroslav Popvych (Ukraine) Astana at 16-15

Other

36. Chris Froome (GB) Barloworld at 1-15-21

71. Bradley Wiggins (GB) Garmin-Slipstream at 2-20-09

105. Charly Wegelius (GB) Silence-Lotto at 3-08-25

114. Daniel Lloyd (GB) Cervelo at 3-22-15

132. Ben Swift (GB) Katusha at 3-45-35

150. Jeremy Hunt (GB) Cervelo at 4-08-52

160. Ian Stannard (GB) ISD at 4-18-47

Sprints classification
1. Danilo Di Luca (Italy) LPR Brakes

23. Ben Swift (GB) Katusha

Mountains classification
1. Stefano Garzelli (Italy) Acqua & Sapone

36. Chris Froome (GB) Barloworld

Best young rider classification
1. Kevin Seeldrayers (Belgium) Quick Step

7. Chris Froome (GB) Barloworld

Bradley Wiggins - second on the stage, just a second away from victory

Ignatas Konovalovas celebrates winning in Rome

Final podium (l-r): Danilo Di Luca (second), Denis Menchov (winner) and Franco Pellizotti (third)

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Stage reports

Stage 20: Gilbert springs late attack to win penultimate stage

Stage 19: Sastre takes second Giro mountain stage; Menchov safe in pink

Stage 18: Second Giro stage win for Scarponi

Stage 17: Pellizotti wins on Blockhaus, Menchov remains in pink

Giro rest day review (May 26)

Stage 16: Sastre wins stage to Monte Petrano

Stage 15: Bertagnolli gifted stage win by Cervelo mix-up

Stage 14: Gerrans solos to win

Stage 13: Cavendish takes his third Giro win and prepares to head home

Stage 12: Menchov storms to Giro TT win and race lead

Stage 11: Cavendish romps to second Giro stage win

Stage 10: Di Luca lays down the gauntlet

Giro rest day review (May 18)

Stage nine: Cavendish blitzes rivals to win in Milan

Stage eight: Siutsou makes it two in a row for Columbia-Highroad

Stage seven: Boasson Hagen takes treacherous stage

Stage six: Scarponi wins longest stage with big break

Stage five: Menchov wins mountain battle as Di Luca grabs the pink jersey

Stage four: Di Luca denies Soler on the line; Lovkvist takes pink jersey

Stage three: Cavendish loses pink jersey after being caught behind late crash

Stage two: Petacchi denies Cavendish the stage win

Stage one: Cavendish in pink as Columbia prove their point to Garmin

Photo galleries

Stage 20 photo gallery

Stage 19 photo gallery

Stage 18 photo gallery

Stage 17 photo gallery

Stage 16 photo gallery

Stage 15 photo gallery

Stage 14 photo gallery

Stage 13 photo gallery

Stage 12 photo gallery

Stage 11 photo gallery

Stage 10 photo gallery

Stage nine photo gallery

Stage eight photo gallery

Stage seven photo gallery

Stage six photo gallery

Stage five photo gallery

Stage four photo gallery

Stage three photo gallery

Stage two photo gallery

Stage one photo gallery

Desktop wallpaper photos

News

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Menchov refuses to celebrate Giro success before final time trial

Di Luca accepts Giro defeat

Di Luca still hoping to snatch Giro lead from Menchov

Wiggins getting ready for final Giro TT

Menchov brushes off boos and doping questions after the Blockhaus

Di Luca promises to fight to the end of the Giro

Garmin at the Giro: And then there were five

Stannard sees Rome after birthday pain

Di Luca out to topple Menchov on the Blockhaus

Bruyneel tips Menchov to win Giro

Giro Britannia: A long, hot slog in Italy

Leipheimer: Lance had to wait for me today (Stage 16)

Millar climbs off and heads home from Giro

Basso discovers he has few friends at the Giro (stage 15)

Froome agonisingly close to stage victory (stage 14)

Cavendish quits the Giro d'Italia

Cheeky Cipo sneaks a ride in the Giro

Cavendish: His most important Giro win yet (stage 13)

Comment: Lance vs the press, some things never change

Menchov's first pink jersey (Stage 12)

Wiggins: 'I went too hard at the start' (Stage 12 TT)

Lance and Levi: Ready for Giro time trial

Cavendish: 'Today brought back memories of San Remo' (stage 11)

Is Di Luca trying too hard, too soon?

Wiggins loses time in the Giro (stage 10)

Armstrong and Basso say sorry for Giro protest

How are the Giro favourites doing?

Cavendish says 'I'm addicted to winning'

Riders stage go-slow protest during Giro stage in Milan

Cavendish cool before Milan sprint

No sympathy for Armstrong from Giro boss

Boasson Hagen celebrates his birthday early

Cavendish overjoyed for Boasson Hagen

Armstrong 'livid' at dangerous Giro stage

Astana riders wear faded kit in protest over unpaid wages

Armstrong sees Leipheimer in pink

Giro news round-up: 14 May

Wiggins: 'I can't keep smashing away on the climbs'

Wiggins eyes top 20 finish overall

Armstrong after Giro stage 5: 'That was hard'

Cavendish looking for Giro revenge

Armstrong happy with stage four performance

Lovkvist will fight to keep Giro lead

Giro could be last race for Armstrong's team

Vande Velde crashes out of Giro

Petacchi claims he didn't know of Cavendish crash

Cavendish struggles to find consolation in pink jersey

Petacchi: I've been working out how to beat Cav

I'm wearing pink on behalf of the team, says Cavendish

Wiggins ready to win Giro team time trial

Friday, May 8: Giro news round-up

Cavendish out to topple Garmin in Giro team time trial

Team time trial start times

Cycling Weekly's Giro d'Italia top ten prediction

Brits in Venice for Giro presentation

Armstrong overshadows overall favourites at Giro presentation

Armstrong confident of finding new sponsor for Astana

Armstrong working to save Astana team

Wiggins in top form for Giro

Garmin Slipstream kitted out for Giro opener

Dan Lloyd gets late Giro call-up

Armstrong's special Giro bikes unveiled

Daniel Lloyd overlooked for Giro ride

Cummings and Thomas not selected for Giro d'Italia

Cavendish tests Giro form at Tour of Romandie

David Millar confirms he's riding in 2009 Giro

Bennati to take on Cavendish in Giro 2009 sprints

2009 Giro d'Italia to start in Venice

Evans and Silence-Lotto disagree on Giro 2009 ride

Armstrong to ride 2009 Giro

Tuttosport reveals 2009 Giro d'Italia route

Dolce & Gabbana design new Giro jersey

2009 Giro d'Italia guide and features

Find the pink jersey competition

Giro d'Italia 2009: The Big Preview

British riders to have led the grand tours

CW's Giro top ten prediction

Brits in the Giro 2009

Brits in the Tours: From Robinson to Cavendish

CW Classic: the 1987 Giro d'Italia

2008 Giro d'Italia archive

Giro d'Italia 2008 coverage index - race reports, photos, results

From rule Britannia to cruel Britannia

Giro 2008: The final word on this year's race

Brits at the 2008 Giro: photo special

Five days to go, what's in store?

Giro d'Italia 2008: Rest day review (May 27)

Giro d'Italia 2008: Rest day review (May 19)

Giro d'Italia 2008 preview

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