Sastre takes second Giro mountain stage; Menchov safe in pink

Giro d'Italia 2009 stage 19 photo gallery, by Graham Watson>>

Carlos Sastre (Cervelo) set the roads of the Giro d'Italia alight, providing an explosive finale to stage 19 up the legendary Vesuvius volcano.

In a virtual carbon copy of stage 16 which he won in similar style on Monte Petrano, Sastre launched a solo attack on the day's big climb, leaving the sparring duo of race leader Denis Menchov (Rabobank) and Danilo Di Luca (LPR Brakes) to indulge in their own scrap behind him.

It was crunch time for the Di Luca - today represented the last chance for him to claw back some time from race leader Menchov ahead of Sunday's final individual time trial in Rome. Being a weaker rider against the clock than Menchov, Di Luca reckoned he needed a minute in hand before Sunday to stand a chance of winning the 2009 race.

Starting the day 26 seconds adrift of Menchov in the overall classification, Di Luca was out to get every second he could - including a time bonus at the finish. Menchov knew he'd be in for a fight, and openly admitted - or should that be taunted - that he'd been studying the final Vesuvius climb carefully.

In the event, despite attacking repeatedly Di Luca could not shake off Menchov but he did gain a valuable bonus for his third place to cut his deficit to just 18 seconds. Unless the diminutive Italian miraculously gains more time tomorrow and then rides the time trial of his life on Sunday, the 2009 race belongs to Menchov.

UP POMPEII

Earlier in the stage, Mauro Facci (Quick Step) and Yuriy Krivtsov (Ag2r) faced a long, hot and lonely slog after escaping from the bunch after 16 kilometres. The peloton, driven by Di Luca's LPR Brakes' henchmen, kept the time gap in check.

With temperatures again touching 40 degrees centigrade, the weather provided as much of an obstacle as the 13 kilometre climb up Vesuvius. The escape duo saw their lead melt away on the baking roads, and were cruelly reeled in just as they reached the final climb.

As the peloton edged towards the base of Vesuvius, the big guns started to mass ominously at the front of the bunch. Everyone seemed to have an agenda.

Liquigas muscled to the front first, winding up the pace for Franco Pellizotti and Ivan Basso. Several attacks went up the road, but no one took much notice until Basso had a dig.

Then Carlos Satre (Cervelo), who had appeared to lose touch with the leaders, launched past the maglia rosa group and caught Basso. Stage 16 winner Sastre set the pace, with Basso clinging to his wheel and the two opened up a gap.

With five kilometres to go, Sastre put his foot on the accelerator and left Basso. Behind, the leaders group containing Pellizotti, Di Luca, Menchov and Levi Leipheimer (Astana) were occupied in their own battle of wits.

Di Luca kept attacking, but each time he moved he would look around to see the pink-clad Russian on his wheel. Pellizotti too, kept testing his companions on the climb - but he had a bigger worry in the shape of Sastre. Basso held back to help team-mate Pellozotti in an attempt to keep his third place overall from the grasp of Spaniard.

Sastre took the stage win unchallenged, but his effort didn't reward him with enough of a time gap over Pellizotti, second on the stage, to jump up to third overall. But it did see him usurp Basso in fourth.

Di Luca tried over and over to ditch Menchov, but could not lose him and the pair crossed the line in third and fourth. Basso came in fifth, with Leipheimer having a better day in the mountains to take sixth.

FINAL ROAD STAGE TOMORROW

Tomorrow's stage 20 will give the overall contenders a chance to rest up a little before Sunday's final time trial. It's a relatively flat 203km stage from Napoli to Anagni that features on nasty little climb about 20km from the finish.

Will Di Luca launch a late attack to try and gain more time on Menchov? Or will the remaining sprinters bring it together for one last bunch finish? Anything could happen.

RESULTS
Stage 19: Avellino - Vesuvio, 164km
1. Carlos Sastre (Spain) Cervelo

2. Franco Pellizotti (Italy) Liquigas at 21sec

3. Danilo Di Luca (Italy) LPR Brakes at 30sec

4. Denis Menchov (Russia) Rabobank at same time

5. Ivan Basso (Italy) Liquigas at 35sec

6. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana at 53sec

7. Tadej Valjavec (Slovakia) Ag2r at 1-14

8. Serge Pauwels (Belgium) Cervelo at 1-15

9. Jose Serpa (Colombia) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni at same time

10. Stefano Garzelli (Italy) Acqua & Sapone at same time

Other

16. Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana at 1-42

79. Daniel Lloyd (GB) Cervelo at 13-09

130. Chris Froome (GB) Barloworld at 17-11

133. Ben Swift (GB) Katusha at 17-11

136. Charly Wegelius (GB) Silence-Lotto at 17-11

145. Ian Stannard (GB) ISD at 17-11

158. Bradley Wiggins (GB) Garmin-Slipstream at 17-11

160. Jeremy Hunt (GB) Cervelo at 17-11

Overall classification after stage 19
1. Denis Menchov (Russia) Rabobank

2. Danilo Di Luca (Italy) LPR Brakes at 18sec

3. Franco Pellizotti (Italy) Liquigas at 1-39

4. Carlos Sastre (Spain) Cervelo at 2-40

5. Ivan Basso (Italy) Liquigas at 3-33

6. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana at 4-55

7. Stefano Garzelli (Italy) Acqua & Sapone at 8-48

8. Michael Rogers (Australia) Columbia-Highroad at 9-32

9. Tadej Valjavec (Slovakia) Ag2r at 10-42

10. Marzio Bruseghin (Italy) Lampre at 11-32

Other

36. Chris Froome (GB) Barloworld at 1-14-41

69. Bradley Wiggins (GB) Garmin-Slipstream at 2-12-40

British riders Bradley Wiggins and Jeremy Hunt

Lance Armstrong and Levi Leipheimer

Stage 19 scenery

Carlos Sastre goes on the attack with his trademark grimace

Giro d'Italia stage 19 preview>>

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Stage reports

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 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

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