Manxman Ups The Score – Stage 11 Giro d’Italia Centoanni

On paper, Stage 11 of the 100th Giro d’Italia looked to be your classic transition stage; a day where those in General Classification contention would be motivated to stay clean and upright, and where either sprinters’ teams would look to move forward or a long and protracted breakaway might occur. In actuality, we got all three.

The sponsors of the Spanish based continental team, Xacobeo-Galicia, had something to be proud of as three of their riders animated the day's events. Gustavo Cesar Veloso would make the initial selection of the day, a breakaway at the 65km mark with Cameron Meyer (Garmin - Slipstream), Dmytro Grabovskyy (ISD) and Alessandro Donati (Acqua & Sapone), but a fairly attentive peloton would reel them in before lunch.

Xacobeo teammate, Vladimir Isaichev, would be the next to go off the front with a solo effort. Although the Russian would build a substantial lead of approximately 8 minutes, he would suffer the same fate as his predecessors.

The final Xacobeo-Galicia rider to throw caution to the wind was Marcos Garcia, who was quickly swallowed up by the highly motivated peloton at that juncture of the race.

Untimately, Mark Cavendish (Team Columbia – Highroad) took the stage ahead of the ever-improving Tyler Farrar (Team Garmin – Slipstream) and Alessandro Petacchi (LPR Brakes – Farnese Vini. Cavendish’s win ups his personal tally to two, while giving his team its 5th win during this historic Giro d’Italia.

Results
1. Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team Columbia - Highroad
2. Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin - Slipstream
3. Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) LPR Brakes - Farnese Vini

General Classification After Stage 11
1. Danilo Di Luca (Ita) LPR Brakes - Farnese Vini
2. Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank
3. Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Columbia - Highroad
4. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana
5. Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas
6. Carlos Sastre (Spa) Cervelo Test Team
7. Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas
8. Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Team Columbia - Highroad
9. David Arroyo (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
10. Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli

Next: Stage 12 - Individual Time Trial; Sestri Levante - Riomaggiore, 60.6km
Can the time Danilo DiLuca has banked in the first week of the 100th Giro d'Italia hold up to the first onslaught by the time trialists? Time, quite literally, will tell.