Menchov wins the Giro d'Italia, despite fall in the
last kilometer 
Armstrong finished at 12th position
It's safe to say that the usually
stoic Menchov had a bit of an adrenaline rush at the finish.
Race leader Denis Menchov won the Giro d’Italia on Sunday
despite suffering a fall in the last kilometer of the final stage,
a 14.4km time trial through Rome. Menchov, now the third Russian
to win the Giro, added the title to his two Vuelta a España
victories in 2005 and 2007. The 31-year-old Menchov beat 2007 Giro champion Danilo Di Luca
(LPR) by 41 seconds over the course of the three-week tour, with
Liquigas’ Franco Pellizzoti rounding off the podium finishers
a further 1:18 adrift.
Lithuanian Ignatas Konovalovas (Cervélo) team won the final
stage in a time of 18:42 with Bradley Wiggins (Garmin-Slipstream)
only a second back and Columbia’s Edvald Boasson Hagen in
third.
Menchov finished 10th on the stage with Di Luca 16th.
The Russian had a 20sec lead coming into the final day in one
of the closest ever finishes to a Giro, in its centenary year.
Di
Luca briefly looked to be on the brink of a famous victory when
he got to the first time-check fastest of all and 5 seconds up
on Menchov. But the LPR rider had blasted out too fast, gradually
fading from there and he was 14 seconds down on Menchov at
the next time check.
When he came over the line, Di Luca had lost
45 seconds to Konovalovas whereas Menchov, who had won the 12th
stage time trial to take
over the maglia rosa jersey, was getting stronger.
|
A
perfect excuse to throw around an oval ball, run after each other,
work in a sweat, burn some calories and then enjoy a beer in Rome
is Touch Rugby Roma. Formed by an Italian rugby lover the group
is based on the simple pillars of rugby, social involvement and
heaps of fun.
