Monday, 14 May 2012

Movistar Ventoso Wins Stage 8



Movistar rider Francisco Ventoso claimed victory on stage nine of the Giro d'Italia after a pile-up in the final corner took out several of his sprint rivals.

The Spaniard avoided a crash that ended the hopes of Team Sky's Mark Cavendish and Matthew Goss (Orica-GreenEDGE) on a tight left-hander with less than 500 metres to go in the finish town of Frosinone.

With the carnage behind him, Ventoso timed his sprint well and held on to take the win, with Fabio Felline (Androni-Venezuela) and Giacomo Nizzolo (RadioShack-Nissan) trailing him home in second and third respectively.

Cavendish was brought down in a bunch sprint for the second time in this year's race after he was powerless to avoid a crash that started with Filippo Pozzato (Farnese Vini) running into the back of Goss.

The Team Sky rider touched the tarmac in a much tamer fashion that he did on the end of stage three, but was still left frustrated as his bid for a third victory of the race was taken away from him.

Earlier in the day Pierre Cazaux (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Brian Bulgac (Lotto-Belisol) and Martijn Keizer (Vacansoleil-DCM) formed the day's breakaway as the peloton travelled 166km out of San Giorgio del Sannio.

Team Sky and FDJ-BigMat controlled matters at the front of the main group, meaning the trio up the road never had a realistic chance of staying away to the finish.

Keizer eventually dropped his companions and opted to go it alone but could not stop the group from reeling him in with 16km to go.

Before the catch had been made, Cavendish sprinted out of the peloton to take second place in the intermediate sprint in Ceprano to reduce his gap to Goss in the maglia rossa standings.

Several riders, including overall contender Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha), then tried to get away on a series of hills that led into the finish, but it all eventually came back together for a group sprint.

Goss was positioned well in the last kilometre with Cavendish slightly further back, but the crash allowed Ventoso to snatch the win.

Garmin-Barracuda's Ryder Hesjedal retained the overall lead after staying out of trouble and coming home seventh.

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