CyclingRevealed's Giro Perspective
Tappa 15, May 23rd, Livigno to Lissone, 157 km (weather shortened 207 km)
A Soggy Festival of Speed
The flat Stage 15, near Milan, promised a speed festival for the weary sprinter who survived the Dolomites.
The race route was originally scheduled to start in Livigno and climb the Forcola di Livigno early in the stage, but severe weather at the top of the Forcola forced the officials to move the start to Villa di Tirano, located 50 km down the road. For reasons of safety the organizers also neutralized the two finishing circuits in Lissone. The time for the general classification would be given at the start of the closing laps.
Rabobank’s Roy Sentjens attacked and opened a 2’50” lead before Fassa Bortolo's silver train eliminated the breakaway. After the long breakaway Fassa's lead-out train put Alessandro Petacchi in prime position to take an easy win ahead of T-Mobile’s Erik Zabel and Olympic champion Paolo Bettini (Quick Step).
Stage winner Petacchi ahead of Zabel and Bettini [ Image ©: www.gazzetta.it ]
Alessandro Petacchi said after the race, "Today the train worked well, but the roads were slippery with the rain, so I thank my team."
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