Gerrans solos to Giro stage 14 win

Simon Gerrans Giro 2009 stage 14

published 23 May 2009

Giro d'Italia 2009 stage 14 photo gallery, by Graham Watson>>

Simon Gerrans (Cervelo) has won today's Giro d'Italia stage 14 in Bologna after launching a perfectly-timed attack from a successful breakaway group.

Gerrans was part of an early 14-man break that managed to evade the clutches of the peloton to the finish in Bologna. It's the Aussie rider's second grand tour stage win after grabbing a stage of the Tour de France last year.

One notable absentee from the start line today was yesterday's stage winner, British sprint powerhouse Mark Cavendish (Columbia-Highroad). Columbia has elected to pull Cavendish out of the race as it hits the mountains again. Having won three stages and been the first Briton to ever wear the maglia rosa after Columbia's win in the opening team time trial, Cavendish has exceeded expectations. Job done.

Cavendish will now focus on preparing for the Tour de France. Last year, Cavendish notched up four Tour stage wins before leaving France to prepare for the Olympic Games in Beijing. In the event, Cavendish left China with no medals and a bitter taste in his mouth. There will be no such distractions for the 24-year-old Manxman this year, and his aim is to finish the Tour with as many stage wins as he can muster - and perhaps with the green jersey on his back.

Cavendish's key sprint lead-out man Mark Renshaw also quit the Giro last night. For many squads, having two riders drop out on the same day would leave them weakened, but it's proof of Columbia's strength in depth that stage winners Edvald Boasson Hagen and Kanstantsin Siutsou, former race leader Thomas Lovkvist and overall hopeful Michael Rogers - currently sixth in the GC - are all still present and correct.

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Giro d'Italia 2009 links

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Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, an exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.

Gerrans solos to Giro stage 14 win

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