Bradley Wiggins lost 39 seconds to the overall contenders on stage six of the 2009 Giro d'Italia to Mayrhofen in Austria. He slipped to 27th overall but was satisfied with his day after recovering well from his huge effort on the mountain finish to Alpe di Siusi in Wednesday.
Wiggins finished ahead of Lance Armstrong, Damiano Cunego and Marzio Bruseghin at the top of the 24km climb, showing the benefits of some intense training on the climbs and a winter totally dedicated to the road.
The 29-year-old Brit proved he has the potential to be competitive in short stage races and help team leader Christian Vande Velde in the mountains at the Tour de France.
Speaking to Cycling Weekly after anti-doping near the finish in Mayrhofen, Wiggins admitted that a top 20 finish is the Giro d?Italia is perhaps a difficult objective because he also has the Tour de France as a major goal this year. However, he definitely has his eye on the 60.6km stage 12 time trial along the spectacular Cinque Terre coast and the final time trial in Rome.
?I felt fine again today and was pretty comfortable on the climb. It split it on the descent and I lost time. I was in the Lance group,? he told Cycling Weekly.
?Other than it was a pretty good day. Although I know I?m going to have to shut it down pretty soon. I can?t keep smashing away on the climbs like that. I?m capable of getting 25th or something in the Giro but I don?t want to be in a coffin at the end of the race because it could affect what I can do in the Tour de France in July.?
?I?m going to select my targets and really think I can do well in the Cinque Terre time trial next week. I can perhaps get top five in that and then I can perhaps win the time trial in Rome.?
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?I?ll play it by ear until that time trial and then talk about things with the team and perhaps decide to go gruppetto.?
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Giro d'Italia 2009 links
Stage reports
Stage six: Scarponi wins longest stage with big break
Stage five: Menchov wins mountain battle as Di Luca grabs the pink jersey
Stage four: Di Luca denies Soler on the line; Lovkvist takes pink jersey
Stage three: Cavendish loses pink jersey after being caught behind late crash
Stage two: Petacchi denies Cavendish the stage win
Stage one: Cavendish in pink as Columbia prove their point to Garmin
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