Giro d'Italia 2011 stage eight photo gallery by Graham Watson>>
Oscar Gatto (Farnese Vini) launched a perfectly-timed final kilometre attack to win Saturday's stage eight of the 2011 Giro d'Italia.
The Italian had obviously done his homework on the tricky run-in to the finish line, positioning himself well around the two tight hairpins on the twisting road through Tropea before launching an attack. Overall favourite Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank) was the only rider to react, but he couldn't quite make contact with Gatto, rolling across the line to take second and a vital few seconds over his rivals.
Contador's efforts at the end of the stage will have surprised the other GC contenders, most of whom seemed to be tucking themselves safely away in the bunch. They will undoubtedly be more wary of the Spaniard during Sunday's trip to Etna.
Points classification leader Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre-ISD) lead the rest of the peloton home at five seconds for third place. Britain's Russell Downing (Sky) assisted team-mate Davide Appollonio to finish sixth and came home 13th himself, a solid result on a tough stage in his first Grand Tour outing.
Pieter Weening (Rabobank) safely maintained his overall lead from second-placed Kantantsin Sivtsov (HTC-Highroad) and third-placed Marco Pinotti (HTC-Highroad) both two seconds behind the Dutchman. Contador moved up the overall table to fifth, now 13 seconds behind Weening.
Long day for Italian escape
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Lanky duo Mirko Selvaggi (Vacansoleil-DCM) and Leonardo Giordani (Farnese Vini) provided the day's successful escape in the opening two kilometres. The Italian pair swiftly built up a gap over the peloton, eventually peaking at over 11 minutes two-thirds of the way through the stage.
The bunch then whittled the escapees' advantage down to seven minutes and left them hanging out there until the final 50km, when the sprinters' squads started to wind up the chase. Selvaggi and Giordani worked very well together, sharing the burden equally and keeping up momentum. A wave of panic must have spread through the bunch 20km from the line as the escapees' advantage still totalled 2-30.
HTC-Highroad assembled at the front for their man Mark Cavendish, assisted by Quick Step for their fastmen Francesco Chicchi and Gerald Ciolek. The amount of fresh air between the break and bunch then started getting squeezed and the two were caught with seven kilometres to go, nearly 210km after they broke free.
A succession of squads then took turns at the front of the bunch in the final five kilometres, mindful that good positioning at this stage would help ease them through the narrow bends before the final climb.
But it was Gatto that capitalised on the bunch's sluggishness through the turns, sling-shotting himself up the hill to take the win.
Sunday's stage nine is the controversial visit to Mount Etna - a 169km mountainous trip starting in Messina that visits the active volcano twice. The first ascent and descent comes half-way through the stage, before the final trip up Etna's tough south slope for a mountain-top finish.
The riders will then have a day to clear the volcanic ash from their lungs with the race's first rest day on Monday.
Results
Giro d'Italia 2011, stage eight: Sarpi to Tropea, 217km
1. Oscar Gatto (Ita) Farnese Vini in 4-59-45
2. Alberto Contador (Spa) Saxo Bank-Sungard at same time
3. Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre-ISD at 5 secs
4. Alexander Kristoff (Nor ) BMC Racing
5. Roberto Ferrari (Ita) Androni Giocattoli
6. Davide Appollonio (Ita) Sky
7. Francisco Ventoso (Spa) Movistar
8. Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) Ag2r La Mondiale
9. Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Garmin-Cervelo
10. Klaas Lodewyck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto at same time
Other
13. Russell Downing (GB) Sky at same time
Overall classification after stage eight
1. Pieter Weening (Ned) Rabobank in 28-09-49
2. Kantantsin Sivtsov (Blr) HTC-Highroad at 2 secs
3. Marco Pinotti (Ita) HTC-Highroad at same time
4. Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Garmin-Cervelo at 5 secs
5. Alberto Contador (Spa) Saxo Bank-Sungard at 13 secs
6. Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre-ISD at 14 secs
7. Pablo Lastras (Spa) Movistar at 22 secs
8. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale at 24 secs
9. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Rabobank at 28 secs
10. Jose Serpa (Col) Androni Giocattoli at 33 secs
Other
11. Thomas Lofkvist (Swe) Sky at 39 secs
Bjorn Selander and Russell Downing
Oscar Gatto celebrates his win
Pieter Weening pulls on the leader's jersey
Giro d'Italia 2011: Latest news
Contador minds food at Giro as CAS decision nears
Weening supported by Rabobank and model Kroes
Local lad Appollonio bears fruit in Fiuggi
Giro d'Italia News Shorts (May 12 edition)
Blythe finding way in second Grand Tour
Leopard-Trek withdraws from Giro d'Italia
Leopard-Trek uncertain to continue in Giro
Tuesday's Giro stage in memory of Weylandt
Giro doctor describes actions to save Weylandt
Wouter Weylandt killed in Giro crash
Giro news shorts (May 8)
Cavendish likely to take Giro lead tomorrow
Giro 2011: Who will win?
Kennaugh to lead Team Sky in Giro's opening stage
Nibali's Giro fight with Contador may reach the courtroom
Riis defends Contador's participation in Giro
Cavendish set to start winning again at the Giro
Doping investigations force cyclists out of Giro d'Italia
Kennaugh replaces Pauwels in Sky's Giro line-up
Contador scouts out the Giro mountains
Cavendish and Millar top list of Giro-bound Brits
Lampre likely for Giro despite doping investigation
Giro announces record 23 teams to race
2011 Giro to start in Turin with team time trial
Giro goes one up on the Tour with spectacular route
Nygaard, Sciandri and Lloyd comment on 2011 Giro route
Nibali's Giro d'Italia?
Giro d'Italia 2011: Stage reports
Stage seven: Neo-pro De Clercq wins by a whisker
Stage six: Ventoso steals Giro stage six win
Stage five: Weening holds on to take stage and maglia rosa
Stage four: Tearful Farrar and Leopard-Trek lead riders across stage four finish line
Stage three: Vicioso victory overshadowed by Weylandt crash
Stage two: Petacchi wins as Cavendish takes lead
Stage one: HTC-Highroad wins Giro's opening team time trial
Giro d'Italia 2011: Photo galleries
Stage eight photo gallery by Graham Watson
Stageseven photo gallery by Graham Watson
Stage six photo gallery by Graham Watson
Stage five photo gallery by Graham Watson
Stage four photo gallery by Graham Watson
Stage three photo gallery by Graham Watson
Stage two photo gallery by Graham Watson
Stage one photo gallery by Graham Watson
Giro d'Italia 2011: Live text coverage
Giro d'Italia 2011 stage seven live text updates
Giro d'Italia 2011 stage five live text updates
Follow the 2011 Giro d'Italia live with Cycling Weekly
Giro d'Italia 2011: Start list
Giro d'Italia 2011: Start list
Giro d'Italia 2011: TV schedule
Giro d'Italia 2011: British Eurosport TV schedule
Related links
Giro d'Italia 2010: Cycling Weekly's coverage index
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