The Australian joy (victory for Michael Rogers, pink jersey always Cadel Evans) that filled Savona yesterday – for the fifth time stage of the Giro – clashes with the still vivid memory of Merckx's drama. Almost half a century has passed but since 1 June 1969 Savona for those who follow the Giro evokes the desperate tears of the Belgian champion expelled from the race that was dominating as only he knew how to do, pulverizing everyone. At the end of a stage without jolts, which arrived in the Ligurian city, the Cannibal in the pink jersey was caught positive for a prohibited drug, phencamfamine, a psychostimulant that relieves fatigue. Nothing like this had ever happened before, the case caused a sensation crossing the boundaries of sport. In favor of the great Eddy, Indro Montanelli also took the field in the Corriere della Sera with a fund "Tutti a casa". He spoke of a naughty canteen. The Giro restarted with Felice Gimondi who refused to wear the pink jersey for one stage. Then he won it easily. Merck will make a big comeback at the Tour.
Other times, other cycling when there wasn't even a shadow of Australian riders. At most, some, even excellent ones, could be found in track specialties such as Sydney Patterson, world pursuit champion back in 1950. Savona, putting aside the memory of Merckx's tears, celebrated the boom of Australian cyclists in a big way , who have been dominating the Giro so far waiting for the sharp Colombians, Quintana and Uran, on the big peaks. In Savona this time the winner was Michael Rogers of Tinkoff-Saxo, first solo with a handful of seconds on the group of the best. It is the first success in a grand tour for Rogers, three-time world time trial champion, born in 1979, who at the end of last season had a bad time with the anti-doping test which caught him positive for clenbuterol at the Beijing Tour, the same substance that troubled his captain Contador at the 2010 Tour de France: both blamed a contaminated steak, Spanish for Contador, Chinese for Rogers. Contador failed to convince the authorities and was suspended for two years losing a Tour and Giro sweeping on the road. Rogers, on the other hand, got away with it and was able to immediately return to racing.
The pink jersey is also Australian for the fourth consecutive day on the shoulders of Cadel Evans, the most famous of the kangaroos on a bike in terms of triumphs and popularity, who conquered it in Montecopiolo, after it had been worn for a week by compatriot Michael Matthews, winner of Monte Cassino, who didn't leave yesterday due to a thigh wound, satisfied with what has been done so far. An Australian festival like never before at the Giro. And today's time trial of wines, from Barbaresco to Barolo, has characteristics that are well suited to the qualities of Evans who could strengthen his advantage over pure climbers, ready to battle him in the Alps and the Dolomites. The Australian boom is the offspring of global cycling that the UCI is supporting in an unscrupulous way to the point of putting the Amgen California Tour, the Japan Tour, the Tour of Norway on the calendar at the same time as the Giro: a geographical and temporal expansion of horizons that is eliminating historic teams – like many Italians – due to the very high costs that must be faced to equip teams engaged on several fronts at the same time. And it was an Australian from Orica GreenEdge, Luke Durbridge, who suffered the worst in the daily cascatona that involved dozens of runners in the descent of Passo di Cento Croci. Broken collarbone for Durbride and immediate withdrawal from the Giro. On the other hand, Diego Ulissi held out, also bruised in the frightening carambola, but on the ascent of Naso di Gatto he lost the wheels of the best and let himself slip by in the rear.
He didn't collapse but upon arrival Ulissi accused a delay of more than 4 minutes, plummeting in the standings where he was brilliantly in the top ten up to Salsomaggiore. The leader of Lampre-Merida, stoic but increasingly staggering Michele Scarponi, is out of the game, the tricolor hopes cling to Pozzovivo and Fabio Aru, without forgetting the old Ivan Basso, who has always remained hooked to the train until now. After today's time trial – 41,9 km with 12 of ascent at 3% and final uphill – it will be possible to draw up a less vague check-up on the state of health of the pretenders – or pseudo ones – to the final victory in Trieste.
