Giro: Uran still in the pink jersey, but Quintana and Pozzovivo detach him

The other day in the Barolo time trial Rigoberto Uran looked like the new Rambo of the Giro. Yesterday on the ramps of Oropa, on the terrain congenial for a famous climber like the Colombian in the pink jersey, something unexpected happened. Pozzovivo snapped, a whiplash to the squad of ranking men. Quintana answered almost immediately. Kelderman, Maika and then Aru too were trying to close the hole. It was Uran who immediately appeared in trouble and didn't change his pace and was content to stay on the wheels of Cadel Evans who has never been lightning fast uphill. It was understood on these roads, which recall one of Pantani's most memorable feats, that the Giro remains open and that it is still far from having found an absolute master, like Nibali was last year. Uran reached the finish line 25″ seconds from Quintana who distanced by two seconds an increasingly convinced Pozzovivo that he could play an important role in this Giro. Even Evans, who also didn't shine, was able to chew 5″ sprinting at the Colombian. It wasn't the end of the world, Uran remains in the pink jersey and today in the Montecampione stage he immediately had the opportunity to demonstrate that Oropa was just a bad day that can happen during a Giro. But certainly in the home of Omega Pharma Quick Step the first alarm bell sounded in a stage which on paper should have brought advantages and not delays for Uran. 

However, the fight for the pink jersey must not overshadow the beautiful victory of Enrico Battaglia, a consecutive encore for Bardiani after Canola's success on Friday: a desired and deserved victory with a spectacular final recovery that mocked Dario Cataldo who by now he thought he had won after having outdistanced the Colombian Pantano by force. It was the epilogue of a stage that had two parallel races: the one for the pink jersey among the men in the standings always behind, about twenty riders on the breakaway from the start always in front with Pierre Rolland who once again performed a solo on the climb towards Bielmonte in the company of Hesjedal. A somewhat unrealistic action which in the end gave the two who are not Carneadi (Hesjedal won a Giro, the Frenchman triumphed on Alpe d'Thiene in the Tour) a handful of seconds over Quintana is something more on Uran.