MORI, Italy (VN) — Robert Gesink (Blanco) is racing to set his Giro d’Italia right after a rocky few days. The tall, blond Dutchman began with hopes of a podium, maybe even a win, just over two weeks ago in Naples. Now his goal is placing in the top 10.

“I had a really a bad day on the Jafferau climb [in stage 14] and after losing four minutes, I’d just settle on a top 10,” Gesink told VeloNews Wednesday. “To achieve that in all three grand tours would be something.”

Gesink boasts a Tour de France fifth place and two Vuelta a España sixth places in his palmarès. Ahead of today’s mountain time trial from Mori to Polsa above Lake Garda, he sits 10th at 7:24 behind Vincenzo Nibali (Astana).

He spoke of a podium finish while sitting with 2012 champion Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Sharp) and Bradley Wiggins (Sky) at the race start in Naples. Hesjedal and Wiggins have since abandoned and Gesink has suffered his own problems.

On the stage to Jafferau, Gesink lost time to his competitors and slipped behind by 4:16. Before that, he was within reach of third place with Rigoberto Urán (Sky).

Having already raced the Tour and Vuelta several times, Gesink finds the Giro difficult.

“The race has had spectacular stages every day. The only day that seemed normal was when Cavendish won [stage 6 in Margherita di Savoia],” Gesink said. “The rest of the days, the organizer always seems to find a climb to put in the final.”

Gesink took in the day’s sun, but looked up to see what was rolling in. He said if the weather forces the upcoming mountain stages to be canceled, he will have a hard time winning a stage. A top 10, though, remains on his radar.

Kelderman ‘learning a lot’

Blanco swings more of its might toward 22-year-old Wilco Kelderman. Last year, the young Dutchman debuted strongly in the professional ranks. He won the white jersey in the Critérium du Dauphiné and the Amgen Tour of California, placing eighth and seventh overall.

“Wilco is good,” Gesink said as Kelderman adjusted his helmet. “He doesn’t have to, but he listens to me. He tries to learn from my mistakes and has a lot of power. He’ll go far.”

Added Kelderman: “I’m learning a lot from him in my first grand tour. He’s already had a lot of top 10s in these races.”

Kelderman spoke quietly and in short phrases. On the bike, however, he is aggressive.

Blanco gave him free reign on stage 15 to Galibier and the following stage, after the rest day. He failed to win both, but he gained experience that will serve him well when he leads a grand tour team.

“There’s not a goal to reach a certain placing this year, it’s more to help Robert,” Kelderman said. “As the year goes on, I want to have more top 10s in races like the Tour de Romandie. Just to keep improving every year.”

An eye on the sky

Gesink looked over Kelderman’s shoulder to the horizon and the Alps. Over the next few days, the race heads upwards for its final test. Not only will Gesink try to secure his top-10 finish — Domenico Pozzovivo (Ag2r-La Mondiale) trails him by just 10 seconds — but he will also aim for a stage win.

“A stage win is within reach,” Gesink said. “I just have to hope snow does not force the stages to be canceled.”

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. (VN) — The mechanic was visibly cynical about this machine and its ornaments, and perhaps rightfully so. It’s aging without the grace of classic steel, and it hasn’t been put to the Cat. 4 pastures and collegiate B races with the other carbon hand-me downs of its generation. He ticked off the laundry list of maladies: toasted chain, torched front rings, sagging cables.

He didn’t mention the worn yellow bar tape. He didn’t have to.

Services were arranged. Because this isn’t any 15-year old bike. This is the Hornet, an American-made machine of carbon and titanium that’s passed through my family to riders of varied states of ability and purpose.

It took the name of the Hornet for obvious reasons. A yellow front triangle, and some lamentable yellow tape my mechanic and friend found in the Telluride Free Box — a bin for outcast objects, one last chance before the dumpster.

It began its life as something I coveted immensely. A Douglas, painted in my father’s team colors for a club that’s gone the way of the dumpster itself, the Garden of the Gods Breakfast Club, out of Colorado Springs, it even had my father’s name painted on the top tube: “Chris Beaudin,” in silver upon a blue streak.

He raced it for a few years, and then relegated it to the trainer bike, where he talked to the top tube and to himself, as we all do when we ride both indoors and out.

It was eventually passed to me to ride in Telluride’s shoulder seasons, which are more like plateaus, and I rode it from time to time, more a flirtation with fitness for the trails than anything else. I think our third ride together was some 130 miles from Telluride to Moab in a charity ride in which I flatted on the first descent out of town, was dropped by the large group and rode 80 or so miles alone, just me and the Douglas, until I found a friend in Paradox Valley who’d promised to stay with me about 10 hours prior. We came to know each other that day, the bike and I.

But mostly, it sat unloved underneath my stairs, collecting dust on its ever-still cranks and once-coveted silver Mavic wheels. If a bike could cry, it would have. There’s no telling what it thought of me, though I’m certain it protested my inability to descend. The fact that people were able to ride 60 miles per hour on only suggestions of tires shocked me.

But last spring, when I took this job, I began to ride it, trying to stuff my eyes and legs with the language of the road. I’d been a mountain biker only, and lacked the literacy of the road. I was a fan and spectator of racing, but never anything more.

Slowly, I began to speak it. First in the lower back agony of a road rookie, then in timid descents, and slow progressions stalled by overestimations of my ability.

The Douglas never protested to these injustices, having gone from my father’s skilled hands to my bumbling newness, its only trepidations voiced in a creaky bottom bracket, or cables that had seemed to turn from metal braids to elastic bands.

I took care of it. My friend Max added yellow tape to its mélange of color last spring, and the Hornet was born. I showed up in Boulder with it — a kid on his first day at school in old clothes — but I threw it into the mountains here nonetheless. Its days were numbered in Boulder and we both knew it. I had a bike built for me by Independent Fabrication, a dream I’d had for sometime.

The Hornet returned to its yellow and blue still life, leaning against a wall in semi-permanence, its tires leaking their secrets over months, its stem still turned slightly upward, an imagined turning up of its nose at me and the Indy Fab, white as a cue ball. What the Hornet had in misguided color, the Indy had in understated elegance and a flawless new Dura-Ace group.

The Hornet had come to the end of its second chance, and its days on the road paused. And for once, the bottom bracket was actually silent.

But there was a need for it. My stepfather lives in Steamboat Springs and had never really ridden a road bike through the country he’s from, and one where snow often keeps the trails draped underneath winter’s modesty longer than it should. I asked my father if my pop — I’ve always called him pop — could adopt the Hornet, to see if he liked the road.

Eventually, the Hornet made its way north from Boulder to Steamboat. I breathed air back into its tires in the sunny backyard a few weeks ago; the dogs hung their heads in the way dogs of cyclists do, while the machine came back to life.

We made it out onto Steamboat’s ribbons of asphalt through the patchwork farms and yawning valleys of northwestern Colorado. The land here holds you inside of it, and doesn’t attempt to repel you as other parts of Colorado’s mountains do.

In our first road ride together, pop tucked right behind me, and I pulled him the 20 miles to Clark and back. Two days later, we took to a road that drops behind town and moves up and down with the gentle pace of a slow conversation.

I was happy to share the roads and a bike with someone who’d shared so much of life with me, and I was happy that in some way my father was there, too. We’re a family that even in fracture has grown stronger over time. The bike passed between us is only a bike, it’s true, but it’s one stitch that connects us further, as family and as riders.

A week ago, my pop sent me a picture of the bike draped over a mailbox out by the old red schoolhouse, 10 or so empty miles from town. “Buzzin like a Hornet thanks” was all he said. A few days later, another photo, this time farther from home, complete with time for the out and back.

He’s well on his way now, the yellow Douglas teaching him the prose of the road, one ride at a time. It has fresh, black tape and a new chain now, and is ready for another five years of time in the spring and fall. I suppose it is now to me as all things eventually become to all of us: better than it ever really was, gleaming in the alpenglow of memory.

But that’s no matter, how I recall it.

Because, finally, the Hornet rides again.

VICENZA, Italy (VN) — More than 3,000 kilometers of racing at the 2013 Giro d’Italia could come down to little more than 20km of mountain pavement during Thursday’s climbing time trial. With winter-like weather threatening to neutralize parts of two dramatic climbing stages still on tap across the Dolomites, the 20.6km race against the clock from Mori to Polsa will take on added importance in the race for the pink jersey.

“Tomorrow is a very important stage,” overall leader Vincenzo Nibali said. “It’s a decisive day in the balance of this Giro.”

Nibali (Astana) will be looking to widen his lead to Cadel Evans (BMC Racing), still lurking in second, at 1:26. A strong ride by Nibali could eliminate most of his rivals and push the Italian over the top going into the final three days of racing in this Giro.

“I usually do pretty well in climbing time trials,” Nibali said. “It’s an important gap to Cadel, but you can never let down your guard with him. Two minutes would be a better lead. Cadel has always been there at the front. He is pedaling well.”

On paper, Thursday’s route certainly favors Nibali. The Italian will also have the advantage of starting last and will know the time differences to his direct rivals.

The stage begins in on the track in Mori and remains flat for about one kilometer. From there, it kicks up at a steady grade of about six percent for six kilometers.

A more moderate middle section provides a short breather, with a shallow descent through the town of Brentonico at 11km. The hardest part of the climb begins at 14km, with a final average grade of more than seven percent in the final 7km. The total elevation gain is 1,018 meters, with an average grade of 5.7 percent and ramps as steep as 10 percent.

Nibali is still without a stage victory, but he said the most important challenge now is to defend and widen his grip on the maglia rosa.

“I will only try to win one stage, whether it’s tomorrow or Friday or Saturday,” he said. “To defend a jersey like this is already a win. If I can, I will try to win a stage. The most important goal is to win the Giro.”

Evans is the top threat for pink

Evans remains Nibali’s most direct threat. The climbing time trial is one of four stages that the Australian had the chance to preview when he made the late decision to start the Giro. As Evans said in a rest-day press conference Monday, he will go out swinging.

With the threat of route changes affecting the decisive climbing stages later this week, Evans admitted that tomorrow’s TT is even more important.

“I look at it as three really important days for selection,” Evans said in a team release. “Obviously if you take out two of those, then a minute-and-a-half to take back in 20 kilometers is pretty difficult. The time trial was always going to be one of those [decisive stages] and it’s not a very long one.

“But even if you have one percent more in the legs or a little bit better recovery, or you’ve had a little less effort in the two weeks leading into it, you can really make a difference. It’s pretty much up all uphill.”

Rigoberto Urán (Sky), third at 2:46, said the climbing time trial would be a decisive moment in the 96th Giro. With Nibali and Evans better time trialists, the Colombian will be fighting to defend his podium position against threats from behind.

“We’ve gotten this far, now we shall see. It’s a hard stage, and it’s very important for everyone,” Urán told VeloNews. “We can only help for better weather in the mountains. Everyone’s suffering with the cold. For sure, it’s going to be difficult.”

For Nibali, tomorrow’s stage will be critically important to secure his grip on the pink jersey.

Nasty weather could see such climbs as the Passo di Gavia and Passo dello Stelvio eliminated from Friday’s stage while things are even bleaker for Saturday’s climbs across the Dolomites.

When asked if he would feel like a legitimate winner of the Giro if many of the final climbs were eliminated, Nibali said he could only race what’s available.

“If they are neutralized, it will be certainly easier for me to mark my rivals,” he said. “It’s not something I can control.”

Giro officials speaking on RAI said that they still expect to be able to conduct Friday’s 19th stage over the Gavia and Stelvio as planned. Photographs from the former on Wednesday showed 20-foot snow walls lining the road, with the pavement clear near the summit.

Meanwhile, forecasters are calling for continued mild weather for Thursday’s start in Mori, with temperatures in the low 70s Fahrenheit and a 30-percent chance of rain.

• 1. André GREIPEL, Lotto-Belisol, in 4:34:53
• 2. Tom BOONEN, Omega Pharma-Quick Step, at :00
• 3. Ramon SINKELDAM, Argos-Shimano, at :00
• 4. Danny VAN POPPEL, Vacansoleil-DCM, at :00
• 5. Michael VAN STAEYEN, Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise, at :00
• 6. Yukiya ARASHIRO, Europcar, at :00
• 7. Tom VAN ASBROECK, Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise, at :00
• 8. Niki TERPSTRA, Omega Pharma-Quick Step, at :00
• 9. Maxime VANTOMME, Crelan-Euphony, at :00
• 10. Adrien PETIT, Cofidis, at :00
• 11. David VAN DER POEL, BKCP-Powerplus, at :00
• 12. Sven VANDOUSSELAERE, Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise, at :00
• 13. Philippe GILBERT, BMC Racing, at :00
• 14. Danilo NAPOLITANO, Accent Jobs-Wanty, at :00
• 15. Alexey TSATEVITCH, Katusha, at :00
• 16. Simone PONZI, Astana, at :00
• 17. Lars BOOM, Blanco, at :00
• 18. Nikolas MAES, Omega Pharma-Quick Step, at :00
• 19. Sébastien CHAVANEL, Europcar, at :00
• 20. Reinardt JANSE VAN RENSBURG, Argos-Shimano, at :00
• 21. Marcel MEISEN, BKCP-Powerplus, at :00
• 22. Tony MARTIN, Omega Pharma-Quick Step, at :00
• 23. Greg HENDERSON, Lotto-Belisol, at :00
• 24. Luis Leon SANCHEZ GIL, Blanco, at :00
• 25. Antoine DEMOITIE, Wallonie-Bruxelles, at :00
• 26. Sep VANMARCKE, Blanco, at :00
• 27. Artur ERSHOV, RusVelo, at :00
• 28. Moreno HOFLAND, Blanco, at :00
• 29. Greg VAN AVERMAET, BMC Racing, at :00
• 30. Tom VEELERS, Argos-Shimano, at :00
• 31. Stéphane POULHIES, Cofidis, at :00
• 32. Ben HERMANS, RadioShack-Leopard, at :00
• 33. Sebastian LANDER, BMC Racing, at :00
• 34. Maxime MONFORT, RadioShack-Leopard, at :00
• 35. Alexander PORSEV, Katusha, at :00
• 36. Manuel QUINZIATO, BMC Racing, at :00
• 37. Viktor MANAKOV, RusVelo, at :00
• 38. Steven DOMS, To Win-Josan, at :00
• 39. Pieter JACOBS, Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise, at :00
• 40. Tom MEEUSEN, Telenet-Fidea, at :00
• 41. Corne VAN KESSEL, Telenet-Fidea, at :00
• 42. Gijs VAN HOECKE, Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise, at :00
• 43. Jurgen ROELANDTS, Lotto-Belisol, at :00
• 44. Stefan VAN DIJK, Accent Jobs-Wanty, at :00
• 45. Romain ZINGLE, Cofidis, at :00
• 46. Andrea GUARDINI, Astana, at :00
• 47. Justin VAN HOECKE, Wallonie-Bruxelles, at :00
• 48. Benjamin VERRAES, Accent Jobs-Wanty, at :00
• 49. Egidijus JUODVALKIS, Crelan-Euphony, at :00
• 50. Francesco GAVAZZI, Astana, at :00
• 51. Marcus BURGHARDT, BMC Racing, at :00
• 52. Artem OVECHKIN, RusVelo, at :00
• 53. Björn LEUKEMANS, Vacansoleil-DCM, at :00
• 54. Dominik NERZ, BMC Racing, at :00
• 55. Mikhail IGNATYEV, Katusha, at :00
• 56. Tom DUMOULIN, Argos-Shimano, at :00
• 57. Christophe PREMONT, Crelan-Euphony, at :00
• 58. Florent BARLE, Cofidis, at :00
• 59. Roman MAIKIN, RusVelo, at :00
• 60. James VANLANDSCHOOT, Accent Jobs-Wanty, at :00
• 61. Steven CAETHOVEN, Accent Jobs-Wanty, at :00
• 62. Aaron GATE, An Post-Chainreaction, at :00
• 63. Laurent EVRARD, Wallonie-Bruxelles, at :00
• 64. Xavier FLORENCIO CABRE, Katusha, at :00
• 65. Arthur VAN OVERBERGHE, Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise, at :00
• 66. Edwig CAMMAERTS, Cofidis, at :00
• 67. Sébastien DELFOSSE, Crelan-Euphony, at :00
• 68. Grégory RAST, RadioShack-Leopard, at :00
• 69. Kris BOECKMANS, Vacansoleil-DCM, at :00
• 70. Dieter VANTHOURENHOUT, BKCP-Powerplus, at :00
• 71. Sergey LAGUTIN, Vacansoleil-DCM, at :00
• 72. Yves LAMPAERT, Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise, at :00
• 73. Leonid KRASNOV, RusVelo, at :00
• 74. Jean-Pierre DRUCKER, Accent Jobs-Wanty, at :00
• 75. David VEILLEUX, Europcar, at :00
• 76. Bart WELLENS, Telenet-Fidea, at :00
• 77. Nikita NOVIKOV, Vacansoleil-DCM, at :00
• 78. Olivier CHEVALIER, Wallonie-Bruxelles, at :00
• 79. Kristof VANDEWALLE, Omega Pharma-Quick Step, at :00
• 80. Mirko SELVAGGI, Vacansoleil-DCM, at :00
• 81. Laurens DE VREESE, Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise, at :00
• 82. Johnny HOOGERLAND, Vacansoleil-DCM, at :00
• 83. Martin KOHLER, BMC Racing, at :00
• 84. Jurgen VAN GOOLEN, Accent Jobs-Wanty, at :00
• 85. Boris DRON, Wallonie-Bruxelles, at :00
• 86. Frantisek RABON, Omega Pharma-Quick Step, at :00
• 87. Thomas ROHREGGER, RadioShack-Leopard, at :00
• 88. Roy CURVERS, Argos-Shimano, at :00
• 89. Martin VELITS, Omega Pharma-Quick Step, at :00
• 90. Alexander SEROV, RusVelo, at :00
• 91. Steven VAN VOOREN, An Post-Chainreaction, at :00
• 92. Niels ALBERT, BKCP-Powerplus, at :00
• 93. Eduard VORGANOV, Katusha, at :00
• 94. Arman KAMYSHEV, Astana, at :00
• 95. Arnaud LABBE, Cofidis, at :00
• 96. Stijn DEVOLDER, RadioShack-Leopard, at :00
• 97. Sven VANTHOURENHOUT, Crelan-Euphony, at :00
• 98. Quentin JAUREGUI, BKCP-Powerplus, at :00
• 99. Nico SIJMENS, Cofidis, at :00
• 100. Tom Jelte SLAGTER, Blanco, at :00
• 101. Thomas LEEZER, Blanco, at :00
• 102. Marc GOOS, Blanco, at :00
• 103. Romain LEMARCHAND, Cofidis, at :00
• 104. Lubomir PETRUS, BKCP-Powerplus, at :00
• 105. Thomas DEGAND, Accent Jobs-Wanty, at :00
• 106. Andreas KLÖDEN, RadioShack-Leopard, at :00
• 107. Mark MCNALLY, An Post-Chainreaction, at :00
• 108. Jos VAN EMDEN, Blanco, at :00
• 109. Maxime ANCIAUX, Wallonie-Bruxelles, at :00
• 110. Alexandr KOLOBNEV, Katusha, at :00
• 111. Quentin BERTHOLET, Wallonie-Bruxelles, at :00
• 112. Wout FRANSSEN, An Post-Chainreaction, at :00
• 113. Jérôme BAUGNIES, To Win-Josan, at :00
• 114. Lawrence WARBASSE, BMC Racing, at :00
• 115. Stijn STEELS, Crelan-Euphony, at :00
• 116. Wouter POELS, Vacansoleil-DCM, at :00
• 117. William CLARKE, Argos-Shimano, at :00
• 118. Alexander MIRONOV, RusVelo, at :24
• 119. Ruslan TLEUBAYEV, Astana, at :24
• 120. Michael VANTHOURENHOUT, BKCP-Powerplus, at :24
• 121. Sébastien TURGOT, Europcar, at :24
• 122. Sean VAN DE WAETER, To Win-Josan, at :24
• 123. Marcel SIEBERG, Lotto-Belisol, at :24
• 124. Tony HUREL, Europcar, at :24
• 125. Niko EECKHOUT, An Post-Chainreaction, at :24
• 126. Frédéric AMORISON, Crelan-Euphony, at :24
• 127. Pieter GHYLLEBERT, An Post-Chainreaction, at :24
• 128. Jens DEBUSSCHERE, Lotto-Belisol, at :24
• 129. Matti STIENS, To Win-Josan, at :24
• 130. Sven NYS, Crelan-Euphony, at :24
• 131. Maxim IGLINSKY, Astana, at :24
• 132. Philipp WALSLEBEN, BKCP-Powerplus, at :24
• 133. Damien GAUDIN, Europcar, at :24
• 134. Aliaksandr KUCHYNSKI, Katusha, at :24
• 135. Evgeny KOVALEV, RusVelo, at :24
• 136. Simon SPILAK, Katusha, at :24
• 137. Dirk FINDERS, To Win-Josan, at :24
• 138. Alphonse VERMOTE, An Post-Chainreaction, at :24
• 139. Jelle VANENDERT, Lotto-Belisol, at :24
• 140. Evan HUFFMAN, Astana, at :24
• 141. Dieter UYTTERSPROT, To Win-Josan, at :24
• 142. Alexandre PICHOT, Europcar, at :24
• 143. Joeri ADAMS, Telenet-Fidea, at :24
• 144. Jonathan DE WITTE, Wallonie-Bruxelles, at :24
• 145. Jens VANDEKINDEREN, Telenet-Fidea, at :24
• 146. Fabian CANCELLARA, RadioShack-Leopard, at :24
• 147. Glenn O’SHEA, An Post-Chainreaction, at :24
• 148. Thijs AL, Telenet-Fidea, at :24
• 149. Rob PEETERS, Telenet-Fidea, at :24
• 150. Wout VAN AERT, Telenet-Fidea, at :24
• 151. Andrew FENN, Omega Pharma-Quick Step, at :32
• 152. Thomas OP T EYNDE, To Win-Josan, at :50
• 153. Yann HUGUET, Argos-Shimano, at 1:22
• 154. Garrit BROEDERS, To Win-Josan, at 1:31
• 155. Dennis VANENDERT, Lotto-Belisol, at 2:40
• 156. Jurgen VAN DE WALLE, Lotto-Belisol, at 2:40
• 157. Borut BOZIC, Astana, at 2:40
• 158. Thomas VOECKLER, Europcar, at 18:11
• DNF Thierry HUPOND, Argos-Shimano

CARAVAGGIO, Italy (VN) — What a difference a year makes for Garmin-Sharp.

This time last May, the team’s fortunes were soaring into the decisive final stages where Ryder Hesjedal would deliver the team’s first grand tour with the pink jersey at the Giro d’Italia.

Flash forward to 2013, and Garmin is limping toward the finish line in Brescia. Hesjedal is gone, and much of the remaining team has been licking its collective wounds of crashes, illnesses, allergies, and just plain bad luck.

But a funny thing has happened. Rather than wallow in their collective self-pity, the riders have kept plugging away. Instead of throwing in the towel, they’ve recalibrated their compass, and have come out with a stage win with Ramunas Navardauskas.

“Last year, everything went perfectly; this year, everything is a bit of a struggle,” director Charly Wegelius told VeloNews. “They’re not machines. That’s also the beauty of it. No one expected [Bradley] Wiggins to go out, and no one expected [Mauro] Santambrogio to have that moment yesterday like he did in such a routine stage. That’s sport, that’s life. That’s why people love cycling, that it isn’t a script.”

Although the team is disappointed it’s not riding for pink in the final week of the Giro, the squad has taken a philosophical take on the events.

In cycling, even the best-laid plans can turn upside-down in an instant. Garmin brought a team to protect Hesjedal, but the American squad is not going to give up because things didn’t pan out as it had hoped.

Tom Danielson said the team is trying to go with the flow, and take the bad with the good.

“It happens. I remember in 2011, we had that perfect Tour. It was my first Tour, and we’re standing on the podium in Paris with team GC, and David Millar said, ‘hey guys, enjoy this, this isn’t going to happen again for awhile,’” Danielson said. “And last year, we’re all on the ground. We broke $120,000 worth of bikes, and then one month later we clean up in Colorado.

“But that’s cycling — it’s a bitch. Cycling is a bitch. That’s why we’re all addicted to it. That’s why we all love it. That’s why it’s so beautiful when it goes right.”

Riders and staff said they are keeping their heads in the race despite the setback involving Hesjedal’s early exit. Millar also pulled out with illness while grand tour rookie Nathan Haas crashed out Tuesday.

Peter Stetina, a key member of last year’s winning squad, is hanging in. The Coloradan has crashed three times and stepped gingerly out of the Garmin team bus Wednesday morning.

“The body’s a hurting unit at this point. The morale is pretty low, I’m not going to lie,” he told VeloNews. “My body’s at the breaking point, with sickness and crashes and muscular issues; I am just not the normal Pete. I don’t have the normal power. I am just staying in the race to get them some water bottles. It’s some of the worst luck I’ve ever had in a race.”

The Giro started on solid footing, with Hesjedal looking fit and confident. Things started to unwind when the Canadian lost nearly two minutes to his GC rivals in the long time trial in stage 8. Then he uncharacteristically lost the wheel the next day in a short, steep climb on the road to Florence, dropping another minute.

What the team was hoping was just a hiccup turned out to be something much more serious. Hesjedal simply could not go deep when he needed to follow the accelerations from the pink jersey contenders. He did not start stage 13.

Garmin didn’t throw in the towel and it’s been the unlikely character of Navardauskas who’s lifted the team’s spirits. The tall, lanky Lithuanian won stage 11, rode into the breakaway on Tuesday to finish fourth, and raised his hands to celebrate what he appeared to think was a second stage win when he was second on Wednesday.

“This year, it’s just been bad luck from beginning. Our silver lining is the ‘honey badger,’” Stetina said, referring to Navardauskas’ nickname. “It’s all about Ramunas; it’s pretty amazing. He’s suffering like the rest of us, but he still manages to get into the breaks.”

Navardauskas was all smiles Wednesday morning.

“I made it ok through the first week of the Giro. When Ryder was not feeling good, the team gave me the freedom to attack,” Navardauskas told VeloNews. “Everyone is still fighting. We want to win more stages.”

The closing stages of the Giro will offer a few more chances for Garmin. Danielson said he’s hoping to come around after sleeping 23 hours on the rest day to be able to challenge for the climbing time trial. Friday’s and Saturday’s stages are so hard, with the GC still on the line, that Wegelius said it’s extremely difficult for riders to win out of a breakaway.

“The riders are used to it. They get used to dealing with disappointment and adversity,” he said. “Even a rider who wins 20 races a year, that means they’ve lost 80. Since Ryder left, the team has shown really good fighting spirit. We have won a stage, and there are a lot of teams who have not.”

CARAVAGGIO, Italy (VN) — Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Sharp) will race again before the start of next month’s Tour de France.

Garmin sport director Charly Wegelius told VeloNews that the 2012 Giro d’Italia champ will likely race either the Critérium du Dauphiné or Tour de Suisse before starting the Tour on June 29 on the island of Corsica.

“He’s had some tests done, and we are going to see how he comes around. We are hopeful that he will be improving soon,” Wegelius said ahead of Wednesday’s start in Caravaggio. “He will race soon. We don’t have any definitive plan yet. From Monday, we will have time to move on to other things.”

Hesjedal, 32, pulled out of the Giro after falling ill in the opening week of the Italian tour. Despite coming into his Giro defense with high hopes, the Canadian succumbed to health problems and did not start stage 13.

Before exiting the race, Hesjedal told VeloNews, “something’s not right” when he could go not go deep to follow the accelerations of his rivals.

Wegelius said team doctors are still trying to determine what Hesjedal came down with, but suggested it was “some sort of viral infection.”

In a statement sent to VeloNews on Wednesday, Garmin medical staff confirmed that Hesjedal suffered from an upper respiratory tract infection: “Since he came into the Giro in such good form, it left him vulnerable, hampering his body’s ability to fight infection, according to medical staff. His effort from the TT, combined with further efforts in rainy and cold conditions stressed his immune system and made him susceptible to contracting the infection. Once the infection was contracted, competiting at the level necessary in a grand tour like the Giro became virtually impossible, leaving no chance for recovery and only the worsening of the condition.”

Garmin physicial Phil Stawski said Hesjedal likely contracted the virus early in the race.

“It appears that Ryder had been exposed to the virus affecting many in the peloton during the first week of racing,” said Stawski. “Secondary to his outstanding form and conditioning, the more typical symptoms did not manifest until later, however the effect on his body and performance was already occurring. His effort during the TT and in the cold and wet conditions continued to impact his body’s ability to fight the infection and he ultimately succumbed. The only option to prevent the worsening of his condition was to stop racing and allow him to recover.”

Hesjedal is expected to start the Tour, but his health issues have thrown a wrench into the team’s plans for the race.

First, Wegelius said Hesjedal needs to regain full health before they can make firm plans on how to approach the Tour.

The Canadian was going to be the team’s GC captain, with proven riders such as Christian Vande Velde and Tom Danielson, both former top-10 Tour finishers, also lining up. Andrew Talansky, second overall at Paris-Nice, is also expected to make his Tour debut this year.

Illnesses and crashes have wreaked havoc across the team’s roster, so management wants to wait to see how riders recover and perform over the coming weeks before deciding on who is heading to the Tour.

“Nothing’s fixed in stone yet for the Tour,” Wegelius said. “That’s still an open book. We’ll see how things shake out in a few weeks.”

Despite falling ill, Danielson said he expects Garmin to bring a strong squad to the French tour.

“I think we’ll have a good GC program for the Tour. We’ll show up in shape, with clear objectives, and hopefully we’ll accomplish them,” Danielson told VeloNews. “The Giro puts you in good position for July. You cannot do this in training. Yesterday, we did 10,000 vertical, 240km, and six hours on the bike. Today, it’s 214km, it’s like a rest day in this Giro.”

Stage 5: Santa Barbara to Avila Beach (116 miles)

On a day that should have been for the sprinters and one without a GC shake-up, stage 5 of the Amgen Tour of California provided an exciting and unpredicted finish. Jens Voigt (RadioShack-Leopard) affirmed his legendary status again, taking the win and foiling the sprinters’ plans as he launched the winning move with just 5km to go and soloed to the line. Michael Morkov (Saxo-Tinkoff), who placed 56th, again shared his SRM power data from the stage with TrainingPeaks and VeloNews.

Results
1. Jens Voigt, RadioShack-Leopard
2. Tyler Farrar, Garmin-Sharp
3. Thor Hushovd, BMC Racing
56. Michael Morkov, Saxo-Tinkoff

View Morkov’s SRM data in TrainingPeaks.

As expected, an early breakaway escaped before the only categorized climb on the stage, the San Marcos Pass. The climb may not have been enough to split the main field but it definitely took its toll on the riders. Morkov averaged 299 watts up the 7-mile climb, cresting the summit in just over 32 minutes with the main group.

San Marcos Pass
32:03
7.1 miles
299 Average Watts
4.2 w/kg
314 Normalized Power (NP)*
13.4 mph
139 Average Heart Rate
84 Average Cadence

*Normalized Power provides a better measure of the true physiological demands of an effort. It’s an estimate of the power you could have maintained for the same physiological “cost” if your power output had been perfectly constant rather than variable.

About 60 miles into the race, as the sprinters’ teams gathered at the front to begin the chase in earnest, a fierce crosswind buffeted the peloton and the predicted outcome of the race was lost in the wind. It was during this windy section that Morkov set his peak 12-minute power of the stage, fighting to keep contact but ultimately unable to make the lead group, finishing 56th — 1:07 behind Voigt.

Morkov’s power output between the largely steady state climb and the erratic crosswind section was very different. An erratic, “up-and-down” effort was required to stay in position in the winds, while Markov managed a steadier output on San Marcos.

Morkov had over 30 spikes above 600 watts in the 14-minute crosswind section, compared to just a couple at the end of the 32-minute San Marcos Pass climb. For the 14 minutes in the crosswinds, Morkov pushed 357 watts (5 w/kg) with a NP of 381 — a difference of 24 watts, indicating the high physiological effort of his frequent surges. Compare this to the difference of only 16 watts between average power and NP on the San Marcos climb. The percent difference between the average watts and the normalized power is also known as the Variability Index (VI).

With about 34 miles to go, a severe crosswind caused chaos and trouble for some of the top GC contenders, including race leader Janier Acevedo (Jamis-Hagens Berman). The UCI WorldTour teams smelled blood in the air and rallied their strong men to the front (including team leaders), causing the peloton to shatter into several smaller groups before Voigt’s winning attack. All in all, the effort of the day cost Morkov over 3,700 calories — the equivalent of nearly 10 of California’s popular In-N-Out hamburgers at 390 calories each.

Stage 7: Livermore to Mount Diablo (91.4 miles)

With a mountaintop finish on Mount Diablo, riders with GC aspirations knew that this would be the last opportunity to move up in the overall standings, as the final stage on Sunday would be mostly flat and would likely end in a bunch sprint. 24-year old Chris Butler of (Champion System) shared his SRM race data from the stage.

Results
1. Leopold Konig, NetApp-Endura
2. Janier Acevedo, Jamis-Hagens Berman
3. Tejay van Garderen, BMC Racing
28. Chris Butler, Champion System

View Butler’s file in TrainingPeaks.

The young American had a plan for the stage: Get into the early break and hopefully hit the final climb with a big enough gap to hold off the chasers and move up in the overall standings. Butler executed the plan perfectly and made the break on the first KOM of the stage, Morgan Territory Road. Butler put everything into this effort, hitting all of his peak power values of the day from 2 to 20 minutes, and holding an impressive 377 watts (6.3 w/kg) and 390 NP for 14 minutes as he worked hard to establish the break and get away from the chasing field.

The break, including Butler, started the final ascent of Mount Diablo with only about a minute lead on the chasers. Butler did not give up, however, despite having been in the break for the majority of the stage. Instead, he dug deep and put out his peak 30-minute power heading up Mount Diablo, fighting all the way to the line.

Mount Diablo climb
41:12
10.1 miles
335 Average Watts
5.5 w/kg
335 NP
81 Average Cadence

Unfortunately, Butler’s effort was not enough to hold off the climbers and other GC contenders, but he still finished 28th on the stage, 2:17 behind winner Leopold Konig (NetApp-Endura).

Look for Butler and many of the other American pros that raced in California to compete in Chattanooga, Tennessee this coming weekend at the Volkswagen USA Cycling Professional Road & Time Trial National Championships. The intense racing they experienced in California will be an asset after a rest this week, which should allow their fitness and form to peak for an exciting nationals.

Editor’s note: Thanks to TrainingPeaks.com, we are looking at various riders’ power data from stages 5 and 7 of the Amgen Tour of California. Today, Shawn Heidgen, a USA Cycling certified coach, former professional cyclist, and Education Specialist at TrainingPeaks, recaps the data from the eight-day race. For more, follow Shawn on Twitter.

VICENZA, Italy (AFP) — Wintry weather in the Italian Dolomites could force changes to the route of the final two mountain stages of the Giro d’Italia, according to organizers on Wednesday.

Concerns over the conditions expected on Friday’s 19th stage from Ponte di Legno to Val Martello, which will go through the Gavia and Stelvio mountain passes, were raised last week due to the unseasonably cold weather in the high mountains.

At 2,758 meters in altitude, the Stelvio is the highest point of this year’s race, which Italian Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) is currently leading with a 1:26 advantage over Australian Cadel Evans (BMC Racing).

Organizers said the road over the Stelvio was clear and could be raced, but the climb and descent could be hit by severe weather.

Saturday’s 20th stage, the final day in the mountains, begins in Silandro and takes in four mountain passes with altitudes over 1,700 meters, before finishing at the legendary Trois Cimes de Lavaredo (2,304 meters).

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, whose parent company RCS organizes the race, the temperature could fall to as low as minus 14 degrees Celsius on Friday.

Organizers said they are “studying all possible routes” with a view to making last minute changes if necessary.”

Adverse weather conditions have already forced changes to the route.

Last Saturday, organizers had to pull the Col de Sestrieres from stage 14 because of freezing temperatures in the Italian Alps.

A day later, the finish line of the 15th stage, initially set up at the summit of the legendary Galibier climb in France, was moved 4.2 kilometers down the mountain because of snowy conditions.

The race finishes Sunday when the 21st stage leads the peloton over a mostly flat 197km from Riese Pio X to Brescia.

IVREA, Italy (VN) — Team Colombia hopes to take advantage of the Giro d’Italia’s final high-mountain stages this week and continue the country’s cycling rebirth.

In the cold French ski town Valloire early this morning, general manager Claudio Corti discussed the weather. The Giro’s 16th leg was ready to depart and head back into Italy, where the week’s forecast gave him little reason to smile.

The Italian journeyman put out his cigarette and expressed his concerns.

“When the Giro organizer RCS Sport selected our team as a wildcard, I was already thinking about the Gavia-Stelvio stage to Val Martello,” he told VeloNews. “I’d be very sorry if we don’t do this stage because it’s the only one that’s raced completely at attitude, with two passes at 2600 and 2700 meters.”

RCS Sport is thinking about cutting the Gavia and Stelvio passes out of Friday’s stage 19 and arriving to Val Martello from the east if snow prohibits passage. A decision will only be made on Friday morning.

John Atapuma exited the team’s black bus, dressed for the cold start up the Col du Télégraphe. Corti looked at him. He believes Atapuma could win the Val Martello stage, or the day after to Tre Cime di Lavaredo if the weather holds. It would be ideal as Andreas Botero is visiting to follow the two stages. He heads the Colombian Ministry of Sport, which sponsors the team.

Atapuma, 25, last year won the Passo Pordoi stage in the Giro del Trentino and placed second in the Amgen Tour of California’s Mount Baldy stage.

“Colombia is very content of our showing. Clearly, though, we still want to win a stage, which would be the best for our team,” Corti added. “We have good riders here; we had four in the final group at three kilometers to go on the Galibier. Atapuma is the most adapted to do something that day to Val Martello and [Fabio] Duarte could go with the other favorites if attacks don’t go.”

A golden era for Colombia

Colombian cycling is enjoying a golden era thanks to its namesake UCI Pro Continental team and riders like Rigoberto Urán and Sergio Henao (Sky). What it has now is something as powerful, if not more so, than it had in the 1980s, when Luis Herrera won the Tour de France’s Alpe d’Huez stage and Café de Colombia sponsored a major team.

Last week, Urán gave Colombia its 16th stage win in the Giro d’Italia. Sitting third overall, he is ready to give his country its first top-five GC result since Oliviero Rincon’s fifth in 1995. Carlos Betancur (Ag2r La Mondiale) could add to the celebrations if he keeps hold of the young riders’ white jersey.

After Atapuma rode to sign-in, Corti said the Giro was helping Colombia.

“We are now seeing the strong riders, like Urán, finally showing well. Urán’s already been here for seven years. He’s been able to improve on his training and riding,” Corti said. “My team, these boys will be much stronger in three or four years than what they are now. Racing the Giro helps them understand their physical limits and how they can really suffer on a bike for three weeks.”

Corti, for now, will keep an eye on the weather forecast. A sunny day or two could help his riders fulfill his dream.

You may have watched the Tour of California this week.  Peter Sagan and Teejay van Garderen have had big success, and it's still anybody's race heading into the weekend. Maybe you've been following the Giro d'Italia which runs this whole month, a race on par with the Tour de France. The big names are there too, including Mark Cavendish...

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