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2012 Giro d'Italia: Ryder Hesjedal Wins Maglia Rosa On Final Day, Takes General Classification

Ryder Hesjedal defeated Joaquim Rodriguez for the maglia rosa in the 2012 Giro d'Italia.

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Giro d'Italia 2012 Final Standings: Ryder Hesjedal Wins By 16 Seconds Over Joaquim Rodriguez

Garmin-Barracuda's Ryder Hesjedal won the 2012 Giro d'Italia's general classification by a 16-second margin over Joaquim Rodriguez, who held the maglia rosa for much of the second half of the race.

Thomas De Gendt finished in third place largely due to his incredible win in the high mountains on Saturday. He nearly eliminated a five-minute-plus gap to take the lead, but he slowed down near the end of Stage 20. Still, De Gendt was the only other rider to finish within two minutes (+1:39) of Hesjedal when all was pedaled and done.

Last year's winner, Michele Scarponi, finished in fourth while two-time winner (most recently in 2010) Ivan Basso came in fifth.

Here is how the top 10 of the general classification finished (full standings here):

Pos. Name Country Team Time d
1 Ryder Hesjedal CAN GRM 91:39:02 0:00
2 Joaquim Rodriguez ESP KAT 91:39:18 0:16
3 Thomas De Gendt BEL VCD 91:40:41 1:39
4 Michele Scarponi ITA LAM 91:41:07 2:05
5 Ivan Basso ITA LIQ 91:42:46 3:44
6 Damiano Cunego ITA LAM 91:43:42 4:40
7 Rigoberto Uran Uran COL SKY 91:44:59 5:57
8 Domenico Pozzovivo ITA COG 91:45:30 6:28
9 Sergio Luis Henao Montoya COL SKY 91:46:52 7:50
10 Mikel Nieve Ituralde ESP EUS 91:47:10 8:08

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Giro d'Italia 2012 Winner: Ryder Hesjedal Becomes 1st Canadian To Win Maglia Rosa

Ryder Hesjedal won the 2012 Giro d'Italia on Sunday, becoming the first Canadian to win the race. He was 31 seconds behind Joaquim Rodriguez before the day started, but Hesjedal overcame that with a sixth-place finish in the individual time trial in Milan. He ran the course in 34:15 while Rodriguez finished at 35:02. The 47-second pickup gave Hesjedal a 16-second victory and the maglia rosa.

Hesjedal also gives Team Garmin-Barracuda a victory in a Grand Tour. Garmin is headquartered in Boulder, CO.

Here is how the top 10 finished on Stage 21 (full standings):

Pos. Name Country Team Time d
1 Marco Pinotti ITA BMC 33:06 0:00
2 Geraint Thomas GBR SKY 33:45 0:39
3 Jesse Sergent NZL RNT 33:59 0:53
4 Alex Rasmussen DEN GRM 34:06 1:00
5 Thomas De Gendt BEL VCD 34:07 1:01
6 Ryder Hesjedal CAN GRM 34:15 1:09
7 Gustav Erik Larsson SWE VCD 34:20 1:14
8 Maciej Bodnar POL LIQ 34:21 1:15
9 Svein Tuft CAN OGE 34:28 1:22
10 Julien Vermote BEL OPQ 34:29 1:23

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Giro d'Italia 2012 Stage 21: Ryder Hesjedal Rides For Maglia Rosa During Time Trial In Milan

The 2012 Giro d'Italia comes down to this one final stage on Sunday, an individual time trial through Milan. For Garmin-Barracuda's Ryder Hesjedal, in second place, he will need to overcome a 31-second delay to capture the maglia rosa (pink jersey) from Joaquim Rodriguez. It is not a safe lead at all for Rodriguez, which bodes well for Hesjedal -- assuming everything goes right for him. Hesjedal could become the first Canadian to win this Italian race.

The route takes the cyclists through a 30 km course in Milan (map). A basically flat stage, Hesjedal should be able to pick up more than 31 seconds on Rodriguez to claim the maglia rosa. All eyes on this race will be focused when Hesjedal and Rodriguez become the final two racers to take the course (complete time table here).

Can Hesjedal make his home country and the city of Boulder, CO, (where Garmin's headquarters are located) proud?

Start time: 5:35 a.m. MT
Expected finish: 9:15 a.m. MT
Broadcast info: Steephill.tv offers streaming links to watch.

Here is a look at the top 10 in the general classification:

Pos. Name Country Team Time d
1 Joaquim Rodriguez ESP KAT 91:04:16 0:00
2 Ryder Hesjedal CAN GRM 91:04:47 0:31
3 Michele Scarponi ITA LAM 91:06:07 1:51
4 Thomas De Gendt BEL VCD 91:06:34 2:18
5 Ivan Basso ITA LIQ 91:07:34 3:18
6 Damiano Cunego ITA LAM 91:07:59 3:43
7 Rigoberto Uran Uran COL SKY 91:09:08 4:52
8 Domenico Pozzovivo ITA COG 91:10:03 5:47
9 Mikel Nieve Ituralde ESP EUS 91:10:12 5:56
10 John Gadret FRA ALM 91:10:59 6:43

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2012 Giro d'Italia Update: Robbie Hunter Disqualified

The Colorado-based team Garmin-Barracuda has lost one of their top competitors after the Giro d'Italia race jury disqualified Robbie Hunter -- along with Dominique Rollin (FDJ-BigMat), Ivan Velasco (Euskaltel-Euskadi) and Andrea Guardini (Farnese-Selle Italia). According to Velo News, the disqualifications may have been a result of the riders taking pulls from their respective team cars during Stage 20.

Garmin-Barracuda officials have been reserved as details from the disqualification are still pending:

"I do not want to comment until I know all the facts," said Garmin sport director Charlie Wegelius. "Robbie Hunter shouldn’t have gotten back on his bike (Friday) in all reasonableness. He smashed a wooden pole, but he stayed in the race today because he was so dedicated to the team and to Ryder."

Hunter slid into a barrier on Friday, but continued despite the crash. He placed second in Stage 6 and fourth in Stage 18.

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Giro d'Italia 2012 Results: Thomas De Gendt Wins Stage 20; Ryder Hesjedal Remains 2nd In GC

The 2012 Giro d'Italia is down to one last stage after Thomas De Gendt captured victory on Saturday. An individual time trial in Milano awaits the cyclists, and there is no clear favorite. While Joaquim Rodriguez leads the overall race by 31 seconds ahead of Garmin-Barracuda's Ryder Hesjedal, the maglia rosa and the general classification lead is not secure by any means.

Now, De Gendt's victory on Stage 20 is likely to be much discussed for his ride through the Stelvio and then to the end, as Podium Cafe writes:

De Gendt pushed his lead out to five and a half minutes, nearly his entire deficit to the maglia rosa, before tiring a bit at the end and holding on for a one-minute win over Damiano Cunego and 3.22 over race leader Joaquim Rodriguez and 3.36 over challenger Ryder Hesjedal.

De Gendt is in fourth place, but a +2:18 delay is unlikely to be bridged on Sunday during the ITT. This race now seems to be between Rodriguez and Hesjedal. The Garmin rider is certainly in a strong position to take over the GC lead.

Here is how the top 10 finished (complete stage standings here):

Pos. Name Country Team Time d
1 Thomas De Gendt BEL VCD 6:54:41 0:00
2 Damiano Cunego ITA LAM 6:55:37 0:56
3 Mikel Nieve Ituralde ESP EUS 6:57:31 2:50
4 Joaquim Rodriguez ESP KAT 6:58:03 3:22
5 Michele Scarponi ITA LAM 6:58:15 3:34
6 Ryder Hesjedal CAN GRM 6:58:17 3:36
7 John Gadret FRA ALM 6:59:10 4:29
8 Rigoberto Uran Uran COL SKY 6:59:34 4:53
9 Sergio Luis Henao Montoya COL SKY 6:59:36 4:55
10 Ivan Basso ITA LIQ 6:59:36 4:55

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Giro d'Italia 2012 Results: Ryder Hesjedal Finishes 2nd On Stage 19, Cuts Delay To 17 Seconds

Garmin-Barracuda's Ryder Hesjedal has narrowed the gap in front of him for the 2012 Giro d'Italia general classification lead, trailing Joaquim Rodriguez by just 17 seconds now. Hesjedal finished second on Friday's Stage 19 behind Roman Kreuziger by 19 seconds. However, he finished 13 seconds ahead of third-place Rodriguez, shaving 13 seconds off the 30-second delay he had at the start of the day.

No other rider is within 1:39 of Rodriguez. Michele Scarponi currently holds that delay, but the Giro now appears to be a duel between Rodriguez and Hesjedal over the final two days of the race.

Head over to Podium Cafe for analysis of this race, but here's a teaser:

Hesjedal continually looked back at his rivals' faces, digging deeper each time to press his advantage. He was in sight of Kreuziger, but the Czech climber and former GC hopeful was holding it together and got his deserved victory. Scarponi suffered badly in the final km and lost Hesjedal's wheel, while Purito and Basso more or less held their pace, with Rodriguez coming past a faltering Scarponi right at the line.

The cyclists stay in the high mountains on Saturday before an individual time trial on Sunday to close out the race.

Here is how the top 10 played out (full stage standings):

Pos. Name Country Team Time d
1 Roman Kreuziger CZE AST 6:18:03 0:00
2 Ryder Hesjedal CAN GRM 6:18:22 0:19
3 Joaquim Rodriguez ESP KAT 6:18:35 0:32
4 Michele Scarponi ITA LAM 6:18:38 0:35
5 Domenico Pozzovivo ITA COG 6:18:46 0:43
6 Ivan Basso ITA LIQ 6:18:58 0:55
7 Rigoberto Uran Uran COL SKY 6:19:00 0:57
8 Mikel Nieve Ituralde ESP EUS 6:19:21 1:18
9 Stefano Pirazzi ITA COG 6:19:25 1:22
10 John Gadret FRA ALM 6:19:25 1:22

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Giro d'Italia 2012 Results: Andrea Guardini Edges Mark Cavendish For Stage 18 Victory

It was a sprinter's course on Thursday in the 2012 Giro d'Italia, but favored cyclist Mark Cavendish lost to Andrea Guardini in a head-to-head sprint to the finish line on Stage 18. As Podium Cafe writes about Guardini:

The Farnese Vini fastman started his sprint two places behind Cav, with Roberto Ferrari in between, and simply cranked up more speed than anyone else, even the world champion. There were no flying bodies, no closed doors, no tactical excuses. Guardini had the speed and Cav did not.

Garmin-Barracuda's Robbie Hunter finished in fourth place, best among his teammates.

This didn't change the overall standings, as Joaquim Rodriguez maintains a 30-second lead over Garmin's Ryder Hesjedal. On Friday, the cyclists head back into the high mountains.

Here is how the top 10 for the stage finished (full Stage 18 standings here):

Pos. Name Country Team Time d Time bonus
1 Andrea Guardini ITA FAR 3:00:52 0:00 20"
2 Mark Cavendish GBR SKY 3:00:52 0:00 18"
3 Roberto Ferrari ITA AND 3:00:52 0:00 8"
4 Robert Hunter RSA GRM 3:00:52 0:00
5 Lucas Sebastian Haedo ARG SAX 3:00:52 0:00
6 Giacomo Nizzolo ITA RNT 3:00:52 0:00
7 Alexander Kristoff NOR KAT 3:00:52 0:00
8 Francesco Chicchi ITA OPQ 3:00:52 0:00
9 Geoffrey Soupe FRA FDJ 3:00:52 0:00
10 Dennis Vanendert BEL LTB 3:00:52 0:00

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Giro d'Italia 2012 Results: Jon Izaguirre Wins Stage 16, But Joaquim Rodriguez Still Wears Maglia Rosa

The 2012 Giro d'Italia returned on Tuesday with another high mountains stage, but there wasn't too much excitement going on in this portion of the race. Jon Izaguirre held off a charging Jose Herrada to start the final stretch of the race and then kept Alessandro De Marchi, Stef Clement and Mathias Frank at bay to cross the finish line for the victory. In fact, he had a 16-second advantage over De Marchi and Clement.

However, this stage didn't shake up the top of the general classification standings. Joaquim Rodriguez still leads the race and wears the maglia rosa while Garmin-Barracuda's Ryder Hesjedal is still 30 seconds behind as the second-place occupant. Ivan Basso is in third with nearly 90 seconds to make up.

Here is how the top 10 finished (full stage standings):

Pos. Name Country Team Time d Time bonus
1 Jon Izaguirre Insausti ESP EUS 4:02:00 0:00 20"
2 Alessandro De Marchi ITA AND 4:02:16 0:16 12"
3 Stef Clement NED RAB 4:02:16 0:16 8"
4 Mathias Frank SUI BMC 4:02:19 0:19
5 Jose Herrada Lopez ESP MOV 4:02:21 0:21 4"
6 Manuele Boaro ITA SAX 4:02:37 0:37
7 Matthias Brandle AUT APP 4:02:43 0:43
8 Nikolas Maes BEL OPQ 4:02:45 0:45
9 Lars Ytting Bak DEN LTB 4:02:45 0:45 2"
10 Luca Mazzanti ITA FAR 4:02:48 0:48 6"

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2012 Giro d'Italia Update: Andrey Amador Wins Stage 14; Ryder Hesjedal Regains Maglia Rosa

Andrey Amador captured victory on Stage 14 of the 2012 Giro d'Italia, winning in 5:33:36 on the ride from Cherasco to Cervinia. Jan Barta finished second and picked up the same time as Amador while Alessandro De Marchi trailed by two seconds for a third-place finish.

In fourth came Garmin-Barracuda's Ryder Hesjedal. Though he finished 20 seconds behind Amador, Hesjedal was 26 seconds ahead of maglia rosa (pink jersey) wearer Joaquim Rodriguez. Hesjedal entered the day 17 seconds behind for the lead and ended the day with the maglia rosa and a nine-second lead in the general classification.

Here is how Podium Cafe describes the scene behind the top three races for this stage:

Behind them the peloton was paced by Liquigas, staying together on the comparatively gentle gradients but steadily reeling in the attackers and keeping the pace high enough to discourage too much action. With 3km to go Jose Rujano tried a move which was tracked down, but Hesjedal countered with a powerful blast and was never seen again. Rodriguez reacted and a gruppetto of favorites formed to chase Hesjedal, to no avail.

More high mountains await on Sunday before a rest day on Monday.

Here is how the top 10 on Stage 14 finished (complete stage standings):

Posn. Name Country Team Time d
1 Andrey Amador CRC MOV 5:33:36 0:00
2 Jan Barta CZE APP 5:33:36 0:00
3 Alessandro De Marchi ITA AND 5:33:38 0:02
4 Ryder Hesjedal CAN GRM 5:33:56 0:20
5 Paolo Tiralongo ITA AST 5:34:22 0:46
6 Rigoberto Uran COL SKY 5:34:22 0:46
7 Joaquim Rodriguez ESP KAT 5:34:22 0:46
8 Thomas De Gendt BEL VCD 5:34:22 0:46
9 Michele Scarponi ITA LAM 5:34:22 0:46
10 John Gadret FRA ALM 5:34:22 0:46

For more on the 2012 Giro d'Italia, stick with SB Nation Denver and visit cycling blog Podium Cafe.

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Giro d'Italia Standings 2012: Sandy Casar Makes Move Up GC, But Still Behind Joaquim Rodriguez, Ryder Hesjedal

The 2012 Giro d'Italia nearly had a new maglia rosa wearer and general classification leader, but Sandy Casar was unable to overcome Lars Bak's spirited run at the end of Stage 12. Had he maintained that lead, Casar would have been the leader.

However, Casar did wind up moving into third place, putting him 26 seconds behind Joaquim Rodriguez. Rodriguez kept the maglia rosa and a 17-second lead over Garmin-Barracuda's Ryder Hesjedal. Other Garmin riders within a few minutes of Rodriguez and Hesjedal include Peter Stetina (+2:03) and Christian Vande Velde (+2:11). The rest of the tam is over 60 minutes behind.

Here is how the top 10 in the general classification has shaken out (full leaderboard):

Posn. Name Country Team Time d
1 Joaquim Rodriguez ESP KAT 51:19:08 0:00
2 Ryder Hesjedal CAN GRM 51:19:25 0:17
3 Sandy Casar FRA FDJ 51:19:34 0:26
4 Paolo Tiralongo ITA AST 51:19:40 0:32
5 Ivan Santaromita ITA BMC 51:19:57 0:49
6 Roman Kreuziger CZE AST 51:20:00 0:52
7 Benat Intxausti Elorriage ESP MOV 51:20:00 0:52
8 Ivan Basso ITA LIQ 51:20:05 0:57
9 Damiano Caruso ITA LIQ 51:20:10 1:02
10 Dario Cataldo ITA OPQ 51:20:11 1:03

For more on the 2012 Giro d'Italia, stick with SB Nation Denver and visit cycling blog Podium Cafe.

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2012 Giro d'Italia Results: Roberto Ferrari Takes 1st On Stage 11, Defeats Sprint-Enthusiast Mark Cavendish

The 2012 Giro d'Italia finished its 255 km run on Stage 11's flat surface, the longest such portion of the race. Roberto Ferrari captured the stage victory ahead of Francesco Chicchi and Thomas Vaitkus, the second- and third-place finisher, but more importantly ahead of fourth-place finisher Mark Cavendish, one of the top sprinters in the world.

Here is how the final kilometers played out, according to Podium Cafe:

But the Sky leadout, it failed to nail the final turn. But a few people did, notably Thomas Vaitkus, who was second wheel going into the turn and first coming out with a healthy gap. Nice riding by Vaitkus, who is most certainly not a sprinter but apparently studied the road book closely. Unfortunately, Ferrari went through the turn almost equally well and was able to jump by the Lithuanian and win the long long loooong sprint easily. Cavendish, who was gapped in the corner, seemed to struggle with the uphill drag to the line and finished fourth.

There was a crash toward the end of the race, but it didn't impact the standings all that much. In pursuit of the maglia rosa, Garmin-Barracuda's Ryder Hesjedal is still 17 seconds behind Joaquim Rodriguez's 47:16:39.

Here is how the top eight played out on Wednesday:

1. Roberto Ferrari, 6:49:05
2. Francesco Chicchi, --
3. Tomas Vaitkus, --
4. Mark Cavendish, --
5. Manuel Belletti, --
6. Giacomo Nizzolo, --
7. Daniel Schorn, --
8. Arnaud Demare, --

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2012 Giro d'Italia Standings: Ryder Hesjedal Holds 9-Second Lead After Stage 8

The 2012 Giro d'Italia has ended its three-day ride through the medium mountains and Garmin-Barracuda's Ryder Hesjedal still wears the maglia rosa after capturing it on Saturday. He finished 27 seconds behind Domenico Pozzovivo on Sunday's Stage 8 course, good for third-best time on the day and a nine-second lead in the general classification.

Hesjedal's lead collapsed by six seconds on Sunday as a result of Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver finishing third on Sunday. Stage 7 winner Paolo Tiralongo is 15 seconds behind and in third place. No other race is within 35 seconds of Hesjedal.

Garmin's domination of the top 10 has disappeared over the last few stages and now contains only Hesjedal. Christian Vande Velde is currently in 17th place, trailing by 1:18. Peter Stetina comes in at 19th overall and 1:23 behind Hesjedal. The rest of the team is at least 45 minutes behind.

Here is a look the general classification standings after Stage 8 (complete standings here):

Pos. Name Country Team Time d
1 Ryder Hesjedal CAN GRM 32:23:25 0:00
2 Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver ESP KAT 32:23:34 0:09
3 Paolo Tiralongo ITA AST 32:23:40 0:15
4 Roman Kreuziger CZE AST 32:24:00 0:35
5 Benat Intxausti Elorriaga ESP MOV 32:24:00 0:35
6 Ivan Basso ITA LIQ 32:24:05 0:40
7 Damiano Caruso ITA LIQ 32:24:10 0:45
8 Dario Cataldo ITA OPQ 32:24:11 0:46
9 Frank Schleck LUX RNT 32:24:13 0:48
10 Eros Capecchi ITA LIQ 32:24:17 0:52

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2012 Giro d'Italia Results: Miguel Rubiano Wins Stage 6; Adriano Malori Captures Maglia Rosa

The first mountain test of the 2012 Giro d'Italia has crowned a new maglia rosa-wearer. Garmin-Barracuda's Ramunas Navardauskas has given the jersey to Adriano Malori following the Urbino-Porto Sant'Elpidio ride through the Apennines. Malori finished second on Stage 6 after coming in a full 1:10 behind stage-winner Miguel Rubiano.

As Podium Cafe points out, the race had a bit of drama with Navardauskas failing (he was nearly 16 minutes behind Rubiano) and several other riders involved in a crash:

Sprinters Tyler Farrar (Garmin), Thor Hushovd (BMC) and Romain Feillu (Vacansoleil) all left the Giro following a crash earlier in the day. Overall leader Ramunas Navardauskas suffered on the climbs and saw his race lead go up the road.

While Garmin has lost the general classification lead, Ryder Hesjedal remains in third-place overall, behind by 17 seconds, with Christian Vande Velde in fifth and Peter Stetina in seventh. They will tackle the mountains on Saturday.

Here is the top 10 on Stage 6 (complete stage standings):

Pos. Name Country Team Time d Time bonus
1 Miguel Rubiano COL AND 5:38:30 0:00 20"
2 Adriano Malori ITA LAM 5:39:40 1:10 14"
3 Michal Golas POL OPQ 5:39:40 1:10 8"
4 Aleksandr Dyachenko KAZ AST 5:39:40 1:10
5 Cesare Benedetti ITA APP 5:39:40 1:10
6 Daryl Impey RSA OGE 5:40:21 1:51
7 Filippo Pozzato ITA FAR 5:40:21 1:51
8 Fabio Sabatini ITA LIQ 5:40:21 1:51
9 Francisco Ventoso Alberdi ESP MOV 5:40:21 1:51
10 Michal Kwiatkowski POL OPQ 5:40:21 1:51

For more on the 2012 Giro d'Italia, stick with SB Nation Denver and visit cycling blog Podium Cafe.

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2012 Giro d'Italia Stage 6 Route: Cyclists Experience 1st Mountain Stage

The 2012 Giro d'Italia continues on Friday with the events first mountain stage, a 210 km ride from Urbino to Porto Sant’Elpidio. This is a continuous up-and-downhill route that offers two tough climbs during the middle portion of the race. At 95.4 km, the riders face Cinguli, which reaches 746 m in elevation, but there won't be much time to recompose after that challenge. At the 118th km, the Passo della Cappella looms at 772 m in elevation, a Category 2 climb.

But those aren't the end of the climbs for the cyclists. There will be three quick climbs over a span of 22 km before a few rolling hills and then a descent to the finish line.

We will likely see Garmin-Barracuda's Ramunas Navardauskas surrender the Maglia Rosa (pink jersey) at the end of this stage since he is not a great rider in the mountains. But this could favor his teammates, Ryder Hesjedal and Christian Vande Velde. As Podium Cafe observes in its Stage 6 preview:

Expect Garmin-Barracuda also to take an interest in the finale of this stage. Ryder Hesjedal sits 11 seconds off the race lead, while Christian Vande Velde is eighth at :26.

Will Garmin retain the Maglia Rosa with Hesjedal wearing it? Stay tuned.

Start Time: 3:40 a.m. MT
Expected Finish (all racers): 9:11 a.m. MT
Television Coverage: Universal Sports begins coverage at 7:30 a.m. MT, but Steephill.tv provides online streaming links

Here is the top 10 as we enter Stage 6 (complete standings here):

Pos. Name Country Team Time d
1 Ramunas Navardauskas LTU GRM 14:45:13 0:00
2 Robbie Hunter RSA GRM 14:45:18 0:05
3 Ryder Hesjedal CAN GRM 14:45:24 0:11
4 Matthew Harley Goss AUS OGE 14:45:26 0:13
5 Mark Cavendish GBR SKY 14:45:27 0:14
6 Geraint Thomas GBR SKY 14:45:29 0:16
7 Manuele Boaro ITA SAX 14:45:32 0:19
8 Christian Vande Velde USA GRM 14:45:39 0:26
9 Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver ESP KAT 14:45:43 0:30
10 Alexander Kristoff NOR KAT 14:45:43 0:30

For more on the 2012 Giro d'Italia, stick with SB Nation Denver and visit cycling blog Podium Cafe.

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2012 Giro d'Italia Standings: Ramunas Navardauskas Still Wears Maglia Rosa

After Stage 5 of the 2012 Giro d'Italia, Garmin-Barracuda's Ramunas Navardauskas still wears the Maglia Rosa (pink jersey), but he has just a five-second lead over his nearest opponent. That happens to be teammate Robbie Hunter, who finished in fourth-place on Stage 5. Navardauskas' time is stands at 14:45:13.

Also from Garmin, Ryder Hesjedal takes third-place overall with an 11-second gap ahead of him. Christian Vande Velde is the last Garmin racer to place in the top 10, taking eighth place with a 26-second gap ahead of him.

Matthew Harley Goss and Stage 5 winner Mark Cavendish come in at Nos. 4 and 5, respectively.

Stage 6 on Friday represents the first medium mountain stage of the Giro. This one will be a 207 km race from Urbino to Porto Sant'Elpidio.

Here is the top 10 after Stage 5 (complete standings here):

Pos. Name Country Team Time d
1 Ramunas Navardauskas LTU GRM 14:45:13 0:00
2 Robbie Hunter RSA GRM 14:45:18 0:05
3 Ryder Hesjedal CAN GRM 14:45:24 0:11
4 Matthew Harley Goss AUS OGE 14:45:26 0:13
5 Mark Cavendish GBR SKY 14:45:27 0:14
6 Geraint Thomas GBR SKY 14:45:29 0:16
7 Manuele Boaro ITA SAX 14:45:32 0:19
8 Christian Vande Velde USA GRM 14:45:39 0:26
9 Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver ESP KAT 14:45:43 0:30
10 Alexander Kristoff NOR KAT 14:45:43 0:30

For more on the 2012 Giro d'Italia, stick with SB Nation Denver and visit cycling blog Podium Cafe.

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2012 Giro d'Italia Results: Mark Cavendish Captures 2nd Stage Victory

The 2012 Giro d'Italia started in Modena on Thursday and ended along the Adriatic coast in Fano with Mark Cavendish capturing the Stage 5 victory following a 4:43:15 run. This is his second stage victory in the Giro, previously capturing the Stage 2 loop run through Herning, Denmark. That stage, too, was a spring to the finish. Garmin-Barracuda's Robbie Hunter finished in fourth place for the stage while Matthew Harley Goss and Daniele Bennati took second and third place, respectively.

Garmin-Barracuda's Ramunas Navardauskas, however, retained his Maglia Rosa (pink jersey) at the conclusion of this stage with an overall time of 14:45:13. He now holds a five-second lead over teammate Robbie Hunter. Also from Garmin, Ryder Hesjedal is in third-place with an 11-second gap ahead of him. Christian Vande Velde is behind by 26 seconds, good for eighth place.

Here is the top 10 for Stage 5:

Posn. Name Country Team Time d Time bonus
1 Mark Cavendish GBR SKY 4:43:15 0:00 20"
2 Matthew Harley Goss AUS OGE 4:43:15 0:00 12"
3 Daniele Bennati ITA RNT 4:43:15 0:00 8"
4 Robbie Hunter RSA GRM 4:43:15 0:00
5 Sacha Modolo ITA COG 4:43:15 0:00
6 Alexander Kristoff NOR KAT 4:43:15 0:00
7 Elia Favilli ITA FAR 4:43:15 0:00
8 Manuel Belletti ITA ALM 4:43:15 0:00
9 Arnaud Demare FRA FDJ 4:43:15 0:00
10 Jonas Aaen Jorgensen DEN SAX 4:43:15 0:00

For more on the 2012 Giro d'Italia, stick with SB Nation Denver and visit cycling blog Podium Cafe.

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2012 Giro d'Italia Standings: Ramunas Navardauskas Captures Maglie Rosa From Taylor Phinney

After four stages in the 2012 Giro d'Italia, there is a new Maglia Rosa (pink jersey) wearer: Garmin-Barracuda's Ramunas Navardauskas. As a result of winning the team time trial on Wednesday, Navardauskas and the rest of Garmin-Barracuda dominate the top 10. Tyler Farrar, Robert Hunter and Ryder Hesjedal take the next three spots with 10 or 11 seconds delay.

The previous Maglia Rosa, Boulder's Taylor Phinney of BMC Racing, moved down to No. 5 in the standings and a 13-second delay. Sebastien Rosseler and Christian Vande Velde take positions 8 and 9 with a 25- and 26-second delay, respectively.

Fellow Garmin rider Alex Rasmussen had been in third place entering the day, but he fell behind and is now 3:57 behind Navardauskas. To round out the team, Peter Stetina is 31 seconds delayed and Jack Bauer is 45 seconds behind.

Here is the top 10 for the Maglia Rosa (full standings here):

Pos Name Nat Team Time D
1 Ramunas Navardauskas LTU GRM 10:01:53 0:00
2 Tyler Farrar USA GRM 10:02:03 0:10
3 Robert Hunter RSA GRM 10:02:03 0:10
4 Ryder Hesjedal CAN GRM 10:02:04 0:11
5 Taylor Phinney USA BMC 10:02:06 0:13
6 Manuele Boaro ITA SAX 10:02:12 0:19
7 Geraint Thomas GBR SKY 10:02:14 0:21
8 Sebastien Rosseler BEL GRM 10:02:18 0:25
9 Christian Vande Velde USA GRM 10:02:19 0:26
10 Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver ESP KAT 10:02:23 0:30

For more on the 2012 Giro d'Italia, stick with SB Nation Denver and visit cycling blog Podium Cafe.

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Giro d'Italia 2012 Standings: Taylor Phinney Maintains Maglia Rosa Lead Despite Crash

The 2012 Giro d'Italia will take a rest day on Tuesday before resuming things in Italy for the remainder of the race. Boulder's own Taylor Phinney (BMC Racing) still holds the Maglia Rosa (pink jersey) after three stages in Denmark with a 9:24:31 mark, nine seconds better than Britain's Geraint Thomas. However, Phinney's ankle was injured during a crash toward the end of Monday's Stage 3 finish. He was able to finish the race, but his status going forward is not yet known.

Alex Rasmussen of Boulder's Gamin-Barracuda is still in third place, 13 seconds behind Phinney. Teammate Ramunas Navardauskas is in fifth place and 18 seconds behind Phinney.

The rest of Garmin-Barracuda is within the top 51 spots with Peter Stetina taking the 51st spot at 45 seconds behind Phinney. Tyler Farrar and Robert Hunter are just outside the top 10 with a 28-second gap ahead of them (two seconds outside of the top 10).

Here is the overall top 10 plus the rest of Garmin-Barracuda (full standings):

Pos. Name Country Team Time d
1 Taylor Phinney USA BMC 9:24:31 0:00
2 Geraint Thomas GBR SKY 9:24:40 0:09
3 Alex Rasmussen DEN GRM 9:24:44 0:13
4 Manuele Boaro ITA SAX 9:24:46 0:15
5 Ramunas Navardauskas LTU GRM 9:24:49 0:18
6 Gustav Erik Larsson SWE VCD 9:24:53 0:22
7 Brett Lancaster AUS OGE 9:24:54 0:23
8 Matthew Harley Goss AUS OGE 9:24:54 0:23
9 Marco Pinotti ITA BMC 9:24:55 0:24
10 Jesse Sergent NZL RNT 9:24:57 0:26
15 Tyler Farrar USA GRM 9:24:59 0:28
16 Robert Hunter RSA GRM 9:24:59 0:28
17 Jack Bauer NZL GRM 9:24:59 0:28
20 Ryder Hesjedal CAN GRM 9:25:00 0:29
42 Sebastien Rosseler BEL GRM 9:25:14 0:43
50 Christian Vande Velde USA GRM 9:25:15 0:44
51 Peter Stetina USA GRM 9:25:16 0:45

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2012 Giro d'Italia Live: Matthew Harley Goss Captures Stage 3; Garmin-Barracuda's Tyler Farrar Finishes 3rd

The 2012 Giro d'Italia has finished its time in Denmark with the conclusion of Stage 3 in Horsens, a 190 kilometer route. Matthew Harley Goss captured the victory on Monday after placing second in Sunday's Stage 2 ride through Herning. He completed the race at 4:20:53 while Garmin-Barracuda's Tyler Farrar finished in third place.

However, this stage was not without incident. During a sprint to the finish, there was a large crash that involved Mark Cavendish, Sunday's Stage 2 victory, and Taylor Phinney, Stage 1 winner and holder of the Maglia Rosa for all three stages so far. The status for each rider is unknown right now, but Phinney did complete the race after he received treatment on his ankle.

Here are the top 10 results for Stage 3:

Pos. Rider Country Team Time D Bonus
1 Matthew Harley Goss AUS OGE 4:20:53 0:00 20"
2 Juan Jose' Haedo ARG SAX 4:20:53 0:00 12"
3 Tyler Farrar USA GRM 4:20:53 0:00 8"
4 Arnaud Demare FRA FDJ 4:20:53 0:00
5 Mark Renshaw AUS RAB 4:20:53 0:00
6 Thor Hushovd NOR BMC 4:20:53 0:00
7 Alexander Kristoff NOR KAT 4:20:53 0:00
8 Romain Feillu FRA VCD 4:20:53 0:00
9 Fumiyuki Beppu JPN OGE 4:20:53 0:00
10 Andrea Guardini ITA FAR 4:20:53 0:00

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2012 Giro d'Italia Stage 2: Taylor Phinney Looks For Another Victory In Herning

The 2012 Giro d'Italia continues in Herning, Denmark, on Sunday with what is nearly a loop around the city. Taylor Phinney of BMC racing (and a Boulder native) wears the Maglia Rosa (pink jersey) to signify that he is the leader of the race, having won the Stage 1 individual time trial with a 10:26 ride. Will he still maintain the lead after Sunday's run?

This will be another flat stage -- all three stages in Denmark are -- but its 128-mile/206-kilometer length will make this one of the longer endurance tests. Winds from the North Sea are expected to create a divide in the peloton -- the main mass of riders -- but a sprint to the finish would surely provide the most highly contentious action of the day.

Boulder-based Garmin-Barracuda had a strong start to the Giro with four racers in the top 15 finishers, led by Alex Rasmussen and his third-place standing. Every Garmin-Barracuda racer is within the top 52 racers, making it the top team in the Giro so far. Will the cyclists come up with another strong performance on Sunday?

Stage 2 is expected to begin at 4:25 a.m. MT and last until about 9:12 a.m. MT. Steephill.tv has numerous options to catch the action, though live coverage will not be available until 6:00 a.m. MT. Universal Sports will have live coverage in the morning while NBC Sports will air the day's action at 12:00 p.m. MT.

For more on the 2012 Giro d'Italia, stick with SB Nation Denver and visit cycling blog Podium Cafe.

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Giro d'Italia 2012 Standings: Boulder's Taylor Phinney Leads After Stage 1; Garmin-Barracuda's Alex Rasmussen In 3rd

The first day of the 2012 Giro d'Italia is over with and Boulder native Taylor Phinney of BMC Racing Team wears the Maglia Rosa (pink jersey) after the individual time trial through Herning, Denmark. He finished with a time of 10:26, nine seconds better than Geraint Thomas and 13 seconds better than Garmin Barracuda's Alex Rasmussen, a native of Denmark.

Ramunas Navardauskas, also a member of Garmin-Barracuda, held the lead for most of the day with a 10:48 finish, but it wasn't until Manuele Boaro (No. 4) finished ahead of him at 10:41 that he was displaced from the top. Navardauskas is now tied for fifth with Erik Gustav Larsson.

The race has two more stages in Denmark before an off day on Tuesday. The race then shifts to Italy for the remainder of the event.

Here is the top 10 after Stage 1:

Pos. Cyclist Time
1 Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:10:26
2 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:00:09
3 Alex Rasmussen (Den) Garmin-Barracuda 0:00:13
4 Manuele Boaro (Ita) Saxo Bank 0:00:15
5 Erik Gustav Larsson (Swe) Vacansoleil-DCM 0:00:22
6 Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Garmin-Barracuda
7 Brett Lancaster (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge 0:00:23
8 Marco Pinotti (Ita) BMC Racing Team 0:00:24
9 Jesse Sergent (NZL) RadioShack-Nissan 0:00:26
10 Nelson Oliveira (Por) RadioShack-Nissan 0:00:27

For more on the 2012 Giro d'Italia, stick with SB Nation Denver and visit cycling blog Podium Cafe.

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Giro d'Italia 2012 Stage 1: Course Begins In Denmark With Time Trial

The 95th running of the Giro d'Italia begins on Saturday with an individual time trial through Herning, Denmark. This is the first of three stages in Denmark to start the race before they head back to Italy. At 5.4 miles/8.7 kilometers in length, this is the shortest course in the entire Giro. However, it won't be without its own difficulties. As we can see on this map, there are multiple 90 degree turns, which should offer a different challenge than the one the mountains will present when the cyclists hit Italy.

The first rider, Androni Giocattoli's Jackson Rodriguez, will start things off at 7:40 a.m. MT. Garmin-Barracuda's Robert Hunter will be the first from his team to start the race when he takes off at 7:52 a.m. MT. He will be followed by Ramunas Navardauskas at 8:14 a.m. MT. Peter Stetina, Jack Bauer, Sebastien Rosseler, Christian Vandevelde, Ryder Hesjedal and Tyler Farrar began their races over the following three hours before Alex Rasmussen leaves the start line at 11:01 a.m. MT.

The course is expected to take roughly four hours to complete once the last rider crosses the finish line.

Start time: 7:40 a.m. MT (eight hours behind Denmark)

Location: Herning, Demark

Broadcast info: Universal Sports, 8:00 a.m. MT. Steephill.tv offers a variety of other options for those without access to Universal Sports

For more on the 2012 Giro d'Italia, stick with SB Nation Denver and visit cycling blog Podium Cafe.

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Giro d'Italia 2012: Route, TV Schedule, Live Updates And More

As the Garmin-Barracuda team looks for a victory in Giro d'Italia 2012 competition, fans can follow along at home with free, streaming video of the race. Here is a look at the start and finish times for the first stage, courtesy of SteepHill.tv:

  • Stage 1 start time: Saturday 7:40:00 a.m. MDT
  • Earliest live video: 7:30:00 a.m. MDT
  • Approximate finish time: 11:30:00 p.m. MDT

Here is a look at this year's route, courtesy of Gazzetta.it:

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The Garmin-Barracuda team hails from Boulder, CO, and features three of the four American cyclers in this year's competition. Here is a look at the team's full roster:

  • Jack Bauer
  • Tyler Farrar*
  • Ryder Hesjedal
  • Robbie Hunter
  • Ramuna Navardauskas
  • Alex Rasmussen
  • Sebastien Rosseler
  • Peter Stetina*
  • Christian Vande Velde*

*American native

The one other American racing in this year's Girio d'Italia is Taylor Phinney of BMC racing.

For more on the 2012 Giro d'Italia, visit cycling blog Podium Cafe.

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