Menchov Takes Giro's Stage Five; Some Key GC Men Already Off the Back

Today's tough stage culminating on the extremely tough 25-kilometer ascent of the Alpe di Siusi put some major shakeups in the overall classification, as only a very small, elite group comprised the top finishers, and some key GC hopes for this year's Giro already lost major time.

Denis Menchov (Rabobank) was the rider who took home the goods today, when a group of only six riders made it to the finish at the front of the field.  Even this group did not finish entirely together.  Menchov and Danilo DiLuca (LPR-Brakes) both put in strong accelerations at the end to distance some of their rivals and gain extra time.

Earlier in the day, a group of seven featuring Thomas Voeckler (Bbox Bouygues Telecom), Eros Capecchi (Fuji-Servetto), Francesco Gavazzi (Lampre), Daniele Pietropolli (LPR Brakes), Jose Serpa, Carlos José Ochoa (Diquigiovanni) and Giovanni Visconti (ISD) went clear and built up a lead of about five minutes.

Visconti was hoping that maybe this break could make it to the finish after his failed attempt at a stage win two days ago.

However, faced with the ominous 25-kilometer ascent of the Siusi, the breakaway was completely swallowed up with 10 kilometers of racing remaining. Ivan Basso's Liquigas team was very firmly controlling the front of the field, setting a blistering pace up the mountain that quickly whittled the peloton down to only a handful of riders. 

It was so quick, in fact, that attacks like Mauricio Soler's (Barloworld) acceleration in yesterday's stage simply could not form in the closing kilometers.

One by one, riders began to fall off the pace. The big GC contenders such as Damiano Cunego (Lampre), Lance Armstrong (Astana), Gilberto Simoni (Diquigiovanni), and Stefano Garzelli (Aqua e Sapone) all lost ground with the front group. Simoni lost one minute, Cunego 2:39, Armstrong 2:58, and Garzelli 5:24.

In the final run to the line, Denis Menchov brought home the goods with an impressive acceleration that saw him win the stage by a clear two seconds over yesterday's winner Danilo DiLuca. The pink jersey wearer Thomas Lovkvist (Columbia) made a valiant effort to stay in contention and finished third.

The other members of the elite group were contenders Ivan Basso, Levi Leipheimer (Astana), Carlos Sastre (Cervelo), and Michael Rogers (Columbia). All other favourites are more than likely no longer in contention after only five days of racing. 

The winners tonight are Menchov for taking the stage and moving back into overall contention, DiLuca for taking the pink jersey, and Lovkvist for already amassing an almost three-minute lead in the young rider's competition, even if he did concede the pink jersey. 

Tomorrow's Stage Six confronts riders with a staggering 250 kilometers, the length of most of the spring Classics, with two big climbs but no mountaintop finish.  Anything could happen.

Petacchi (LPR) and the sprinters, at least the ones who can climb, could get their way, the favourites could decimate each other yet again, or a breakaway might succeed.