Menchov Decimates Giro's TT Stage 12, Commandeers Pink Jersey

Rabobank's leader Denis Menchov decimated his competition on today's Stage 12 of the Giro d'Italia, a pivotal 60.6-kilometer time trial that was sure to shake up the overall classification.

The riders started in reverse order of the overall classification today, with the last-placed rider starting first, and every rider starting in three-minute intervals thereafter, ending with the start-of-the-day's maglia rosa wearer, Danilo DiLuca (LPR-Brakes). 

This was no ordinary grand tour time trial facing the riders today. 

Unlike the Tour de France's dead-flat time trials, this extremely long test faced riders immediately with the 15-kilometer ascent of the Passo del Bracco, followed by a twisting descent, and followed by the immediate 9-kilometer Passo del Termino, another descent, and then the short rise to the finish in Riomaggiore.

Fans and racers could track how the race times progressed with intermediate checkpoints on the top of the Bracco, the bottom of the Bracco, and the top of the Termino, before the final checkpoint at the finish line.

Some riders lit up the race early on. Garmin-Slipstream's Bradley Wiggins, a favourite for the stage win, in the middle of the day, came in with the fastest time to that point of 1 hour, 36 minutes. 

Mountain-jersey leader Stefano Garzelli (Acqua e Sapone), had other plans, and bested the Garmin rider's time by nearly a minute. Garzelli's time looked hard to beat.  He ended the stage, however, in third place.

Most riders today, faced with so much climbing, chose to ride their regular, lighter road bikes fitted with small, clip-on aerobars.

Carlos Sastre (Cervelo), however, was actually riding a Cervelo P3 time-trial bike fitted with regular drop bars for improved control, maybe hoping to gain an aerodynamic advantage over his competitors.

Not a time-trial specialist, Sastre fell behind the leaders on all of the intermediary checkpoints and ended the day in 12th position.

Some other disappointments also surfaced rather surprisingly.  Team Columbia's GC-duo of Michael Rogers and Thomas Lovkvist, both good at the time-trial discipline, unexpectedly fell off the pace. 

Lovkvist had told newspapers earlier that he was expecting to do quite well in the time trial, but he shockingly lost five minutes to the day's winner, Denis Menchov.  At least he nearly doubled his advantage in the white jersey competition of best young rider.

Rogers was also a disappointment.  The Australian time-trial champion sitting in third place on the general classification at the start of the day was expected by many to challenge for the stage win and claim the pink jersey.  He finished the day almost three minutes behind Menchov and didn't even beat DiLuca on the road.

Levi Leipheimer (Astana) was definitely not one of the day's disappointments.  The American, a excellent time-trial rider, typically starts off a bit slow and then rips through the final third when he contests the time trials. 

Today, at the first and second checkpoints at the top and bottom of the Bracco, Leipheimer was a couple of seconds off the fastest time thus far of Stefano Garzelli, but up the Passo del Termino, Leipheimer showed spectacular form and finished the day in second place, 43 seconds ahead of Garzelli.

However, an epic battle was waging on the course behind the Astana rider.  Denis Menchov was producing a scintillating ride and came through the checkpoints with the fastest time of the day.  At the bottom of the Bracco, he was already 30 seconds ahead of Leipheimer.

Behind Menchov, race-leader DiLuca was trying to limit his losses.  He told the press in the previous days that he hoped to limit his losses to his rivals to two minutes to stay in contention for the pink jersey later. 

Steady up the climbs and fearless on the descents, DiLuca had only lost 46 seconds to Menchov by the second time check, still in the overall lead on the road.

However, as the race progressed, Menchov tore up the road towards the finish line and won the day, a full 20 seconds ahead of second-placed Leipehimer. 

DiLuca ended the day in a very competent sixth place, 1:46 behind Menchov.  He did concede the pink jersey, moving down into second on the GC but did attain his goal of staying within two minutes of Menchov.

The GC clearly shakes up today after the pivotal time-trial.  Denis Menchov assumes the race lead.  DiLuca drops down to second place at 34 seconds back.  Leipheimer moves up smartly into third at 40 seconds behind. 

These three now might be the three main men for the overall classification win in 10 days' time.  Fourth place Franco Pellizotti (Liquigas) is already two minutes behind.  Sastre is behind by 2:52, Rogers by 2:59, and Ivan Basso (Liquigas) by 3:00.

An epic battle over the next week will face the riders.  Although he has the lead now, some question whether Menchov has a strong enough Rabobank team to protect him in the coming days. 

DiLuca's LPR and Leipheimer's Astana teams certainly are strong enough to help their leaders for the rest of the race and could work to single out Menchov in the future mountain days.

Tomorrow's nearly pancake-flat stage, however, will be one for the sprinters, and the GC men will more than likely not have to worry, and will save their battles for Stage 14.