Giro D'Italia 2015: Stage 11 Results, Overall Standings and Highlights
Ilnur Zakarin picked up a win in Stage 11 of the 2015 Giro d’Italia on Wednesday, as another breakaway rider sampled victory in the Grand Tour.
The Team Katusha rider finished almost one minute ahead of Carlos Betancur and Franco Pellizotti who were second and third, respectively, on the 153-kilometre route from Forli to Imola.
Alberto Contador remains three seconds clear of Fabio Aru in the general classification after another solid ride.
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Here’s the results and the recap of how the action played out in yet another thrilling segment of this engrossing tour.
| 1 | Ilnur Zakarin (Rus) | Team Katusha | 3:55:08 |
| 2 | Carlos Betancur (Col) | AG2R La Mondiale | 0:00:53 |
| 3 | Franco Pellizotti (Ita) | Androni Giocattoli | '' |
| 4 | Benat Intxausti (Spa) | Movistar Team | '' |
| 5 | Diego Rosa (Ita) | Astana Pro Team | '' |
| 6 | Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) | Team LottoNL-Jumbo | '' |
| 7 | Ryder Hesjedal (Can) | Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | '' |
| 8 | Maciej Paterski (Pol) | CCC Sprandi Polkowice | 0:00:58 |
| 9 | Philippe Gilbert (Bel) | BMC Racing Team | " |
| 10 | Juan Jose Lobato (Spa) | Movistar Team | 0:01:02 |
Breakaway riders have enjoyed plenty of success in this Giro so far. Those men who have been bold enough to surge away from an illustrious peloton are usually reeled in during the Giro in past competitions, but this year, a clutch of durable cyclists have been able to cling on.
So it was no surprise when Zakarin and nine others made another early run for the front. But after putting some light between themselves and the peloton on the penultimate climb of the day, the Russian made a telling impact, trailblazing his way to a comfortable lead.
As the Team Sky Twitter account noted during the race, from very early on, it was clear that Zakarin was going to take victory here:
In the race for the Maglia Rosa, things did threaten to burst into life a couple of times on a day in which few fireworks were expected.
All eyes were on Richie Porte in the opening exchanges of this one, as the Team Sky star was handed a controversial penalty on Tuesday after compatriot Simon Clarke gave the Australian his front wheel following a puncture, per BBC Sport.
Things were pretty reserved early on, however. Although, there was a curious incident which saw Contador remove his helmet for a section of the course; as noted by Felix Lowe of Eurosport, the Spaniard could have easily picked up a punishment for that:
Sense seemed to prevail on that matter, and Contador was in fine fettle in the latter stages. With circa seven kilometres to go, the Tinkoff-Saxo rider broke away from the peloton, and for a while, the likes of Aru didn’t seem as though they had enough to stay with the Spaniard.
He eventually came back to the group, but it was an attack in which the 2008 Giro winner seemed to be laying down a psychological marker. Contador confirmed as much afterwards, per Laura Meseguer of Eurosport:
Alternatively, he may have been positioning himself appropriately to tackle the slippy descents at the front of the peloton. The value of doing so was emphasised earlier in the race, when Colombian rider Rigoberto Uran took a tumble on what was, at times, a pretty treacherous circuit.
In the end, the leader, Aru and Porte all crossed the line together. Sadly, for spectators, it wasn’t the most thrilling stage, but as noted here by sports journalist Richard Moore, encouragingly, the top riders’ teammates seem to be holding up well under the strain of a Grand Tour, too. That should make for an enthralling finish:
Here’s how the general classification is shaping up after Stage 11:
| 1 | Alberto Contador (Spa) | Tinkoff-Saxo | 46:54:19 |
| 2 | Fabio Aru (Ita) | Astana Pro Team | 0:00:03 |
| 3 | Mikel Landa Meana (Spa) | Astana Pro Team | 0:00:46 |
| 4 | Dario Cataldo (Ita) | Astana Pro Team | 0:01:16 |
| 5 | Roman Kreuziger (Cze) | Tinkoff-Saxo | 0:01:46 |
| 6 | Rigoberto Uran (Col) | Etixx - Quick-Step | 0:02:10 |
| 7 | Giovanni Visconti (Ita) | Movistar Team | 0:02:12 |
| 8 | Damiano Caruso (Ita) | BMC Racing Team | 0:02:20 |
| 9 | Andrey Amador (Crc) | Movistar Team | 0:02:24 |
| 10 | Leopold Konig (Cze) | Team Sky | 0:02:30 |
For Zakarin, this stage triumph is an emphatic indicator of the potential he boasts. To come out on top after leading a breakaway by such a comfortable margin—and in difficult conditions, too, no less—deserves great admiration. After winning the Tour de Romandie earlier this year, the Russian is clearly relishing the gravitas a Grand Tour commands.
Contador’s burst may not have mattered at all in terms of the standings, but the ease with which he was able to put a gap between himself and the rest will come as great encouragement to the 32-year-old star. As such, it’s tough to see anyone snatching the Maglia Rosa from him before the tour climax in Milan on May 31.
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