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Thursday, 25 May 2006 |
Italian cyclist Leonardo Piepoli wins at Giro d'Italia in snow
Italian cyclist Leonardo Piepoli overcame heavy snow and strong winds to win stage 17 of the Giro d'Italia and Wednesday's stage had to be shortened because of the terrible weather, with organisers shaving 13km off the race distance.
In spite of the treacherous weather conditions, the Saunier Duval rider easily rode to his second mountain-stage win in four days.
Fellow Italian Ivan Basso, who was the winner on Tuesday's stage, extended his lead in the overall standings with second place.
Ivan Basso now is ahead of Spanish cyclist Jose Enrique Gutierrez by almost six minutes.
"I think organisers made the best choice, in the interest of the cyclists," said Ivan Basso after the shortened stage.
"It was very cold today and weather was a big problem for everybody. Piepoli confirmed to be a great climber, difficult to beat at uphill finishes."
Winner Leonardo Piepoli described the weather as "appalling," and he added: "I don't like cold and this year I have clinched two of my most prestigious career victories in bad weather."
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Last Updated ( Monday, 29 May 2006 )
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