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Matt Stephens Rides Through The Pain
Matt Stephens of the Linda McCartney Foods Cycling Team conquered the pain
that is jeopardising his hopes of completing the 83rd Giro d'Italia in
Saturday's Dolomite Mountain stage.
"The doctors have been keeping an eye on me every day, and the bad news is
that it seems to be getting worse," said Matt.
Matt banged his left knee badly in a crash way back near the beginning of the
race, when a freak storm skittled the field. Thought by many to have
abandoned the race there and then, Matt rode on, hoping that the remaining 18
stages would see a gradual return of strength. However, with now just 8 of
those left, Matt has been forced to follow the old football maxim of taking
every game as it comes, as each day is a personal trial.
"Today was a pretty tough day, so I was pleased to get though it," said Matt
with typical understatement. The 186kms between Feltre and the ski village of
Selva Gardena were laced with some of the toughest climbs the Dolomites have
to offer. There were the passes of Falzarego, Fedana and Sella to cross, the
middle one traversing the feared Marmolada mountain. Even the finish in Selva
Gardena held a wickedly steep rise for the peloton to crest before they could
escape to the nearby hotels for some well-earned rest.
"I was in the second group on the Falzarego, but I managed to bridge to the
front one, which kept me out of trouble for most of the day. I fell at one
point, but it was my elbow that came off worst: I managed to keep the old
knee out of that one!"
It was a case of "Well done guys," for Sean Yates, as he saw all his 7 foot
soldiers all successfully complete a day which had been earmarked as a
potential killer.
"I was very pleased with today," said Sean. "I've ridden some of these passes
when I was racing, and believe me, they're not very pleasant. We've still got
lots more of this sort of thing to come though: tomorrow we're going up the
Gavia, so it will be battle stations again."
The race overall took on a greater intensity, as Stefano Garzelli and Ivan
Gotti repeatedly attacked the leader Francesco Casagrande. But the man in the
pink jersey not only repelled the advances, he used them to put time into
rivals like Wladimir Belli, 2nd place overnight, when he was able to match
Garzelli's acceleration and Belli was left behind on the Passo Di Sella.
Paolo Savoldelli, early favourite for this race, was also in trouble on the
Sella, but an unbelievable chase on the descent by the baby-faced Saeco rider
brought him back up to the leaders. His speed on the downhill had hardened
journos in the press room leaning into the corners with him as they watched
on TV! The stage went to Jose Rubiera from Kelme, who just caught Gilberto
Simoni on the finish line after the two had battled out the final kilometres.
Simoni's efforts were good enough to take him up to 5th place overall, but
Casagrande looks slightly more secure in the pink jersey tonight, now 18
seconds clear of his nearest rival, who is now Garzelli. It could all change
tomorrow though!
Report by John Deering
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