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Matt Stephens Down But Not Out!
It seemed that the Linda McCartney Pro Cycling Team's luck had failed to
improve in the second stage of the Giro d'Italia. A rash of crashes brought
down dozens of riders, and oh-so-nearly put an end to Britain's Matt
Stephens' attempts to complete the three-week tour. However, a gritty
performance in appalling conditions means that the team finished with all
seven men who had begun the day in Terracina.
A torrential downpour amid thunder and lightning transformed what had begun
as a straightforward day into a battle for survival. The terrible road
surfaces of Southern Italy played their part, but the true villain of the
piece was the weather.
"The temperature gauge in the Laguna said it was 30 degrees outside, and all
the riders were chatting and asking for suncream," said assistant manager
Chris Lillywhite. "Then, as we got near Napoli, this huge storm blew up out
of nowhere. It was cats and dogs, and I looked back at the gauge and it had
dropped to 12!"
Riders were shivering and dishevelled afterwards, but far worse for some were
the effects of the rain on roads that had been dry for weeks previously. The
accumulated diesel and dirt became a greasy film in the wet, and staying
upright was a feat in itself.
"I came down with a group of others, but I was ok and jumped straight back
on," explained Matt Stephens through chattering teeth as he stripped off
sodden race kit in the team motorhome. "I was chasing back, when somebody
else came down in front of me, I think it might have been Chepe Gonzalez. I
tried to brake and steer round him, but I just locked up."
"Matt slid sideways like a speedway rider for about ten yards, then hit the
deck, right on his knee," said Chris. "I thought that was it. He didn't get
up, then the ambulance got there as we were getting out of the car. They were
trying to get him to abandon, but he refused to give in. It ended up a bit of
a tug of war, but eventually we got him back on his bike and followed him to
the finish."
Matt's refusal to retire brought a massive cheer from the huge crowd on the
course, with one apparently octogenarian spectator applauding wildly and
shouting, "bravo, bravo!" at the top of his voice. The whole episode was
captured by the cameras for all to see.
Meanwhile, up the road Max Sciandri was showing his worth to the team by
avoiding all the splits that were occurring and staying with the main
contenders as they chased the break home. Max finished in 14th place, just 29
seconds behind winner and new leader Cristian Moreni of Liquigas. Tayeb
wasn't far back, and both of them will be looking to enhance their handsome
overall standings now.
Report by John Deering
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