Jens Voigt Close To Victory
Category: Global NewsTeam Saxo Bank's German Jens Voigt showed the team colors during the fourth 162-kilometer-long stage of the Giro by breaking away with Francesco Bellotti (Barloworld), Davide Vigano (Fuji Servetto), Ian Stannard (ISD) and Francesco De Bonis (Serramenti).
Together, they moved to the bottom of the first climb where the German immediately increased the pressure after which only Da Bonis and Belloti were able to follow. In the chasing pack Astana, Liquigas and Danilo Di Luca's LPR Brakes cooperated to control the pace and the gap shrunk rapidly as they began the long ascent to the finish line in San Martino Castrozza.
As the road got steeper Voigt and Belotti accelerated and immediately Da Bonis had to forfeit. Soon after Voigt went solo towards the finish line. Unfortunately the German power plant lacked the very last bit of energy to go all the way and two and a half kilometres from the line he hit the wall and was soon inhaled by the group of favorites of which Danilo Di Luca sprinted his way to the stage victory.
Thomas Lövkvist (Team Columbia) is the new leader of the race.