 Cavendish opens the celebratory champagne |
Britain's Mark Cavendish won Sunday's ninth stage of the Giro d'Italia but the stage will not count to the overall classifications after a rider protest. Riders were unhappy with the city centre course in Milan after Spain's Pedro Horrillo Munoz was seriously hurt in a crash during Saturday's stage. "We did not believe the route was very safe for our health," said race leader Danilo di Luca. "Because of this we asked and obtained an annulment of the ninth stage times."  | 606: DEBATE |
The riders still cycled the 163km Milan course but at a leisurely pace rather than competitively, chatting to each other and waving to the crowds. At one point the peleton stopped and addressed the crowd, a move which drew an angry reaction from many spectators, and despite the best efforts of the riders to present a united front, not all of them were convinced the action had worked. "We have stood together, all united but in the end I think it was the wrong decision because you need to talk before the event," said Team Katusha's Filippo Pozzato. "In my opinion we've made a mess." Monday is a rest day with the 262-km 10th stage from Cuneo to Pinerolo due to take place on Tuesday. The race, which is celebrating its centenary this year, finishes in Rome on 31 May.
Stage nine results (Sunday): 1 M Cavendish (GB/Columbia) 4 hrs 16 mins 13 secs
2 A Davis (Aus/Quick-Step) same time
3 T Farrar (US/Garmin)
4 M Goss (Aus/Saxo Bank)
5 A Petacchi (Ita/Team LPR)
6 R Foerster (Ger/Milram)
7 R Hunter (SA/Barloworld)
8 D Vigano (Ita/Fuji)
9 S Haddou (Fr/Bbox - Bouygues)
10 T Fothen (Ger/Milram)
11 E Vorganov (Rus/Xacobeo)
12 B Swift (GB/Katusha)
13 S Hinault (Fr/AG2R)
14 R Marzoli (It/Acqua & Sapone)
15 J Rodriguez (Ven/Diquigiovanni)
16 D Grabovskyy (Ukr/Team ISD)
17 J Brajkovic (Slv/Astana)
18 M Renshaw (Aus/Columbia )
19 J Ljungblad (Swe/Silence - Lotto)
20 I Stannard (GB/Team ISD) Selected others: 98 Bradley Wiggins (GB/Garmin)
158 L Armstrong (USA/Astana) Overall standings: 1 D Di Luca (Ita/Team LPR ) 33hrs 13mins 35secs
2 T Lovkvist (Swe/Columbia ) @ 13 secs
3 M Rogers (Aus/Columbia ) @ 44
4 L Leipheimer (US/Astana ) @ 51
5 D Menchov (Rus/Rabobank) @ 58
6 I Basso (It/Liquigas) @ 1.14
7 C Sastre (Sp/Cervelo Test Team) @ 1.24
8 C Horner (US/Astana) @ 1.25
9 F Pellizotti (It/Liquigas) @ 1.35
10 D Arroyo (Sp/Caisse d'Epargne) @ 1.49 Selected others: 25 Lance Armstrong (USA/AST)
27 Bradley Wiggins (GB/Garmin)
151 Mark Cavendish (GB/Columbia)
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