Lampre-ISD leader due to undergo medical tests; team director insists he will be staying with blue-fuchsia team
After the unfamiliar experience of finishing in the gruppetto on yesterday’s thirteenth stage of the Vuelta a España, Michele Scarponi (Lampre-ISD) climbed off his bike just 26km into stage fourteen to La Farrapona. Lagos de Somiedo. The Giro d’Italia runner up had come to the Vuelta in the hope of a final victory but, since finishing second on the uphill eighth stage to San Lorenzo de El Escorial, has lost time at virtually every opportunity; both on mountain stages and the stage ten time trial in Salamanca.
Yesterday the 31-year-old finally gave up his fight for the overall and finished in the gruppetto, losing 21 minutes and finishing with teammates like Aleassandro Petacchi, in the hope of recovering later in the race and going for a stage victory.
“I just didn’t have the legs,” said Scarponi at the start this morning. “I haveb’t felt good at all for a few days. I’ll see today how it goes; I’m prepared to suffer but I’ve already suffered just to reach the finish.”
The suffering was apparently too much for the Eagle of Filottrano, and he gave up on the first, unclassified climb of the stage.
“I told Scarponi to not push it yesterday as he was not feeling well,” explained Lampre-ISD sports director Orlando Maini on the start line. “If he’s the same today, he’ll do gruppetto again. It’s the only way for him to have a chance to win at the Angliru as he wishes.
“If he’s not well, it means something is wrong,” he explaind. “On Monday, he’ll undergo medical testing during the rest day.”
Now that he has left the race, Scarponi will be able to undergo those tests at home.
Maini was also keen to quash any rumours that his star rider will be leaving Lampre-ISD at the end of the season to ride for Astana, whose general manager Giuseppe Martinelli has expressed an interest.
“People say that Astana wants him badly for next year but Astana wants everyone,” said Maini. “He’s contracted with us and he’ll be with Lampre next year.”