Team vying to boost his chances on Monte Grappa
After netting second place on yesterday’s stage with Greg Henderson, Team Sky will today focus on doing what it can to boost Bradley Wiggins’ standing in the general classification.
Wiggins started today’s 205 kilometre stage from Ferrara to Asolo tenth overall, eight minutes and 14 seconds behind Saxo Bank rider Richie Porte. Porte is riding his first Grand Tour and so it is not known how he will fare in the final week of racing; of the bigger-name riders, Wiggins is one of the best-placed and so, unexpectedly, he finds himself back in a position where he could contend for the final podium.
Today’s stage scales Monte Grappa and could well see serious splits occur; Team Sky’s goal is to help set its leader up for the best possible performance.
“Our main objective will be to try and make sure Bradley holds on to his position in the GC,” said directeur sportif Sean Yates. “Before and after that climb, it’s not too difficult a stage really. At the end of the day, we’ll see what the situation is and then decide what further action to take.”
Yates said that he was very satisfied with Henderson’s efforts yesterday, even if he didn’t manage to pull off the final victory.
“That was a really good result. Hendy was a little bit disappointed with second place but I thought he did brilliantly to hang on in there,” he said. “Those two climbs near the end of the stage were tough and he had dropped off the back of the front group at one point with another five or six other riders, but was still able to come back. It was just unfortunate for him that Belletti [Manuel Belletti (Colnago-CSF)] timed his sprint perfectly to take the victory.”
The team has had a strong first Grand Tour, with Wiggins taking the stage one time trial and the team netting second behind Liquigas in the team time trial.