Nibali and Scarponi fight for second place in the Giro d'Italia
Close battle 🐼between the Italians in the final stages of t༺he race


168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Vincenzo Nibali (168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Liquigas-Cannondale) and 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Michele Scarponi (168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Lampre-ISD) were again the best of the rest behind Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank-SunGard) in the Nevegal stage 16 mountain time trial, as they continue to fight for second place on the final 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Giro d'Italia podium.
Nibali and Scarponi read𓂃y for Giro d'Italia mountains showdoౠwn
Scarponi loses time after trying to attack Contador in Giro d'Itali𓂃a
168澳洲5最新开奖结果:N♓ibali: Contador didn’t r♏espect me
168澳洲5最新开奖结果: Nibali goes o💟n the offensi♛ve at the Giro
🗹168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Scarponi gets better with cold weather
168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Nibali chases second💃 place in the Giro d'Italia
They probably know th🍎at Contador could be disqualified from the Giro results if he is suspended by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in June, but are more likely fighting for the bragging rights as the best rider, and best Italian, behind Contador at the Giro.
Nibali finished second in the mountain time trial𝔉, 34 seconds slowཧer than Contador but four seconds faster than Scarponi. That cut his gap on Scarponi slightly and he is now 47 seconds behind his Italian rival.
"I did my best but Contador's got an extra gear. I honestly🤡 thought I'd done enough to win it but all I can say to him chapeau," Nibali said.
"I rode well and felt good. I used the right gear and the right equipment. But when someone is that good, there's not much you can do. I tried to gain a few seconds on the first part, on the descent, and then I paced myself well and kept trying to accelerate again and again. I don't think I could have ♎done any better."
"Alberto is unbeatable for the moment, but I just h🐻ope that with some hard work there's a chance that I can close the gap on him in ꦫthe future."
Scarponi looks to Sestriere mountain stage
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Scarponi knows he has to defend his lead on Nibali aওnd perhaps even extend it before the final time trial in Milan, where Nibali could pull back more than a minute.
Stage 17 to Tirano and stage 18 to San Pellegrino Terme near Bergamo ꩲinclude major climbs but are unlikely to change the overall standings. Scarponi could gain time on the mountain finish at Macugnaga on stage 19 but he has more of a chance onꦑ Saturday's 242km mountain stage to Sestriere that includes the dirt climb of the Colle delle Finestre.
"I gave it everything ꧂in the time tria💃l but I wasn't at my best," Scarponi said after recovering from a huge effort that left him hanging on to his soigneur immediately after the finish.
"I didn't have the legs in the final two kilometres, when I needed 🦩to pick up the speed and go hard."
"But I have to be satisfied with my Giro so far and second place overall. I know Nibali wants to take it from me, but I also know tha𒀰t final mountain stage to Sestriere suits me."

Stephen is one of the most experienced member of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. He has been Head of News at Cyclingnews since 2022, before which he held the position of European editor since 2012 and previously worked for Reuters, Shift Active Media, and CyclingWeekly, among other publications.