CAVA DE’ TIRRENI, Italy, May 17, 2010 – Australian rider Matthew Goss won the ninth stage of the Tour of Italy on Monday, a 187 kilometres ride under the driving rain from Frosinone to here, recording his country’s third success in the race this year.

Kazakh veteran Alexandre Vinokourov retained the overall leader’s pink jersey while Australia’s road race world champion Cadel Evans is in second place.

Goss, 23, who finished second in the second stage of this year’s edition, beat home Italian champion Filippo Pozzato while American Tyler Farrar was third in a sprint finish that was unusually contested also by Evans and Vinokourov.

“It’s my greatest victory. A stage on a big tour, that counts!” said Goss.

“I’m not a sprinter like (Mark) Cavendish, I need more difficult conditions like those today.”

Pozzato added: “Another difficult stage. The rain doesn’t stop. I didn’t like the finish.”

Russian rider Mikhail Ignatiev had tried to make a clean break 10km from the finish along with Canada’s Michael Barry before being swept up five kilometres later.

The peloton while pursuing the duo had been briefly cut in two 15km from the finish as Vinokourov’s Astana team upped the pace forcing Evans and another rival for the overall crown Italian Ivan Basso to chase them down.

Tuesday’s 10th stage sees the race reach its southernmost point with the
230km ride from Avellino to Bitonto.

Stage
1. Matthew Goss (AUS/THR) 4hr 08min 17sec, 2. Filippo Pozzato (ITA/KAT), 3.
Tyler Farrar (USA/GRM), 4. Robert Förster (GER/MRM), 5. Federico Canuti
(ITA/CSF), 6. Sebastien Hinault (FRA/ALM), 7. Wouter Weylandt (BEL/QST), 8.
Greg Henderson (NZL/SKY), 9. Jos van Emden (NED/RAB), 10. Markus Eibegger
(AUT/FOT), 11. Leonardo Duque (COL/COF), 12. Cadel Evans (AUS/BMC), 13. Bauke
Mollema (NED/RAB), 14. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA/LIQ), 15. Manuel Belletti
(ITA/COG), 16. Richie Porte (AUS/SAX), 17. Sebastian Haedo (ARG/SAX), 18.
Laurent Didier (LUX/SAX), 19. Andre Greipel (GER/THR), 20. Jan Bakelants
(BEL/OLO) all same time
Selected
22. Stefano Garzelli (ITA/ASA), 25. Alexandre Vinokourov (KAZ/AST), 29.
Damiano Cunego (ITA/LAM), 34. Vladimir Karpets (RUS/KAT), 37. Ivan Basso
(ITA/LIQ) all same time as winner, 95. Carlos Sastre (ESP/CTT) at 1min 49sec,
106. Bradley Wiggins (GBR/SKY) 1:49, 182. Cameron Meyer (AUS/GRM) 12:06.
Did not start: Baden Cooke (AUS/SAX)

Overall
1. Alexandre Vinokourov (KAZ/AST) 33hr 09min 43sec, 2. Cadel Evans
(AUS/BMC) at 1min 12sec, 3. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA/LIQ) 1:33, 4. Ivan Basso
(ITA/LIQ) 1:51, 5. Marco Pinotti (ITA/THR) 2:17, 6. Richie Porte (AUS/SAX)
2:26, 7. Vladimir Karpets (RUS/KAT) 2:34, 8. Stefano Garzelli (ITA/ASA) 2:47,
9. Damiano Cunego (ITA/LAM) 3:08, 10. Michele Scarponi (ITA/AND) 3:09, 11.
David Arroyo (ESP/GCE) 4:22, 12. Robert Kiserlovski (CRO/LIQ) 4:25, 13.
Valerio Agnoli (ITA/LIQ) 5:18, 14. Bauke Mollema (NED/RAB) 6:05, 15. Xavier
Tondo (ESP/CTT) 6:34, 16. Pieter Weening (NED/RAB) 7:31, 17. Markus Eibegger
(AUT/FOT) 7:46, 18. Alexander Efimkin (RUS/ALM) 7:56, 19. Laurent Didier
(LUX/SAX) 8:01, 20. Thomas Rohregger (AUT/MRM) 8:14.
Selected
22. Carlos Sastre (ESP/CTT) 9:59, 24. Bradley Wiggins (GBR/SKY) 10:54. 67.
Matthew Goss (AUS/THR) 43:18, 182. Jack Bobridge (AUS/GRM) 1hr 38:12.

Story by: AFP
Photo by: CorVos Pro