Greig Leach

This year's Giro seems to be the year of the breakaways. I don't have an exact number, but it feels like far more stages have been won by a member of the breakaway, either the early break working all day to achieve victory, or like today, the late attack that catches the peloton off guard. For this pair of Lijo Keisse (Etixx Quickstep) and Luke Durbridge (Orica BreenEdge) you could see it enter their minds on the bell lap that one of them was about to win the final stage of the 98th Giro d'Italia. Keisse had the advantage of coming from the track and from being wise enough to force Durbridge to start his sprint from the front. Durbridge did what he could but with the peloton charging down on the duo, he couldn't do the classic game of cat and mouse, but instead had to hope that he had the legs and Keisse didn't. Alas, for the Aussie, Keisse had them. Durbridge can take comfort knowing that Orica GreenEdge held the first four Maglia Rosas and one the opening Team Time Trial stage. Whereas, Etixx-Quickstep had yet to claim a stage, and their team leader had been unable to produce his former prowess in previous Giros. So it was truly and upset victory even if the over all winner has been known for weeks. So "Chapeau, Contador!"