Monday, November 29, 1999

Goss the Oz sprints to wet Giro stage win

News posted by www.newsinfoline.com

Matthew Goss became the third Australian to win a stage in this year's Giro d'Italia after riders had to power through huge puddles on the ninth day of racing on Monday.The HTC-Columbia rider followed up victories by Matthew Lloyd and BMC's Cadel Evans to give the world's second-biggest stage race a distinctly Antipodean feel.Astana's Alexandre Vinokourov kept the overall lead, still one minute 12 seconds ahead of world champion Evans, after both had been in the running for a stage win with metres to go before being passed by Goss and his fellow raiders."It was nice to get a win for sure," Goss told reporters after his first stage victory in a Grand Tour"It was a very hard little finish, slightly uphill, so it made it certainly tough for the last 30 km."Tasmania's Goss, who was second on stage two in only his second Giro, just edged out Filippo Pozzato and Tyler Farrar.The 187km flat ninth stage from Frosinone to Cava de' Tirreni on the coast below Naples was dominated by enormous puddles of water following consistent rain.The peleton managed to negotiate the impromptu hazard with aplomp, even if times were slowed and spectators were sprayed in the face."It was another hard stage just like the rest of the Giro this year. The most difficult bits are to come," fourth-placed Ivan Basso told Rai TV.The previous two stages were also hit by bad weather.Former pink jersey holder Vincenzo Nibali of the Liquigas team remained third overall, 1:33 behind Kazakhstan's Vinokourov and 18 seconds above team mate and 2006 winner Basso.Tuesday's 10th stage is a 230km route from Avellino to Bitonto which practically goes from the west to the east coast via numerous small peaks.The three-week race, without top riders Lance Armstrong and Alberto Contador, finishes on May 30 in Verona.(Writing by Mark Meadows; Editing by Pritha Sarkar; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

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