Giro d'Italia Stage 6: Pressing Their Advantage

These eight riders managed to stay up right as the rains fell at the base of the climb up to Montecassino.  As the peloton charged towards the ascent, they really ramped up the speed, alas they hit a traffic circle at full speed just as the rains turned the road surface to an oil slick.  Riders went every where, unfortunately some went to the hospital.  Cadel BMC) had put his guys right on the front of the peloton along with Michael Matthews' Orica GreenEdge team.  They got around unscathed, but Giampaolo Caruso (Katusha), Janez Brajkovic (Astana), Angel Vicioso Arcos (Katusha) and Davide Villella (Team Cannondale) were not able the finish the stage, some being taken directly to the hospital.  Many others went down and left skin and pieces of racing kit along the road.  I am sure there will be plenty of discussion of whether or not this group should have waited for the other GC contenders that were caught out by the crash.  It is tradition not to attack the leader's jersey when he has crashed or had a mechanical, but since the Maglia Rosa was in the lead group, they road hard for the line.  Three from Orica GreenEdge (although they are wearing three different jerseys), Michael Matthews, Luke Durbridge and Ivan Santaronita were joined by three more from BMC, Cadel Evans, Daniel Oss and Steve Morabito with Tom Wellens (Lotto-Belisol) and a rider from Neri Sottoli tagged onto this express train.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that is available for purchase at my artist website, www.greigleach.com.  For this particular painting, you can follow the direct link at the end of this post. 

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Giro%20d'Italia%202014/2364485---198213/Painting.html#.U3Wlfc_D_IU