Piepoli in shortened 17th; Basso retains pink jersey

PASSO FURCIA, Italy—Leonardo Piepoli edged overall leader Ivan Basso on the top of Passo Furcia on Wednesday to win the 17th stage of the Giro d’Italia.
       The stage was marred by bad weather, which forced organizers to make changes to the course.
       As snow and wind lashed the original finish at Plan de Corones, with temperatures plunging below 0 degrees C (32 degrees F), the distance was shortened and the finish line was moved lower to 1,737 meters (5,699 feet) of altitude.
       Piepoli and Basso left a selected group of riders behind in the final uphill kilometers and Piepoli clinched his second stage win in this year’s Giro, while Basso improved his lead ahead of the last four legs.
       Piepoli, one of the best Giro climbers who rides for Saunier Duval team, completed the 120-km (74-mile) course from Termeno to Passo Furcia in three hours, 21 minutes and 26 seconds.
       The Italian rider crossed the finish line with his arms raised as Basso was satisfied with second place after winning the previous day’s stage at Monte Bondone.
       “I don’t like cold and this year I have clinched two of my most prestigious career victories in bad weather,” said Piepoli, who won a stage at La Thuile in the Alps last Saturday under battering rain.
       Jose Gutierrez Cataluna of Spain placed third in the stage, 15 seconds behind the winner, and held second place overall, nearly six minutes behind the leader. Franco Pellizotti beat Julio Alberto Perez Cuapio for fourth place.
       Former Giro winners Damiano Cunego and Gilberto Simoni trailed the leading duo by less than a minute.
       Organizers said the course was shortened to avoid undue risks as the last few kilometers at Plan de Corones (Kronplatz) included a section on a gravel road.
       Also, the midcourse climb to Passo delle Erbe was canceled because the downhill section could have been dangerous for the riders. “I think organizers made the best choice, in the interest of the cyclists,” Basso said. “It was very cold today and weather was a big problem for everybody. Piepoli confirmed to be a great climber, difficult to beat at uphill finishes.”
       Thursday’s stage from Sillian to Gemona del Friuli, a hilly course of 210 km (130 miles), was expected to cause Basso a few risks ahead of the two last stages in the mountains Friday and Saturday. The Giro ends in Milan on Sunday. AP