The Stage Eighteen individual time trial from Mori to Polsa presented a test for the leaders, a hard tempo climb for the rest of the field. The 20.6km (12.8mi) test has a 5% average gradient for the length of the time trial, though the race really resembles two long hills at 6.6%. The gradient is steep enough to slow down the heaviest time trialists, but not give an advantage to the specialist climbers.

This means that none of the top riders for the overall had a distinct advantage. It also meant that an aspiring rider like Cannondale Pro Cycling's Damiano Caruso had a chance to move up a bit on his immediate competition, if not a chance to make up a little ground on the top riders of the race.

Starting off ahead of the general classification contenders, Caruso found his rhythm fast, posted the second-fastest, up to that point, intermediate split, and roared into the finish with the fastest time set thusfar.

In the hot seat, he was quickly displaced by Euskaltel's Samuel Sanchez. But his second place held as the better riders came in, and the weather deteriorated. The dark skies decided to rain on the last riders.

Word came from the intermediate point that Pink Jersey Vincenzo Nibali was clearly the fastest, with Lampre's Michele Scarponi second fastest. Second-placed overall Cadel Evans of BMC was 1:31 down on Nibali and 34 seconds slower than Caruso.

At the finish, the second half of the time trial hurt just about everybody. Caruso's second stood as Scarponi and Evans came in. Race leader Nibali, on an inspired ride, crossed the line first, pushing Caruso down another place to third, 1:20 down on Nibali.

A great ride, Caruso can take more than just satisfaction from the effort. "The key to my performance was the approach. I wasn't stressed or under pressure, so I had the chance to concentrate in the best way. I didn't expect to be on the podium today. The feeling was good during the warm up, and finishing right behind the Pink Jersey, Nibali and the (former) Olympic champion, Sanchez, is a big result. During the final stages of a Grand Tour all the riders are tired and the mental approach can often be the difference. A time trial race is a test of one's condition. So I'm more than happy for this placing because it tells me I should aim for good results during the next two stages."

Tomorrow's Stage Nineteen trek through the high mountains, 139km (86.37mi) from Ponte di Legno to Val Martello could be a highlight of the Giro. The course, as laid out, celebrates the 1988 Giro victory of Andy Hampsten, the first American to win the race. It is set to ride over the Passo Gavia and then the Passo dello Stelvio, two brutal climbs, and finishes atop the Val Martello, the easiest climb of the day, but still a category one monster. What is hanging over the race is weather. There could be more rain and snow, and snow will force the stage to be re-routed on lower roads. That the conditions could be bad are striking; what made Hampsten's victory so special was the bad weather the race faced on that day; rain turned to snow on the Gavia, upending the race. Cannondale Pro Cycling's Caruso has the form to be among the leaders. If his legs are as good tomorrow as they were today, he'll be attacking on the Martello.

Giro d'Italia 2013
Stage 18
Mori to Polsa (ITT) 20.6km

Stage Results

1. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team       in 0:44:29  
2. Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi    at 0:00:58  
3. Damiano Caruso (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling  0:01:20  
4. Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre-Merida    0:01:21  
5. Rafal Majka (Pol) Team Saxo-Tinkoff    0:01:25 

Stage Results Cannondale Pro Cycling

110. Fabio Sabatini (Ita)       0:06:01 
112. Elia Viviani (Ita)        0:06:05 
123. Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita)      0:06:24 
129. Alan Marangoni (Ita)       0:06:37 
130. Tiziano Dall'Antonia (Ita)      0:06:39 
153. Cameron Wurf (Aus)       0:07:53 
164. Cayetano José Sarmiento Tunarrosa (Col)   0:08:47 
168. Cristiano Salerno (Ita)       0:09:33 

General Classification

1. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team    73:55:58  
2. Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team    0:04:02  
3. Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Sky Procycling   0:04:12  
4. Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre-Merida    0:05:14  
5. Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) Lampre-Merida   0:06:09 

General Classification Cannondale Pro Cycling

23. Damiano Caruso (Ita)       0:29:38 
67. Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita)      1:55:08 
91. Cristiano Salerno (Ita)       2:22:06 
94. Cayetano José Sarmiento Tunarrosa (Col)   2:24:23 
103. Fabio Sabatini (Ita)       2:29:22 
116. Alan Marangoni (Ita)       2:44:15 
117. Tiziano Dall'Antonia (Ita)      2:44:36  
118. Elia Viviani (Ita)        2:45:11 
130. Cameron Wurf (Aus)       2:58:51 

After tons of bad luck in Albstadt in front of the CFR home crowd the team gives a look back at what happened last week. This coming weekend we have round 2 of the UCI World Cup in Nove Mesto, so time to move on and try again.

Check out the video and pictures from Round 1 in Albstadt:

The snow and rain might have stopped for Stage Sixteen of the Giro d'Italia, but they still started in winter. When the peloton rolled out of Valloire for their 238km (148km) jaunt to Ivrea, the roads were clear, but the Col du Mount Cenis, their entry point to France on Sunday, was still covered in snow as they returned to Italy on the same road. The race started by climbing a mountain, traversed flatter roads before hitting a stiff 6.4km long climb shortly before the finish.

The pack took an hour to warm up, so no attacking as the riders shook out their legs. The slower the start, the better it is for sprinters like Cannondale Pro Cycling's Elia Viviani and Omega Pharma-Quickstep's Mark Cavendish. But the race sprung to life 46km (28.5mi) in, well before they hit the lower slopes of the Cenis.

22 riders got away, including the contenders for the blue King of the Mountains jersey. It was a big group, the kind that had most teams represented, and in it, a chance to stay away all day. A fact not lost on Cannondale Pro Cycling's Damiano Caruso, starting the day in eighteenth overall. While it had offensive possibilities, as he was the best-placed rider on the general classification, it was also necessary as Team Blanco's Wilco Kelderman, a rider placed just below Caruso was also in the split.

Despite their size, the Astana team of race leader Vincenzo Nibali kept the break close, never letting their lead get past six minutes.

As the lead started to drop, the Katusha and RadioShack teams went to the front to finish off the break for good. Both teams had riders whom Caruso could leap over if the break held an advantage all the way to Ivrea.

As the race hit 40km (25mi) to go, the lead was down to 90 seconds. Some of the escapees decided that wasn't enough of a cushion, and the break started attacking itself, picking up the pace and sending riders off the back. After mixing in with several of the attacks, and putting in a few of his own, Caruso decided to call it a day and faded to the pack.

Caruso's return to the field wasn't enough for Katusha and RadioShack. Kelderman was still out there, in a smaller, but more determined move. Stefano Pirazzi, the holder of the Maglia Azzura was in there as well.

As they hit the final climb of the day, the break was blowing apart as the favorites started attacking the climb and blowing apart the peloton. Pirazzi yo-yoed between getting dropped and attacking, and put in one last attack as the field started catching up to him. He looked like he might get those final points after all, but then White Jersey Carlos Betancur of AG2R attacked out of the field, past Pirazzi, and over the top first.

As Betancur started careening down the sinuous descent, Euskatel's Samuel Sanchez few out of the pack to join him. Then Maglia Rosa Nibali crossed to them, and everyone had to take amazing risks just to get down the mountain with the leaders.

On the flats before the finish, the lead group took turns attacking, all in hopes of dislodging Nibali for a few seconds and winning the stage. With everyone so aggressive, the attacks largely neutralized themselves.

But with just over 2km (1.2mi) remaining, Movistar's Benat Intxausti, Astana's Tamel Kangert, and Lampre's Prezemyslaw Niemiec got a small gap. As both Kangerd and Niemiec had teammates behind, the chase was muted.

Niemiec lead out the sprint, he was chased by Kangert, and Intxausti countered off of Kangert to win the day. Fourteen seconds behind, the Nibali group came in, none making any time on the leader.

Caruso, his ambition checked by the reality of the chasing peloton, found himself in diffculty on the final climb of the day and lost seventeeen minutes, dropping from 18th to 24th overall.

Caruso's escape was the team plan for the stage. Directeur Sportif Stefano Zanatta explained, "We thought was the good day for a break today. A huge group was the ideal situation, thus the escape was the right thing was to try. Caruso was our best chance, but the peloton didn't allow them the gap they needed. We knew that was a risk but we have to try to win. This is the leitmotif of our Giro. We're disappointed in the result and for Damiano's new position in the GC, but for sure he has the potential to achieve more than top 15." Caruso reiterated his boss' sentiment. "I tried to do my best but the result was not what we expected. There was the chance, and I did all that I could to be with the protagonists. Don't need to highlight how much I'm disappointed."

Tomorrow's Stage 17, the 214km (133mi) ride from Caravaggio to Vicenza is known to stagers as a "transition day." It takes you from one objective to the next. The guys going for the overall probably won't be looking for a way to gain time. But with a largely flat run until one hill just before the finish, the sprinters who feel good enough to climb for a few minutes might want this one. It will be hard into the climb, and depending on how that goes, the finish will be either a full-on bunch gallop or a small escape. Cannondale Pro Cycling's Viviani has been riding carefully the past few days and he could be ready for another chance to show the field a clean set of wheels.

Giro d'Itala 2013
Stage 16
Valloire to Ivrea 238km

Stage Results
1. Benat Intxausti Elorriaga (Spa) Movistar Team   in 5:52:48  
2. Tanel Kangert (Est) Astana Pro Team          at same time
3. Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) Lampre-Merida  same time
4. Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Garmin-Sharp  0:00:14  
5. Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team     same time

Stage Results Cannondale Pro Cycling

57. Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita)     0:06:31 
65. Alan Marangoni (Ita)     same time
110. Fabio Sabatini (Ita)      0:10:53
116. Cameron Wurf (Aus)     same time
129. Elia Viviani (Ita)       0:16:16
134. Cristiano Salerno (Ita)     same time
144. Tiziano Dall'Antonia (Ita)    same time
162. Damiano Caruso (Ita)      0:17:17
165. Cayetano José Sarmiento Tunarrosa (Col)  same time 

General Classification

1. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team   67:55:36  
2. Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team   0:01:26  
3. Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Sky Procycling  0:02:46  
4. Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre-Merida   0:03:53  
5. Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) Lampre-Merida  0:04:13 

General Classification Cannondale Pro Cycling

24. Damiano Caruso (Ita)      0:27:00 
69. Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita)    1:45:51 
84. Cristiano Salerno (Ita)      2:03:19 
87. Cayetano José Sarmiento Tunarrosa (Col)  2:06:22 
104. Fabio Sabatini (Ita)      2:22:03 
114. Alan Marangoni (Ita)      2:34:45 
117. Elia Viviani (Ita)       2:36:13 
120. Tiziano Dall'Antonia (Ita)    2:36:39 
126. Cameron Wurf (Aus)      2:41:44 

What a crazy atmosphere for the 1st Enduro World Series in Punta Ala this week-end. All the top riders were attending the race (pro DH and enduro racers). I am happy to be part of the game because of the high level of the race.

5 stages were planned : 1 prologue on saturday and 4 stages on sunday. We started with the prologue : a short 39 secondes downhill in the city center of Castiglione della pescaia to make the show : crazy atmosphere and perfect warm up..

On sunday morning we go for a hard day of pedalling: the liaisons were very physical and long but we had fun in the stages. The 1st stage was extremely wet and slippery. I managed it well because I won it. Then we went to stage 2 where I finished 2nd behind Fabien Barel.

After the lunch we had 2 more stages : the soil starts to dry and I would like to keep my ranking (2nd). The last 2 stages were physical and not so much technical that's why to make the difference it was not easy.

I was very happy to finish 2nd behind Fabien Barel and in front of Jared Graves : the level was high within this 500 riders! Good start for this 1st World Series...

My teammate Ben Cruz took the 6th place, and Pauline Dieffenthaler finished 6th in the women category too.

Pictures by www.reuiller.com