CYCLING:Nicolas Roche did stout work on yesterday's fifth stage of the Giro d'Italia, helping pave the way for his team-mate Thor Hushovd to finish a close second on the 173-kilometre stage to Frascati.
Hushovd has won four Tour de France stages and the points classification in that race and was motivated to take a stage victory in the Tour of Italy. Roche helped get the sprinter in position on the dangerous run-in to the finish, but Hushovd was pipped for the win by the German Robert Forster (Gerolsteiner).
"I did some work in the run-up to the sprint," said the 22-year-old Irishman, riding his first three-week Grand Tour. "I brought Thor into position with a kilometre and a half to go and then a couple of others on the team did the actual lead-out.
"It's a national holiday in Norway so he was very motivated . . . It was a dangerous finish but his form is improving and the result is motivating for us. It's looking good for later in the race."
Roche's strong burst at the end of stage two on Sunday gained him promotion to the leadout squad charged with helping to get Hushovd into prime positions.
The Italian Danilo Di Luca continues to lead overall, 26 seconds clear of his Liquigas team-mate Franco Pellizotti. The race resumes today with a 177-kilometre stage to Spoleto.
GIRO D'ITALIA - Stage 5 (Teano to Frascati 173kms): 1 R Forster (Gerolsteiner) 4hrs 17mins 2secs; 2 T Hushovd (Crédit Agricole); 3 A Petacchi (Team Milram); 4 D Napolitano (Lampre - Fondital); 5 R McEwen (Predictor-Lotto); 6 A Usov (AG2r Prévoyance); 30 N Roche (Crédit Agricole). General classification: 1 D Di Luca (Liquigas) 18hrs 43mins 12secs; 2 F Pellizotti (Liquigas) at 26 secs; 3 A Noe' (Liquigas) at 35 secs; 4 V Nibali (Liquiga) same time; 5 A Schleck (Team CSC) at 53 secs; 6 D Cunego (Lampre - Fondital) at 54 secs; 139 N Roche (Crédit Agricole) at 17mins 12secs.
