Ryder Hesjedal of Victoria slipped one placing, to 22nd overall, in the Giro d鈥橧talia on Saturday, but not to worry. When the going gets vertical, Ryder gets going. The big mountain stages are coming up in the race, which concludes May 29 in Turin.
Hesjedal, the 2012 champion and fifth last year, traditionally comes into his own in the latter stages of the Giro.
The Island veteran and three-time Olympian was 29th in the eighth stage Saturday, which was won by Italian Gianluca Brambilla of Etixx-Quick Step. 鈥淥K, Ryder lost a little more time today . . . but [Trek Segafredo teammate Riccardo Zoidl] crashed at the beginning, so he could not be with Ryder at the end like we had hoped,鈥� Trek Segafredo race director Dirk Demol said in a statement. 鈥淏ut when you don鈥檛 have your best day and lose less than a minute to your rivals, that is not so bad. It is still a long way to go and he is still fighting. The time trial [today] will make things a little clearer on his condition. But we know [Ryder] is in good form and, for sure, we still continue to believe in him.鈥�
Hesjedal is two minutes and 36 seconds behind the overall leader Brambilla. Today鈥檚 individual time trial will be followed by a rest day Monday.
