Darren Lill has shown his climbing prowess to attack from the front group to ride to the finish solo and win the Monster stage. On ‘police’ duties Darren rode in the break today in defense of Phil’s GC position, but with 30 kilometers to go sensing that the break would not be caught and his fellow breakaway companions were faltering Darren seized the moment and attacked.
In keeping with the four previous days the weather created another layer of difficulty on top of the battle with the Gila Monster. Low temperatures combined with high winds and at times snow created a stage that befitted such a show down.
In a gripping final ascent to the finish line atop of Pinos Altos Darren held off the chasers by a handful of seconds. Darren said, “I gave it all I had in the last 8 kilometers and just held on for the win, after being away for so long and in these conditions I pretty well had nothing left on the line. It was such a relief to get there.” Darren went on to say, “Seeing Phil come into view on his own at the finish was a great feeling, we all knew that he needed 11 seconds to beat Zabriskie and knowing how well he was going I thought he deserved to podium.”
In the end the difference between third and fourth was less than a second with Phil getting the better of Zabriskie to claim third overall.
A stage win, third overall and the Teams classification were the rewards for Team Fly V Australia for an excellent Tour.
Phil added, “I felt super today and am pleased for Darren to get a well deserved win and to repeat my third to go with my 2009 result gives me much pleasure. This years race boasted a class field and to be on the podium with Leipheimer and Danielson is great.”
It has been an epic tour and at the conclusion of 170 kilometers and 2,800 meters of vertical climbing Darren Lill rode across the line solo a deserved winner of a brutal stage.
Final General classification;
1 Levi Leipheimer (Team Radio Shack)
2 Tom Danielson (Garmin Transitions)
3 Philip Zajicek (Fly V Australia