Colombian cyclist José Serpa finished ninth in the 12th stage of the
Tour of Italy. As a result, the Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni rider
surpasses compatriot Mauricio Soler in the overall classification.
The twelfth stage in the Giro d’Italia was in fact a 60km time trial from Sestri Levante to Riomaggiore, and Serpa showed to be a true time trial specialist as he was only two minutes and 13 seconds slower than winner Menchov.
Soler wasn’t quite as successful in 57th place, proving that the 2007 Tour de France Mountains Classification winner is truly meant to excel in the mountains and not in time trials.
Mauricio Ardila came in 58th, and Félix Cárdenas was to be found in the lower regions of the stage results with a 145th position.
Serpa is now the best-placed Colombian in 22nd place, six spots ahead of Soler. Cárdenas is 43rd and Ardila currently occupies the 48th position. Denis Menchov, a teammate of Ardila at Rabobank, is the new leader with a 34-seconds advantage over home rider Danilo Di Luca.