Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team riders Serge Pauwels and Michal Golas were top finishers in a rainy, slippery 177km Stage 7 of the Giro d'Italia on Friday.
Pauwels and Golas were able to stay with the main pack, chasing eventual solo stage winner Adam Hansen (Lotto-Belisol) until the last climb before a very tricky and hazardous descent to a flat finish. They lost contact at that point, as did many in the peloton.
A small, select group battled it out for the final podium spots. Enrico Battaglin (Bardiani Valvole - CSF Inox) was 2nd and Danilo Di Luca (Vini Fantini) was 3rd. Golas finished 32nd (+1'49"), and Pauwels 35th (+2'31").
OPQS looks next to a 54.8km time trial on Saturday. There are some technical moments with narrow roads and technical descending turns, as well as a final 3km that is slightly uphill with a steep final 400m and a 13% ramp near the top. This climb leads into a 200m straight section.