Krauss in the Intergiro Lead, The Giro d'Italia
Lance Armstrong and Creed visit the Giro d'Italia
Volta Ciclista a Catalunya: Jan Ullrich Reflects
Michael Barry "there were a few obstacles: garbage cans, cars, spectators, that we had to avoid."
Giro d'Italia, Italy
Rest Day 2, Lissone
24 May
Stages 10 to 15, A Review
McJet Derails Fassa Train
![McEwen After Win](javascript:ImagePopup("../../photo/2005/Giro/10/teamMcEwenAfterStageFist.jpg", 400, 245, "McEwen After Win"); "McEwen After Win, photo: Davitamon-Lotto")
McEwen After Win, photo: Davitamon-Lotto
In Stage 10, Robbie McEwen showed that he was one of the best sprinter of this 88th Giro d'Italia. This kid from Down-under knows how to throw the elbows and get to the line first. The Davitamon-Lotto rider did so three times this Giro before retiring. It was all out warfare heading into Rossano Veneto for the 10th stage. T-Mobile and Fassa Bortolo were controlling the tempo on the three finishing circuits, but it was McEwen who took full advantage. He and Ale-Jet went nose-to-nose, and McJet won by about FIVE centimeters. Washed away were Zabel and O'Grady, but Zabel did give it lots of muscle.
Stage 11: Il Falco Flies, Basso in Rosa
![Paolo Savoldelli Wins](javascript:ImagePopup("../../photo/2005/Giro/11/TrekPaoloSavoldelliWins.jpg", 500, 331, "Paolo Savoldelli Wins"); "Paolo Savoldelli Wins, photo: Trek")
Paolo Savoldelli Wins, photo: Trek
The Dolomites provided the first explosions of the Giro d'Italia. The first mountain stage set the race on fire, with Ivan Basso in Pink, Paolo Savoldelli with a stage win, and Damiano Cunego losing huge time.
Stage 11 reshaped the Giro d'Italia with an impressive show of force by Basso, the man Lance Armstrong picked as a favorite. Team Lampre-Caffita and Liquigas-Bianchi (besides Di Luca) really failed to show. Simoni showed mediocre results and Cunego flat out bombed, at 6 minutes back.
For Basso it was a huge day that saw him ride like a leader. The GC leader commented, "The pink jersey is a great emotion for me. But the thing most beautiful is how I read this stage. At La Mongie [Tour de France 2004] I won, but I was always on the wheel of Armstrong. Here I took on the stage from the front, after the first attack of Simoni on the Duran I took in my hands the situation without watching the faces of my rivals."
Ale-Jet Gets Two, McJet Exits
![Basso](javascript:ImagePopup("../../photo/2005/Giro/12/raceBassoPinkKisses.jpg", 500, 347, "Basso nella maglia rosa"); "Basso nella maglia rosa, photo: Giro d'Italia")
Basso nella maglia rosa, photo: Giro d'Italia
Ale-Jet got his second win in Ravenna (stage 12) at the finish of a long day. Alessandro Petacchi jumped on Paride Grillo when the Ceramica Panaria rider came flying past the Fassa train in the last 300 meters. It was a long way out for Petacchi, but he was able to show a clean pair of wheels to the younger Grillo, and the rest of the peloton.
It started to appear that Petacchi was coming back to the super-sprinter that the Giro knew. Basso kept the maglia rosa, McEwen exited in Purple, and our Venezuelan friend got Italian kisses with his maglia verde.
Ivan Parra Wins Stage 13 as GC Battle Brews
![Il Falco in rosa](javascript:ImagePopup("../../photo/2005/Giro/13/rabobankSavoldelliPinkJersey.jpg", 340, 227, "Il Falco in rosa"); "Il Falco in rosa, photo: Rabobank")
Il Falco in rosa, photo: Rabobank
The Giro d'Italia was turned upside down on the Pontives. The maglia rosa, Ivan Basso, was cracked by a hard charging Paolo Savoldelli and Gilberto Simoni. By the finish line in Ortisei, the Team CSC leader had lost the leader's jersey. Savoldelli (Discovery Channel) became the new leader on GC, in pink after a three year absence. All attention turned to the following day's stage 14, which took the riders over lo Stelvio.
Basso Cracks and Parra Doubles
![Parra Wins](javascript:ImagePopup("../../photo/2005/Giro/14/GreinParra2.jpg", 600, 399, "Parra Wins 2nd stage"); "Parra Wins 2nd stage, photo: Christine Grein, Capture-The-Peloton.com")
Parra Wins 2nd stage, photo: Capture-The -Peloton.com
Ivan Parra of Selle Italia-Colombia triumphed again in the Giro d'Italia. After taking stage 13 to Ortisei in an escape of 179K, the Colombian went on a mission to repeat his success in stage 14. He arrived in Livigno solo after a break-away of 171K, that started on the first climb of the day (Colle del Frassineto). After two incredible days, he continued the tradition of his family's winning ways. His brother was 3rd in the 1988 Tour de France.
The big explosion of the day was from behind. Immediately upon starting the Stelvio, Ivan Basso was off the back with a bang. His teammates rode faithfully beside him, giving their support to their companion who has had a rough weekend in the mountains. The mighty Stelvio can create legends, but it can also smash dreams. Basso's overall chances disappeared on the Stelvio's slopes. At the top, after 48 switchbacks, Basso stopped and was helped into his warm gear for the decent. Bjarne Riis got out of the team car to help his fallen star, and then Basso continued on courageously.
Petacchi Gets 3rd on Shortened Stage
![Peloton on a Wet Lake](javascript:ImagePopup("../../photo/2005/Giro/15/racePelotonOnWetLakeComoLecco.jpg", 500, 333, "Peloton on a Wet Lake Como Lecco"); "Peloton on a Wet Lake Como Lecco, photo: Giro d'Italia")
Peloton on a Wet Lake Como Lecco, photo: Giro d'Italia
Alessandro Petacchi stamped his authority on a rain soaked peloton in Lissone, stage 15. The race was void of any real sprinting forces, besides Erik Zabel, who finished 2nd. After early Giro defeats to McEwen, Ale-Jet won three stages to equal the Aussie.
The real challengers to Petacchi were out of the Giro: Jaan Kirsipuu, Stuart O'Grady, and Baden Cooke. The biggest challenge for the blue and white boys of cement was the finishing circuits of Lissone. The tricky bends and wet pavement provided some scary moments. Zanini and Bettini gave some trouble, but the main goal was to get Bettini in the placings for Ciclamino points.
Read Rest Day 1, Ravenna
GC after 15 stages:
1 Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Discovery Channel 70:54'09"
2 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi 0.25
3 Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Lampre-Caffita 1.48
4 Juan Manuel Gárate (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 2.11
5 José Rujano (Ven) Selle Italia-Colombia 2.18
6 Pietro Caucchioli (Ita) Crédit Agricole 3.25
7 Serguei Gonchar (Ukr) Domina Vacanze 4.05
8 Emanuele Sella (Ita) Panaria-Navigare 5.50
9 Dario Cioni (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi 6.40
10 Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Illes Balears 6.44
11 Markus Fothen (Ger) Gerolsteiner 6.51
12 Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 7.01
13 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-Caffita 8.03
14 Daniel Atienza (Spa) Cofidis 8.11
15 Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) Liberty Seguros-Würth 9.39
16 Samuel Sánchez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 11.14
17 Wim Van Huffel (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto 11.26
18 Unai Osa (Spa) Illes Balears 11.48
19 Wladimir Belli (Ita) Domina Vacanze 11.57
20 Mirko Celestino (Ita) Domina Vacanze 13.48
Points
1 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick-Step 142
2 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 129
3 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi 123
4 Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Discovery Channel 90
5 Isaac Gálvez (Spa) Illes Balears 76
Mountains
1 José Rujano (Ven) Selle Italia-Colombia 107
2 Ivan Parra (Col) Selle Italia-Colombia 55
3 Koldo Gil (Spa) Liberty Seguros-Würth 21
4 Juan Manuel Gárate (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 20
5 Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC 18
Intergiro
1 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick-Step 42.50.23
2 Sven Krauss (Ger) Gerolsteiner 0.02
3 Stefano Zanini (Ita) Quick-Step 0.18
4 Moreno Di Biase (Ita) Selle Italia-Colombia 1.29
5 Bram Schmitz (Ned) T-Mobile 1.44
Most combative
1 José Rujano (Ven) Selle Italia-Colombia 57
2 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick-Step 48
3 Ivan Parra (Col) Selle Italia-Colombia 39
4 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 33
5 Sven Krauss (Ger) Gerolsteiner 27
2005 Giro d'Italia - The Dust Devil's Daily Wrap, "So, Basso is gone from the scene, just like that. It's really too bad. I had wanted to see him gunning for overall in the final few days. Basso's recent difficulty is just another example of how non-discriminating and cruel fate can sometimes be in life and cycling"
Stefano Garzelli - "No, Even in Spain I train with some pros in the area. While in Italy, I ride with Nardello, Andriotto, Zanini, Mason, Peron, etc."
Chat with the Director Sportivo, "yep, because our masseurs are at the top of the Stelvio. It's a little "trick"...to avoid riders to have cold."
Volta Ciclista a Catalunya: Thor Hushovd Wins Final Stage, Popo Overall
Battaglia Italiana, Simoni and Cunego Box? "Also, they have selected a photo where I appear fat."
Pedro Delgado Interview - "In my opinion, of the directors I know, I like Vicente Belda the most."