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89th Giro d'Italia - presented by

6 - 28 May

Classifications

Main

Maglia Rosa (Overall Jersey)

"Maglia" roughly translates to jersey, and "Rosa" to pink. This most sought after piece of clothing has close ties to the history of the daily sports newspaper, La Gazzetta dello Sport. You might ask, "Why pink?" The pages of la Gazzetta dello Sport are printed on pink paper.

This coveted jersey is awarded after each stage to the rider with the lowest cumulative time. Some may wear it for only a day, and some may wear it for several. One thing is for sure. Pull this jersey over your shoulders and your season is a success.

Maglia Ciclamino (Sprinter's Jersey)

The Maglia Ciclamino derives its name from the ciclamino flower, which has a purple color. The Maglia Ciclamino is determined by points earned on the finishing line of each day's stage.

Alessandro Petacchi owns this jersey. Close on his heels, however, is the scrappy little Aussie, Robbie McEwen. Davitamon-Lotto is a well drilled team, almost on par with Milram's sprint lead out train. Also, McEwen possesses a fearsome turn of speed that is capable of beating Petacchi when he's at his best.

Past Winners (from 1995):

Maglia Verde (Climber's Jersey)

"Verde" translates to green, and it is earned by having the most points over the classified climbs throughout the race.

Last year's winner, José Rujano, will have his work cut out for him. His build-up for the Giro has been less than ideal. We think Ivan Parra (Cofidis) has the qualities necessary to finish in green. With the last week being so hilly, a contender for overall victory also could feasibly end up snatching this jersey. Watch out for Basso, Simoni and Cunego.

Past Winners (from 1995):

Intergiro (Intermediate GC)

This is a rather complex competition. For each stage, there is a designated Intergiro point marked on the map with an "110". (La Gazzetta dello Sport, will celebrate its 110th year in 2006.) The time is noted for the first six riders to cross the line at this point. After each stage the blue Intergiro jersey is awarded to the rider with the lowest cumulative Intergiro time. So, in a sense, it is a half-way Giro, a race to the half-way point. Not quite as glamorous as the pink jersey, but it's a distinction nonetheless that many riders wouldn't mind having.

Pinpointing a likely candidate for victory in this competition is difficult, but we'd say it will be an aggressive rider that goes in a lot of breaks, but may not necessarily win the stage.

Past Winners:

- Paco of BiciRace.com