Discovery Channel's Rider Clings To Lead - (USA Riding Team)

Velonews.com is reporting the Discovery Channel's Paolo Savoldelli (Italian) is leading the Giro d'Italia as of the 19th Stage with the last dramatic stage set for Sunday.

http://www.velonews.com/race/int/articles/8110.0.html

The 2nd place rider is a 32-year old, 2-timer Italian winner of the Tour and the 3rd place rider is a 23-year old Venezuelan climber. There is only 45-seconds separating 1st from 3rd…Sunday's ride witll be a hard fought affair...

Overall (after 19 stages)
1. Paolo Savoldelli (I), Discovery Channel
2. Gilberto Simoni (I), Lampre-Caffita, at 0:28
3. José Rujano Guillen (Vz), Colombia -Selle Italia, at 0:45
4. Danilo Di Luca (I), Liquigas-Bianchi, at 2:42

It's huge for the team if Discovery Channel's Paolo Savoldelli wins the Giro today. When you consider Lance has won six Tours, one Vuelta wit Roberto Heras and possibly this Giro, that's eight grand tours in seven years (between the US Postal Service & The Discovery Channel).

That's an amazing accomplishment. How many teams have won one big Tour? It's huge for the team to get one big grand tour victory under the belt so early with the Tour de France approaching in July....

The 88th Giro d'Italia is over. Paolo Savoldelli (Discovery Channel Team) is the overall winner. It appears that he will help team captain Lance Armstrong ride to win a seventh consecutive Tour de France.

Ivan Basso was one of the favorites to win, and was leading the overall...however he got derailed for a couple of days due to a digestive ailment...tough luck...I believe he will the force in the Tour in July...

Velownews.com is reporting that Savoldelli's margin of victory of 28 seconds over another two-time winner, Gilberto Simoni was the narrowest in nearly 30 years…

http://www.velonews.com/race/int/articles/8117.0.html

Although it is normal in professional athletics, I find it amazing that most of the Champion Riders average 30-years of age and 9-years years of professional riding experience...the high altitude climbs (and descents) those guys are making are almost super-human feats...

Next up: Tour de Suisse