Charlie Schuessler
New member
www.cyclingnews.com is reporting the following about the 89th Giro d'Italia - GT
Stage 1 - Saturday, May 6: Seraing - Seraing ITT, 6.2 km
Long enough to be called a stage, defending champion Paolo Savoldelli (Discovery Channel) showed that he's well over the illness he experienced at the Tour de Romandie and in fine form to try and make it back-to-back overall victories with a time of 7'50" that won him the stage and the first maglia rosa of 2006.
It was a performance a la Armstrong, whereby Savoldelli's rivals were sent a very clear message that the defending champion was going to take the battle to the challengers very early in proceedings. It also confirmed what most observers already knew: that this year's Giro was going to be a very tough, competitive three weeks throughout Belgium and Italy.
Stage 2 - Sunday, May 7: Mons - Charleroi Marcinelle, 197 km
Belgium turned on the inevitable waterworks for riders at the start of stage 2, and stayed with the field for most of the 197km from Mons to Charleroi Marcinelle. Opinions were mixed when predicting the result, with McEwen showing good form at the Tour de Romandie and Alessandro Petacchi demonstrating so far throughout 2006 that he's got good legs for a bunch kick with a fair schwag of wins to his name.
But in their first duel for the year, McEwen showed the world why he's one of the 'big three' with some crafty race craft to outfox Petacchi and the rest of the sprinters to take his winning tally in the Giro to nine. McEwen said after the stage that, "The lead out was perfect - I was able to follow the Milram train for the last five kilometres but I knew there were lots of roundabouts all in a row, so I was able to ride a good position and stay on the wheel of Petacchi." That worried the Italian and he never recovered, finishing in a disappointing fourth place.
Savoldelli held on to the leader's pink jersey, and although honoured to wear it so early in the piece, it was only a matter of time before the Italian would give it up and hide himself safely in the pack, waiting for the mountain stages to begin. That day would come on the following stage, which threw up a few obstacles all the riders would have to be careful of, not just those with overall classification ambitions.
Stage 3 - Monday, May 8: Perwez - Namur, 202 km
Gerolsteiner's Stefan Schumacher proved that the future of German cycling looks solid with a commanding performance in the final kilometres of stage 3 up the cobbled climb to the Citadel of Namur. The 24-year-old German made the most of the wet, slippery conditions and won ahead of Discovery Channel's Chechu Rubiera, Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step) and teammate Davide Rebellin, with the latter two riders two of the favourites for the stage win according to many at the start in Perwez.
Stage 4 - Tuesday, May 9: Wanze - Hotton, 193 km
It was numero due at this year's Giro for Robbie McEwen with a win on stage 4 into Hotton. The Australian was a class above the rest as he used the services of Milram's train (sans Petacchi) and powered home to easily hold off a fast-finishing Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step). Riders travelled on the Spa-Francorchamps racing circuit, and with Stefan Schumacher in pink on the day, there was a little humour in the bunch.
General Classification Results after 4 Stages
1 Stefan Schumacher (Ger) Gerolsteiner
2 Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
3 Davide Rebellin (Ita) Gerolsteiner
4 José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears
5 José Luis Rubiera Vigil (Spa) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
6 Serguei Gonchar (Ukr) T-Mobile Team
7 Bradley McGee (Aus) Française des Jeux
8 Francisco Perez Sanchez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears
9 José E. Gutierrez Cataluna (Spa) Phonak Hearing Systems
10 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick Step-Innergetic
11 Michael Rogers (Aus) T-Mobile Team
12 Tom Danielson (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
13 Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC
14 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Liquigas
15 Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre-Fondital
16 Olaf Pollack (Ger) T-Mobile Team
17 Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC
18 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-Fondital
19 Dario David Cioni (Ita) Liquigas
20 Joan Horrach Rippoll (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes
21 Francesco Bellotti (Ita) Credit Agricole
22 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Française des Jeux
23 Francisco J. Vila Errandonea (Spa) Lampre-Fondital
24 Tomas Vaitkus (Ltu) AG2R Prevoyance
Stage 1 - Saturday, May 6: Seraing - Seraing ITT, 6.2 km
Long enough to be called a stage, defending champion Paolo Savoldelli (Discovery Channel) showed that he's well over the illness he experienced at the Tour de Romandie and in fine form to try and make it back-to-back overall victories with a time of 7'50" that won him the stage and the first maglia rosa of 2006.
It was a performance a la Armstrong, whereby Savoldelli's rivals were sent a very clear message that the defending champion was going to take the battle to the challengers very early in proceedings. It also confirmed what most observers already knew: that this year's Giro was going to be a very tough, competitive three weeks throughout Belgium and Italy.
Stage 2 - Sunday, May 7: Mons - Charleroi Marcinelle, 197 km
Belgium turned on the inevitable waterworks for riders at the start of stage 2, and stayed with the field for most of the 197km from Mons to Charleroi Marcinelle. Opinions were mixed when predicting the result, with McEwen showing good form at the Tour de Romandie and Alessandro Petacchi demonstrating so far throughout 2006 that he's got good legs for a bunch kick with a fair schwag of wins to his name.
But in their first duel for the year, McEwen showed the world why he's one of the 'big three' with some crafty race craft to outfox Petacchi and the rest of the sprinters to take his winning tally in the Giro to nine. McEwen said after the stage that, "The lead out was perfect - I was able to follow the Milram train for the last five kilometres but I knew there were lots of roundabouts all in a row, so I was able to ride a good position and stay on the wheel of Petacchi." That worried the Italian and he never recovered, finishing in a disappointing fourth place.
Savoldelli held on to the leader's pink jersey, and although honoured to wear it so early in the piece, it was only a matter of time before the Italian would give it up and hide himself safely in the pack, waiting for the mountain stages to begin. That day would come on the following stage, which threw up a few obstacles all the riders would have to be careful of, not just those with overall classification ambitions.
Stage 3 - Monday, May 8: Perwez - Namur, 202 km
Gerolsteiner's Stefan Schumacher proved that the future of German cycling looks solid with a commanding performance in the final kilometres of stage 3 up the cobbled climb to the Citadel of Namur. The 24-year-old German made the most of the wet, slippery conditions and won ahead of Discovery Channel's Chechu Rubiera, Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step) and teammate Davide Rebellin, with the latter two riders two of the favourites for the stage win according to many at the start in Perwez.
Stage 4 - Tuesday, May 9: Wanze - Hotton, 193 km
It was numero due at this year's Giro for Robbie McEwen with a win on stage 4 into Hotton. The Australian was a class above the rest as he used the services of Milram's train (sans Petacchi) and powered home to easily hold off a fast-finishing Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step). Riders travelled on the Spa-Francorchamps racing circuit, and with Stefan Schumacher in pink on the day, there was a little humour in the bunch.
General Classification Results after 4 Stages
1 Stefan Schumacher (Ger) Gerolsteiner
2 Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
3 Davide Rebellin (Ita) Gerolsteiner
4 José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears
5 José Luis Rubiera Vigil (Spa) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
6 Serguei Gonchar (Ukr) T-Mobile Team
7 Bradley McGee (Aus) Française des Jeux
8 Francisco Perez Sanchez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears
9 José E. Gutierrez Cataluna (Spa) Phonak Hearing Systems
10 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick Step-Innergetic
11 Michael Rogers (Aus) T-Mobile Team
12 Tom Danielson (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
13 Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC
14 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Liquigas
15 Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre-Fondital
16 Olaf Pollack (Ger) T-Mobile Team
17 Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC
18 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-Fondital
19 Dario David Cioni (Ita) Liquigas
20 Joan Horrach Rippoll (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes
21 Francesco Bellotti (Ita) Credit Agricole
22 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Française des Jeux
23 Francisco J. Vila Errandonea (Spa) Lampre-Fondital
24 Tomas Vaitkus (Ltu) AG2R Prevoyance