Giro d'Italia (2010) Photos May 8 - 30

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The streets of Amsterdam have been notified	press conference panoramic	The main prize
It's been 10 years since Stefano Garzelli won the main prize. His says his top goal this year is to win his first Giro stage since 2007	“I've been the favorite before, but that worked out pretty good for Carlos,” Cadel Evans joked, referring to the 2008 Tour de France won by Carlos Sastre (right).	Gilberto Simoni: “This is my last Giro so I want to make something beautiful. I simply want to be myself and go on the attack.”
Ivan Basso: “I've worked very hard for this Giro, but my condition is not where I expected it to be”	“Above all, I want to be a protagonist,” said Damiano Cunego. “It's a very hard Giro this year, and the final week features very hard climbs. My aim is to win a mountain stage.”	“You cannot compare Liège to the Giro,” said a lean looking Alexander Vinokourov playing down his chances. “My legs are good, but the climbs in the final week are perhaps too difficult for me. I would love to win a stage or maybe take the pink jersey.”
	Gilberto Simoni pointing to his two wins in 2001 and 2003. Photo of him kissing the trophy atop the podium in 2003

Stage 1:  Amsterdam, 8.4 km (TT)  Full Results and Report

Kicking off the start to Giro 2010; releasing the balloons as the first rider, Milram's Matthias Russ, rolls down the start ramp in Amsterdam	The Dutch queen overseeing today's action; the crowd and photographers at the canal start at Museumplein	Jumping ahead now to the final riders and the favorites including David Millar
David Millar wasn't able to beat the early best time set by BMC's Brent Bookwalter...	.. but, Bradley Wiggins, coming through just after David Millar, did beat Bookwalter by two seconds.	Cadel Evans, without the Rainbows because it's a TT, tied his American teammate giving BMC second and third on the day
Alexandre Vinokourov of Astana then came through for 5th, five seconds off the pace	All eyes (and lips) were on Wiggins today	Relieved to come through with his first individual win of the year and the first Grand Tour win for Team Sky
Those weren't token sips; Wiggins not wasting the two bottles of champagne you get for winning the first stage in any stage race

Stage 2:  Amsterdam - Utrecht, 209 km  Full Results and Report

	An ominous start to the day for Carlos Sastre. A sign of things to come? He lost 34 seconds to the GC contenders as a result of the last ridiculous crash with 7 km to go	Unlike Sastre, Cadel Evans would have a relatively good day in the saddle today
Race leader, Bradley Wiggins, arriving at the premiere of stage 2	Sign-in panoramic	Alexandre Vinokourov and the launching of the stage 2 balloons
Cadel Evans would also be inundated with Pink at the end of the day	Bradley Wiggins enjoying one of the perks of being the race leader	Anyone noticed how long Bradley Wiggins' tibia is compared to his femur. Anyhow, he was involved in the crashes today and lost his leader's jersey.
Jumping past all the crashes to the finish and the 58 riders that escaped the carnage of the last crash that took place with 7 km to go	Like most riders today, Tyler Farrar crashed, but got up off the deck to win his first Giro stage
Riders like Maciej Bodnar of Liquigas were getting their wounds licked at the end of the day	Tyler Farrar being ushered to the podium ceremonies	A big win for the redhead from Wenatchee, Washington
Cadel Evans is especially happy to put some unexpected time on his GC rivals	Tyler Farrar is just one second out of Pink now and leads the points competition

Stage 3:   Amsterdam - Middelburg, 224km  Full Results and Report

Pink in the fountain and later, more blood in the streets	Yolanthe Cabau arrives with the Giro trophy	For the second day in a row, the race leader would get caught out on the narrow, windy Dutch roads
But, Cadel Evans doesn't know what's in store at this point. He's simply enjoying the race leader perks while they last.	The start ceremony with the local dignitaries	The start in Amsterdam
Passing over one of the many canals along the way. More big crowds again today.	Alexandre Vinokourov staying close to the Pink Jersey which would be his at the end of the day	The peloton approaching wind turbines along the North Sea. A sign of things to come.
The peloton shattered into several groups along the shores of the North Sea
When the race rounded the final corner with 300m to go, there were only a handful of riders still in contention	Quick Step's Wouter Weylandt wins the bunch sprint ahead of Rabobank's Graeme Brown (left) and Milram's Robert Forster (right) with Vinokourov peeking over his helmet in 10th	Cadel Evans led in the next group containing Carlos Sastre 45 seconds back
Bradley Wiggins crashed again today and lost more time. He is now 4:28 back.	The rest of the peloton finally crossing the line. There are now 130 riders 8+ minutes back on GC after just three stages	Quick Step's Wouter Weylandt celebrates a classic win...
... and a big thumbs up from across the street		Astana's Alexandre Vinokourov was expected to don the Pink Jersey at some point over the first two weeks and today was the day

Stage 4:  Savigliano - Cuneo, 32.5 km (TTT)  Full Results and Report

We are now in Italy if you couldn't tell	la Gazzetta e la bicicletta	Colnago-CSF cycling north to the finish in Cuneo as a cloudburst passes over them heading in the opposite direction
BMC set an early best time before 11 other teams beat it. They finished 1:27 back of the winning time.	Liquigas was one of the few teams that kept their nine men intact. It would pay off.	Caisse d'Epargne arriving in downtown Cuneo with 500m to go. They posted the fifth worst time, losing 2:21
Robbie McEwen at the front for Team Katusha. They posted a best time, but three teams later beat it.	The Sky falling in. Well not really, Team Sky finished second just 13 seconds back of the winning time	The town of Cuneo is also famous for an epic stage in the 1949 Giro d'Italia starring Fausto Coppi (right) and Gino Bartali.
No Pink for David Millar today. Garmin-Transitions lost a few men and lost 49 seconds to the winner.	Milram crossing 10th, one minute off the winning time	Liquigas definitely not leaking gas
Frantisek Rabon leading the way for HTC-Columbia. They finished third, 21 seconds off the winning time	Astana down to six riders. They lost one more rider and then had to wait for the fifth rider inside 1 km to go. They placed 4th and lost 38 seconds to...	Liquigas-Doimo won the 32.5 km TTT in 36:37 (58.0 km/h)
Vincenzo Nibali (right) and Ivan Basso (left), are now first and second, respectively, on GC	A true team effort. Liquigas finished with all nine riders.	The late replacement for Franco Pellizotti now slips on Pink
	Indeed, a heavenly moment for Vincenzo Nibali, but the leader's jersey has changed hands every day so far	On behalf of our new leader, thanks for tuning in and, until tomorrow, so long from Northern Italy...

Stage 5:   Novara - Novi Ligure, 162 km  Full Results and Report

Vincenzo Nibali's turn to unleash the balloons at the start	From a different angle. The balloon launching panoramic at the start in Novara.	Rain during the first half of the race
A fish-eye view of the peloton and the improving weather	The main break got away at km 25: Julien Fouchard (Cofidis), Jerome Pineau (Quick Step), Yukiya Arashiro (Bbox) and Paul Voss (Team Milram)	Lampre at the front for their sprinter Alessandro Petacchi while Liquigas watches since the break doesn't represent a GC threat
Picturesque narrow roads... and no major accidents. Apparently, narrow Italian roads are easier than the Dutch roads.	Picturesque rolling countryside as the chase makes its way south during the 162 km stage that finishes in Novi Ligure	The break crossing the GPM at Castellania, Fausto Coppi's hometown, just past the half way point with 50 km to go...
The rest of the peloton crossing over Passo Coppi	Fans waiting on the circuits in Novi Ligure	The sprinter teams mistimed the catch as the exhausted break succeeds
Jerome Pineau (Quick Step) takes the win	The overhead view	It really hurts to come second after 100 km in the break; Julien Fouchard of Cofidis feels the agony of defeat
Frenchman Jerome Pineau celebrates Quick Step's second win at this year's Giro	No change on GC; Vincenzo Nibali is the first rider to retain the Pink Jersey this year	Fausto Coppi's children were on hand for the stage that honored their father
Jerome Pineau meets Girbecco, the Giro mascot. (Just give it to your kid)

Stage 6:  Fidenza - Carrara, 166 km  Full Results and Report

More fun with the Coppi and Bartali cut out	The start in Fidenza	Mario Cipollini lives in the area
Mechanical problem for Carlos Sastre. Switches bikes with a teammate	Liquigas leading the chase	Caduta... Andrea Masciarelli missed a corner
Fuga: The two man break with Matthew Lloyd (Omega Pharma-Lotto) ), Rubens Bertogliati (Androni)	The caravan crossing the finish	Aussie Matt Lloyd soloed the cat 3 climb and descent to the finish
		Rubens Bertogliati (Androni) finished second just ahead of the main field
Danilo Hondo (Lampre) thought he won	but it was only the field sprint for 3rd	Matt Lloyd standing tall on the podium
The third Pink Jersey for Vincenzo Nibali

Stage 7:  Carrara - Montalcino, 216 km  Full Results and Report

The start in Marina di Carrara
	Well into the race on the strade bianche	Alexander Vinokourov rolling off the peloton followed by Cadel Evans
The chase group led by Marco Pinotti (center)	Cadel Evans at the front now with Vino right behind	Saxo Bank's Laurent Didier followed by Damiano Cunego
	Climbing in the mud
Not so pretty in Pink	Chase 2 group	Chase group 1 with Cunego, Gadret and Garzelli
Vino and Evans off the front	Scarponi chasing	Ag2r John Gadret should have a nice complexion at the end of the day. He finished 7th. Marco Pinotti (behind) finished strong for 4th
Rolling in the mud	Jan Bakelandts (Omega) finished 10th and Vladimir Karpets (Caisse d'Epargne) who is now 4th on GC	David Millar was also with Bakelandts and Karpets
The Maglia Rosa, Vincenzo Nibali, and Ivan Basso crashed earlier on a slick, paved descent	The muddy and bloody Maglia Rosa	Filippo Pozatto further back. He finished 33rd @ 4:20
The RAI crew providing the live video	400m to go: Damiano Cunego and David Arroyo caught Evans and Vino earlier near the summit with 3k to go	Evans leads the final four inside 400m to go. HTC-Columbia's Marco Pinotti has bridged up and sits 4th
Amazing no one crashed on the slick cobbles	Evans put in one more dig that no one could match	Cadel Evans with a classic Giro win he'll never forget
No words necessary	The rest of the top 10 with David Millar (rear) crossing 11th	A lonely finish for the Maglia Rosa. Vincenzo Nibali lost 2 minutes and is now 5th on GC.
Cadel Evans all cleaned up for the award ceremony	Pink eyes dons the Pink Jersey	Vino back in Pink with a 1:12 lead over Cadel Evans
As part of our preview: Classic Tuscany from a Montalcino backyard overlooking the Northeast valley. This is not the side riders will approach from.	Walking back up to the center of town. The riders will encounter cobblestones on the approach from the other side of town, but not this steep	The high point of the visit was the Montalcino Castle
The view of Montalcino from the castle. The finish will come through the left part of town and finish at the far end.	The west side of Montalcino where the riders will approach from the north on 12 km of strade bianche (white dirt roads) before the hill climb into town	This photo best captures the valley route and the last km that passes by the Montalcino Castle with the finish near the Chapel

Stage 8:  Chianciano Terme - Monte Terminillo, 189k  Full Results and Report

Carlos Sastre signing in. He continued to lose more time today.	Cough forces Petacchi to abandon	The winding road leading to the mountaintop finish on Monte Terminillo
Chasing the break	Simone Stortoni (Colnago) stringing out the break on the final climb...	while the GC contenders were getting strung outbehind
Ag2R's John Gadret unsuccessfully launched off the peloton several times in pursuit of the lead group	Chris Sorensen (Saxo Bank) won the 189 km stage in 4:50:48 (39.0 km/h). That's 3 km/h faster than Garzelli's winning time seven years ago.	He soloed the final 8 km for his first Grand Tour win
2nd Simone Stortoni (Colnago) + 0:30	4 Evgeni Petrov (Katusha) + 0:49	The GC men crossed 56 seconds behind the winner
Chris Sorensen (Saxo Bank) is awarded a Girbecco for his troubles		Vino keeps his lead on Cadel Evans, but more changes further down on GC. Namely, David Millar slipped from 3rd to 33rd

Stage 9:   Frosinone - Cava de' Tirreni, 188km  Full Results and Report

The Giro Trophy has arrived	Giro 2030 awaits	Classic Giro
The good crowd in Frosinone for the rider sign-in and start	The caravan (carovana) getting ready to roll	A great day for a school field trip
The Playboy bunnies and their pink Playboy cars were part of the Caravan		The peloton skirted all the possible climbs today as they headed southwest to the Amafi Coast
More rain today. Footon - Servetto's Giampaolo Cheula surfing off the front	The peloton about to make a big splash
	The Garmin team car hydroplaning	The main break
Michael Barry of Team Sky driving the ill-fated break	Astana with their Maglia Rosa following HTC-Columbia in pursuit of the break	Fans anticipating the finish in Cava de' Tirreni
Cadel Evans (far left) led briefly with 100 m to go, but it's now a HTC-Columbia rider sprinting for the line and it's not Andre Greipel	It's Aussie Matthew Goss followed by Filippo Pozzato (Katusha) and Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Transitions)	And that's how it would finish
The Aussies are on a roll	Matt Goss celebrates his first win of the year

Stage 10:  Avellino → Bitonto, 230km  Full Results and Report

Alexandre Vinokourov with several of his Kazakhstan compatriots?	Street party at the start in Avellino	The race leaders keeping cool on the first sunny day since the Giro returned from Holland
Good crowds lining the streets somewhere along the route	Climbing out of Avellino; leaving the Amalfi Coast behind	Michele Scarponi and Alexandre Vinokourov
Young rider leader, Richie Porte of Saxo Bank
The peloton passing through the crowd in Andria at km 172	Michael Barry and the rest of Team Sky chasing the four-man break
		The crowd waiting in Terlizzi, 30 km from the finish in Bitonto
Meanwhile, at the finish in Bitonto, the Italians were demonstrating they love swag just as much as any other nation	The crowd lining the final corner anticipating the finish	Garmin's Tylar Farrar came out of the final corner in first after the fine leadout byt teammate Julien Dean
Farrar finishes ahead of Fabio Sabatini (Liquigas) for his second win at this year's Giro	The double victory salute	Victory salute from a different angle
David Millar about to give the winner a big hug	A big crowd in Bionto for the post race ceremony
Your stage 10 winner, Tyler Farrar	King Farrar with one more salute

Stage 11:  Lucera - L'Aquila, 262km  Full Results and Report

Shortly after the start in Lucera, a large break of 56 riders split from the peloton seen here with Astana and BMC on the front during a lackluster chase. Notice Liquigas further back.	Carlos Sastre and four of his teammates! were in the break looking to get back some GC time	As the weather deteriorated, the break worked hard to stretch out the gap
It's hard to tell looking through a fogged up shower door, but this looks like David Arroyo of Caisse d'Epargne driving the break	After just 75 km of racing, the break had an astonishing 17 minute lead	The highest placed GC rider in the break was 1st year pro Richie Porte (Saxo Bank)
He started 6th on the day 2:26 back which meant at one point on the road, he led the Maglia Rosa by over 15 minutes	The peloton in trouble and taking on water	The destructive break driving on...
and on	Alexandre Vinokourov and his team had a miserable day. They couldn't control the stage, two Astana riders abandoned and Vino slipped out of Pink and out of the top 10	Katusha's Evgeni Petrov rounding one of the final corners near the front
Despite the weather, Carlos Sastre's GC chances improved dramatically with his third place finish	The strung out uphill finish in L'Aquila	Another classic Giro stage
Evgeni Petrov picked a miserable, wet day to end his long winning drought...	...winning the longest Giro stage in a decade	Dario Cataltdo of Quick Step jumped early and held on for second
Bradley Wiggins is back in the hunt. He moved up 14 spots on GC to 10th place.	The Pink Jersey group rolling through 12+ minutes later	A shocking end to a chaotic day. 25 year-old, first-year pro Richie Porte finds himself in Pink and the center of attention
	Ending another good day for the Aussies at this year's Giro, but what will happen when the high mountains arrive	2009 earthquake damage and the start of repairs is evident throughout L'Aquila

Stage 12:  Città Sant'Angelo - Porto Recanati, 190km  Full Results and Report

Overview of the start in Città Sant'Angelo along the Adriatic Coast	The wearers of the Leaders' jerseys	Stefano Garzelli and Cadel Evans conversing before the start
Richie Porte enjoying the VIP treatment accorded to the wearer of the Pink Jersey	Garmin-Transitions chasing the break up the road with the hopes of setting up a sprint finish for their man Tyler Farrar	After a flat run up the coast, the peloton heads inland for some hills in the latter half of the stage
	Richie Porte peeking through the peloton
	The break	Saxo Bank has eight of their original nine men still in the race to help defend the Pink Jersey
The break entering Porto Recanati for the first of two visits to the finish. In other words, there was one circuit.		The peloton for their first trip through
Francesco Faili of Acqua & Sapone during one of many attacks on the final circuit.	The race heating up. The Pink Jersey doing some work now.	A break with several of the GC contenders (but not Cadel Evans) headed for a bunch sprint finish
Filippo Pozzato (Katusha) wins ahead of a late charge by Thomas Voeckler (Bouygues) on the left	After 12 stages, Italy is finally on the board with their national champ coming through for the home side	Being escorted through the maze of riders and media at the finish
Filippo Pozzato (Katusha) celebrates a popular win	A few changes to the time gaps but no signifcant change at the top of the general classification	Richie Porte still in Pink
Pozzato replaced the monkey on his back with the Giro mascot	Richie Porte is big news in cycling right now

Stage 13:   Porto Recanati - Cesenatico, 222km  Full Results and Report

Simone Stortoni of Colnago visiting the beach at Porto Recanati prior to the start	Richie Porte releasing the start balloons for the second day in a row	Cadel Evans and Daniele Richi kissed and made up this morning after exchanging blows in the peloton yesterday ()
The leaders' jerseys	The real leaders' jerseys	The start in Porto Recanati
Heading up the Adriatic Coast for the second day in a row	An overview of the hilly inland portion of the route in the latter half of the stage	The 17 man break climbing the cat 2 Barbotto climb at km 181 with 42 km to go
The rear of the break, 75m from the GPM	Liquigas leading the chase
A monument to Marco Pantani in his hometown of Cesentacio where today's stage finishes	The break worked well together on the flats to the finish	Colnago's Manuel Belletti timed his sprint perfectly with lots of authority
The biggest win to date for the 25 year old	It's always good to see a local boy win	Vladimir Karpets and teammate Juan Horrach, who dropped back from the break to help Karpets gain two minutes on his GC rivals
The peloton finishing over seven minutes after the winner
An emotional win needless to say		Still in Pink, but there is a mountain stage tomorrow

Stage 14:  Ferrara - Asolo, 201 km  Full Results and Report

Getting ready for the start on via Padova in Ferrara	Behave yourself today Daniele Righi	The race leaders have arrived
The race leaders keeping cool and socializing	Rolling out from Ferrara on the way to Monte Grappa	Big crowds for the start
A gorgeous start to the stage
It was a mountain stage, but the day started with 120 km of flats until the peloton reached Asolo...	Getting ready for the peloton (and RAI helicopters) in Asolo. That's Monte Grappa in the distance. The peloton would later loop back and finish in Asolo	Liquigas leading the peloton on the lower less steep slopes of Monte Grappa (19 km long with an average grade of 7.9% )
Fans in position at the top where the weather wasn't quite so nice	Liquigas driving the pace still...	Sylvester Szmyd now on the front shedding more riders for team leaders Bassso and Nibali
The Pink Jersey, Richie Porte, losing touch of the lead group	And then there were four: Ivan Basso, Cadel Evans, Michele Scarponi and Vicenzo Nibali	It gets steeper near the top
Carlos Sastre and Alexandre Vinokourov chasing 30 seconds back	The top before the tricky descent and flat run back to Asolo	Switching it up
Basso and Scarponi going over the top a few bike lengths ahead of Cadel Evans and Vicenzo Nibali	Branislau Samoilau, Bradley Wiggins, Bauke Mollema and Damiano Cunego going over the top a minute later	Followed shortly by David Arroyo led by a Caisse d'Epargne teammate. Arroyo would do enough to take Pink today.
Linus Gerdemann would bridge up to the Sastre and Arroyo group on the descent	Saxo Bank's Chris Sorensen, winner of the stage 8 mountaintop finish, dragging the Maglia Rosa over the top five minutes after the leaders. Richie Porte lost his Pink Jersey today, but performed better than expected.	Race officials, local dignitaries and photographers waiting to see who would appear first back in Asolo after the tricky descent off Monte Grappa
Vicenzo Nibali was the best descender ... or the one willing to take the most chances	A solo win...	... not a photo finish
Basso had the luxury to sit behind Scarponi and Evans before taking a slow motion sprint for second	Nibali gets to celebrate on the podium again after wearing the Pink Jersey for several stages earlier in the race (Stages 4 and 5)	The sweet taste of victory
Caisse d'Epargne's David Arroyo, a steady grinder, is now in Pink	If you are wearing Pink at this point in the race then it is deserved	Time for some more Grappa

Stage 15:   Mestre - Monte Zoncolan, 222 km  Full Results and Report

The Pre-Zoncolan celebration at the start in Mestre near Venice	222 km to the north, bike racing fans are waiting in/on the Monte Zoncolan bike stadium	A capacity crowd along the 10 km climb
What a great natural theatre		While fans wait at the top, further down the hill the action was really heating up
10 km at an average of 12% with a 22% section near the top. A good sufferfest guaranteed or your money back	The first rider coming into view	Much to the delight of the Italians, it's Liquigas' Ivan Basso
Apparently, Zoncolan suits Basso, the ultimate grinder	The fans loving it	Just over a minute back was Cadel Evans fighting with his bike, but that's his style. By the way, that's cycling photographer Graham Watson to the left
Appearing third on stage is Michele Scarponi, 10 seconds back of Cadel Evans	Don't look up	4th was Damiano Cunego about 30 seconds behind Scarponi
Ivan Basso distanced his rivals to finish first	An empathic win. His biggest since making a clean return	Like the clock says, 222 km in 6:21:58 (34.87 km/h)
Cadel Evans about to blow a gasket much to delight of appreciative bike racing fans. He finished second + 1:19.	The Pink Jersey coming into view	David Arroyo (Caisse d'Epargne) was 11th + 3:52, good enough to hang onto the Pink Jersey. Actually, he increased his lead because Richie Porte was further down the hill.
A good shot of Sky's Dario Cioni rounding the 22% corner. He placed 25th +6:45	The biggest reaction was for local boy and hero, Gilberto Simoni, making his last Giro appearance. Forza Gibo!
The two time (and only winner) of Monte Zoncolan had to settle for 31st this time +8:36	An emotional win (and return) for Ivan Basso	Celebrating the win and his big move all the way up to 3rd on GC
David Arroyo continues his stay in Pink	This is turning into a Giro for the grinders

Stage 16:  Plan de Corones, 12.8 km (TT)  Full Results and Report

Spanish Formula One driver, Fernando Alonso, was the special podium presenter today. Alonso has hinted about starting a cycling team in 2011 with Alberto Contador as the leader.	Fernando Alonso and Giro race director, Angelo Zomegnan	There really was no Carovana, per say, today. They were restricted to the start (and finish?).
The start party in San Vigilio di Marebbe		Hey, yesterday was the rest day
Start panoramic in San Vigilio di Marebbe	Craig Lewis of HTC-Columbia was one of the early starters	Astana's Andriy Grivko powering up the 24% unpaved section
The 24% section from a different perspective with Sky's Greg Henderson on the course	Course perspective	The great weather brought out a bigger crowd than 2008
The party at the finish	The finish was at the Kronplatz ski resort	Stafano Garzelli was out to make up for his Zoncolan performance two days ago (or did he sandbag Zoncolan)
Garzelli handled the 24% better than anyone else	Garzelli set a time that no one came close to matching. 12.8 km in 41:28 (18.5 km/h) ... but one minute slower than Franco Pellizoti's time from 2008. Hmm...	With the start of the Maglia Rosa, David Arroyo (Caisse d'Epargne), all the GC contenders are now on the course
With his performance on Monte Zoncolan two days ago and his 4th place finish today, no one can say Vincenzo Nibali isn't good on the steep stuff	Ivan Basso out to make up more time. He finished 6th +1:00.	Security keeping the fans at bay
Cadel Evans' turn against the 24%	Evans posted the second best time (+0:42) to continue his move up the General Classicification. He's now 4th overall +3:07.	The former Pink (now White) Jersey wearer, Richie Porte, refuses to go away. He finished out of the top 10 but he sits 3rd on GC + 2:36.
David Arroyo (Caisse d'Epargne) was also out of the top 10 finishing 16th +2:16 (one position ahead of Porte), but he is still pretty in Pink	Your mountain time trial winner, Stefano Garzelli	The new King of Kronplatz
Caisse d'Epargne's David Arroyo receives his new Pink Jersey from fellow Spaniard, Fernando Alonso	Ivan Basso is starting to wonder whether he'll make up the 2:27 he needs to topple David Arroyo.	Still admiring the somewhat hideous looking winner's crown
Hey King, you want to join today's Giro party?...	The end to a gorgeous day

Stage 17:  Brunico - Pejo Terme, 173km  Full Results and Report

The peloton working it's way southwest from Brunico, a German-speaking area, just about as far north in Italy as you can get	Caisse d'Epargne, with their Pink Jersey, was content to let a harmless break go up the road	The peloton descending the cat 1 Passo delle Palade past the half point on the 173 km stage
Danilo Hondo (Lampre) driving the break at the base of the final climb to Pejo Terme (length: 9.5 km, a modest avg grade: 4.6%, max grade: 12%)	Fabio Sabatini was the first man Liquigas sent to the front at the base of the final climb. They weren't interested in catching the break, they more interested in popping a few of the GC contenders off the back	The win would be contested by Steven Kruijswijk (Rabobank), Danilo Hondo (Lampre) and Damien Monier (Cofidis)
Damien Monier powered away from his breakmates on the steeper grade over the final kms for his first win as an six-year professional	The 27 year-old Frenchman was a late Cofidis substitute before the start of this year's Giro	The consistent pressure by Liquigas on the final climb popped Saxo Bank's Richie Porte off the back in the final km. That's him in white under the 250m sign in the far rear about to lose eight seconds. Carlos Sastre also lost a few seconds.
Our somewhat bewildered winner. Did I really win?	Our resilient race leader, David Arroyo, dons Pink for the fourth straight day. UCI President Pat McQuaid on hand to give a hand.
It appears Gilberto Simoni isn't going to win a stage in his last hurrah so a special award from his home region to honor his great career was a nice touch

Stage 18:  Levico Terme - Brescia, 151 km  Full Results and Report

Today's start host was Levico Terme. It indeed looks like a great spot to unwind.	Part of the enthusiastic Carovana crew...	... getting the crowd whooped up
DJ Carovana out of control at the controls	The start party	Welcome to the Giro Club. Italians are so friendly.
Cadel Evans signing in	A forlorn fuga (escape/attack) up the road and destine to fail	Today's route took the peloton down the west side of picturesque Lake Garda. Too bad the weather wasn't better today.
Tunnel vision	Meanwhile, a party was kicking up at the finish line in Brescia 151 km away. Today's stage was the shortest road stage of this year's Giro	HTC-Columbia's Michael Albasini driving the pace on the circuit in Brescia...
... for Andre Griepel		Andre Griepel sits up with a two bike lengths victory
After 18 stages, he finally gets a win at this year's Giro. Garmin's Julien Dean was 2nd, Sky's Greg Henderson was third.	Now he can "go home"	Yes, get your man in Pink ready for tomorrow's big stage
Sharing the win	Griepel was still pumped up during the award ceremony	A good way to end his Giro which started slowly (due to illness?)
David Arroyo dons Pink for the fifth straight day	He's getting good spraying champagne into the crowd with velocity	I'm not going away empty-handed

Stage 19:  Brescia - Aprica, 195 km  Full Results and Report

Ivan Basso crested Passo del Mortirolo first followed by Liquigas teammate Vincenzo Nibali and Androni's Michele Scarponi	Alexander Vinokourov (Astana) was next over 1:30 back	Cadel Evans really struggled (cracked?) on the Mortirolo. He was about 7th over the top, 2+ minutes back of the lead group
David Arroyo hanging tough. He went over the top about 15 seconds after Cadel Evans	Stefano Garzelli flew up and down the Trivigno, but blew a gasket on Passo del Mortirolo and abandoned. but later got back on his bike to finish 40th (+ 23:08).	After most of the lead was lost on the descent due to Ivan Basso's poor descending skills, the lead group with Basso on the front most of the time, again stretched the lead out on the long uphill slog to the finish in Aprica
Vino, Arroyo, John Gadret, Carlos Sastre and Cadel Evans joined up at the base of the Mortirolo descent to form the chase	Michele Scarponi did his share on the last climb and also benefited from the Liquigas work to take the win. Basso crossed second and Nibali third	Scarponi goes from 8th to 4th on GC
	The chase with the Pink Jersey narrowed the gap to 35 seconds at the base of the final climb, but the gap went up again when the last climb started. Alexandre Vinokourov crossed 4th	The chase lost 2 1/2 minutes on the final climb crossing 3:05 back of the Basso group
Despite some heroic descending off Passo del Mortirolo to close the gap, David Arroyo checks the scoreboard and sees that he is now 51 seconds behind Ivan Basso.	Michele Scarponi celebrates a big mountain stage win	Ivan Basso and the sweet smell of success
Ivan Basso in Pink by 51 seconds heading into another difficult mountain stage on stage 20	Your new race leader	It's great to be back on top

Stage 20:  Bormio - Tonale, 178 km  Full Results and Report

Enjoying the leader perks for the first time this month at the start in Bormio	A sign of the partisan crowd on one of the earlier climbs	Giberto Simoni dancing his way up to the break near the base of Passo di Gavia
Simoni was over 2 1/2 hours back on GC so the trailing peloton wasn't concerned	Johann Tschopp (BBox) and Simoni went over the top of Passo di Gavia at the front of the race with Tschopp winning the Cimi Coppi honors	The peloton on Passo di Gavia
Mostly dry roads with the sun poking through. The forecasted bad weather didn't pan out, thankfully.	The peloton cutting through the high snowbanks	Passo di Gavia panoramic
	Yes, this is turning into the Ivan Basso show	Trailing riders making their way over the top
	Gavia descent. Watch the melt water and rough payment.	Johann Tschopp (BBox Bouygues Telecom) soloed the descent of Passo di Gavia and the finishing climb to Tonale. That's Cadel Evans in the distance.
The 27 year-old Swiss climber captures his biggest career win	Cadel Evans didn't give up his hopes of moving up the GC or winning the stage	Cadel Evans crossed 16 seconds later for second
Ivan Basso pipped Michele Scarponi for 3rd (+ 0:25)	Two of the best climbers at this year's Giro battling it out right to the end during the last road stage	David Arroyo didn't leave anything in the tank either. He crossed 5th (+ 0:41) just ahead of Vincenzo Nibali
The Swiss and BBox Bouygues Telecom get their first win at this year's Giro. Johann Tschopp, the stage 20 winner.	"This is extraordinary," Tschopp said "I have a feeling I'm dreaming. I'm really happy. I'm on another planet."	Basso donning Pink after the last road stage
Your race leader by 1:15 going into the final stage -- a short time trial		The expression says it all
He said he's not going to celebrate before it's all over but he looks pretty confident	Pointing out his Pink slip-ons	Johann Tschopp also giving the thumbs up to today's results

Stage 21:  Verona ITT, 15.3km  Full Results and Report

Lets just jump to the chase. Saxo Bank's Gustav Erik Larsson, the World's silver medalist in the ITT, posted the fastest time of 20:19 over the 15.3 km course	Liquigas' Vincenzo Nibali descending skills paid off again today. Sitting just one second ahead of Michele Scarponi for 3rd going in, Nibali beat Scarponi by 12 seconds to keep the 3rd podium spot.	David Arroyo was safely in 2nd to start the day and that's where he finished. Give the man an applause for a terrific effort over three weeks. By far, the best result of his career.
The Maglia Rosa coming into view and drawing lots of attention	Ivan Basso placed 15th (+0:45) but that didn't matter. He just had to cross in one piece to secure the overall win.	The post-race celebrations took place in the Verona Arena
Here comes the last rider of the day, Ivan Basso...	... to a big round of applause	Basso and his bambini
The kids like to see Daddy don Pink	The GC Podium as captured by our partisan Italian photographer. Spanish rider and 2nd place finisher David Arroyo is off screen left. Here are the Italians, Ivan Basso and Vincenzo Nibali.	Four years after his first Giro win, Ivan Basso returns to the top of Italian cycling
Pretty in Pink once again. Apparently, Basso is looking to parlay Pink into Yellow: "I am ready to go to the Tour and fight" he said post-race.	A huge credit goes to Basso's entire Liquigas team who won the TTT and were clearly the strongest team in the race	Liquigas successfully carried the weight of the nation on their shoulders this past month
The jersey winners: 1 Italian and 3 Aussies	Mountains Classification: Matt Lloyd (Omega-Pharma Lotto), Points Competition: Cadel Evans (BMC), GC: Ivan Basso (Liguigas) and Best Young Rider: Richie Porte (Saxo Bank)