The centennial Giro d'Italia held its first test today in Dolomites with Italian Danilo Di Luca (LPR Brakes - Farense Vini) taking the stage win with a powerful surge to the line, followed by Stefano Garzelli (Acqua & Sapone ) and Franco Pellizotti (Liquigas) rounding out the all-Italian podium. Team Columbia - High Road regained the pink jersey with a strong performance from their young Swede Thomas Lövkvist.
Di Luca, who won the won the Giro d'Italia in 2007, looks to have timed his form well securing a stage win in the Giro del Trentino, his last test before the start of the Giro. The overall winner of the Giro del Trentino was Ivan Basso, whose Liquigas team was impressive on the 162km stage from Padova to San Martino di Castrozza.
The main move of the day included six riders who were able to build up a lead over the main peloton quickly, with their gap capping out at 7 minutes and 30 seconds. Initially the group included Serafin Martinez (Xacobeo Galicia), Ian Stannard (ISD), Francesco De Bonis (Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni), Jens Voigt (Saxo Bank), Francesco Bellotti (Barloworld), and Davide Vigano (Fuji-Servetto).
LPR-Brakes rode at the front of the race to keep the gap reasonable, and as the leading group approached the summit of the first climb, the category two Croce d'Aune, the big German Voigt started to come unhinged, but the experienced rider was able to make his way back on the decent.
The group containing the general classification contenders was led up the category two climb by a strong Liquigas team.
As the now three- man escape with Francesco De Bonis, Jens Voigt, and Francesco Bellotti made their way past the 25k to go banner, the efforts of the chasing peloton driven by LPR Brakes began to pull them back into the fold.
On the last climb of the day Voigt knew his only chance to win was to attack, having already having been dropped near the top of the first climb. A 8km to go the Saxo Bank rider attacked his breakaway companion Bellotti and was able to get separation and go for the win. With 5k to go Voigt had only 35 seconds in hand over a charging pack led by a motivated Liquigas team. With less than 3k to go Voigt's bid for a win was finished as he was overtaken by the charging group.
With less than 2k to go there was still a large group of around twenty riders with all of the favorites tucked in safely. For the second time today Mauricio Soler (Team Barloworld) attacked, but this time he was able to get a decent gap. The Liquigas team didn't panic and kept control stepping out a hard tempo to keep him in sight. With less than 1k to go Soller had 10 seconds on the group, but an attack by Italian Stefano Garzelli was enough to energize the race and leave the door open for a flying Danilo Di Luca to come around the Colombian climber in the last 50 meters for the stage win. Garzelli gassed from his previous effort still managed second, and Pellizotti took third.
Tomorrow the race sets out for a short but difficult 125km stage starting in San Martino di Castrozza and ending with another mountain top finish at Alpe di Siusi. While the stage could put some time gaps between the GC contenders, this is still only the first week of three, so there is plenty race left to be ridden.