Giro d'Italia 2008 - Stage Two

The 2008 Giro d'Italia started from Palermo, southern Italy on May 10 and is held over 21 stages until June 1.

Stage 2 - May 11 Cefalu' - Agrigento - 207km

Riccardo Ricco closed the gap on Joaquim Rodriguez around 50 metres from the finish after the Spanish champion had attacked with one kilometre to go, at the steepest part of the closing climb.

Riccardo Ricco (Saunier Duval Scott)

Ricco wins the uphill sprint - fotoreporter sirotti

Speaking later Ricco revealed he had been among the riders involved in the crash which ended American David Zabriskie's Giro 60km from the finish line.

"I hope that's me done with bad luck for this race," said Ricco, who also hit the tarmac during the Tirreno Adriatico race and at the Tour of the Basque Country, and suffered from flu during the hilly Ardennes Classics.

"I'm a lot fresher for this Giro than last year but I'm still not 100 percent, although I hope to be once we hit the mountains. That's where the race will be decided."

"After so much bad luck, I can have my victory at last. I want to thank my teammates, who´ve been wonderful, especially Leonardo Piepoli, who´s helped a lot in the final stretch. Paolo Savoldelli helped too, with his job for Danilo de Luca, which led to the final sprint.

I took off with 200 metres remaining and, to be honest, I myself was surprised at my strength. This is the sign I´d been waiting for, telling me I´m OK. This triumph is for my team, my family, and my girlfriend."

Franco Pellizotti celebrates - fotoreporter sirotti

While Ricco has pointed to Di Luca as the man to beat this year, Pellizotti pulled on the pink jersey for the first time and will spend at least a day in the race lead during Monday's third stage, the last in Sicily, over 221km from Catania to Milazzo.

In the meantime Pellizotti said he's feeling no pressure, but admitted he was delighted to have ended his six-year bid to wear it.

"It's six years I've been racing the Giro, and curiously I've never managed to pull on the pink jersey. Now it's happened while I wasn't even expecting it."

David Loosli. rider and FDJ rider Jérémy Roy attacked after first climb and obtained an advantage up to 10'10" that would have given a virtual pink jersey to Loosli, but ended when Roy stopped working.

Loosli explains "I attacked and it was was good relationship, I felt good, but then it ended: that's a pity, beacause maybe we could reach Agrigento. But I did not think about pink jersey".

Steve Morabito went down in an accident that hurt his shoulder during Sunday’s stage. A quick visit with the race doctor to be sure his shoulder was still in place allowed Steve to continue to the finish before being taken to the hospital for a more thorough evaluation. Good news from the hospital says Morabito will be able to continue on Monday’s stage.

Alberto Contador also had a touch of wheels but stayed upright and came in with the front group on the uphill finish behind stage winner Ricardo Riccò (Saunier Duval-Scott). Along with a 10th place finish for Klöden, Team Astana now have two riders in the top 20 on general classification after two stages completed at the Giro d’Italia.

David Zabriskie of the Slipstream team was forced out of the Giro d'Italia after suffering a fractured lumbar vertebra in a crash during the second stage here Sunday.

The 29-year-old from Salt Lake City was among a bunch of riders when he came crashing down near a level crossing around 60km from the finish line of the 207km race.

After being taken to hospital Zabriskie was diagnosed with a fractured lumbar vertebra, according to doctors at the hospital in Canicatti, Sicily.

Zabriskie, the US national time trial champion, played a role in his team's winning performance in the first stage team time trial.

Christian Vandevelde said about losing the Pink Jersey, "Alas, I came up short. One second in fact. But regrets? None. I could not have gone any faster today, the team couldn’t have riden any better. Ciao Maglia Rosa".

Team Milram had to face a loss even before the start of the second stage and now must face the next three weeks of the Giro d'Italia with only eight riders. Former World Champion Igor Astarloa complained over night of fever and intestinal problems and had to leave the race early.

Erik Zabel crossed the finish line with the following group. "I knew that there would not be a real sprint finish today,“ "I remembered the final round course from the World Championship in 1994, and it was clear that it would be hard.“

Several crashes for Team Barloworld, the most serious involved Enrico Gasparotto and Christian Pfannberger, both suffering minor injuries and which sent American David Zabriskie to the hospital. Mauricio Soler also hit the tarmac and hurt his hand. The Colombian then had to favour his the left hand and this impeded his progress when the race went up the final climb.

Italian climber Emanuele Sella, is the first leader of Kom of 91st Giro d'Italia.

The rider climbed very well at the Kom of 2nd category of Gratteri (San Giovanni), first hill of the Giro situated at 26,5 to the start of Cefalù and 17,8 km long. Sella, best rider of the team at the finish (he was 23rd at 20" to the winner Riccò), lead the special classification with 5 points and tomorrow he will try to defend his leadership long the Maletto, the only hill (3rd category) of the 3rd stage, Catania-Milazzo of 221 km.

Click on Map to enlarge

Overlooking the route, Mount Etna will hopefully stay calm as the peloton gets super heated on a stage that looks likely to see an 'out and out' sprinter finally allowed the chance to go for the flag.

Expect the 'sprinter' teams to control the pace over the early climb and then work to lead their star man to the flag.

10 Lire on Mark Cavendish.