Giro d'Italia 2008 - Stage Six

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

Stage 6 - May 15 Potenza - Peschici (Circuito Del Gargano) 247km

Italian Matteo Priamo, riding for the CSF team, broke away to win the sixth stage and Priamo's compatriot Giovanni Visconti (Quick Step) took the leader's pink jersey from Franco Pellozitti (Liquigas) - more

The stage, which was supposed to run over 265 km, was shortened to 231 km after the riders protested, in part against the long transfers.

Giovanni Visconti moves into the lead after crossing the finish line in Peschici at the end of a long sprint ahead of the German rider Russ.

Vicconti is congratulated by team mate Bettini More pictures in Gallery - Pic fotoreporter sirotti

Viconti and Russ vire for the race lead More pictures in Gallery - Pic fotoreporter sirotti

“Today I was highly motivated - said Visconti -. This morning on the team bus all my team-mates were urging me to go for the pink jersey. The first two hours we kept up an intense rhythm as we tried to gain as much ground as possible on the group. A special thanks goes out to my sports director Davide Bramati, who did an exceptional job guiding me from the intermediate sprint, both during the crunch in the finish line sprint when I managed to gain another 6 seconds and at the end of the race in the mayhem that broke out over our victory in the stage.”

20 km from the finish line, Visconti lost interest in the fight for victory in the stage, instead trying to concentrate exclusively on winning the pink jersey.

“There were two of us jockeying for first place in the standings - says Visconti -, me and the German rider Russ from team Gerolsteiner. He was stuck to my back tire and at that point I was only trying to gain the margin necessary to wear the pink jersey. In the last 350 meters I gave it everything I had trying to gain as many seconds as possible. Those were the fastest 350 meters I’ve ever ridden in my life. At the beginning of the tour in Sicily I was a little hung up with the excitement and I was also a little unlucky. But all that’s behind me now. After crossing the finish line I realized that a small nail had pierced my tire without causing a hole. Maybe now luck is back on my side.”

“For me it was already an enormous satisfaction to ride in the Giro d’Italia - explains Visconti - which I started this year in my native Sicily, wearing the National Champion’s jersey. Now, getting to wear the pink jersey is like having realized another long standing dream. I’d like to dedicate this great win to my girlfriend Katy, who is the only one who manages to put up with me all the time, even though sometimes I can be a bit difficult.”

"I want to keep this pink jersey until the individual time trial at Urbino" on May 20, "To win a stage with the pink jersey on my back would be a dream."

Priamo follows Perez More pictures in Gallery - Pic fotoreporter sirott

Matteo Priamo built up a decisive lead over the final run-in of the 232km stage from Potenza to Peschici after a breakaway of more than 160km.

"My sole chance was to surprise my rivals," said Priamo. "If I waited until the last kilometre, I was going to be beaten. After my attack 11km from the finish, I was confident. I knew I could beat Perez."

Priamo dedicated his stage win to Argentinian team-mate Ariel Maximiliano Richeze, who tested positive for doping last month and was withdrawn from the Giro on the eve of the race.

"I dedicate this success to all the team, to Richeze, who is a friend, and my family," he said.

"I can't believe it. Two days ago I thought i might retire from the race after the falling in Catanzaro Lido, and now I'm here to talk about my victory,. Only Pérez Lezaun followed me" (When Priamo attacked) "It unfolded as I hoped and as I dreamed: of a Giro win since I was 7 years old".

Estonian cyclist Rene Mandri has been diagnosed with rib fractures and a punctured lung following his crash on the sixth stage of the Giro d'Italia on Thursday, his AG2R team said.

Mandri was part of a breakaway group at the head of the race when he crashed on a bend around the 76km mark of the 231 km stage between Potenza and Peschici.

Team Milram must face the rest of the Giro d'Italia with only seven riders after the sixth stage.

Former World Champion Spaniard Igor Astarloa had to drop out of the second stage with fever and stomach problems and now Enrico Poitschke had to cut short his Giro debut because of a cold.

"I have been having breathing problems because of a cold for several days now,“ Enrico Poitschke said."Today's stage started right off at a hight speed. In my condition it was just not possible to keep on. Too bad that my Giro premiere was so short.“

Bradley McGee is to have an operation on his broken collar bone broken in a crash during the third stage. Unlike Stuart O'Grad,y McGee's fracture was a complicated one requiring surgery..

"I've been to the hospital today to get the results of my x-rays and stuff and we've decided that I should have an operation done on Monday to have a plate inserted in my shoulder. I'm happy about that because I've broken my collarbone before and if you just let it heal on its own you get problems with it later on so it's better to have the plate inserted. It prevents future problems and I'll be able to come back a lot quicker," says McGee, who knows what he's talking about as he already has a plate in his other shoulder.

"I can't stand up too long at the moment because it's uncomfortable because of the pain, but after the operation I think I'll be back on the home trainer Wednesday next week. I've got this special apparatus, which takes the weight off my shoulders on the home trainer so I'm able to lean forward. I've used this machine before so I know the drill," concludes McGee, who is now just waiting to see how fast he's able to get back on the road again.

Paul Martens: had been thinking of challenging for the pink jersey and saw his chance when he joined the stage seven breakway - "When such an escape succeeds you want to win, so in that sense I am a bit disappointed," said the rider. "But finishing with the first five in the first week of my first major tour is also obviously satisfying."

In an earlier assualt at 53k he, Alan Pérez Lezaun and Réne Mandri (AG2R crash victim - see above) went clear - . "It is difficult; on days like this, two-thirds of the pack wants to be on an escape. Yesterday I focused on Jens Voigt; he always wants to jump away. But it is impossible to focus on just one person, though. It is matter of some gambling and having very good legs."

Nine other riders joined the threesome. "We sensed that Liquigas was not going to defend the pink jersey at all costs," explained team manager Frans Maassen. "Danilo di Luca's LPR had also that figured out. They rode like crazy but could not close the gap. That is why they got a lot of space very quickly." Martens: "Too much space; that is why it became a poker game in our group. I focused on Visconti and Nardello."

Marten says of later events - "I tried to keep up the pace so we would have a chance on the concluding climb, but everyone looked at everyone. At a certain moment there is no point in waiting anymore, and then I left."

Leonardo Piepoli fell on stage six, hurting his left forefinger, just like Riccò the day before. He put on a dressing to immobilised his finger, but the pain could affect his performance in the first mountain stages.

Enrico Gasparotto, talking on tv talk-show "Processo alla tappa". "The Giro is still very long and it will be decided in the third week, as usual. Nevertheless, we are riding so fast, as if the Giro was tomorrow to end. That's why we try to preserve our forcess".

Talking about team captain Mauricio Soler, Gasparotto added: "Mauricio is growing up, even if he still has problems with the injured hand holding the handlebar. That's why he has some muscular contractures, because of this we are going to control the race and our rivals, especially Astana's Leipheimer and Kloden".

Click on Map to enlarge

Friday's seventh stage sees the riders tackle a mountainous 180km run between Vasto and Pescostanzo.

The stage has no less than four categorised climbs in the last 70-kilometres, with an uphill finish into Pescocostanzo This is the stage when we all get to see who is up for winning the 2008 Giro.