May 21, 2005 – After witnessing the tremendous tour de force by CSC’s Ivan Basso in the first mountain stage, which left Discovery’s Paolo Savoldelli grimly hanging on for dear life, most observers were expecting Basso to use today’s five mountain passes and 220km of racing to grind away his rivals. But, in a dramatic reversal, it was Savoldelli who managed to hang in with the mountain specialists, finishing more than a minute ahead of Basso and seizing the pink jersey.

Through four mountain passes, Basso’s CSC teammates expended tremendous efforts to keep the front of the race together for their leader, with the expectation that Basso could fend for himself in the final ascent. But a move by Lampre’s Gilberto Simoni — increasingly a man to watch for in this Giro — brought Savoldelli in his wheel but managed to detach Basso. Seeing his chance, Savoldelli hit the gas, using the final climb to put as much time into his suffering rival as he could. And though he suffered through the final stretches, the final toll was a heavy one for Basso: 1:08 behind Savoldelli, and the pink jersey lost. However, considering that Basso was visibly ill with stomach ailments post-stage, he might be feeling that he got away lucky, considering the difficulty of the stage.

The action between the leaders overshadowed the tremendous stage win of Ivan Parra (Selle Italia), brother of magnificent Tour de France climber Fabio Parra (2 stage wins in the 80s), who broke away with 19 riders in the earliest stages and managed to survive the whittling that five climbs will do to a break, and powered away from the final remnants of the break in the final climb to Ortisei.

Canadian Ryder Hesjedal’s Giro came to an end today with a DNF.

Results
1. Ivan Parra (Col) Selle Italia-Colombia 6.31.34 (33.404 km/h)
2. Juan Manuel Garate (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 0.23
3. Jose’ Rujano Guillen (Ven) Selle Italia-Colombia
4. Pietro Caucchioli (Ita) Credit Agricole 0.27
5. Tadej Valjavec (Slo) Phonak Hearing Systems 1.46
6. Matthias Kessler (Ger) T-Mobile Team 2.57
7. Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) Liberty Seguros-Wurth Team 3.03
8. Wladimir Belli (Ita) Domina Vacanze 3.48
9. Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Discovery Channel-Pro Cycling Team 4.00
10. Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Lampre-Caffita 4.07

101. Michael Barry (Can) Discovery Channel-Pro Cycling Team 36:36
DNF Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Discovery Channel-Pro Cycling Team

GC after stage 13
1. Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Discovery Channel-Pro Cycling Team 60.31.12
2. Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC 0.50
3. Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi 0.53
4. Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Lampre-Caffita 2.16
5. Juan Manuel Garate (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 2.39
6. Pietro Caucchioli (Ita) Credit Agricole 3.25
7. Serguei Gonchar (Ukr) Domina Vacanze 4.05
8. Jose’ Rujano Guillen (Ven) Selle Italia-Colombia 4.23
9. Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 4.54
10. Dario David Cioni (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi 6.17

93. Michael Barry (Can) Discovery Channel-Pro Cycling Team 1.25.45