May 15, 2005 – On Monday, the Giro d’Ialia will begin in earnest for Canadians Michael Barry and Ryder Hesjedal: their Discovery team leader, Paolo Savoldelli, will be chasing the pink overall leader’s jersey after seeing his rival, CSC’s Ivan Basso, make a dramatic move in today’s 45km individual time trial.

Savoldelli placed third in the stage, which was won by CSC’s David Zabriskie, 17 seconds ahead of his teammate Ivan Basso and 44 seconds ahead of Savoldelli. Basso’s performance was enough to erase the time lost in yesterday’s seventh stage, where he finished 50 seconds off the pace and 30 seconds behind Savoldelli’s group. It wasn’t enough to put him in pink, however: Danilo Di Luca, (Liquigas) managed a strong tenth spot in the time trial, and stays in pink by a measly 9-second margin.

The big losers of the day were the Lampre duo of defending champ Damiano Cunego and Gilberto Simoni, who lost 2:24 and 2:52 respectively to the winner.

Canadians Barry and Hesjedal lost 5:43 and 5:55 respectively to the winning time — performances of little consequence as their test will come over the next two weeks, and their ability to help shepherd Savoldelli to a winning effort will be the true measure of their Giro.

Stage 8: Lamporecchio – Firenze ITT, 45 km

1. David Zabriskie (USA) Team CSC 58.31 (46.14 km/h)
2. Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC 0.17
3. Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Discovery Channel-Pro Cycling Team 0.44
4. Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 0.48
5. Serguei Gonchar (Ukr) Domina Vacanze 0.51
6. Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Illes Balears 1.07
7. Markus Fothen (Ger) Gerolsteiner 1.15
8. Thomas Dekker (Ned) Rabobank 1.23
9. Jan Hruska (Cze) Liberty Seguros-Wurth Team 1.34
10. Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi 1.35
11. Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi 1.56
12. Dario David Cioni (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi
13. Juan Manuel Garate (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 2.07
14. Wladimir Belli (Ita) Domina Vacanze 2.09
15. Volodymyr Bileka (Ukr) Discovery Channel-Pro Cycling Team 2.20
16. Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-Caffita 2.24
17. Laurent Lefevre (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 2.30
18. Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick.Step 2.39
19. Marco Pinotti (Ita) Saunier Duval-Prodir 2.40
20. Andrea Peron (Ita) Team CSC 2.44

97. Michael Barry (Can) Discovery Channel-Pro Cycling Team 5.43
101. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Discovery Channel-Pro Cycling Team 5.55

Intermediate splits

8.4km
1. Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Discovery Channel-Pro Cycling Team 11.04
2. Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC 0.02
3. Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 0.03
4. Serguei Gonchar (Ukr) Domina Vacanze 0.07
5. David Zabriskie (USA) Team CSC

18km
1. Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC 29.59
2. David Zabriskie (USA) Team CSC 0.08
3. Serguei Gonchar (Ukr) Domina Vacanze 0.10
4. Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Discovery Channel-Pro Cycling Team 0.18
5. Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi 0.26

28.6km
1. Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Discovery Channel-Pro Cycling Team 40.48
2. David Zabriskie (USA) Team CSC 0.08
3. Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC
4. Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 0.24
5. Serguei Gonchar (Ukr) Domina Vacanze 0.25

GC after stage 8

1. Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi 36.06.47
2. Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC 0.09
3. Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Discovery Channel-Pro Cycling Team 0.35
4. Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-Caffita 1.15
5. Dario David Cioni (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi 1.27
6. Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi 1.35
7. Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 1.38
8. Serguei Gonchar (Ukr) Domina Vacanze 1.39
9. Markus Fothen (Ger) Gerolsteiner 2.10
10. Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Lampre-Caffita 2.11
11. Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Illes Balears 2.24
12. Michele Scarponi (Ita) Liberty Seguros-Wurth Team 2.28
13. Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick.Step 2.37
14. Emanuele Sella (Ita) Ceramica Panaria-Navigare 3.09
15. Juan Manuel Garate (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir 3.18
16. Mirko Celestino (Ita) Domina Vacanze 3.21
17. Laurent Lefevre (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 3.24
18. Andrea Noe’ (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi 3.37
19. Christophe Brandt (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto 3.44
20. Aitor Gonzalez Jimenez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 3.48

79. Michael Barry (Can) Discovery Channel-Pro Cycling Team 21.19
137. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Discovery Channel-Pro Cycling Team 39.35