May 16, 2005 — A straightforward sprint in today’s ninth stage of the Giro d’Italia, saw the Fassa Bartolo team end their drought with a solid win by Alessandro Petacchi ahead of Paolo Bettini (Quickstep) and Aurelien Clerc (Saunier Duval). Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas) enjoyed a quiet day in the pink leader’s jersey, finishing comfortably in the pack on this final stage before the mid-race rest day tomorrow.

The only break of the day was a three-man affair, with Sven Krauss (Gerolsteiner), Mads Christensen (Quickstep) and Eric Baumann (T-Mobile) gaining a handful of minutes but with the pack never letting them get far out of sight on this short, 139km stage. They were finally absorbed with just under 20km to go, and the sprinters’ teams took to the front. Of those teams, Fassa Bartolo had the last say, seizing control in the last couple of kilometers through the efforts of Alberto Ongarato and Marco Velo and launching Petacchi to a tremendous win.

But, as the Giro loops across the eastern part of the country and heads north, the true racing is beginning to loom: tomorrow a rest day, then one last stage for the sprinters before the peloton hits the mountains.

Stage 9 results:
1. Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Fassa Bortolo 3.15.32 (43.573 km/h)
2. Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick.Step
3. Aurélien Clerc (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems
4. Robbie McEwen (Aus) Davitamon-Lotto
5. Erik Zabel (Ger) T-Mobile Team
6. Paride Grillo (Ita) Ceramica Panaria-Navigare
7. Isaac Galvez Lopez (Spa) Illes Balears
8. Robert Forster (Ger) Gerolsteiner
9. Andrea Moletta (Ita) Gerolsteiner
10. Simone Cadamuro (Ita) Domina Vacanze

52. Michael Barry (Can) Discovery Channel-Pro Cycling Team
184. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Discovery Channel-Pro Cycling Team 14:41

GC after stage 9:
1. Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi 39.22.19
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

78. Michael Barry (Can) Discovery Channel-Pro Cycling Team 21.19
173. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Discovery Channel-Pro Cycling Team 54.16