May 23, 2004 – Entering the final two 6.5 km finishing circuits in Pola
the lead trio was down to 27 seconds as again Fasso, Lott-Domo and now Vini
Caldirola-Nobili put their teams on the front.
With eight kilometers to go the peleton was complete and Petacchi’s
teammates Ongarato, Tosatto and Velo put the train into overdrive. Three
hundred meters from the finish line in a tight bumpy corner Petacchi hit
first with American Freddy Rodriguez on his wheel. In third was DeNardi’s
Cadamuro who slid out and crashed into the barriers leaving it essentially
a two-man sprint, which Petacchi handled at 68 kph.

This seventh win for Alessandro Petacchi equals the record shared by his
boyhood Idol Giuseppe Saronni, Roger Devlaemik and Freddy Maertens.
Monday’s (May 24) stage is the longest of the Giro at 234 kilometers, and
as it is relatively flat it should be the last chance for the sprinters to
shine before the finish in Milan.

Results

1. Alessandro Petacchi (ITA) Fassa Bortolo, 4.08.58 (42.174 km/h)

2. Fred Rodriguez (USA) Acqua & Sapone-Caffe Mokambo

3. Marco Velo (ITA) Fassa Bortolo

4. Olaf Pollack (GER) Gerolsteiner

5. Alexandre Usov (BLR) Phonak Hearing Systems

6. Jan Svorada (CZE) Lampre

7. Luciano Pagliarini (BRA) Lampre

8. Angelo Furlan (ITA) Alessio-Bianchi

9. Alejandro Albert Borrajo (ARG) Ceramiche Panaria-Margres

10. Philippe Gilbert (BEL) FDJeux.com

General Classification

1. Yaroslav Popovych (UKR) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago, 60.48.38

2. Serguei Gontchar (UKR) De Nardi, 0.03

3. Bradley McGee (AUS) FDJeux.com, 1.02

4. Gilberto Simoni (ITA) Saeco, 1.27

5. Franco Pellizotti (ITA) Alessio-Bianchi,1.32

6. Damiano Cunego (ITA) Saeco, 1.48

7. Giuliano Figueras (ITA) Ceramiche Panaria-Margres, 2.30

8. Stefano Garzelli (ITA) Vini Caldirola-Nobili Rubinetterie, 2.31

9. Dario David Cioni (ITA) Fassa Bortolo, 2.36

10. Wladimir Belli (ITA) Lampre, 3.09

11. Cristian Moreni (ITA) Alessio-Bianchi, 3.24

12. Emanuele Sella (ITA) Ceramiche Panaria-Margres, 3.38