May 6, 2006 – The Giro is officially underway, with last year’s winner Paolo Savodelli (Discovery Channel) showing he is very much on-form, taking the opening stage, a 6.2 km TT in Seraing:

1 Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 7.50 (47.489 km/h)
2 Bradley Mcgee (Aus) Française des Jeux 0.11
3 José E. Gutierrez Cataluna (Spa) Phonak Hearing Systems 0.13
4 Stefan Schumacher (Ger) Gerolsteiner
5 Serguei Gonchar (Ukr) T-Mobile Team 0.15
6 Francisco Perez Sanchez (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne-Illes Balears 0.16
7 José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne-Illes Balears
8 Michael Rogers (Aus) T-Mobile Team 0.17
9 Davide Rebellin (Ita) Gerolsteiner 0.18
10 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Liquigas 0.19
11 Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre-Fondital 0.20
12 Tom Danielson (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 0.21
13 Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC 0.23
14 Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC 0.25
15 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-Fondital
16 Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Saunier Duval-Prodir 0.26
17 Marc Wauters (Bel) Rabobank 0.27
18 Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Team CSC
19 Remmert Wielinga (Ned) Quick Step-Innergetic
20 Rik Verbrugghe (Bel) Cofidis, le Credit par Telephone 0.28
—
107 Peter Mazur (Pol) Saunier Duval-Prodir

May 10, 2003 – World Champion Mario Cipollini (Domina Vacanze-Elitron) will have to wait to tie Alfredo Binda's Giro win record of 41 stage wins. Today Alessandro Petacchi (Fassa Bortolo) took the 201k stage by beating Super Mario by half a bike length, taking the pink jersey of overall leader with it.  It was an Italian sweep, with Angelo Furlan (Alessio) taking third. Look for Cipo to redeem himself in the next few days, and Petacchi to try and defend his pink jersey, with only 8 seconds in time bonuses between him and the Lion King.

Stage 1: Lecce, 201 km

1. Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Fassa Bortolo                5.16.03 (38.15 km/h)
2. Mario Cipollini (Ita) Domina Vacanze-Elitron
3. Angelo Furlan (Ita) Alessio
4. Isaac Galvez Lopez (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca
5. Robbie McEwen (Aus) Lotto-Domo
6. Graeme Brown (Aus) Ceramiche Panaria-Fiordo
7. Jimmy Casper (Fra) FDJeux.com
8. Dario Pieri (Ita) Team Saeco
9. Jan Svorada (Cze) Lampre
10. Graziano Gasparre (Ita) De Nardi-Colpack

Overall:
1. Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Fassa Bortolo                 5.15.43
2. Mario Cipollini (Ita) Domina Vacanze-Elitron               0.08
3. Angelo Furlan (Ita) Alessio                                0.12
4. Andris Naudusz (Lat) CCC-Atlas-Polsat                      0.14
5. Mariano Piccoli (Ita) Lampre                               0.16
6. Isaac Galvez Lopez (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca                0.20
7. Robbie McEwen (Aus) Lotto-Domo
8. Graeme Brown (Aus) Ceramiche Panaria-Fiordo
9. Jimmy Casper (Fra) FDJeux.com
10. Dario Pieri (Ita) Team Saeco