May 11, 2007 – The T-Mobile Team starts the Giro d’Italia intent on scooping a few stage wins over the course of the three-week event . The Giro is the season’s first Grand Tour and is a traditional battle-ground for Italy’s top teams and riders.

“The Giro is the season highlight for most Italians – both fans and riders – a real national event,” says T-Mobile sporting director Valerio Piva, “and we can expect more of the same this year.”

T-Mobile travel to Italy without expected starter Serhiy Honchar. “Serhiy was our man for the GC,” says Piva. Indeed last season, Honchar, who lives in Italy, pulled on the Giro race leader’s Maglia Rosa for the second time in his career and his absence will be a big loss to the magenta team.

Without Honchar, the team’s race-plan will centre around the hunt for stage wins. “We don’t just want to go along for the ride, if the chance is there to go for a stage win, we will take it,” says Piva, who will be looking to the Italian duo of Marco Pinotti and Lorenzo Bernucci, in particular, to make their mark on the Corsa Rosa.

Team Time Trial Opener
The tour kicks off on Saturday on the island of Sardegna with a 25.6 team time trial. In former Italian time trial champion Marco Pinotti and young Czech Frantisek Rabon the T-Mobile Team have two chrono specialists in their ranks – and the flat 43 km ITT from Bardolino to Verona on the penultimate day should suit Pinotti as well.

Also in the roster are Adam Hansen of Australia, Aaron Olson of the US, Thomas Ziegler of Germany and the vastly experienced Belgium Axel Merckx. Honchar will be replaced by either Jacob Piil of Denmark or Michael Barry of Canada .

“As well as many the many climbs, the Giro offers plenty of chances for the sprinters to leave their mark,” says Piva, who will be counting on the fast legs of Greg Henderson in the bunch showdowns. It is the 30-year old New Zealander’s first start in a Grand Tour.

A course for climbers
While the sprinters and time trialists will have their moments, the 90th Giro is mostly one for the climbers. The 198 riders from 22 teams will have to negotiate 31 categorized climbs over the course of the 3.442 kms from Sardegna to Milano.

Stage 4 from Salerno finishes atop the the Montevergine di Mercogliano, a 17.1 kilometre climb that touches gradients of 10%, the first of five punishing summit finishes. “The riders won’t have much time to ease their way into it. It gets straight down to business,” says Valerio Piva.

Queen stage is likely to be stage 15 to Tre Cime di Lavaredo – after two brutal passes, the Passo di San Pellegrino (11.6 km long) and the Passo Giau (9.8 km), the riders must tackle the 7.15 km run up the Tre Cime di Lavaredo climb – which touches an 18% gradient near the top. A real slug-fest between the leading candidates is expected. (gl)

The T-Mobile roster in brief:
Michael Barry (31/Canada) , Lorenzo Bernucci (27/Italy), Adam Hansen (25/Australia), Greg Henderson (30/New Zealand), Axel Merckx (34/Belgium), Aaron Olson (29/USA), Marco Pinotti (31/Italy), Frantisek Rabon (23/Czech), Thomas Ziegler (26/Germany).

Sporting director: Allan Peiper (47/Australia) and Valerio Piva (48/Italy)

Stages in brief:
Stage 1 – Saturday, May 12 – Caprera-La Maddalena (Team TT) – 24 kms
Stage 2 – Sunday, May 13 – Tempio Pausania-Bosa – 203 kms
Stage 3 – Monday, May 14 – Barumini-Cagliari – 195 kms
Rest Day – Tuesday, May 15 – Salerno
Stage 4 – Wednesday, May 16 – Salerno-Montevergine Di Mercogliano – 158 kms
Stage 5 – Thursday, May 17 – Teano-Frascati – 172 kms
Stage 6 – Friday, May 18 – Tivoli-Spoleto – 181 kms
Stage 7 – Saturday, May 19 – Spoleto-Scarperia – 239 kms
Stage 8 – Sunday, May 20 – Barberino Di Mugello-Fiorano Modenese – 194 kms
Stage 9 – Monday, May 21 – Reggio nell’Emilia-Lido Di Camaiore – 182 kms
Stage 10 – Tuesday, May 22 – Lido Di Camaiore-Santuario Nostra Signora Della Guardia – 230 kms
Stage 11 – Wednesday, May 23 – Serravalle Scrivia-Pinerolo – 192 kms
Stage 12 РThursday, May 24 РScalenghe-Brian̤on (Francia) Р163 kms
Stage 13 – Friday, May 25 – Biella-Santuario Di Oropa (Mountain TT) – 13 kms
Stage 14 – Saturday, May 26 – Cantù-Bergamo – 181 kms
Stage 15 – Sunday, May 27 – Trento-Tre Cime Di Lavaredo – 190 kms
Rest Day – Monday, May 28
Stage 16 – Tuesday, May 29 – Agordo (Dolomiti Stars)-Lienz (Austria) – 196 kms
Stage 17 – Wednesday, May 30 – Lienz (Austria)-Monte Zoncolan – 146 kms
Stage 18 – Thursday, May 31 – Udine-Riese Pio X – 182 kms
Stage 19 – Friday, June 1 – Treviso-Comano Terme – 178 kms
Stage 20 – Saturday, June 2 – Bardolino-Verona (TT) – 42 kms
Stage 21 – Sunday, June 3 – Vestone-Milano – 181 kms
Total: 3,486.2 kms

Winners since 1995
2006: Ivan Basso (ITA)
2005: Paolo Savoldelli (ITA)
2004: Damiano Cunego (ITA)
2003: Gilberto Simoni (ITA)
2002: Paolo Savoldelli (ITA)
2001: Gilberto Simoni (ITA)
2000: Stefano Garzelli (ITA)
1998: Marco Pantani (ITA)
1999: Ivan Gotti (ITA)
1997: Ivan Gotti (ITA)
1996: Pavel Tonkov (RUS)
1995: Tony Rominger (SUI)