The ANNOTICO Report

The Tour of Italy always remains one of the year's most spectacular
Bicycling events. This year's 88th running of the Giro totals 3,498
kilometers with three individual time trials and three mountain-top
finishes.

Starting in the southern Calabria region on Saturday, the pack of 197
riders will then inch up the spine of the peninsula towards the mountainous
northern region. It will then skirt east, first attacking the Dolomite
Mountains and then finally the Italian Alps near the French boarder before
finally finishing in Milan.

Defending champion Damiano Cunego, the surprise winner here last year at
only 22, tops this year's list of favorites. He is seconded by Lampre
teammate Gilberto Simoni, winner here in 2001 and 2003. Last year their
battles within the team garnered greater headlines than those in the race
it self, and promise to be tough to beat this year.

Another Italian, Ivan Basso, is their toughest challenger. Basso, who rides
for the Danish CSC team, finished third in last year's Tour de France.

The Italian Liguigas team also hopes to make their presence known with two
leaders Stefano Garzelli and Danilo DiLuca. Garzelli won the Giro back in
2000, while DiLuca is currently leading the UCI ProTour standings.

Bicycling Magazine
By James Startt, European Correspondent
Friday, May 06, 2005

This year's Tour of Italy  will be different, but it may likely be the
same--a great Italian race for Italian riders. The newly organized UCI
ProTour promised to bring more elite teams and riders to more elite races,
and more top teams will be present...

Teams like Discovery Channel, Rabobank, and all of the top Spanish and
French teams, are making appearances generally considered rare for
them.Only a  few top international stars will be missing. Discovery's top
rider Lance Armstrong, who last year seemed interested in riding the Giro,
has instead opted to focus on a final Tour de France victory before
retiring. Italian Paolo Savoldelli, winner here in 2002, has done little
since breaking his collarbone back in January.

While many top teams are coming to the race with no visible leader, the
Italians, in contrast, are showing up in a full coat of armor. For them,
winning their national tour assures them their own sort of personal
nirvana--one that most regular riders could only attain by winning the Tour
de France. Rabobank, for example, will be testing their young hope Thomas
Dekker, giving him the chance to lead the team in a major three-week race.

Defending champion Damiano Cunego, the surprise winner here last year at
only 22, tops this year's list of favorites. He is seconded by teammate
Gilberto Simoni, winner here in 2001 and 2003. Last year their battles
within the team garnered greater headlines than those in the race it self.
Nevertheless, the two lead the Lampre team and promise to be tough to beat.

Most consider another Italian, Ivan Basso, their toughest challenger.
Basso, who rides for the Danish CSC team, finished third in last year's
Tour de France and only seems to get better each year. To date, he has
produced little in the results column this season, but his team director
Bjarne Riis, winner of the 1996 Tour de France, was always a master of
camouflage.

The Italian Liguigas team also hopes to make their presence known with two
leaders Stefano Garzelli and Danilo DiLuca. Garzelli won the Giro back in
2000, while DiLuca is currently leading the UCI ProTour standings.

...The Tour of Italy always is one of the year's most spectacular events.
This year's 88th running of the Giro totals 3.498 kilometers with three
individual time trials and three mountain-top finishes. Starting in the
southern Calabria region on Saturday, the pack of 197 riders will then inch
up the spine of the peninsula towards the mountainous northern region. It
will then skirt east, first attacking the Dolomite Mountains and then
finally the Italian Alps near the French boarder before finally finishing
in Milan.

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