Hosts dominance tested in Giro

2008-05-09 22:01

Palermo - Climbers who can keep their time trial losses to a minimum will be among the top contenders for the pink jersey in the Giro d'Italia which clicks into gear on Saturday.

The 91st edition of the Giro begins with a team time trial, and includes three other, individual, races against the clock as it snakes its way up from Sicily towards the crucial mountains stages in the Dolomites.

With five mountain-top finishes in total, including one uphill time trial, the race's top prize is more than likely to be claimed by a master climber.

Count on support of Savoldelli

Reigning champion Danilo Di Luca is not an immediate candidate and will start as the LPR team's leader in the hope he can find the climbing legs to hold off a bunch of arguably more suited specialists.

In 2007 Di Luca held off outstanding Luxemburger Andy Schleck of CSC, absent this time round, to claim his first 'maglia rose' and will count on the support of 2005 winner and teammate Paolo Savoldelli.

In the absence of Lampre's 2004 champion Damiano Cunego, fellow Italian Gilberto Simoni is among the contender for the race's pink jersey, which he won in 2001 and 2003.

Simoni's Diquigiovanni team will be among those keeping a close eye on the form and tactics of Astana, who have, at the last minute, been invited by race organisers RCS.

Astana's quality-packed outfit includes last year's Tour de France winner Alberto Contador, who - along with his team - was controversially sidelined from this year's race for the yellow jersey.

Kloeden could start as team leader

The team's late invite to the Giro is therefore welcome, although it was, they claim, entirely unexpected.

Contador said earlier: "When the team told me we were going to the Giro, I was on holiday in a hotel on the south of Spain."

As a result Andreas Kloeden, the recent winner of the Tour of Romandie, could start as Astana's virtual team leader.

But despite the German's proven ability in both time trials and in the mountains, the steep gradients of the Dolomites will present even the former Tour de France runner-up with a significant challenge.

- AFP