| 2006 UCI ProTour, race 12 of 27 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.png) Overview of the stages: route from Seraing, in Belgium, to Milan covered by the riders on the bicycle (red) and distances between stages (green). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Race details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dates | 6 – 28 May 2006 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stages | 21 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Distance | 3,526.2 km (2,191 mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Winning time | 91h 33' 36" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
← 2005 2007 → | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The2006 Giro d'Italia was the 89th edition of theGiro d'Italia, one of cycling'sGrand Tours. It began in the Belgian city ofSeraing with a 6.2 km (3.9 mi)individual time trial. The race came to a close with a 140 km (87.0 mi) mass-start road stage that stretched fromMuseo del Ghisallo toMilan. Twenty two teams entered the race that was won by the ItalianIvan Basso of theTeam CSC team.[1] Second and third were the SpainJosé Enrique Gutiérrez and ItalianGilberto Simoni.[1]
Basso, riding forTeam CSC, won the Giro in dominant fashion.[2] Basso won three individual stages, as well as theteam time trial, along with his fellow Team CSC riders, and won the overall classification by more than 9 minutes over the next best rider, the largest margin of victory in aGrand Tour in the last three years.
In the other classifications that the race awarded,Paolo Bettini of theQuick-Step–Innergetic team won the points classification, Quick Step-Innergetic riderJuan Manuel Gárate won the mountains classification, andPaolo Savoldelli of theDiscovery Channel won the combination classification.[1]Phonak finished as the winners of theTrofeo Fast Team classification, ranking each of the twenty-two teams contesting the race by lowest cumulative time.[1] The other team classification, theTrofeo Super Team classification, where the teams' riders are awarded points for placing within the top twenty in each stage and the points are then totaled for each team was also won by Phonak.[1]
Twenty-two teams contested the 2006 Giro. Since it was aUCI ProTour event, the 20 ProTour teams were automatically invited and obligated to send a squad. Race officials also invited two other teams. Each team sent a squad of nine riders, giving the race a 198-manpeloton at its outset.
The 22 that competed in the race were:
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This section is empty. You can help byadding to it.(July 2010) |
The 2006 Giro opened, and had its first 4 stages in the South-East of Belgium in theWallonia region. The Giro organisers chose to locate the opening in this region as a homage to the thousands of Italians who moved to the region following the end ofWorld War II in order to find jobs in the coal mines of the area. It is estimated that as many as 300'000 Belgians of Italian origin live in this area. The 2006 Giro commemorated the deaths of 136 Italian miners who died in the 1956Bois du Cazier mine disaster.[3]
The race introduced ateam time trial stage upon its arrival inItaly. This discipline had been absent from the Giro since edition1989. It also included 56.2 km (34.9 mi) of individual time trials, distributed between the prologue and the long time trial atPontedera.
It also featured famous climbs, such as the steepMortirolo and theMonte Bondone. There were plans to visitPlan de Corones for the first time; however, bad weather prevented the unpaved climb from being used. It instead saw its debut in the Giro d'Italia in2008.
| Stage | Date | Course[4] | Distance | Type | Winner | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 May | Seraing (Belgium) | 6.2 km (3.9 mi) |  | Individual time trial |  Paolo Savoldelli (ITA) | |
| 2 | 7 May | Mons (Belgium) toCharleroi (Belgium) | 197 km (122 mi) |  | Flat stage |  Robbie McEwen (AUS) | |
| 3 | 8 May | Perwez (Belgium) toNamur (Belgium) | 202 km (126 mi) |  | Undulating stage |  Stefan Schumacher (GER) | |
| 4 | 9 May | Wanze (Belgium) toHotton (Belgium) | 193 km (120 mi) | | Flat stage | Robbie McEwen (AUS) | |
| 10 May | Rest day | ||||||
| 5 | 11 May | Piacenza toCremona | 38 km (24 mi) | | Team time trial | Team CSC | |
| 6 | 12 May | Busseto toForlì | 227 km (141 mi) | | Flat stage | Robbie McEwen (AUS) | |
| 7 | 13 May | Cesena toSaltara | 236 km (147 mi) |  | Medium mountain stage |  Rik Verbrugghe (BEL) | |
| 8 | 14 May | Civitanova Marche toMaielletta | 171 km (106 mi) | | Medium mountain stage | Ivan Basso (ITA) | |
| 9 | 15 May | Francavilla al Mare toTermoli | 121 km (75 mi) | | Flat stage |  Tomas Vaitkus (LTU) | |
| 10 | 16 May | Termoli toPeschici | 187 km (116 mi) | | Undulating stage | Franco Pellizotti (ITA) | |
| 17 May | Rest day | ||||||
| 11 | 18 May | Pontedera | 50 km (31 mi) | | Individual time trial | Jan Ullrich (GER) | |
| 12 | 19 May | Livorno toSestri Levante | 171 km (106 mi) | | Undulating stage |  Joan Horrach (ESP) | |
| 13 | 20 May | Alessandria toLa Thuile | 218 km (135 mi) | | Medium mountain stage | Leonardo Piepoli (ITA) | |
| 14 | 21 May | Aosta toDomodossola | 223 km (139 mi) |  | Mountain stage |  Luis Felipe Laverde (COL) | |
| 15 | 22 May | Mergozzo toBrescia | 189 km (117 mi) | | Flat stage | Paolo Bettini (ITA) | |
| 16 | 23 May | Rovato toTrento | 173 km (107 mi) | | Medium mountain stage | Ivan Basso (ITA) | |
| 17 | 24 May | Tramin toPlan de Corones | 133 km (83 mi) | | Mountain stage | Leonardo Piepoli (ITA) | |
| 18 | 25 May | Sillian (Austria) toGemona del Friuli | 210 km (130 mi) | | Undulating stage | Stefan Schumacher (GER) | |
| 19 | 26 May | Pordenone toPasso di San Pellegrino | 224 km (139 mi) | | Mountain stage | Juan Manuel Gárate (ESP) | |
| 20 | 27 May | Trento toAprica | 211 km (131 mi) | | Mountain stage | Ivan Basso (ITA) | |
| 21 | 28 May | Museo del Ghisallo toMilan | 140 km (87 mi) | | Flat stage | Robert Förster (GER) | |
| Total | 3,526.2 km (2,191 mi) | ||||||
| This section is empty. You can help byadding to it.(July 2010) |
In the 2006 Giro d'Italia, four different jerseys were awarded. For thegeneral classification, calculated by adding each cyclist's finishing times on each stage, and allowing time bonuses for the first three finishers on mass start stages, the leader received a pink jersey. This classification is considered the most important of the Giro d'Italia, and the winner is considered the winner of the Giro.[7]
Additionally, there was apoints classification, which awarded a mauve jersey. In the points classification, cyclists got points for finishing in the top 15 in a stage. The stage win awarded 25 points, second place awarded 20 points, third 16, fourth 14, fifth 12, sixth 10, and one point less per place down the line, to a single point for 15th. In addition, some points could be won in intermediate sprints.[7]
There was also amountains classification, which awarded a green jersey. In the mountains classifications, points were won by reaching the top of a mountain before other cyclists. Each climb was categorized, either first, second, or third category, with more points available for the higher-categorized climbs. The highest point in the Giro (called theCima Coppi), which in 2006 was thePasso di Gavia in stage 20, afforded still more points than the other first-category climbs.[7]
The fourth was the combination classification, which awarded a blue jersey. In the combination classification, the top 15 placed riders each day in the general, points, mountains, and110 Gazzetta classifications earned points, 15 for first and one point less per place down the line, to a single point for 15th. These points were tallied throughout the Giro.[8]
There were also two classifications for teams. The first was the Trofeo Fast Team. In this classification, the times of the best three cyclists per team on each stage are added, and the team with the lowest time is leading team. The Trofeo Super Team was a team points classification, with the top 20 placed riders on each stage earning points (20 for first place, 19 for second place and so on, down to a single point for 20th) for their team.[7]
| Legend | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | Denotes the winner of theGeneral classification[1][9] |  | Denotes the winner of theMountains classification[1][10] |
 | Denotes the winner of thePoints classification[1][11] |  | Denotes the winner of theCombination classification[1][12] |
General classification[edit]
| Points classification[edit]
|
Mountains classification[edit]
| Combination classification[edit]
|
Trofeo Fast Team classification[edit]
| Trofeo Super Team classification[edit]
|
Other less well-known classifications, whose leaders did not receive a special jersey, were awarded during the Giro. Other awards included the Combativity classification, which was a compilation of points gained for position on crossing intermediate sprints, mountain passes and stage finishes.[7][13] ItalianPaolo Bettini won the Most Combative classification.[1][14] Bettini also won the 110 Gazzetta classification.[1][15] TheAzzurri d'Italia classification was based on finishing order, but points were awarded only to the top three finishers in each stage.[7]Ivan Basso won the Azzurri d'Italia classification.[1][16] TheTrofeo Fuga Piaggio classification rewarded riders who took part in a breakaway at the head of the field, each rider in an escape of ten or fewer riders getting one point for each kilometre that the group stayed clear.[7] The classification was won byChristophe Edaleine.[1][17] Teams were given penalty points for minor technical infringements.[7]Ceramica Panaria–Navigare were most successful in avoiding penalties, and so won the Fair Play classification.[1][18]
| |||||
| |||||
| |||||
| |||||
| |||||
| |||||
| |||||
*In 1912, Giro was contested solely by teams, with no individual classification |
