This was a day for the riders who are contesting overall honors in the 83rd edition of this race. The McCartney boys took a 'day off', if you can call climbing over three mountains in the Alps, including the final 11km climb to the ski station of Pratonevoso, with an average grade of 8.8%, a day off!!! Thankfully all six finished the stage well within the time limit, nearly one-third of the start list have already retired from the three-week race.

Three stages to go, two in the Alps, and there is still not much to separate the top three overall. These riders finished together at the finish, 1,615 metres above sea level. Stefano Garzelli (Mercatone Uno-Albacom) won the stage, keeping his 2nd place overall, with the leader's pink jersey, Francesco Casagrande (Vini Caldirola-Sidermec), finishing 3rd behind Gilberto Simoni (Lampre-Daikin). The top three are separated by less than a minute, if tomorrow's 2nd Alpine stage doesn't make things any clearer, than the race will be decided on Saturday in the 'race of truth', the 34km individual mountain time trial from Briancon to Sestriere.

  1. S Garzelli (Mercatone Uno-Albacom)       4.42.32 
  2. G Simoni (Lampre-Daikin)               @    0.00 
  3. F Casagrande (Vini Caldirola-Sidermec)
 65. Björnar Vestöl                         @   16.41
 75. Tayeb Braikia 
 82. Maximilian Sciandri 
 86. Maurizio De Pasquale                   @   17.22
 87. David McKenzie                         @   17.25
125. Ciaran Power                           @   23.38


InterGiro:

  1. M Kadlec (Mobilvetta Design-Rossin)      3.31.09
  2. J E G Cataluna (Kelme-Costa Blanca)    @    0.00
  3. O Pozzi (Amica Chips-Tacconi Sport)
  7. Maurizio De Pasquale 
 52. Björnar Vestöl 
 65. Maximilian Sciandri
 77. Tayeb Braikia 
 90. David McKenzie 
130. Ciaran Power 
    
    
Teams:

  1. Mapei - Quick Step                      14.09.02
  2. Banesto                                @    1.39
  3. Kelme - Costa Blanca                   @    5.22  
 18. Linda McCartney Foods Pro Cycling Team @   48.37
 

Overall:

  1. F Casagrande (Vini Caldirola-Sidermec)  87.11.09
  2. S Garzelli (Mercatone Uno-Albacom)     @    0.25
  3. G Simoni (Lampre-Daikin)               @    0.53 
 71. Maximilian Sciandri                    @ 1.43.29
112. Maurizio De Pasquale                   @ 2.41.24
113. Tayeb Braikia                          @ 2.43.43
114. David McKenzie                         @ 2.46.15
123. Ciaran Power                           @ 3.04.30
127. Björnar Vestöl                         @ 3.12.32


Points Overall:

  1 D Konyshev (Fassa Bortolo)                 139pts
  2 F Guidi (La Francaise des Jeux)            111pts
  3 J Svorada (Lampre-Daikin)                  104pts
 29. David McKenzie                             33pts
 31. Tayeb Braikia                              32pts
 44. Maximilian Sciandri                        22pts
 46. Ciaran Power                               22pts
 60. Maurizio De Pasquale                       10pts 
 

Mountains Overall:

  1 F Casagrande (Vini Caldirola-Sidermec)      42pts
  2 J J G Pico (Nectar-Selle Italia)            41pts
  3 S Garzelli (Mercatone Uno-Albacom)          37pts 
 30. David McKenzie                              3pts
 

InterGiro Overall:

  1. F Guidi (La Francaise des Jeux)         56.41.12
  2. D Konyshev (Fassa Bortolo)             @    1.23
  3. D Ferrari (Amica Chips-Tacconi Sport)  @    1.50
 11. Maurizio De Pasquale                   @    2.52
 17. David McKenzie                         @    3.04
 66. Maximilian Sciandri                    @    3.34
116. Ciaran Power
127. Björnar Vestöl 
128. Tayeb Braikia 


Teams Overall:

  1. Mapei - Quick Step                     261.27.27
  2. Fassa Bortolo                          @   10.18
  3. Vitalicio Seguros                      @   11.50
 18. Linda McCartney Foods Pro Cycling Team @ 5.42.44 
 

Teams Points Overall: 

  1. Fassa Bortolo                             401pts
  2. Team Polti                                313pts
  3. Mapei - Quick Step                        304pts
 15. Linda McCartney Foods Pro Cycling Team    134pts