Sergio Ghisalberti out of Giro with torn muscle fiber

Publiceret af: danny 2008-05-17

Team MILRAM finished the eighth stage of the Giro d'Italia without Italian Sergio Ghisalberti. The 28 year-old had to leave the Giro with torn muscle fiber in his right thigh and will have to take a break for the next 15 days.  After MILRAM allrounder Enrico Poitschke had to leave the race because of a cold and Spaniard Igor Astarloa because of fever, the German ProTour team now has only six riders at the start in Italy.  The day's win went to Italian Riccardo Ricco (Saunier Duval-Scott) ahead of his landsmen Paolo Bettini (Quick Step) and Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner).  Erik Zabel was the best MILRAM rider, crossing the finish line as 35th.
„I tried to stay with the leading group on the final climb as long as I could,“ said MILRAM captain Erik Zabel.  „Several years ago I was second on this same course.  But today the tempo on the last kilometer was too high to be able to sprint at the front.“
On the 208 km from Rivisondoli to Tivoli, after several unsuccessful attacks, a five-man group got away at km 42.  The peloton let the group around Daniele Nardello (Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni) build up a lead of up to six minutes.  The Belgian ProTour team Quick Step controlled things in the field and directed the speed, to protect the pink jersey of Giovanni Visconti.  With some 13 km to go, Adam Hansen (High Road) attacked out of the escape group.  He was overtaken by the peloton with 1000 meters to go.  Leonaro Piepoli opened the finale with an attack, with last year's winner Danilo de Luca immediately responding.  Only a few riders could follow, and Italian Riccardo Ricco won the uphill sprint.
The ninth stage, 218 km from Civitavecchia to San Vincenzo is mostly flat.  With a ranked climb about 50 km before the finish and a small climb at km 200, the stage promises a mass sprint.  Sunday's flat stage will be followed by the Giro d'Italia's first rest day on Monday, May 19.