ROVERETO, Italy, 21 May 2005 — Alessandro Petacchi of Fassa Bortolo coasted to his second victory of this year’s Giro d’Italia here yesterday, held over 178km from Alleghe to Rovereto at the foot of the Dolomite mountains.

Ivan Basso of the CSC team retained the pink jersey and his 18-sec race lead over fellow Italian Paolo Savoldelli, of the Discovery Channel team, ahead of today’s big mountains stage which features six climbs.

Petacchi enjoyed a relatively easy day in the saddle before his teammates set him up nicely for his second stage victory of this year’s race, and 17th of his career in the Giro.

After the peloton had negotiated the ultimate bend prior to the home straight, Petacchi had little difficulty in separating himself from the bunch and came over the finish line with room to spare ahead of promising young Italian sprinter Paride Grillo, of the Panaria team.

The early part of the 12th stage was brought to life by riders from the Selle Italia team, with Venezuelan Jose Rujano leading a small group, including teammates Rafaele Illiano and Ivan Parra, over the San Pellegrino climb after just 26km.

With a little over 105km to the finish Swiss all rounder Philippe Schnyder attacked the peloton, maintaining Selle Italia’s recent tradition on the race of sending riders up the road for some free publicity.

Schnyder quickly built a lead of just over a minute on the peloton, which was being led at the front by the Fassa Bortolo team of Petacchi and the CSC team of race leader Ivan Basso.

Meanwhile, Australian rider Robbie McEwen has been taken for questioning by Italian police over the use of hyperbaric equipment which boosts red blood cell count, his Davitamon team director Allan Peiper told Reuters.

On Wednesday, Italian police searched the hotels and vehicles used by the Davitamon and Saunier Duval teams during the Giro d’Italia, seizing hyperbaric equipment and a quantity of intravenous drips.

While hyperbaric machines, which replicate high altitude environments, are not illegal under World Anti-Doping Agency rules, they contravene stricter Italian laws.

Popovych on Course for Catalonia Victory

In Ordino-Arcalis, Andorra, Ukrainian Yaroslav Popovych hung on to his overall lead in the Tour of Catalonia after the decisive fifth-stage mountain time-trial yesterday.

Spaniard Inigo Cuesta won the 17-km stage from Sornas to Ordino-Arcalis in a time of 37 minutes 18 seconds.

Popovych, who has not raced since March, was fifth and is now hot favorite for overall victory.

Second on the grueling uphill stage was Italian Leonardo Piepoli, 26 seconds back. Frenchman David Moncoutie finished third, at 45 seconds.

Popovych, who seized the lead on Thursday’s stage to Pal, is 20 seconds in front of Piepoli and 59 seconds ahead of Moncoutie.