SALICE TERME, Italy, 28 May 2003 — The 138 riders left in the Giro d’Italia rested their weary legs in the spa resort here yesterday before facing the final decisive stages of the three-week race in the northern Piedmont and Lombardy regions.
Like most riders, race leader Gilberto Simoni of Italy went out training for three hours before a long, relaxing massage. After a good ride in the individual time trial between Merano and Bolzano on Sunday, Simoni leads compatriot Stefano Garzelli by one minute 58 seconds in the overall standings. It is not a huge margin for long stage races but it allows Simoni to look forward to the last two stages in the mountains tomorrow and Friday and the decisive last-day time trial in Milan on Sunday with confidence.
“Even after more than two weeks of hard racing I still feel good,” Simoni said. “The stages in the Dolomites were very tough, but I’ve recovered well and I’m looking forward to the final stages.
“Garzelli is my biggest rival. We’ve been battling it out since the first mountain finish to the summit of Terminillo on stage seven and our duel seems to have captured everybody’s attention.
“Two minutes is a good lead to have but it might not be enough and so I’ll attack again if I feel good. I’m not going to let this Giro slip from my grasp.”
Garzelli said he was disappointed to lose so much time in the time trial but, even with only four stages remaining, he promised he would not give up.
“It’ll be difficult for me to pull back almost two minutes and beat Simoni but I’m not going to give up easily,” he said.
“The important thing will be to give it everything right to the last kilometer of the race and take advantage of every chance I get. I have to hope Simoni has a bad day perhaps in the mountains and then again in the final time trial to Milan.”
“I’ve got to try something in the mountains. I’d be willing to blow my chances of a place on the podium if I knew I had a chance of victory,” Garzelli said.
The Giro recommences with a short flat stage yesterday from Salice Terme to Asti over 117km. Tomorrow sees the first of two mountain stages, with two major climbs and then an uphill finish to Valle Varaita near the border with France.
Tour of Romandie Rider
Perez Fails Drugs Test
In Geneva, Switzerland, Spanish cyclist Francisco Perez failed a doping test conducted during the Tour of Romandie cycle race, the organizers of the event said yesterday.
Tour of Romandie officials refused to be drawn on the exact details of the test, but spokeswoman Corinne Druery said: “We learned today that Spanish cyclist Francisco Perez has failed a drugs test taken during the race.”
Perez, riding for the Portuguese Milaneza team, finished third overall and won two stages during the six-day event, which started in Geneva on April 30.
