With three laps to go, it was Jakob Piil and Spanish rider Oscar Peirero who opened the race and loosened the tight grip the Italians had maintained until then. After that, Piil was one of the main players in what for a long time looked like the decisive break in the battle for the rainbow jersey, and although the finish was decided in a sprint, Piil still had the strength to finish sixth, while Swede and Piil's CSC team-mate took fourth.
"I went for it today and have every reason to be pleased. I opened the race early because I was nervous the Italians would end up controlling everything," said Piil on team-csc.com. "On the whole, I'm happy with my effort today because after the crash in the Vuelta it all looked a little bleak for me. During the last couple of weeks, I've worked very hard to get in shape, and today I proved that I can battle with some of the best
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