CSC avoids mishap

With a number of teams losing riders or riders losing skin as a result of the tight finishing circuit in Marina di Grosseto, Team CSC was one that came away unscathed. Said directeur sportif Alain Gallopin: "It was an extremely dangerous stretch, but luckily we avoided getting involved in any of the crashes. It proves yet again, how important it is to have a well organized team.

"You can't always avoid bad luck, but we managed to position Ivan [Basso] well in the peloton, which was all-important today. Tomorrow, we have a tough stage ahead of us, and I anticipate the first serious battle between the overall favourites," he said.