The Giro d’Italia, also known as the Giro has just finished its 10th stage. The winner was the Italian Franco Pellizotti of Liquigas who now moves to the fourth position of the overall classification, after finishing 3 minutes and 23 seconds ahead of the race leader and countryman Ivan Basso. Before this race, Pellizotti was in the 23rd place.



The Italian beat Russia's Vladimir Efimkin and Kazakhstan's Serguei Yakovlev on the short uphill finish at the end of the 190-km stage from Termoli to Peschici.

As the overall leader of the Tour de France is awarded a yellow jersey, since 1931 the overall leader in the Giro gets the Maglia Rosa (pink jersey). The "King of the Mountains" wears the Maglia Verde (green jersey). The leader of the point’s classification wears the Maglia Ciclamino (mauve jersey). The Giro d'Italia also has a daily competition called the Intergiro and leader is awarded the Maglia Azzura (sky-blue jersey). The current user of the Pink Jersey is Ivan Basso from the CSC Team.

The 10th Stage Results

Stage results:

1. Franco Pellizotti (Ita-LIQ) 4h39'47"

2. Vladimir Efimkin (Rus-IBC) s.t.

3. Sergei Yakovlev (Kaz-LSW) 0'02"

4. Hubert Dupont (Fra-A2R) s.t.

5. Theo Eltink (Ned-RAB) 0'03"

6. Jose-Luis Carrasco (Esp-IBC) s.t.

7. Marco Pinotti (Ita-SDV) 0'05"

8. Sven Krauss (Ger-GST) s.t.

9. Alexandre Kolobnev (Rus-RAB) s.t.

10. Joan Horrach (Por-IBC) s.t.

General classification:

1. Ivan Basso (Ita-CSC) 39h29'40"

2. José-Enrique Gutierrez (Esp-PHO) 1'34"

3. Damiano Cunego (Ita-LAM) 1'48"

4. Franco Pellizotti (Ita-LIQ) 2'05"

5. Paolo Savoldelli (Ita-DSC) 2'35"

6. Sergey Gonchar (Ukr-TMO) 2'43"

7. Danilo Di Luca (Ita-LIQ) 2'48"

8. Gilberto Simoni (Ita-SDV) 3'20"

9. Giampaolo Caruso (Ita-LSW) 3'23"

10. Tom Danielson (USA-DSC) 3'31"

Points classification:

1. Robbie McEwen (Aus-DVL) 89pts

2. Paolo Bettini (Ita-QSI) 83

3. Olaf Pollack (Ger-TMO) 68

4. Paolo Savoldelli (Ita-DSC) 61

5. Tomas Vaitkus (Ltu-A2R) 59

Mountains classification:

1. Ivan Basso (Ita-CSC) 15pts

2. Staf Scheirlinckx (Bel-COF) 13

3. Damiano Cunego (Ita-LAM) 10

4. José Gutierrez Cataluna (Esp-PHO) 9

5. Juan Manuel Garate (Esp-QSI) 9

Combination classification:

1. Paolo Savoldelli (Ita-DSC) 441pts

2. José Gutierrez Cataluna (Esp-PHO) 251

3. Danilo Di Luca (Ita-LIQ) 197

4. Stefan Schumacher (Ger-GST) 164

5. Mickael Delage (Fra-FDJ) 152

Teams classification:

1. Liquigas (Ita) 117h20'43"

2. Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team (USA) 0'10"

3. Phonak Hearing Systems (Sui) 1'22"

4. Lampre-Fondital (Ita) 3'27"

5. Team CSC (Den) 7'40"

Pellizotti reached and overtook Axel Merckx, son of cycling pro Eddy (who won the Giro five times), in the final hundred meters of the stage. The Belgian was disappointed after finishing 11th.

The Giro will transfer to Tuscany on Wednesday for to have the second rest day of this year's competition. The Giro d’Italia will start again on Thursday with a 50 km individual time trial around Pontedera.