News Item of the Day: REGGIO CALABRIA, Italy, May 7 (Reuters) - Australia's Brett Lancaster became the first leader of this year's Giro d'Italia after winning the 1150 metre prologue time-trial on Saturday.
The 25-year-old Victoria State-born Panaria rider set a time of one minute 20.958 seconds for the sprint down the seafront. Italy's Matteo Tosatto of the Fassa Bortolo team was second in a time of 1:21.247 and his compatriot and team mate Alessandro Petacchi was third in 1:21.681.
In the overall standings Lancaster leads Tosatto by one second after the times were rounded down to the nearest second. "It's an incredible feeling to have won," Lancaster said. "I'd hoped to do well and wanted to do well but winning is just unbelievable." Lancaster used the skills he learnt riding as part of Australia's successful track racing team to reach an average speed of 51.750 kph. He was part of the gold medal-winning team pursuit quartet at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.
"My track background definitely helped me," Lancaster said. "Other riders started very hard but I knew I had to gradually build up speed and finish fast, pushing a big gear as hard as I could."
Lancaster put his prologue win on a par with his Olympic gold medal. "The two things are totally different and this year I really wanted to do well on the road, so it's great to have won, but my gold medal was special. I'd put them on the same par as victories."
Lancaster will wear the special pink leader's jersey during the first road stage over 208 km from Reggio Calabria to Tropea on Sunday and hopes to keep it for as long as possible. "I'm going to do my best to keep it," he said. "I've worked on my climbing and so I might be able to get over the short, steep climb near the finish. I'm going to try."
Italy's Paolo Savoldelli was the best of the overall Giro contenders in the prologue, setting a time of 1:21 to finish fourth. The 2004 Giro d'Italia winner Damiano Cunego was 22nd in a time of 1:24, while fellow Italian Ivan Basso was 53rd in 1:26.
Viewpoint: What is up with Rudy Projects new TT helmet? Looks like something from the Battlestar Gallactica. Do those mutton chop extensions really do anything?
The 25-year-old Victoria State-born Panaria rider set a time of one minute 20.958 seconds for the sprint down the seafront. Italy's Matteo Tosatto of the Fassa Bortolo team was second in a time of 1:21.247 and his compatriot and team mate Alessandro Petacchi was third in 1:21.681.
In the overall standings Lancaster leads Tosatto by one second after the times were rounded down to the nearest second. "It's an incredible feeling to have won," Lancaster said. "I'd hoped to do well and wanted to do well but winning is just unbelievable." Lancaster used the skills he learnt riding as part of Australia's successful track racing team to reach an average speed of 51.750 kph. He was part of the gold medal-winning team pursuit quartet at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.
"My track background definitely helped me," Lancaster said. "Other riders started very hard but I knew I had to gradually build up speed and finish fast, pushing a big gear as hard as I could."
Lancaster put his prologue win on a par with his Olympic gold medal. "The two things are totally different and this year I really wanted to do well on the road, so it's great to have won, but my gold medal was special. I'd put them on the same par as victories."
Lancaster will wear the special pink leader's jersey during the first road stage over 208 km from Reggio Calabria to Tropea on Sunday and hopes to keep it for as long as possible. "I'm going to do my best to keep it," he said. "I've worked on my climbing and so I might be able to get over the short, steep climb near the finish. I'm going to try."
Italy's Paolo Savoldelli was the best of the overall Giro contenders in the prologue, setting a time of 1:21 to finish fourth. The 2004 Giro d'Italia winner Damiano Cunego was 22nd in a time of 1:24, while fellow Italian Ivan Basso was 53rd in 1:26.
Viewpoint: What is up with Rudy Projects new TT helmet? Looks like something from the Battlestar Gallactica. Do those mutton chop extensions really do anything?
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