2006 Giro d'Italia

The 2006 Giro d'Italia was the 89th edition of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It began in the Belgian city of Seraing with a individual time trial. The race came to a close with a mass start road stage that stretched from Museo del Ghisallo to Milan. Twenty two teams entered the race that was won by the Italian Ivan Basso of the team. Second and third were the Spain José Enrique Gutiérrez and Italian Gilberto Simoni. Basso won three individual stages, as well as the team time trial, along with his fellow Team CSC riders, and won the overall classification by more than 9 minutes over the next best rider, the largest margin of victory in a Grand Tour in the last three years. In the other classifications that the race awarded, Paolo Bettini of the team won the points classification, Quick Step Innergetic rider Juan Manuel Gárate won the mountains classification, and Paolo Savoldelli of the won the combination classification. The race introduced a team time trial stage upon its arrival in Italy. This discipline had been absent from the Giro since edition 1989. It also included of individual time trials, distributed between the prologue and the long time trial at Pontedera. It also featured famous climbs, such as the steep Mortirolo and the Monte Bondone. There were plans to visit Plan de Corones for the first time; however, bad weather prevented the unpaved climb from being used. It instead saw its debut in the Giro d'Italia in 2008. StageDateCourseDistanceTypeWinner16 MaySeraing (Belgium) Individual time trial27 MayMons (Belgium) to Charleroi (Belgium) Flat stage38 MayPerwez (Belgium) to Namur (Belgium) Undulating stage49 MayWanze (Belgium) to Hotton (Belgium) Flat stage10 MayRest day511 MayPiacenza to Cremona Team time trial612 MayBusseto to Forlì Flat stage713 MayCesena to Saltara Medium mountain stage814 MayCivitanova Marche to Maielletta Medium mountain stage915 MayFrancavilla al Mare to Termoli Flat stage1016 MayTermoli to Peschici Undulating stage17 MayRest day1118 MayPontedera Individual time trial1219 MayLivorno to Sestri Levante Undulating stage1320 MayAlessandria to La Thuile Medium mountain stage1421 MayAosta to Domodossola Mountain stage1522 MayMergozzo to Brescia Flat stage1623 MayRovato to Trento Medium mountain stage1724 MayTramin to Plan de Corones Mountain stage1825 MaySillian (Austria) to Gemona del Friuli Undulating stage1926 MayPordenone to Passo di San Pellegrino Mountain stage2027 MayTrento to Aprica Mountain stage2128 MayMuseo del Ghisallo to Milan Flat stage Total

Other less well known classifications, whose leaders did not receive a special jersey, were awarded during the Giro. Other awards included the Combativity classification, which was a compilation of points gained for position on crossing intermediate sprints, mountain passes and stage finishes. Italian Paolo Bettini won the Most Combative classification. Bettini also won the 110 Gazzetta classification. The Azzurri d'Italia classification was based on finishing order, but points were awarded only to the top three finishers in each stage. The Trofeo Fuga Piaggio classification rewarded riders who took part in a breakaway at the head of the field, each rider in an escape of ten or fewer riders getting one point for each kilometre that the group stayed clear. Teams were given penalty points for minor technical infringements.