01-06-2008 21:46:35

The High Road team ended the Giro d’Italia on a high on Sunday, taking a first and second double in the final time trial stage to Milan.

Italian national time trial champion Marco Pinotti won the stage and young Tony Martin of Germany was an excellent second. High Road missed out on taking the top three places by just three seconds as Britain’s Bradley Wiggins finished fourth behind Mikhail Ignatiev.

Spain’s Alberto Contador won the Giro d’Italia. He gained time on his overall rivals in the final time trial, finishing the three-week race 1:57 ahead of Italy’s Riccardo Ricco. Marzio Bruseghin was third at 2:54.

It was High Road’s second 1-2 in the Giro after sprinters Andre Greipel and Mark Cavendish finished first and second in Locarno on stage 17.

Pinotti set a time of 32:45 for the flat and fast 28.5km course from Cesano Maderno to the centre of Milan. Martin was seven just seconds slower.

“Last year was super because the pink jersey but winning a stage is just as nice,” Pinotti said.

“I’d hoped to do well overall this year but I lost a lot of time in the Dolomites. After that I started to focus on the final time trial. I saved every drop of energy I could and not thinking about the overall classification meant I was a lot stronger.”

“It was great to come into Milan alone and hear the roar of the crowds. In the past I’ve been in the bunch but this time all the cheers were for me. I knew I’d done a good time but I had to wait nervously until all the other riders finished before starting to celebrate.”


FOUR STAGE WINS FOR HIGH ROAD

High Road won four stages at the Giro d’Italia and were often in the thick of the action in breakaways and late attacks. Mark Cavendish won two sprint stages in Catanzaro and Cittadella, Andre Greipel won in Locarno and Pinotti was the fastest to Milan.

“It’s been a great Giro for High Road. We weren’t initially invited to the Giro but we’ve proved we deserved our place.” Pinotti said.

“We rode well as a team and we were unlucky that Kanstantsin Sivtsov didn’t finish, otherwise we would have made it to Milan with a full team. Unfortunately he hurt his knee when he was on the attack during the mountain stage but rode well throughout the Giro.”

“We were all motivated to do well during the race. I want to personally thank Bob Stapleton. He was very supportive during the winter and even though he wasn’t at the Giro, he always keeps in touch via email and
quickly sent me a message after I won.”

Press release