Pinotti Leads Giro

(Friday, May 18, 2007) At the end of Friday’s stage of the Giro d’Italia, T-Mobile Team rider Marco Pinotti assumed the overall lead.

Riding the Giant TCR Advanced T-Mobile Team bicycle, the Italian was part of a 5-man breakaway that took off at the 60km mark of the 177km stage from Tivoli to Spoleto. Pinotti and Luis Laverde (Ceramica Panaria) pulled ahead of the break to cross the finish line first, seven minutes ahead of the main field. Laverde outsprinted Pinotti to take the stage win, but Pinotti claimed the Maglia Rosa with a 4:12 lead over the previous race leader, Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas).            

Pinotti made up a significant time deficit with his stage six finish. Previously, Pinotti was in 44^th place, more than three minutes behind Di Luca.