Ivan Basso won’t win this year’s Giro d’Italia, but a stage victory high in the Italian Alps sent a warning shot to anyone thinks the 27-year-old Team CSC leader gives up easy.

Basso doggedly refused to quit despite ceding 40 minutes to what were his fellow overall contenders up the mighty Stelvio last weekend and then roared back to the winner’s circle Thursday with an emphatic solo win in the 194km 17th stage.

“I never considered quitting the Giro. I came here to win and when my physical problems wouldn’t allow that to happen, I had to change my focus to winning a stage,” said Basso, who finished 1:06 ahead of José Rujano (Colombia-Selle Italia) and Gilberto Simoni (Lampre-Caffita).Results are posted

A week ago, Basso was flying high in the maglia rosa and looked to be on cruise control, but a stomach bug torpedoed his chances but not his fighting spirit. After stubbornly refusing to abandon, Basso was back to his old self in the first of three climatic stages to conclude the 88th Giro.

Basso and CSC teammate Frank Schleck drove the decisive break as the peloton regrouped after coming over the short, but very steep Colletto del Moro with 29km to go. Four others hitched a ride, but Basso dropped them all with 6km to go and plowed through the cheering Italian tifosi to victory.

In his wake, the battle for the overall was hitting critical mass.

Simoni ramped up his chances for final victory when the two-time champion dropped race leader Paolo Savoldelli (Discovery Channel) and slimmed the difference from 1:48 to just 58 seconds.

“The stage was difficult right from the start. When Simoni attacked I just couldn't follow, I just had to limit my losses,” said the 2002 champion who finished seventh with a group of six riders 1:48 behind Basso.

“But I'm happy to still be wearing the pink jersey after so many climbs on the race,” Savoldelli continued, who will now be under pressure to perform in Friday's 34km time trial and Saturday's climbing stage to Sestrieres.

“As for Saturday, I expect to come under attack. I'll just have to make sure I'm ready to react,” Savoldelli said. “The time trial is my card in the hole. We’ll see how things go, but I think I will be able to have a good ride.”

Simoni was helped throughout the day by teammate and reigning Giro champion Damiano Cunego, who, like Basso, is well out of contention for the pink jersey.

“Gilberto is super-strong right now, but the climb wasn’t long enough for him to make up all the time he needed to Paolo to get the maglia rosa,” said Cunego, who delivered on his promise to help Simoni rather than fight for his own stage victory. “I think the Giro will be decided on Saturday to Sestrieres.”

Di Luca, meanwhile, got some cold water splashed onto his dreamlike ride so far. He couldn’t stay with the Savoldelli group as the course wound up narrow switchbacks to the summit and fell to fourth at 1:26.

Surprising yet again was the diminutive Rujano, the only rider strong enough to follow Simoni’s wheel. The 23-year-old Venezuelan bounced ahead of Di Luca into third while Juan Garate (Saunier Duval) finished with the Savoldelli group to remain fifth at 2:11 back.

“We’ll see if Rujano can keep up with the pace or explode trying,” said Colombia-Selle Italia manager Gianni Savio. “He’s a rider with a great future. If he can finish on the podium, that would be a confirmation, but he’s a rider who someday will win the Giro.”

Over the hills and far away
It was a spectacular spring morning along the Italian Riviera for the sign-in in posh Varazze. Holiday-makers and bike fans mingled to watch the peloton push west along the Mediterranean Coast. All 158 riders signed in but two wouldn’t make it to the finish, with Sergio Escobar (Illes Balears) and Christophe Kern (Bouygues Telecom) both abandoning.

Several groups tried to breakaway in the morning, but it wasn’t until 12 riders slipped away some 55km into the stage. The flying dozen built up a 4-minute lead rolling into Cuneo toward the day’s first obstacle, the Cat. 1 Madonna del Colletto.

The remnants of the break – Patrice Halgand (Credit Agricole), Rory Sunderland (Rabobank), Angel Gomez (Saunier Duval), Roberto Laiseka (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Sandy Casar (FDJeux) and Matt White (Cofidis) -- were 2:45 ahead midway up the climb. Steve Zampieri (Phonak) was the first to take a stab out of the main bunch, quickly pulling off to try to bridge out to the leaders.

Team CSC took control of the peloton, putting five riders on the front, a signal that the Big Red Machine wasn’t going to quietly go away. Following Basso’s disappointment in the Dolomites, he was determined to win a stage to make up for the downfall.

“Ivan is better and I am sure he will try everything to win a stage,” said Team CSC boss Bjarne Riis. “It is difficult to lose the Giro like this when I am sure he would have won. It was clear he was the strongest in the race.”

Lampre and Saunier Duval also stuck their top men on the front, with Patxi Vila (Lampre-Caffita) doing his head-lob all the way up the climb in the main bunch while Halgand was putting the hurt on the breakaway.

Halgand topped out first, with Zampieri chugging through alone at 2:10 back and Vila leading the main bunch at 2:45. From there, it was downhill through heavily forest hills to Borgo San Dalmazzo and along some tight farm roads to Boves and the short, but steep climb at Colletto del Moro at 165km.

Team CSC massed once again on the front, this time with Basso riding just ahead of Savoldelli on the flats, reducing the gap to 1:15 heading toward the Moro climb.

CSC sport director Alain Gallopin was spotted quietly chatting with Discovery Channel’s Sean Yates before the start of 16, perhaps agreeing the teams should work together to spring Basso to a possible stage-win and help Savoldelli in the overall.

For Basso, it was all about pride.

“I want to ride the final weekend as if I had the maglia rosa,” said Basso before the stage. “I want to make a nice finish to this Giro. It’s unfortunate what happened, but now I am feeling strong and I want to win a stage.”

Things were quickly coming to end for the leading six approaching the Moro climb. The gap was down to 30 seconds and it was only a matter of time before the fireworks started.

Cedric Vasseur (Cofidis) shot away as Cunego moved to the front to set the pace up the 3.7km climb with an average grade of 8.9 percent. At Tornante the climb was as steep as 21 percent pushing near the summit.

Basso was looking like his old self, once again at the front rubbing shoulders with Savoldelli, Di Luca and Simoni. Riders were blowing off the back at an alarming rate, leaving just a dozen riders humping toward the top of the narrow road barely wide enough to accommodate three riders abreast.

Cunego turned the screws even more and Savoldelli slipped back a few riders, prompting Simoni to look over his shoulder to appraise the condition of the maglia rosa.

Simoni took over near the summit, with KOM Rujano solidly on his wheel to top out leading the way ahead of Basso, Di Luca, Savoldelli, Vladimir Karpets (Illes Balears), Daroi Cioni (Liquigas-Bianchi) and Cunego.

Up the Colle di Tende
The peloton slowed a bit as riders pulled back on after coming over the Moro climb, an opening Basso used wonderfully. Basso and Team CSC Frank Schleck chugged away with Giampaolo Caruso (Liberty Seguros), Cioni, Paolo Tiralongo (Panaria) and Ruben Labato (Saunier Duval) carving 40 seconds on the long approach to the Colle di Tende.

With 17km to go, the gap quickly grew to 1 minute as Schleck set a blistering pace. Cunego lived up to his word and stayed by Simoni’s side along with the ever-steady Vila. On Simoni’s wheel were: Parra and Rujano, the South Americans on Colombia-Selle Italia; Savoldelli, Di Luca and Garate.

By the time the leaders rolled through Limone Piemonte at the base of the steepest part of the climb, the gap had grown to 1:30. Both groups were flying. While it looked relatively easy up the valley, but the road was much steeper than the fast speeds would indicate. Lobato’s heart-rate shot to 182bpm in the lead group.

Basso put the hammer down with about 6.5km to go and never looked back.

In the maglia rosa group, Simoni put in his shot with just under 6km to go. Bridging out to follow were Rujano and Garate and Savoldelli couldn’t immediately respond. Di Luca, however, struggled under the high-speed uphill sprint

With 2km to go, Basso was clear up the road with 1:23 to Simoni and Rujano. The Savoldelli group was about 30 seconds back while Di Luca was another 30 seconds adrift.

Zabriskie favorite again
Team CSC’s Bjarne Riis is sure that Dave Zabriskie will win Friday’s 34km time trial in Torino. A winner in Florence, Zabriskie will also ride only one of two special carbon Cervelo TT frames, the same that Ivan Basso rode to second (behind Zabriskie) in the Florence TT.“Someone will have to go very fast to beat Dave,” Riis said. “He’s got a wonderful time trial position and he’s climbing very well. He has a lot of potential and could really develop in the next years.”Zabriskie will also debut a full-body, stars 'n' stripes suit. UCI officials were peeved that the reigning U.S. national time trial champion rode in his normal Team CSC kit, so clothing sponsor Giordana quickly whipped up a skinsuit for the man from Utah.

Stage 17
1. Ivan Basso (I), CSC, 194km in 5:15:46 (36.862kph)
2. José Rujano Guillen (Vz), Selle Italia-Colombia, at 1:06
3. Gilberto Simoni (I), Lampre-Caffita, s.t.
4. Wim Van Huffel (B), Davitamon-Lotto, at 1:32
5. Ivan Parra (Col), Selle Italia-Colombia, at 1:48
6. Juan Manuel Garate (Sp), Saunier Duval
7. Paolo Savoldelli (I), Discovery
8. Sergei Honchar (Ukr), Domina Vacanze
9. Tadej Valjavec (Slo), Phonak
10. Vladimir Karpets (Rus), Illes Balears, all s.t.

Results are postedOverall after 17 stages
1. Savoldelli (I), Discovery
2. Simoni (I), Lampre, at 0:58
3. Rujano Guillen (Vz), Selle Italia-Colombia, at 1:24
4. Danilo Di Luca (I) Liquigas, 1:26
5. Garate (Sp), Saunier Duval
Results are posted

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