Today, the rolling hills of Tuscany left their mark on the 2005 Giro d'Italia, as the first successful breakaway saw 27-year-old Liberty Seguros rider Koldo Gil triumphant in Pistoia.

It was a beautiful victory on an ugly day; not just due to the overcast, rainy weather, but for the Sammommé climb that split the peloton into pieces, and most likely dashed the hopes of more than a few overall contenders.

Just 12 riders finished 20 seconds in arrears of the victorious Gil – Damiano Cunego (Lampre), Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas-Bianchi), Mirko Celestino (Domina Vacanze), Patrice Halgand (Crédit Agricole), Sandy Casar (Française des Jeus), Matthias Kessler (T-Mobile), Christophe Brandt (Davitamon-Lotto), Paolo Savoldelli (Discovery Channel), Theo Eltink (Rabobank), Ivan Parra (Colombia-Selle Italia), Marco Fertonani (Domina Vacanze) and Gilberto Simoni (Lampre-Cafitta) all making the cut, the most notable absentee Ivan Basso (Team CSC).

Many were surprised to see such a strong Di Luca on the climb, but not Di Luca himself, who returns to the fold as leader of the race. The 29-year-old is quite clearly a man reborn, and although he vowed to work for teammates Stefano Garzelli and Dario Cioni before the race began, some wonder whether it should now be the other way round.

Basso lost some precious time

Photo: Graham Watson

One rider not so happy with today's outcome was 2000 Giro champion Garzelli, who was in the next group half a minute behind Di Luca, but hit the deck coming out of a rain-soaked corner with around 2km to go. However, race rules awarded him the same time as the bunch he had been in. Overnight leader Paolo Bettini (Quick Step-Innergetics) rode a good race to finish 1:47 down, but slipped to 12th overall.

No easy ride
If the 187 riders left in the '05 Giro were looking for an easy ride today, they didn't get one. Race organizer Angelo Zomegan reserved the most serious obstacles for the last stretch of the stage, which took place entirely in Bella Tuscany.

Apart from an up-and-down 211km course, stage 7 contained two principal difficulties: the 4km, 6.8 percent climb to San Baronto, with its GPM at km 162.8 was the leg-softener; then, around 20km from the finish in Pistoia, was the climb of Sammommé.

Exactly 6km long with an average gradient of 8 percent, the climb boasts a mid-section that averages 11.2 percent, with sections up to 14 percent. It was supposed to be decisive - and it was. Not only was it a hard course, it was a windy one, and for the opportunists, it was a case of out of sight, out of mind.

A big bunch leaves early in the day

Photo: Graham Watson

As in Thursday's stage to L'Aquila, 21 riders had their sights set on this scenario, and with Paolo Bettini tranquillo in the maglia rosa and not in the mood, the day's break departed 32km after the start in Grosseto. Those in the move included: Laurent Lefevre (Bouygues Telecom), Thierry Marichal (Cofidis), Halgand, Michael Barry (Discovery Channel), Fertonani, Marcel Strauss (Gerolsteiner), Gil and Dariusz Baranowski (Liberty Seguros), Charles Wegelius (Liquigas-Bianchi), Steve Zampieri (Phonak), Cristian Moreni (Quick Step), and Angel Gomez Gomez (Saunier Duval-Prodir).

It was a strong group, on paper, and the average speed - 44kph for the first two hours – showed it. Their advantage tipped over the 10-minute mark by the Integiro (km 114.8). And although there was still a century to go, it appeared we were about to witness our first successful breakaway.

At the base of the first climb in Lamporecchio (km 158.8), the stage began to take shape, as Gil, Zampieri and Gomez rode off the front with a tempo that left the others gasping for grappa ... or, at the very least, an easier pace.

The group was trimmed to three... and then to one

Photo: Graham Watson

Cresting San Baronto and entering Pistoia for the first time, Zampieri tested the other two, and saw that only Gil could react. Moments later, the Spaniard countered, leaving the Swiss behind; a few glances over his shoulder, and Gil was gone for good. Yet another of Manolo Saiz's prodigious picks was about to follow in the footsteps of his teammates Luis Sanchez and Alberto Contador, both of whom have enjoyed a highly successful season so far.

Up the 6km ascent, the overall and mountains winner of this year's Vuelta a Murcia used his climbing prowess to full benefit, cresting the climb with a minute and a half's advantage. Back in the peloton, CSC director Bjarne Riis motioned his red-and-white brigade to the front, carrying their leader Basso to the base of the final climb in the best possible position.

Toward the top, double Giro champ Simoni put his foot on the accelerator, taking an even dozen with him. Responding first were Basso, Di Luca and mountains jersey Jose Rujano (Selle Italia-Colombia), with Cunego and Emanuele Sella (Ceramica Panaria-Navigare) also there. However, Basso suddenly dropped off the pace, and ended up losing a minute to this group by the day's end.

Rujano caught all but Gil by the top of the day's biggest climb

Photo: Graham Watson

The select group worked well, putting plenty of time into the favorites who didn't make it, but 27-year-old Gil wasn't letting anyone get in the way of his first Giro stage win, crossing the line with arms wide open and a smile to match.

Race note
Part of yesterday's four-man break, Thorwald Veneberg (Rabobank) was a non-starter in Grosseto today, while Ivan Quaranta (Domina Vacanze) retired after 30km, no doubt as a result of his crash in Marina di Grosseto on stage 6; he had also suffered stomach problems the day before.

Coming up Sunday: Stage 8 - May 15: Lamporecchio - Firenze ITT, 45km. This individual time trial may seem straightforward on paper, but it will undoubtedly provide the first serious reordering on general classification, before the Dolomiti decide the race. The principal difficulty - apart from going at threshold for the best part of an hour - is the climb to Il Pinone, measuring just under 10km long with a maximum gradient of 8 percent. Favorites Serhiy Honchar (Domina Vacanze), Tom Danielson (Discovery Channel) and Haimar Zubeldia (Euskaltel-Euskadi) should all excel on this stage, while Simoni, Cunego, Di Luca, Savoldelli, Garzelli, Scarponi et al. will all be trying to limit their losses as they pedal furiously into Firenze, the home of Gino Bartali.

Stage 7 Results
1. Koldo Gil Perez (Sp), Liberty Seguros, 5:08:17
2. Damiano Cunego (I), Lampre, 0:20
3. Danilo Di Luca (I), Liquigas-Bianchi, 0:20
4. Mirko Celestino (I), Domina Vacanze, 0:20
5. Patrice Halgand (F), Credit Agricole, 0:20
6. Sandy Casar (F), Francaise des Jeux, 0:20
7. Matthias Kessler (G), T-Mobile, 0:20
8. Christophe Brandt (B), Davitamon-Lotto, 0:20
9. Paolo Savoldelli (I), Discovery Channel, 0:20
10. Theo Eltink (Nl), Rabobank, 0:20

Di Luca is back in the jersey

Photo: Graham Watson

Overall Standings
1. Danilo Di Luca (I), Liquigas-Bianchi, 35:06:41
2. Damiano Cunego (I), Lampre, 0:26
3. Mirko Celestino (I), Domina Vacanze, 0:54
4. Gilberto Simoni (I), Lampre, 0:54
5. Dario David Cioni (I), Liquigas-Bianchi, 1:06
6. Stefano Garzelli (I), Liquigas-Bianchi, 1:14
7. Ardila Cano Mauricio Alberto (Col), Davitamon-Lotto, 1:15
8. Michele Scarponi (I), Liberty Seguros, 1:16
9. Paolo Savoldelli (I), Discovery Channel, 1:26
10. Ivan Basso (I), CSC, 1:27

FULL RESULTS POSTED

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