| Â | | | | But I am motivated to fight against the pain |
| | | | and continue until Milan. I do not have the |
| The Giro d'Italia 2008 contains in total 21 | | | | intention to give up." With almost seven |
| stages, ten of them are already completed. | | | | minutes backlog he occupies the fourth place. |
| The 91st Italian Tour started on May 10th | | | | |
| with a 25,5 kilometer long team time trial. | | | | For the German bicycle racer Erik Zabel it is |
| The route led from Palermo in a loop around | | | | the second participation in the Italian Tour |
| 11,4 kilometer north and then on the | | | | after 2005. Since the team T-Mobile preferred |
| Mediterranean coast back to Palermo. After | | | | to concentrate only on their favorite Jan |
| the cyclists could take a break on the first | | | | Ullrich and did not want to appoint Zabel at |
| of two rest days they had to continue with | | | | the Tour de France 2005 he announced his |
| the first individual time trial of the Giro | | | | switch to the newly created Team Milram in |
| on Wednesday, March 20th. | | | | the middle of the year. He spent in total 13 |
| | | | years with the T-Mobile team which was known |
| The 25-year-old Spaniard Alberto Contador | | | | as the Team Telekom from 1991 to 2003. |
| came by an injury on his forearm bone on the | | | | |
| 8th stage which is worse than expected. The | | | | One week before beginning of the Giro 2008 |
| Tour de France winner will despite his | | | | the Italian top cyclist Alessandro Petacchi |
| fracture keep up until Milan. Even though he | | | | announced that he will not participate in the |
| could feel the pain of his injury in the | | | | Giro due to bronchitis. For that reason his |
| training days he is very satisfied with his | | | | team-mate Erik Zabel stepped in for him and |
| performance on the last stages. "All cyclists | | | | will be joined by Markus Eichler and Enrico |
| know that such a tour is hard work. Due to | | | | Poitschke. |
| the fracture it is not getting to be easier. | | | | |