2009 Giro d'Italia

2009 Giro d'Italia
2009 UCI World Ranking, race 13 of 24
	Overview of the stages:; route from Venice to Rome covered by the riders on the bicycle (red); and distances between stages (green).
Race details
Dates	9–31 May 2009
Stages	21
Distance	3,456.5 km (2,148 mi)
Winning time	86h 03' 11"
Results
	Winner
	Second
	Third
	Points
	Mountains
	Youth
	Sprints
	Combativity
	Team
	Team points
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The 2009 Giro d'Italia was the 92nd running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It was held from 9 to 31 May 2009, and marked the 100th year since the first edition of the race. Starting in Venice and finishing in Rome,^[2] 22 teams competed over 21 stages. Four of the top ten finishers in this edition later had their results voided.

The Giro was raced on a unique path through Italy, taking the peloton to some historic cities and towns in Italian cycling. Though the route lacked any well-known, storied climbs, the many intermediate and mountain stages in the second and third weeks of the race proved deceptively difficult.^[3] The 10th and the 16th stages were both called the race's queen stage, as both contained multiple difficult mountain climbs.

Riders protested during the ninth stage, a criterium in Milan. This protest was nominally about the overall safety conditions of the stage, and was sparked by life-threatening injuries sustained by Pedro Horrillo the day before. In the protest, riders declined to contest the stage except for a final sprint finish, a decision that proved controversial with race organizers and fans.

Denis Menchov won the race, having taken the lead in a long time trial in stage 12, and defended vigorously against attacks by his closest challenger, Danilo Di Luca, during the mountain stages of the final week.^[4] Di Luca came in second, 41 seconds behind the winner, and won the mauve jersey as points classification winner. Subsequent to the Giro, both he and third-place finisher Franco Pellizotti became embroiled in doping scandals, were given bans, and had their results stripped.^[5]^[6]

^ "Results – Giro d'Italia – Individual Road Race".
^ "Stages" (in Italian). Gazzetta.it. Archived from the original on 18 February 2009. Retrieved 18 March 2009.
^ Gregor Brown. "A century after Ganna". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. Archived from the original on 5 October 2009. Retrieved 27 August 2009.
^ Brendan Gallagher (31 May 2009). "Denis Menchov wins Giro d'Italia". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 6 June 2009. Retrieved 3 June 2009.
^ Cyclingnews (22 July 2009). "Di Luca positive for CERA in Giro". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. Archived from the original on 29 October 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2009.
^ "Franco Pellizotti found guilty of doping". ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures. Associated Press. 8 March 2011. Archived from the original on 27 February 2014. Retrieved 12 March 2011.

[1] "Results – Giro d'Italia – Individual Road Race".

[stages-2] "Stages" (in Italian). Gazzetta.it. Archived from the original on 18 February 2009. Retrieved 18 March 2009.

[afterganna-3] Gregor Brown. "A century after Ganna". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. Archived from the original on 5 October 2009. Retrieved 27 August 2009.

[4] Brendan Gallagher (31 May 2009). "Denis Menchov wins Giro d'Italia". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 6 June 2009. Retrieved 3 June 2009.

[dilucatests-5] Cyclingnews (22 July 2009). "Di Luca positive for CERA in Giro". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. Archived from the original on 29 October 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2009.

[6] "Franco Pellizotti found guilty of doping". ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures. Associated Press. 8 March 2011. Archived from the original on 27 February 2014. Retrieved 12 March 2011.

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