A special anniversary for Bruseghin

By Gregor Brown in Urbino, Italy

Italy's Marzio Bruseghin does not win that often. In fact, few were listing the 33 year-old Lampre rider as a favourite for the Giro d'Italia's 39.4-kilometre individual test from Pesaro to Urbino. The rider from Piadera di Vittorio Veneto did not bother himself with the pundits prognostics, instead he set about winning the stage by eight seconds over Tour de France champion Alberto Contador.

"My characteristics were favoured here," Bruseghin noted in a quiet voice following the win, only his third in the professional ranks. His other two victories also came thanks to time trials; his first win was in the 2006 Italian Championships, which allowed him to wear the maglia tricolore on the way to his second win, nearly one year ago on the slopes of Oropa.

In the 2007 Giro d'Italia, Bruseghin leapt into the spot light by taking the 12.6-kilometre mountain time trial run from Biella to Santuario Di Oropa, just ahead of climber Leonardo Piepoli.

Bruseghin knows that there are only certain days that suit his style. "The finale was adapted to me, it was a climb that demanded power. Also, [Contador] had to deal with wetter roads – I was a little lucky. It went well; it was a day like that.

"I can't take the maglia rosa, but there are certain stages, like this one, where I can take advantage." His margin was eight seconds on Contador, 20 seconds on Andreas Klöden and 36 seconds on Italian time trial champion Marco Pinotti.

The winning sensation was there on the Giro d'Italia's first rest day, just 24 hours before the stage into Urbino's walled city. "I had a little bit of feeling for this stage," Bruseghin admitted. "I heard what the reactions were yesterday and I started to think that this could be the day for me. It is not easy to understand this [feeling], even after ten years."

Read the full feature on Bruseghin.