Di Luca wins as Roche attains goal

CYCLING/Giro d'Italia:Italy's Danilo Di Luca won the Giro d'Italia in Milan yesterday after leading the race for 13 of the 21 stages. Sprinter Alessandro Petacchi of the Milram team won the final stage to claim his fifth victory of the race after fracturing his kneecap during last year's Giro.

Nicolas Roche achieved his main goal of completing the Giro d'Italia, finishing as part of the main bunch yesterday and placing 122nd on the stage. He was 123rd overall.

The Crédit Agricole professional had an at-times difficult race but in doing the Grand Tour at just 22, he knows that the years to come will see a substantial improvement.

Riders usually hit their peak at 28 or 29 years of age, and so he will naturally become stronger with each passing season.

In addition, finishing a three-week race such as the Giro d'Italia brings about its own improvement to endurance.

Roche will concentrate on recovering from his efforts but should be in action again in the national road race championships in Waterford on July 1st.

Di Luca beat 21-year-old Andy Schleck of Luxembourg by one minute and 55 seconds, with Italy's Eddy Mazzoleni third at 2:25.

"Winning the Giro d'Italia is the biggest possible achievement for any Italian rider and I'm especially proud to be the first rider from central Italy to have won it," Di Luca told reporters.

However, the Liquigas rider's overall victory was marked by the resurrection of a doping probe from 2004 which led to Di Luca and three other Giro competitors being given surprise drug tests on Wednesday.

Di Luca, who has maintained his innocence, said at the time that although under international and Italian cycling rules he did not have to do the extra tests, he chose to because he had nothing to hide.

"I'm not at all worried because it's related to 2004 and my lawyer has already asked that my case be closed," said Di Luca.

"If I'm called for questioning I'll answer whatever I'm asked. I had nothing to hide three years ago during the police investigation and I've got nothing to hide now. There won't be any problem," he added.