Robbie McEwen doesn’t speak much Italian, but he knows enough to tell TV reporters at the finish line in a hot and challenging 205km second stage along the west coast of Sardinia that was he was tickled pink with his 12th career Giro d’Italia stage victory.

The Australian pocket rocket bolted past a wilting Alessandro Petacchi (Milram) and held off a late burst by Paolo Bettini (QuickStep) to notch his 153rd career victory.

“I only know five words in Italian, so I just used them all and repeated it a few times,” McEwen said. “I was hoping to win one Giro stage, but I don’t want to go home yet. In any case, my Giro’s already been a success.”

The hilly finale and a nasty crash with about 1200 meters to go took out most of the major sprinters except Petacchi, Bettini and McEwen. George Hincapie (Discovery Channel) squirted through for a solid 10th.

Milram did its best to set up Petacchi, but “Ale-jet” admits he’s still not the same man since cracking his kneecap nearly one year ago in the opening week of the 2006 Giro.

Petacchi coasted across the line after ceding defeat to McEwen, who confidently shot off the Italian’s wheel and easily fended up Bettini.

“My train is working, it’s just me that’s not able to finish it off,” said a dejected Petacchi at the finish. “It was a hard stage today and the climbs took a lot out of my legs. I just didn’t have that finishing touch. I need to be patient. Tomorrow’s another chance.”

Danilo Di Luca inherited the maglia rosa from Liquigas teammate Enrico Gasparotto based on positioning. Di Luca was 12th and Gasparotto was 43rd, enough to give “The Killer” the leader’s jersey going into Monday’s stage, the last one on the island of Sardinia.

Popovych is a bit sore, but 'okay,' says Discovery

Photo: Graham Watson

Barry’s early exit, Brutt for men
The first road stage of the 90th Giro started without Michael Barry. The Canadian, already feeling under the weather before hopping a late flight to Sardinia, woke a little worse for wear and tear Sunday morning and decided racing up and down the hills of western Sardinia just wasn’t in the cards.

“I have been sick for a couple of days and last night I had a fever all night-it was hard enough getting out of bed so racing was out of question,” Barry said in an e-mail message to VeloNews.com. “Dede and Liam are sick as well so I guess it is some kind of virus.”

Barry was a last-minute addition for Serhiy Honchar, who was suspended for 30 days by T-Mobile for “unnatural blood levels” in internal, team-conducted tests.

Spectacular scenery

Photo: Graham Watson

“It’s too bad for Michael because he came here under extremis and did the best he could, but he was just too sick,” said sport director Allan Peiper. “He woke up this morning feeling even worse and he’s so ill he won’t even be able to fly home tonight.”

Barry wasn’t the only rider in the peloton feeling the pain from Saturday’s TTT. Discovery Channel’s Yaroslav Popovych woke up with a raspberry on his elbow and a banged up back after somersaulting on Italian pavement with about 1km to go in the opening stage.

“Popo was a little sore, but he got through the day okay,” said Discovery Channel sports director Sean Yates. “He’s feeling okay and we hope he gets better as the race goes on.”

The 205km route swept west and south along the spectacular Sardinian coast before climbing into the hilly interior for the first rated climb of the 90th corsa rosa.

Five riders took the initiative at just 25km and tore away in the day’s main breakaway. In the group were: Russian Pavel Brutt (Tinkoff), two Italians, Simone Masciarelli (Acqua e Sapone) and Mauro Facci (Quickstep), and two Frenchman, Frédéric Bessy (Cofidis) and Arnaud Labbe (Bouygues Télécom).

The quintet opened up a five-minute gap in the early going and Masciarelli, starting the day at 1:02 back, slipped into the virtual maglia rosa, but it was going to be tough to hold off the peloton despite the hilly finale.

The day’s main obstacle was the Cat. 2 Villanova Monterleone climb as the route worked its way up the dramatic highlands with an 18km climb. Brutt – a stage-winner at the Tour of Langkawi and GP Chiasso - snuck away from his fellow escapees to grab the points and claim the Giro’s first KoM jersey.

... then Brutt tried his luck.

Photo: Graham Watson

The main bunch came to life as the gap diminished to two minutes with about 35km to go. A few pileups in the back of the bunch marred what was another otherwise orderly peloton on nice, freshly paved roads.

Realizing the fat lady was loosening up her vocal chords, Brutt surged away in a solo effort with about 22km to go to leave Bessy and Facci to chase.

A steep climb about 7km away sprung Emanuele Sella (Panaria-Navigare) with Giovanni Visconti (QuickStep) marking the move for Bettini and Co. All the favorites were lined up in single-file when Pablo Lastras (Caisse d’Epargne) sprung out of the main bunch to reel in Sella and Brutt.

Robbie’s way
McEwen is universally regarded as one of the savviest sprinters in the game. The 34-year-old has an uncanny ability to outwit riders and then use his lethal finish-line burst to rack up wins.

With the Brutt escape all but nullified coming into the final hill some 7km from the finish, McEwen knew it was a decisive moment in the race.

Rebellin, Bettini and Gasparotto.

Photo: Graham Watson

Liquigas had set a searing tempo throughout most of the day and riders were starting to wilt under the high speeds and scorching temperatures pushing into the mid-80s.

The climb featured about two kilometers at six percent, enough to spit such sprinters as Thor Hushovd (Credit Agricole), Graeme Brown (Rabobank), Danilo Napolitano (Lampre) and J.J. Haedo (CSC) out the back.

McEwen explained how he approached the decisive moment of the race:

“The whole stage affected the sprinter’s legs. I’ve been here since Wednesday and I know there are no flat roads on this island. It was like racing Liège-Bastogne-Liège all day,” McEwen said. “(Dario) Cioni did a lot of work for me in the final kilometers to get me in good position at the front on the final climb. I was able to start in front position and work my way through the group.

“I was near the back, but there were maybe 20 riders behind me near the top. I also saw that I was about 15-20 positions behind Petacchi so at the bottom of the climb I was able to get back on with the Milram riders,” he continued. “After that, the tactics were pretty simple. I did realize that Paolo was on my wheel, but I didn’t have a problem with him and I was able to bring it to the line.”

Riders in the middle front of the peloton stacked it up when Andrea Tonti (QuickStep) cart-wheeled into the barriers as the road narrowed before coming into one lane before crossing a bridge for the final kilometer.

The peloton split and left about 20 or so riders to duke it out, with two Milram’s still in position to lead out Petacchi.

McEwen grabbed Petacchi’s wheel and delayed his sprint just slightly because he knew that Bettini wouldn’t start until he came off Petacchi’s wheel.

When asked who is biggest rival is at this Giro, McEwen replied with trademark frankness.

“No one’s won more grand stages than me the past few years,” he said. “I focus on me.”

Medical report Cyrille Monnerais (FDJeux) cuts to his fourth finger on right hand; minor cuts and scrapes for Adam Hansen (T-Mobile) and Laurent Mangel (Ag2r) in fall at 162km.Cuts and abrasions to right gluteous for Aketza Peña (Euskaltel) in fall at 181km.Andrea Tonti (QuickStep) was transported to a local hospital with cuts after falling into barriers with little more than 1km to go. Tonti fractured his nose in the accident. Others injured included Manuele Mori (Saunier Duval), cuts to left ear, contusions to right hand; Charlie Weglius (Liquigas), cuts and scrapes; Tim Klinger (Gerolsteiner), four stitches to right elbow

Photo: Graham Watson

Up Next - The 90th Giro d’Italia continues Monday with the 181km third stage from Barumini to Cagliari in a gentler profile than Sunday’s slugfest. The route features no rated climbs, but it’s bumpy and undulating from the start in the central hill town of Barumini, driving southeast to the Tirreno coast. The route then loops back toward a downtown sprint in the hustling port city of Cagliari. McEwen said he likes the looks of this one, too."The next stage? It gives the sprinters a chance and I'll give it a go," he said.

McEwen phones home with the news

Photo: Andrew Hood

Stage Results
1. Robert Mc Ewen (Aus), Predictor-Lotto, 206km in 5:07:13 (40.232kph)
2. Paolo Bettini (I), Quick Step
3. Alessandro Petacchi (I), Milram
4. Assan Bazayev (Kaz), Astana
5. Maximilian Ariel Maximilian (ARG), Panaria
6. Aliaksandr Usau (Blr), Ag2r Prevoyance
7. Rojas Gil Jose Joaquin (Sp), Caisse d'Epargne
8. Stefano Garzelli (I), Acqua & Sapone - Adria Mobil
9. Lorenzo Bernucci (I), T-Mobile
10. George Hincapie (USA), Discovery Channel, all same time
Full ResultsOverall
1. Danilo Di Luca (I), Liquigas, 5:40:51
2. Enrico Gasparotto (I), Liquigas, 0:00
3. Vincenzo Nibali (I), Liquigas, 0:00
4. Charles Wegelius (GB), Liquigas, 0:00
5. Andrea Noe' (I), Liquigas, 0:00
6. Franco Pellizotti (I), Liquigas, 0:00
7. Paolo Savoldelli (I), Astana, 0:13
8. Andrey Mizourov (Kaz), Astana, 0:13
9. Eddy Mazzoleni (I), Astana, 0:13
10. Serguei Yakovlev (Kaz), Astana, 0:13
To see how today's stage developed, simply CLICK HERE.