The 2005 Giro d'Italia was the 88th edition of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It began in Reggio Calabria with a prologue. The race came to a close with a mass-start road stage that stretched from Albese con Cassano to Milan. Twenty-two teams entered the race that was won by the Italian Paolo Savoldelli of the team. Second and third were the Italian Gilberto Simoni and Venezuelan José Rujano. The Giro was first led by Australian Brett Lancaster, who won the race's opening prologue. He lost the lead the next day to Paolo Bettini, who gained the race lead three separate times before Savoldelli took over. Twenty of the teams were UCI ProTour teams, while Ceramica Panaria-Navigare and Colombia-Selle Italia were wild card teams invited by the organizers. Each team sent a squad of nine riders, which meant that the race started with a peloton of 198 cyclists.
Route and stages
right|thumb|The town of [[Urtijëi hosted the end of the thirteenth stage, which was classified as a summit finish.|alt=A mountain town in the distance.]]
The route for the 2005 Giro d'Italia was unveiled by race director Angelo Zomegnan on 23 January 2005 in Milan. It contained three time trial events, all of which were individual. The organizers divided the remaining eighteen stages into three categories: flat stages, medium mountain stages, and mountain stages. stage 13, to Urtijëi; stage 17, to Colle di Tenda; and stage 19, to Sestriere. The organizers chose to include two rest days. When compared to the previous year's race, the race was longer, contained the same amount of rest days and one more individual time trial event. In addition, both races contained a prologue to open the race.
The fifteenth was originally intended to be and to start in Livigno. However, due to very poor weather conditions the start was moved to Villa di Tirano, and the stage was shortened to .
|- style="background:#efefef;"
!Stage
!Date
!Course
!Distance
!colspan="2"|Type
!Winner
|-
!style="text-align:center"|P
| style="text-align:center;"|7 May
|Reggio Calabria
| style="text-align:center;"|
| style="text-align:center;"|22px|link=|alt=
|Individual time trial
|
|-
!style="text-align:center"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|8 May
|Reggio Calabria to Tropea
| style="text-align:center;"|
| style="text-align:center;"| 22px|link=|alt=
|Flat stage
|
|-
!style="text-align:center"|2
| style="text-align:center;"|9 May
|Catanzaro Lido to Santa Maria del Cedro
| style="text-align:center;"|
| style="text-align:center;"| 22px|link=|alt=
|Flat stage
|
|-
!style="text-align:center"|3
| style="text-align:center;"|10 May
|Diamante to Giffoni Valle Piana
| style="text-align:center;"|
| style="text-align:center;"| 22px|link=|alt=
|Flat stage
|
|-
!style="text-align:center"|4
| style="text-align:center;"|11 May
|Giffoni Valle Piana to Frosinone
| style="text-align:center;"|
| style="text-align:center;"| 22px|link=|alt=
|Flat stage
|
|-
!style="text-align:center"|5
| style="text-align:center;"|12 May
|Celano to L'Aquila
| style="text-align:center;"|
| style="text-align:center;"|22px|link=|alt=
|Medium mountain stage
|
|-
!style="text-align:center"|6
| style="text-align:center;"|13 May
|Viterbo to Marina di Grosseto
| style="text-align:center;"|
| style="text-align:center;"| 22px|link=|alt=
|Flat stage
|
|-
!style="text-align:center"|7
| style="text-align:center;"|14 May
|Grosseto to Pistoia
| style="text-align:center;"|
| style="text-align:center;"|22px|link=|alt=
|Medium mountain stage
|
|-
!style="text-align:center"|8
| style="text-align:center;"|15 May
|Lamporecchio to Florence
| style="text-align:center;"|
| style="text-align:center;"|22px|link=|alt=
|Individual time trial
|
|-
!style="text-align:center"|9
| style="text-align:center;"|16 May
|Florence to Ravenna
| style="text-align:center;"|
| style="text-align:center;"| 22px|link=|alt=
|Flat stage
|
|-
!
| style="text-align:center;"|17 May
| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;"| Rest day
|-
!style="text-align:center"|10
| style="text-align:center;"|18 May
|Ravenna to Rossano Veneto
| style="text-align:center;"|
| style="text-align:center;"| 22px|link=|alt=
|Flat stage
|
|-
!style="text-align:center"|11
| style="text-align:center;"|19 May
|Marostica to Zoldo Alto
| style="text-align:center;"|
| style="text-align:center;"| 22px|link=|alt=
|Mountain stage
|
|-
!style="text-align:center"|12
| style="text-align:center;"|20 May
|Alleghe to Rovereto
| style="text-align:center;"|
| style="text-align:center;"|22px|link=|alt=
|Medium mountain stage
|
|-
!style="text-align:center"|13
| style="text-align:center;"|21 May
|Mezzocorona to Urtijëi
| style="text-align:center;"|
| style="text-align:center;"| 22px|link=|alt=
|Mountain stage
|
|-
!style="text-align:center"|14
| style="text-align:center;"|22 May
|Neumarkt to Livigno
| style="text-align:center;"|
| style="text-align:center;"| 22px|link=|alt=
|Mountain stage
|
|-
!style="text-align:center"|15
| style="text-align:center;"|23 May
|Villa di Tirano to Lissone
| style="text-align:center;"|
| style="text-align:center;"| 22px|link=|alt=
|Flat stage
|
|-
!
| style="text-align:center;"|24 May
| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;"| Rest day
|-
!style="text-align:center"|16
| style="text-align:center;"|25 May
|Lissone to Varazze
| style="text-align:center;"|
| style="text-align:center;"| 22px|link=|alt=
|Flat stage
|
|-
!style="text-align:center"|17
| style="text-align:center;"|26 May
|Varazze to Limone Piemonte
| style="text-align:center;"|
| style="text-align:center;"| 22px|link=|alt=
|Mountain stage
|
|-
!style="text-align:center"|18
| style="text-align:center;"|27 May
|Chieri to Turin
| style="text-align:center;"|
| style="text-align:center;"|22px|link=|alt=
|Individual time trial
|
|-
!style="text-align:center"|19
| style="text-align:center;"|28 May
|Savigliano to Sestriere
| style="text-align:center;"|
| style="text-align:center;"| 22px|link=|alt=
|Mountain stage
|
|-
!style="text-align:center"|20
| style="text-align:center;"|29 May
|Albese con Cassano to Milan
| style="text-align:center;"|
| style="text-align:center;"| 22px|link=|alt=
|Flat stage
|
|-
!
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Total
| colspan="5" style="text-align:center;"|
|}
Race overview
The Giro began with a prologue that navigated through the streets of Reggio Calabria. Stage 3 saw a breakaway go the distance as a group of fifty riders broke free about from the finish. Liquigas-Bianchi's Danilo Di Luca lunged ahead of Damiano Cunego to win the stage, while the race lead fell back into Bettini's hands. However, Bettini was later disqualified after the judges saw that he caused fellow sprinter Baden Cooke to fall, which gave the stage victory to second-place finisher Luca Mazzanti. Danilo Di Luca regained the lead of the race as the time gaps widened due to the climb that was placed shortly before the finish. Di Luca placed tenth overall and maintain the race leader's pink jersey, while the general classification contenders Ivan Basso and Paolo Savoldelli gained valuable seconds over Di Luca. Stage 10 took place after a rest day. The stage again came down to a bunch sprint that was won by Australian Robbie McEwen, who captured his second stage win of the Giro. Ivan Basso attacked with remaining in the stage and only Paolo Savoldelli was able to keep pace with him. The stage ultimately came down to a field sprint, which Alessandro Petacchi won. Iván Parra struck again by winning the stage by almost two minutes over the second-place finisher. A breakaway containing eighteen men got away from the peloton and stayed away for the length of the stage. While on the final climb of the day, the race was headed by a lead group that contained the race leader Paolo Savoldelli and general classification favorites Ivan Basso and José Rujano. Team CSC's Ivan Basso won the stage by nine seconds over Russian Vladimir Karpets. The race leader Paolo Savoldelli was in trouble throughout the stage and his lead was in jeopardy. 10, Alessandro Petacchi in stages 9,
For the points classification, which awarded a purple (or cyclamen) jersey to its leader, cyclists were given points for finishing a stage in the top 15; additional points could also be won in intermediate sprints. The green jersey was awarded to the mountains classification leader. In this ranking, points were won by reaching the summit of a climb ahead of other cyclists. Each climb was ranked as either first, second or third category, with more points available for higher category climbs. The Cima Coppi, the race's highest point of elevation, awarded more points than the other first category climbs. The calculation for the intergiro is similar to that of the general classification, in each stage there is a midway point that the riders pass through a point and where their time is stopped. As the race goes on, their times compiled and the person with the lowest time is the leader of the intergiro classification and wears the blue jersey.
| 20px|alt=Green jersey
| Denotes the winner of the Mountains classification
|-
| 20px|alt=Purple jersey
| Denotes the winner of the Points classification
| 20px|alt=Blue jersey
| Denotes the winner of the Intergiro classification
|}
General classification
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!
!Rider
!Team
!Time
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
| 20px|alt=Pink jersey
|
| style="text-align:right;"|
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
|
|
| style="text-align:right;"| + 28"
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| 20px|alt=Green jersey
|
| style="text-align:right;"| + 45"
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 4
|
|
| style="text-align:right;"| + 2' 42"
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 5
|
|
| style="text-align:right;"| + 3' 11"
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 6
|
|
| style="text-align:right;"| + 4' 22"
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 7
|
|
| style="text-align:right;"| + 11' 15"
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 8
|
|
| style="text-align:right;"| + 11' 38"
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 9
|
|
| style="text-align:right;"| + 11' 40"
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 10
|
|
| style="text-align:right;"| + 12' 33"
|}
Points classification
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!
!Rider
!Team
!Points
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
| 20px|alt=Purple jersey
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 162
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
|
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 154
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
|
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 136
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 4
| 20px|alt=Pink jersey
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 124
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 5
|
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 114
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 6
|
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 92
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 7
| 20px|alt=Green jersey
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 89
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 8
|
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 85
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 9
|
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 81
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 10
|
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 80
|}
Mountains classification
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!
!Rider
!Team
!Points
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
| 20px|alt=Green jersey
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 143
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
|
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 57
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
|
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 45
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 4
|
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 41
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 5
|
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 29
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 6
|
|
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2"| 27
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 7
|
|
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 8
| 20px|alt=Pink jersey
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 17
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 9
|
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 15
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 10
|
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 14
|}
Intergiro classification
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!
!Rider
!Team
!Time
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
| 20px|alt=Blue jersey
|
| align=right|
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
| 20px|alt=Purple jersey
|
| align=right| + 27"
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
|
|
| align=right| + 30"
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 4
|
|
| align=right| + 2' 16"
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 5
|
|
| align=right| + 2' 31"
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 6
| 20px|alt=Pink jersey
|
| align=right| + 2' 41"
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 7
|
|
| align=right| + 2' 52"
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 8
|
|
| align=right| + 3' 00"
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 9
|
|
| align=right| + 3' 04"
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 10
|
|
| align=right| + 3' 06"
|}
Trofeo Fast Team classification
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!
!Team
!Time
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
|
|align="right"|
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
|
|align="right"| + 24' 28"
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
|
|align="right"| + 29' 21"
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 4
|
|align="right"| + 32' 27"
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 5
|
|align="right"| + 1h 8' 29"
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 6
|
|align="right"| + 1h 21' 34"
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 7
|
|align="right"| + 1h 24' 50"
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 8
|
|align="right"| + 1h 26' 50"
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|9
|
|align="right"| + 1h 37' 32"
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 10
|
|align="right"| + 1h 49' 00"
|}
Trofeo Super Team classification
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!
!Team
!Points
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 347
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 316
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 311
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 4
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 296
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 5
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 224
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 6
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 224
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 7
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 213
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 8
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 210
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 9
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 208
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 10
|
| style="text-align:center;"| 204
|}
Minor classifications
Other less well-known classifications, whose leaders did not receive a special jersey, were awarded during the Giro. Other awards included the Combativity classification, which was a compilation of points gained for position on crossing intermediate sprints, mountain passes and stage finishes. The Azzurri d'Italia classification was based on finishing order, but points were awarded only to the top three finishers in each stage. The Trofeo Fuga Piaggio classification rewarded riders who took part in a breakaway at the head of the field, each rider in an escape of ten or fewer riders getting one point for each kilometre that the group stayed clear. Teams were given penalty points for minor technical infringements.