The 2006 Giro d'Italia was the 89th running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It was held from 6 May to 28 May 2006, and covered 3,526 kilometres (2,191 mi), beginning in the Belgian mining town of Seraing and ending in Milan. Italian riders such as Ivan Basso, Damiano Cunego, and defending champion Paolo Savoldelli vied to win their national Grand Tour.
Basso, riding for Team CSC, won the Giro in dominant fashion. Basso won three individual stages, as well as the team time trial, along with his fellow Team CSC riders, and won the overall classification by more than 9 minutes over the next best rider, the largest margin of victory in a Grand Tour in the last three years.
The race introduced a team time trial stage upon its arrival in Italy. This discipline had been absent from the Giro since edition 1989. It also included 56.2 km (34.9 mi) of individual time trials, distributed between the prologue and the long time trial at Pontedera.
It also featured famous climbs, such as the steep Mortirolo and the Monte Bondone. There were plans to visit Plan de Corones for the first time, however, bad weather prevented the unpaved climb from being used. It instead saw its debut in the Giro d'Italia in 2008.
Read more about 2006 Giro D'Italia: Teams, Route and Stages, Classification Leadership, Final Standings, Significance of The Belgian Opening