The Italian rider from the Liquigas team claimed his first Grand Tour success by one minute and 55 seconds from Andy Schleck, the 22-year-old Luxemburger who was riding a three week tour for the first time.

Another home rider Astana's Eddy Mazzoleni completed the podium, a further 30 seconds back, after usurping two-time winner Gilberto Simoni for third position in Saturday's time trial.

Petacchi claimed his fifth stage win of the race and the 24th of his career by a comfortable margin after the riders did ten laps of a 4.8km circuit around Milan.

The Milram star took the maglia ciclamino as points winner for the second time while Leonardo Piepoli claimed the mountains classification with Saunier Duval top in the team competition.

The whole race was a triumph for Di Luca who after helping his team win the opening time-trial, claimed the pink jersey on stage four with victory at the summit finish of Montevergine Di Mercogliano and then returned to the top of the GC by winning stage 12, the first major mountains stage, into Briancon.

The 31-year-old, who has been long regarded as a one-day specialist, then defied expectation and defended his jersey in the high mountains that followed.

Di Luca, who hails from the Pescara area, began his professional career in 1998 with Riso Scotti before spells with Cantina Tollo-Alexia, Acqua & Sapone and Saeco.

He has also won four big Classics, the Giro di Lombardia in 2001, Amstel Gold and Flèche Wallonne in 2005 and Liège-Bastogne-Liège earlier this year, plus two stages at the Vuelta.

He said: "I've been racing since I was eight and winning the Giro is a dream come true. Not everybody believed I could win a major three-week race but now I've proved I can.

"That really boosts my self belief and I hope to carry on winning for the next four or five years."