VERONA, Italy (AFP) - Danilo Di Luca virtually assured overall victory in the Giro d'Italia after the race's penultimate stage time trial won by former two-time race winner Paolo Savoldelli here on Saturday.

Di Luca, of the Liquigas team, went into the last stage in which his lead faced a potential challenge with a 2min 24sec advantage on second-placed Andy Schleck, the Luxemburger who is racing the Giro for the first time.

Despite a solid performance over 43km of the race against the clock CSC, all-rounder Schleck failed to cause an upset, or dent Di Luca's dreams of securing a first pink jersey.

"It's a great day! I can't describe the feeling I had when I crossed the line," said Di Luca.

"I've already had some great moments, at Liege-Baston-Liege, but the Giro, that's something else."

Savoldelli meanwhile hit an average speed of 49.299 km/h for the distance to beat teammate Eddy Mazzoleni by 36secs, the Italian finishing in second place just ahead of American specialist David Zabriskie of CSC.

The twice former pink jersey winner was happy to get something out of an unsuccessful tour.

"After this victory, I'm happy with my Giro," he said. "I suffered on the stage at Briancon, I had some difficult days."

And he paid tribute to the new champion - barring an unlikely disaster in Sunday's final stage.

"Di Luca, he was the strongest. He controlled the race with his team."

On a race course which was initially wet but dried as the sun made an appearance, the 22-year-old Schleck finished sixth, taking 29secs off Di Luca to virtually secure his second place overall and the white jersey for the race's best rider aged under 25.

"I did the time-trial of my life," said Schleck. "It's great. I dreamt about the pink jersey. Di Luca wasn't so good in the last mountain stages but I knew he would fight for it.

"He deserved to win, he was the best this year."

Schleck, whose older brother Frank also races for CSC, is now at 1min 55sec behind Di Luca ahead of Sunday's final stage into Milan, when the sprinters are likely to take centre stage.

Mazzoleni, who was fifth overall at the start of the stage, is third overall, at 2min 25sec behind Di Luca.

Former two-time Giro winner Gilberto Simoni meanwhile lost any chance of a podium place, with Saunier Duval's climbing specialist posting a time of 55min 04sec, nearly three minutes slower than Savoldelli.

Simoni is likely to finish fourth overall, just ahead of 2004 race winner Damiano Cunego of Lampre.