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2003 Giro D'Italia
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Teams, Stages with results, PredictionsPrevious ToursFinal 2003 Giro d'Italia General Classification:
Points (Sprinter)
Climber
Intergiro
Fastest Team in GC
Here are the stages. The 5 following stages will have hill-top finishes: 7, 12, 14, 18, 19. Monte Zoncolan on the 12th stage was called "Terrible" by La Gazetta dello Sport. 1st Stage: Saturday, May 10 LECCE (Giro del Salento) 201 km. This flat stage is a tour of the Salento Peninsula, the heel of the Italian boot. After a very slow start, for the most part, the race stayed together. In the final kilometers in the twisty streets of Lecce, Cipollini's team could not impose a high level of control upon the race. Petacchi's teamates made sure he was on Cipollini's wheel and protected him. This was an especially fine accomplishment since McEwen and Brown were bumping and fighting very hard for Cipollini's wheel. When the race came around the final corner, with a shorter drag race to the line that Cipo likes, Petacchi used his better jump to nail the race. Alessandro Petacchi prevented Cipollini from getting his historic win to tie Binda's 41 Giro stage wins. Cipo will have to wait another day. Results for Stage 1:
GC after the day's time bonuses:
Petacchi also leads the Sprinter's and Combativity competitions.
2nd Stage: Sunday, May 11 COPERTINO - MATERA 177 km The Race: All 169 riders started today's stage with an officlal departure time of 12:49. The predicted finish time is between 5 and 5:30 (8 - 8:30 AM Pacific time). The weather at Taranto on the coast is 23C (73F), but its in the 80's inland. The wind is 11mph from the Northwest. The first hour's riding covered only 27 km with the group altogether. The race stayed together until the climb to Montescaglioso. The climbers started throwing high heat and the sprinters got tossed. On the way down, Pantani's Mercatone team kept the pressure on. Some of the sprinters, including Petacchi and McEwen were able to chase and get back on. But the big men like Cipollini had to wait for another day. Finishing over 6 minutes down, Cipollini's dreams of Pink in 2003 are over. In the final sprint between Baldato and Robbie McEwen, McEwen crossed the line first, but was disqualified and relegated to last place of the front group (70th) for trying to put Baldato into the barriers. Results:
GC after Stage 2:
Sprinter's Jersey: Alessandro Petacchi
3rd Stage: Monday, May 12 POLICORO - TERME LUIGIANE 145 km The race: The stage got off to a slightly late start. 168 riders departed. Piccoli, who crashed yesterday, won't start after he was diagnosed with two broken ribs. Well, I was wrong. On the climb, the race did split up, but with grim determination, a lot of the riders came back over the undulating roads leading the Terme Luingiane. Petacchi got himself up to the front of the pack for the uphill drag-race to the finish line. He gets another well-deserved day in Pink. Results:
GC after Stage 3:
Sprinter's jersey: Alessandro Petacchi
4th stage: Tuesday, May 13 TERME LUIGIANE - VIBO VALENTIA 175 km We're on the top of the toe of the Italian boot. This should be another stage that puts the sprinters under stress. The fit ones will probably survive. The Cresta di Zungri happens at km 135, so there should be a regrouping. There is another climb at km 164, with 6 km of downhill left to give the sprinters a chance to re-position themselves. The race: This stage was aggressive from the gun with a break going in the first kilometer. The high speed tossed most of the sprinters on the Zungi climb, but they scrambled back on. On the final climb to the finish, Cipollini and some of the other speedsters got shelled again. With a break off the front with 5 kilometers to go, Fassa really came to the front to close the gap to keep Petacchi in Pink. Even Dario Frigo, a protected GC rider, was sent to the front to shut down the break. It came down to a sprint with a Petacchi and McEwen mano-a-mano. McEwen got it by inches. Perhaps the pain of his Stage 2 disqualification is eased a bit. Results:
GC after Stage 4:
Sprinter: Alessandro Petacchi
5th Stage: Wednesday, May 14 MESSINA - CATANIA 169 km The Giro crosses over to Sicily. Halfway into the stage, the race will climb to 1125 meters. My maps show that, as on the previous couple of stages, the downhill is steeper than the climb. The race: On the climb, Fredy Gonzalez and Ignacio Gutierrez got away and gained 3 minutes. Slowly, the lead came down and the riders were sucked up with little more than 10 km to go. The climb didn't really put much hurt on the riders. With everything together, Cipollini's Zebras had a reasonably organized leadout. Petacchi was followed by Cipo on Lombardi's wheel, going for the final lunge. Cipollini was on Petacchi's wheel and tried to come around. For a few meters it looked like Cipo was ahead, but with the final grunt at the line, Petacchi threw his bike and got the win by millimeters. Results:
GC after Stage 5:
Sprinter (points): Alessandro Petacchi
Thursday, May 15: Rest Day 6th Stage: Friday, May 16 MADDALONI - AVEZZANO 218 km The riders transferred from the island of Sicily to the western side of the Italian Peninsula. The start city, Maddaloni is just southeast of Caserta, itself north of Naples. The route goes through hilly country, but with a couple of exceptions, should allow the sprinters to hang on. Before the finishing circuit, the route does a little detour off the main road to take in rated climbs at kms 161 and 183. The last 30 kilometers are a circuit of the Piana Fucino, a pan-flat area west of the finishing city, Avezzano. Avezzano is roughly on the same latitude as Rome. If the sprinter's teams are determined, any break that gets away on the climbs should get reeled in for a last hurrah for the sprinters, for a while, anyway. Saturday is a tough hilltop finish. This is when the race will really start. The race: At kilometer 113, in this, the 2nd longest stage, there is a break with a lead of 7min 43 sec: MORENI (Alessio), ZABALLA GUTIEREZ (Kelme) & BACKSTEDT (Fakta). The Domina Zebras set up a perfect leadout . The speed was so high that the peloton's string broke near the front (see the time gap from 7th to 8th). Galvez jumped and incredibly, Cipollini sat up and didn't finish his sprint after Lombardi pulled off, no gas in the tank. Petacchi pulled off another win by inches. Results:
GC after Stage 6:
Sprinter: Alessandro Petacchi
7th Stage: Saturday, May 17 AVEZZANO - TERMINILLO (Campoforogna) 146 km This is the stage that will make the real Giro contenders clear. In the words of La Gazzetta Dello Sport, "It's the first confrontation between aspirations and real possibilities, almost the watershed between will and the power to succeed." The hill-top finish is a tough climb that should see the Pink Jersey change hands. This climb has seen victories from such notable riders as Olmo, Bartali, Herrera and Tonkov. Don't let the 7.3% average foll you. My maps show portions of the climb over 12%. The eagles will soar. Results:
GC after Stage 7:
Sprinter's Jersey: Alessandro Petacchi
8th Stage: Sunday, May 18, Rieti to Arezzo, 217 km Today's stage crosses all of Umbria, arriving in the Tuscan town of Arezzo. The race: The Gazzetta web site says it all: "Giro, Finally Cipollini". Don Cipo has join the immortals and achieved his 41 Giro stage wins, equaling the great Binda. The Domina Zebras did their job and let loose the flying Tuscan who could not be beat this day. I didn't note it yesterday, but the climb to the finish at stage 8 shattered the Giro dreams of several contenders. The Fassa Bortolo riders Frigo and Gonzalez both lost over 6 minutes, Casagrande is blown out. The selection has begun. Results:
GC after Stage 7:
Sprinter's Jersey: Alessandro Petacchi
9th Stage: Monday, May 19 AREZZO - MONTECATINI TERME 160 km This stage will be a tour though Tuscany, including some of the Chianti country. The final sprint of this stage will probably be another drag race between the speedsters with the final stretch of the stage being over 70 kilometers of downhill or flat roads. Results:
GC after Stage 9:
Sprinter's Jersey: ALessandro Petacchi
10th Stage: Tuesday, May 20 MONTECATINI TERME - FAENZA 200 km This is a tough stage. From Montecatini, the stage rises into the Mugello, up and over the Appennines and to Faenza. It will be an unrelenting day of constant climbing. I have ridden the first of the rated climbs, to Colla di Casaglia. There is a sustained section of more than 7%. It's a beautiful forested area that yields to well-tended fields scattered among the rolling hills. It is the beginning of a heavy, tough stage with lots of short, sharp climbs.. The race: A little before the Intergio sprint (before km 60), 16 riders went clear and eventually gained over 3 1/2 minutes on the field. Relentless presure from race leader Garzelli's Vini Calderola-Sidermec team brought the lead down to 2:30 with about 45 km to go. On the penultimate climb, the Casale, Simoni just attacked, taking no one with him and rode up to the break. He passed many of the escaped riders. The breakaway has fallen apart. When Simoni went, Garzelli riding about 3rd behind his teammates, did nothing. On the final climb, the Trebbio. Simoni is riding like a man possesed. He has made contact with a teammate that was in the break, Bertagnolli. Garzelli, not panicking, and the peloton is almost a minute back. Garzelli has no teammates left in the field. On the climb, Simoni has 5 others, including Bertagnolli. Garzelli comes off the little peloton that has Casagrande attacking. Simoni is clearly in charge and the strongest rider. Over the top he looks back for Bertagnolli. He has lost a bit of time. The gap to Garzelli is 42 seconds. Now it's a race to the finish. Arvesen, Tiralongo, Simoni and Bertagnolli being chased by Garzelli, Casagrande, some Kelme's, Tonkov and the rest of a slowly growing chasing peloton. Garzelli is doing lots of the work, but it just doesn't look organized and smooth enough to work. Rumsas is there, but it looks like he is leaving all the work to his treammate, Casagrande. It isn't. Simoni nuova maglia rosa (Simoni is the new Pink Jersey). Results:
GC after Stage 10:
Sprinter's Jersey: Alessandro Petacchi
A note from the Ex-Pro. When I came back from my trip this evening I found this note from Celestino Vercelli, ex-pro rider with many completed Giros under his belt. He rode for the great Brooklyn team with Roger De Vlaeminck, among others, in the 70's. He is now the owner of Vittoria shoes: Dear Bill, Ciao, Celestino 11th Stage: Wednesday, May 21 FAENZA - SAN DONÀ DI PIAVE 199 km. This should be quick, flat run north up the Adriatic Coast, past the ancient Roman Capitol of Ravenna, then to the east of the bike-mad city of Padua and a skirt around Venice. Will Cipollini make it 43? This is the sprinter's last chance to drag race before the real mountains. Thursday is the stage to the top of the terrible Monte Zoncolan. The Race: It came down to a sprint on wet, slick, rainy roads. Domina had a classic Cipo lead-out train. Just before the final hard left turn to the straightaway Robbie McEwen jumped ahead. Isaac Galvez of Kelme was on the inside of Cipo. Galvez's bike broke loose and took Cipo flying across the road to the opposite side barriers. Cipollini slammed into Galvez. McEwen was clear and won the stage. As Cipollini was getting up, he was rubbing his shoulder. I hope he's OK. Note: La Gazzetta reports that Cipollini went to the hospital to be checked, but there are no bones broken. Results:
GC after Stage 11:
Sprinter's Jersey: Alessandro Petacchi
12th Stage: Thursday, May 22 SAN DONÀ DI PIAVE - MONTE ZONCOLAN 185 km The is the most anticipated stage of the Giro, with lots of hard climbing before the Zoncolan with its final kilometer averaging 22% and a section of 27% gradient. Pantani is packing a 28 in the back and Simoni has a spare bike with a triple. This should completely blow the Giro apart. To get an idea of the geography of the map below and where the race ends, Monte Zoncolan is about 20 kilometers south of the Austrian border. The famous ski town of Cortina d'Ampezzo is due west and Venice is south-southeast. The northeast edges of the Venetian Lagoon would be just below the start city of S. Dona di Piave in the map below. The blue on the map is the north end of the Adiratic before it become the Gulf of Trieste. The Race: 7 km to go on the Zoncolan. Wladimiro Belli (Lampre) has escaped from a collapsed breakaway and has 43 second gap on the remainders of the peloton. All the heads of state are here, Garzelli, Simoni, Casagrade, Pantani, Frigo, Gonzalez, Perez-Cuapio. Mercatone Uno is making hard tempo at the front. For the climb Pantani is packing a 28 on the back and Simoni has a spare bike with a triple. Results:
GC after Stage 12:
Sprinter's Jersey: Alessandro Petacchi
13th Stage: Friday, May 23 PORDENONE - MAROSTICA 155 km The GC Boys will probably take a back seat to the sprinters and opportunists with the brutal stage 14 coming with its 4 big climbs. This flatish stage finishes with 3 circuits in Marostica. We're still in the northeastern region of Italy known as Veneto. The race route is directly north of Venice and Padua. The Race: The final circuits were very agressive with attacks taking advantage of the small climb. Garzelli and then Frigo took their best shots. It came down to a big sprint. Garzelli showed that he is that rare complete rider who can sprint, climb and time-trial, and that he will use every arrow in his quiver to take every second he can. Results: Garzelli helps himself in the sprint and picks up a 8 second bonus.
GC after Stage 13:
Sprinter's Jersey: Alessandro Petacchi
14th Stage: Saturday, May 24 MAROSTICA - ALPE DI PAMPEAGO 162 km This weekend will be awesome. Saturday's stage takes in 3 tough Dolomite passes and then a hilltop finish at Alpe Di Pampeago. My maps show lots of more-than-12% climbing on the roads leading up to the final assualt on Pampeago. The map below doesn't have the detail to show the switchbacks that look like intestines on the portion leading to Passo Rolle. The road to San Pellegrino seems to have the longest steep portion of all the three climbs, with at least a kilometer over 12%. The little road to Pampeago is not rated on my maps, so we'll have to live with the average gradient number of 9.6% for the final climb. Sunday is the 42.5 km individual time trial. With several riders getting stronger with every day, including Garzelli, Frigo, Casagrande and Gonzalez and Popovych, the so-far dominant Simoni will have trouble keeping the Pink Jersey. It's going to be a hellova fight. The Race: Before the Passo Di Rolle, 16 riders broke away. Fredy Gonzalez took of from this group to get more mountians points. Over the climbs the break wore down until it comprised the following 6 chasing Gonzalez over the San Pellegrino: LANFRANCHI, LUNGHI, NOCENTINI, ZABALLA, BELLI, GOBBI. Gonzalez was caught to make 7. Belli got away from the lead group on the final climb. In the small chasing peloton, Popovych attacked with 5 kilometers to go, Simoni answered. then Simoni was gone. The riders in the break were swept up and dropped with the exception of Belli. As in previous stages, Garzelli refused to panic and try to match the Simoni's powerful jump. He climbed at his own pace and limited the damage. Results:
GC after Stage 14:
Sprinter's Jersey: Alessandro Petacchi
15th Stage: Sunday May 25 MERANO - BOLZANO (Individual time trial) 42.5 km The route roughly follows the Adige river south. we are in the far north of Italy in Trentino-Alto Adige. The finishing city, Bolzano is about due south of Innsbruck, Austria and due north of Vicenza, Italy. The accepted wisdom is that Garzelli will take time out of Simoni, given Garzelli's superior time-trial skills. But, the leader's jersey can empower its owner. I expect Frigo will look to this stage to get a victory. He is the reigning Italian Time Trial Champion. The race: Setting the road on fire, Aitor Gonzalez showed that he is coming into form, but far too late to have an impact on the important GC placings. The real story is that Simoni was able to put another 39 seconds on Garzelli. The fight for the last place on the podium continues as Popovych did a fantastic ride and put almost a minute between himself and Andrea Noe for what looks to be a good solid 3rd place in GC. Magnus Backstedt is now leading the Intergiro competition, having taken it from Moreno Di Biase. 138 riders finished the time-trial. Alessandro Petacchi crashed, but managed to finish last in the time trial. We won't know for a while if he will start tomorrow's stage. La Gazzetta Dello Sport says that no bones are broken. Results:
GC after stage 15:
Sprinter's Jersey: Alessandro Petacchi
16th Stage: Monday, May 26 ARCO DI TRENTO - PAVIA 207 km. This stage should be raw meat for the sprinters, the ones still in the race. This will be a rush to Pavia, just south of Milan. The race will go across the Po River plain, the flat area between the Appennines and the Alps. The Race: 138 riders started today, including the bruised Alessandro Petacchi who crashed in yesterday's time trial. There are now 5 complete teams left. Most of the notable pure sprinters have dropped out. McEwen, Cipollini, Brown and Galvez-Lopez are not in the race to contest the bunch sprints. The race was a quick romp across the flats with Fassa, woith lots of help from Domina and Lampre working to keep things together for Petacchi. Petacchi was the third rider around the final corner with 300 meters to go. Across the line, he sat up, but looked to do so with no small discomfort. As Petacchi coasted to a stop, a man spread his arms and ran behind him, keeping well-wishers from touching and hugging the sore sprinter. Results:
GC after Stage 16:
Sprinter's Jersey: Alessandro Petacchi
Tuesday, May 27: Riposo (Rest day). Here is the e-mail I received this weekend from Celestino Vercelli, owner of Vittoria shoes and Ex-Pro Brooklyn, commenting on the Giro: "Ciao Bill, We are entering upon the last and decisive week of the race. Until now, Simoni is the best climber. Also today in the chrono he has increased his lead on Garzelli who is his most formidable adversary. At the moment we don?t know if someone will surpass Simoni and will win the Giro. Today Gonzales and Popovich have also been very good at the chrono. Frigo has ridden well. Popovich is a very young cyclist and we have to follow him with attention because he could be the man of the future." 17th Stage: Wednesday, May 28 SALICE TERME - ASTI 130 km This is the Giro's shortest stage. This should give the sprinters another chance to put a notch in the belt. Petacchi should be a bit better rested and healed from his crash. Should be a good shootout if Jimmy Casper, who is looking pretty speedy, can get the timing of the sprint right. Simoni seems confident with his almost 2 minute lead over Garzelli. He says that from here on, it is up to Garzelli to wrest the Pink from him. With the hard climbing coming up on stage 18, Simoni believes that this will be the stage that decides the Giro. Simoni is already talking about his coming confontation with Armstrong in the Tour. I would say pride goeth before a fall, but Simoni seems to have the suds. The race: It was a mad dash for the line. FDJ, with a couple of kilometers to go tried to do a parallel lead out to the Domina/Fassa boys' train and get Jimmy Casper up to the front. But Casper came off the wheels of his boys. Petacchi nailed it by half a wheel length on a fast closing Svorada who came up from behind. Results:
GC after Stage 17:
Sprinter's Jersey: Alessandro Petacchi
18th Stage: Thursday, May 29 SANTUARIO DI VICOFORTE - CHIANALE 175 km What a beast this stage is. The race is in Piemonte and ends up just next to the French border. Pink Jersey Simoni has said this is the crucial stage. With 4 climbs, one of which is a hill-top finish, Garzelli has to do something here if he is to claw back 2 minutes. The second rated climb, the Esichie, is the Cima Coppi, the highest point of this year's Giro. The race: Over the Sampeyre, Simoni, Totschnig, Frigo and Popvych, followed by Garzelli's group over 40 seconds behind. Casagrande has retired. On the final kilometers Dario Frigo pounds away with Simoni on his wheel. Frigo has just whipped the peloton. In the Sprint, Frigo dashes away. Garzelli rides a fantastic ride and preserves his second place. Fassa Bortolo now has 8 stage wins this Giro and Frigo leaps to 7th place on GC. This was indeed a tough day. 35 riders were elimated from the giro for failing to make the finish line within the time limit. Purple Jersey holder Alessandro Petacchi was the last man accross the line and was among the eliminated, along with Moreno Di Biase and Julio Perez-Cuapio. 97 riders are left to start Friday's stage. Results:
GC after Stage 18:
Sprinter's Jersey: Stefano Garzelli
19th Stage: Friday, May 30 CANELLI - CASCATA DEL TOCE 236 km This is the last stage with any real climbing. It is also the longest stage of the Giro. The Garzelli-Popovych shootout for 2nd place should continue. Marco Pantani, who crashed badly but finished yesterday's 18h stage has said he will decide Friday morning whether or not he will continue riding. My money is that only the greatest agony will keep him from riding the final chrono in Milan Sunday. Today's stage goes due north, right past Milano on the west and then past Lake Maggiore and up into the Alps, just shy of the Swiss border. The race: Pantani did start today's stage. I received some calls yesterday asking which shoes Dario frigo was wearing because the TV pictures made the shoes look like White Vittoria Racers. Dario Frigo is wearing Vittoria Arrow Shoes. There was a break along the big flat run-in to the climb, but it was eventually altogether on the climb. Then the attacks began. The big move came from Marco Pantani with 5 kilomters to go. He was reeled in. The Pellizotti went. Simoni counter-attacked and put more distance on an already suffering Garzelli. Frigo couldn't quite get up to him. The big fight now is for second place, with Popovych only 2 seconds behind. Results:
GC after Stage 19:
Sprinter (Points): Gilberto Simoni
20th Stage: Saturday, May 31 CANNOBIO - CANTÙ 122 km. With so many of the sprinters gone, maybe Jan Svorada will be able to nail this one. Since Garzelli is a good sprinter, expect him to be mixing it up to get a few bonus seconds to get a little breathing room from a fast-closing Popovych. This flat stage heads down the west coast of Lake Maggiore and ends up just a little north of Milan. Ready for the final stage, the Sunday individual time trial. The race: What a fantastic race! Elbows and belly-buttons all over the place with attack after attack coming. After the Intergiro, 27 riders managed to get off the front. From this group Marco Velo took off, chased by Giovanni Lomabardi. Figueras and Mazzoleni made contact with about 4 kilometers to go. But, just as they were together, Mazzoleni took off and was away alone until about 2 kilometers to go. Then, it was the 4 riders: Lombardi, Mazzoleni, Figueras and Velo. Hot on their heels, the remnants of the break came in at 4 seconds. The pack, with Simoni, Garzelli and Popovych toodled in at 1min 42 seconds. Almost all the important placings in this year's Giro are settled except for second place in GC with only two seconds seperating Garzelli and Popovych. The time-trial tomorrow will bring the suspense of this year's Giro down to almost the last minute. Results:
GC after Stage 20: The only change to the top tean was that Eddy Mazzoleni bumped Belli to 11th place.
Sprinter (points): Gilberto Simoni
21st Stage: Sunday, June 1 IDROSCALO - MILANO (individual time trial) 33 km The Pink jersey is about sewn up, as are the fights for the minor classifications; Climber's, Intergiro, etc. The big prize left to be decided is 2nd place. Garzelli leads Popovych by 2 seconds. Popovych beat Garzelli in the first time trial. Garzelli says that he had not ridden a time trial in over a year and did not pace himself correctly last time. It should be interesting. The time-trial route is a spiral that winds though eastern and central Milan. It starts at Idroscalo, an artificial lake near the Linate Airport in Milan. The lake was built in the late 1920's so that sea-planes could land and take off in Milan. The finish is at the spiritual center of the great city, the Cathedral Plaza (Piazza Duomo). It's a bike handler's course and dead-flat except for two overpasses. Garzelli keeps 2nd place. 97 riders finished the 2003 Giro. No team ended the Giro with a complete team. Lotto had only one member remaining. Results:
Final 2003 Giro d'Italia General Classification:
Points (Sprinter)
Climber
Intergiro
Fastest Team in GC
Total: 3,449 kilometers Wednesday, June 4: Today I received a very interesting letter from Celestino Vercelli, the owner of Vittoria Shoes. He gave me permission to post it. Signor Vercelli has been devoted to cycling his whole life, from being a regional amateur champion who could win every race he entered, to riding on the Brooklyn team with Roger De Vlaeminck. Other teams he has ridden on have included Gianni Motta and World-Hour Record holder Ole Ritter. The note is a pleasure to read because Celestino's passion for the sport and love of the Giro (and Tour) as both a former contestant and now observer of the sport come through every word: "Saluti, The Giro d'Italia is over. Simoni is a great winner, a fine climber and an honest and sincere man. He is eager to clash with Armstrong at the Tour de France. He's trying to understand why his adversary doesn't want to take part in the Giro as all the best cyclists have done; from Anquetil to Merckx, from Hinault to Indurain, from Fignon to Lemond. Everyone is hoping he will take part in the Giro next year. We are sure that the Giro isn't less interesting than the Tour. It's only less popular and less well advertised. Everyone knows that it's as enchanting as the Tour. This year, the Giro had many people along the roadsides, especially in the Alps. For example, in the "Cascate del Toce" stage near the Swiss border there was a very warm welcome at the finish where everything was covered with pink paper. It has been an honest Giro without doping doubts. It's so beautiful because the public still loves the cyclists. But, it's impossible not to make allowances for them. They suffer for hours passing through many difficulties. They go from high temperatures and the stifling heat of the South to the freezing cold of the snowy northern mountains. They risk their lives descending steep mountains. Fortunately, accidents are very rare. It's true, the racers have their own Guardian Angel. See you at the Tour, Celestino." The Teams. Final Giro rider start list:. Alessio: BALDATO Fabio, CAUCCHIOLI Pietro, FURLAN Angelo, LUNGHI Denis, MARZOLI Ruggero, MIHOLIEVIC Vladimir, MORENI Cristian, PELLIZOTTI Franco. CCC Polsat: TONKOV Pavel, BARANOWSKI Dariusz, BROZYNA Thomas, BONDARIEW Bogdan, CHMIELEWSKI Piotr, KOHUT Seweryn, NAUDUZS Andris, PRZYDZIAL Piotr, ROMANIK Radoslaw. Panaria: FIGUERAS Giuliano, PEREZ CUAPIO Julio, BROWN Graeme Allen, LANFRANCHI Paolo, TIRALONGO Paolo, MAZZANTI Luca, LANCASTER Brett, BONGIORNO Guillermo. Colombia-Selle Italia: CASTELBLANCO Joaquim, GONZALEZ MARTINEZ Fredy, GARCIA John Freddy, MARIN Ruber Alverio, MUNOZ Hernan D., DE ANGELI Luca. MASSI Rodolfo, ILLIANO Raffaele, KHALILOV Mykhaylo. De Nardi-Colpack: HONCHAR Serhiy, AUG Andrus, CARRARA Matteo, GASPARRE Graziano, GIORDANI Leonardo, GOBBI Michele, PALUMBO Giuseppe, WEGELIUS Charles, ZANOTTI Leonardo. Domina Vacanze: CIPOLLINI Mario, BENNATI Daniele, COLOMBO Gabriele, LOMBARDI Giovanni MONDINI Gianpaolo, ONGARATO Alberto, SCARPONI Michele, SCIREA Mario, SECCHIARI Francesco. Fassa Bortolo: BRUSEGHIN Marzio, CIONI Dario David, KIRCHEN Kim, FRIGO Dario, GONZALEZ JIMENEZ Aitor, PETACCHI Alessandro, TOSATTO Matteo, TRENTI Guido, VELO Marco. FDJeux: FRITSCH Nicolas, CASAR Sandy, CASPER Jimmy, DACRUZ Carlos, DEREPAS David, EISEL Bernhard, GUESDON Frédéric, LHUILLIER Regis, WIGGINS Bradley. Formaggi Pinzolo: AGGIANO Elio, BALIANI Fortunato, CONTE Biagio, HAMBURGER Bo, DI BIASE Moreno, MESA MESA Hector O., MURAGLIA Giuseppe, NOCENTINI Rinaldo. Gerolsteiner: CONTRINI Daniele, FARESIN Gianni, FORSTER Robert, HARDTER Uwe, WEIGOLD Steffen , SCHOLZ Ronny, STRAUSS Marcel, TOTSCHNIG Georg, TRAMPUSCH Gerhard. Kelme: GALVEZ LOPEZ Isaac, GARCIA QUESADA Adolfo, GARCIA QUESADA Carlos, GUTIERREZ CATALUNA Ignacio, RIERA VALLS Jordi, RODRIGUEZ Alexis, USANO MARTINEZ Julian, ZABALLA GUTIEREZ Constantino. Lampre: CASAGRANDE Francesco, BARBERO Sergio, BELLI Wladimir BERTOLETTI Simone, PICCOLI Mariano, QUINZIATO Manuel,RUMSAS Raimondas, SVORADA Jan, VILA ERRANDONEA Francisco. Landbouwkrediet: ADYEYEV Sergiy, BERNUCCI Lorenzo, STREMERSCH Tom, DUMA Vladimir, GRYSCHENKO Ruslan, BILEKA Volodymyr, POPOVYCH Yaroslav, SCAMARDELLA Salvatore, VERSTREPEN Johan. Lotto-Domo: MC EWEN Robbie, VERBRUGGHE Rik, VIERHOUTEN Aart, VERBRUGGHE Ief, STEGMANS Gert, MOERENHOUT Koos, MARICHAL Thierry, GATES Nick, VAN IMPE Kevin. Mercatone-Uno: PANTANI Marco, CODOL Massimo, CONTI Roberto, FONTANELLI Fabiano, CLAVERO Daniel, GASPERONI Cristian, SZMYD Sylvester, RAVAIOLI Eddy, MANZONI Mario. Saeco: SIMONI Gilberto, SACCHI Fabio, SPEZIALETTI Alessandro SABALIAUSKAS Marius, BERTAGNOLLI Leonardo, FORNACIARI Paolo, PIERI Dario,TONTI Andrea, CUNEGO Damiano. Team Fakta: ARVESEN Kurt Asle, PETERSEN Jorgen Bo, HOJ Frank, BACKSTEDT Magnus, SUNDERLAND Scott, JOERGENSEN René, BAK Lars Ytting, RIEBENBAUER Werner, WINN Juilian. Tenax: FRATTINI Cristiano, HVASTIJA Martin, D'AMORE Crescenzo, LELEKIN Sergei, MARINI Mirko, PIETROPOLLI Daniele, POZZI Oscar, TONETTI Gianluca, ZANETTI Mauro. Vini Calderola-Sidermec (For brevity, in race reports I refer to this team as Sidermec): ANDRIOTTO Dario, APOLLONIO Massimo, BALDUCCI Gabriele, CHEULA Gian Paolo, GARZELLI Stefano, GEROSA Mauro, MASON Oscar, MAZZOLENI Eddy, ZAMPIERI Steve. Updated Giro predictions: Our unrivaled panel of experts looked at their crystal balls after the 14th stage to Pampeago and are willing to venture their opinions on how the Giro will turn out in a week from now in Milan. These predictions were done before Popovych's superb time-trial on Sunday. They show that while they believe Simoni has firm hands on the Giro, the race will still evolve into an interesting conclusion with many changes to come. Giuseppe Martinelli, Director Sportif of Simoni's Saeco team and former DS of Pantani's Mercatone Uno squad: Felice Gimondi, Tour Winner, Giro Winner, about everything winner: Franco Bitossi, one of the Gods of cycling with too many victories to list: Paolo Guerciotti, world famous bike maker and former Champion of Italy: Giro predictions, Every year I ask a group of knowledgable Italians their predictions for the Giro. I ask them for the General Classification (Pink Jersey) podium as well as the Climbers and Spinters competition winners. I'll post them as they come in today. Many thanks to Paolo Guerciotti for his help! He called Gianni Bugno while Signor Bugno was piloting a helicopter over Lecce. The predictions of La Gazzetta dello Sport are also listed below. Felice Gimondi: One of the Gods of Cycling, winner of both the Tour and the Giro. He will be traveling to Bergamo for the Granfondo Gimondi on Sunday, the 11th. Special guests there will include Gimondi, Andrea Tafi, Roger De Vlaeminck and Paolo Guerciotti. Wish I could be there! Pink Jersey: 1st Gilberto Simoni, 2nd Aitor Gonzalez, 3rd Francesco Casagrande. Gianni Bugno: World Champion, winner of the Giro, one of the greatest riders in history. Pink Jersey: Aitor Gonzalez, 2nd Gilberto Simoni, 3rd Stefano Garzelli Antonio Mondonico: World famous frame builder whose bikes have been ridden to the podium of the Tour, Giro and Classics. Pink Jersey: 1st Aitor Gonzalez, 2nd Gilberto Simoni, 3rd Francesco Casagrande or Stefano Garzelli Paolo Guerciotti: Former Champion of Italy,world famous bicycle producer and all around good-guy. Pink Jersey: 1st Gilberto Simoni, 2nd Francesco Casagrande, 3rd either Aitor Gonzalez or Dario Frigo. Giuseppe Martinelli: Former Sporting Director of Mercatone Uno and Marco Pantani. Now director of Saeco and Gilberto Simoni. Pink Jersey: Gilberto Simoni, 2nd Aitor Gonzalez, 3rd Francesco Casagrande La Gazzetta Dello Sport: Here's a summary of their handicapping The racers in the Pole position: Gilberto Simoni is the real standout. He is the point man of Saeco and is in terrific form. Not only has he won the Giro del Trentino for the first time and also that of the Appennines, but he probably also has the strongest team. Logic would indicate that the man from Trent is the favorite for number 1. This will, of course, be contested by the other racers. In any event, Simoni will not have an easy time of it. Also on the card to be contenders for the Pink Jersey in Milan are Francesco Casagrande, Stefano Garzelli and Aitor Gonzalez. (Interestingly, the writer used the term "papabili" which is the Italian for people who are eligible to be pope. That might be an indication of how serious this race is in Italy). Garzelli has returned to success in Trentino after being suspended form racing for 11 months. He has shown strength in the climbs (just ask Simoni) and will count the time trial among his friends. Aitor Gonzalez. The Spaniard can be an important protagonist if he can stay with the best in the climbs of the last week. Italian sports fans don't like to predict that Gonzalez may be the first non-Italian to win the Giro since Tonkov in 1996. Francesco Casagrande. The Tuscan, for one reason or another, has always had to defer his dreams of glory. This year, he will prove to be capable in the climbs. The time-trials could cost him. We should expect continued attacks from him. Marco Pantani. For many years, he was the man to beat. For the last two Giros he languished in the last position. Now he has been regaining his form in Spain. Is he a protagonist? No one at this moment can answer. Perhaps not even he. In any case, his presence in the group will be large (the writer used the word "ingombrante" which means bulky or cumbersome). The other contenders: Dario Frigo is the first among this group. He would merit inclusion in the top group if had not retired from the Tour of Romandie with knee problems. The other serious contenders are Tonkov, Caucchioli, Pellizotti, Scarponi, Rumsas and Popovych. |
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