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News :: May 2005

9 May 2005

10 May News ...

Alessandro Petacchi Goes Dutch?

The future of Alessandro Petacchi is likely to be away from Fassa Bortolo and Giancarlo Ferretti. Fassa Bortolo will not continue as a sponsor in 2006 and now Petacchi is on the search for a new team. Right now Petacchi is in talks with a new (yet to be named) potential sponsor, a multinational company based in Holland. The big issue for Petacchi is bringing with him his crew of fast-men: Marzio Bruseghin, Alberto Ongarato, Fabio Sacchi, Matteo Tosatto and Marco Velo.

Petacchi is also in talks with developed teams, but it would take a lot of empty space in wallet and line-up for most current teams. One team that is a great possibility is Domina Vacanze, they are Italian and looking to beef-up their lack-luster squadra. Other rumors flying around the BiciRace.com office is that Petacchi might actually go to Discovery Channel.

Stage One, Fassa Loses

Bettini In Pink

The first road stage of the Giro d'Italia provided huge excitement when the Olympic champion, Paolo Bettini (Quick-Step), took both the stage win in Tropea and the leader's pink jersey. Both McEwen and Petacchi tried to stop "il grillo" but did not succeed. The stage ended on an unusually technical downhill turned-to-uphill finish, and it was too much for Fassa to control. Bettini delivered; he was the man of the day! He drove hard with 500 meters to go, and created a large gap right away. Bettini was certainly pleased while Petacchi looks to stage 2.

OK, so tip off your cloth cycling caps to Il Grillo, Paolo Bettini. He had said on many occasions that this Giro win was his intention. He rode an unfortunate Spring classic campaign due to flu and illness, but a Giro win surely makes up for any lost Spring wins. This is Paolo's first ever Giro d'Italia stage win, adding to 44 career victories. Since turning pro in 1997, 30 year-old Bettini has won six classics, including Liège-Bastogne-Liège twice!

Giro d'Italia Stage 2 ... Flat

Today's Giro d'Italia takes the riders from Catanzaro Lido to Santa Maria del Cedro, covering 182K. It will be a super flat stage, expect the sprinters to make a day of it. Robbie McEwen, Erik Zabel, Tom Steels, or Alessandro Petacchi could take a stage win. But the inside scoop is that the non-Italian teams are really gunning to make sure the stages don't end in sprints, so look out.

France and Spain, What Giro?

The Giro d'Italia maybe going on, but yesterday saw the end of two important races in France and Spain. Over in Spain it was old man Pavel Tonkov (Team LPR) taking top honors in the Clásica de Alcobendas, after shrewdly winning the first stage. While in France the 4 Days of Dunkirk was wrapped up on the fifth stage. It was Pierrick Fedrigo taking the final GC for the French telecom boys in blue, Bouygues Telecom.

Dust Devil's Daily Wrap

The Dust Devil check's in with his daily views on the 2005 Giro d'Italia. "Il Grillo (Paolo Bettini of Quick-Step) surprised us all in the way only he can! Coming inside 10K to go with the breakaway readily handled, the Fassa Bortolo boys were stomping their authority over everyone." Read the Dust Devil's Daily Wrap, I would have bet my entire life savings ...

Manuele Mori Makes Moves

Only 24 years of age, Manuele Mori riding for Saunier Duval-Prodir finished 5th in yesterday's stage 1 of the 2005 Giro d'Italia. Mori draws on experience from his dad and bother, both of whom raced professionally. Manuele's dad, Primo, finished 6th in the 1969 Giro d'Italia and his bother Massimiliano, rides for Naturino - Sapore di Mare.

Coming in 5th was not easy for Mori, "To bad that at 1500 meters I was too far behind. I had searched to recover by taking two turns on the inside. Very Hard."

Mori lives near Pisa and has his sights set on stage 7, finishing in Pistoia. "It is a stage for a rider like Bettini or Di Luca," but Mori believes he has a chance. He has been studying his rivals closely and will strike when he gets a chance. Already this year he has finished 10th in Milano-Sanremo, 16th at Flèche Wallonne and 20th in the Amstel Gold Race. BiciRace.com wishes Mori the best of luck.

Read BiciRace.com's pink pages for toe-to-knee coverage of the 88th Giro d'Italia.

Beloki and Crew

Abeja and Beloki Train, photo: Liberty Seguros-Würth

Saturday, Joseba Beloki and his Liberty Seguros-Würth crew set out on a training ride before the start of the 2005 Giro d'Italia prologue. We have a group of photos of the Spanish squad out on the Southern Italian roads.

Liberty Seguros-Würth: Rene Andrle, Darius Baranowski, Joseba Beloki, Giampaolo Caruso, Koldo Gil, Jan Hruska, Javier Ramírez, Michele Scarponi

8 May News ...

"Every sprint is always different. There are always things going through my mind. The main thing I do is stay concentrated on the job and trying to get in the best position possible!" - Allan Davis

Phil Zajicek ... "I've had a few problems with my health this year so being here and getting healthy and getting some quality training in has been great. Haven't dropped Heras, we were doing hill repeats on the same climb the other day though and I'm pretty sure I was going faster than him. Just kidding, he is tiny though!"

Joseba Beloki Interview, "I'm not a real attacking kind of rider, but to attack one needs to have both confidence and physical strength to spare."

Tom Danielson Interview, Before the Giro d'Italia, "We looked at Lance a lot for that stage. And if I was able to do it, then I was going to try to do it. Lance had a lot of faith in me, and kind of stressed me out a little bit..."

He was often criticized by the nay-sayers for not getting over the big mountains. True, he never made it to Paris. But, he knows his talents. He got paid to win races and get publicity for his sponsors., "The End of an Era"