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News :: Riding with Matteo Algeri

26 May 2005

27 May News ...

Riding with Matteo Algeri, Saunier Duval - Prodir

BiciRace.com hitches a ride with Matteo Algeri

Pietro Algeri Driving

BiciRace.com caught up with one of the two Director Sportivo's for Saunier Duval - Prodir, Matteo Algeri. The other DS is Pietro, Matteo's dad. You might know Matteo from reading the BiciRace.com chats.Today we had a chance to spend some more quality time with Matteo as we rode along with him in Stage 16 of the Giro d'Italia.

BiciRace.com met Matteo in the morning at the sign-in. From there we headed to find some Esta Thè, but no luck, they were out. So instead, at the request of BiciRace.com, we grabbed some espresso. Matteo took a little time out to talk about the race with his riders. Soon enough the race officials were starting the race and we were running to the team car.

Matteo Talks with Adriano Baffi

During the race Matteo was talking with master DS Pietro via team radio. Pietro called us up to cover the riders while he tended to some business. He yelled out of the car, "time for gelato". Sure enough, moments later, the mechanic in Pietro's car was handing us ice cream.

Italians love to chat, even while driving in a race. Early on we were beside Adriano Baffi of Phonak, yelling back and forth while flying down the road, much like conversations you have at high volumes while riding bikes. Matteo and Adriano were sorting out the details of the stage.

Roberto Laiseka

Of course there were flat tires all around during the stage. We were passing some unlucky riders getting service. Bram Schmitz was receiving service from the T-mobile crew as we flew by. Other riders were drafting behind the cars, working their way back to the peloton. Roberto Laiseka was back in the caravan a lot in Stage 16. He was doing some motor-pacing behind our car, and also getting some hand-slings, errr water bottles.

Tifosi

Matteo and BiciRace.com were enjoying the nice weather, getting updates from Pietro and race radio. It was not hard to get Matteo to smile, he was co-directing his first Grand-Tour. (All fan mail for Matteo can be sent through BiciRace.com and we will forward it on.) On the side of the road everyone was out, mostly in Pink. The crowds were huge from Lissone to Varazze.

Fassa Bortolo and Discovery were keeping a high tempo in the first 2 hours. They were controlling the attacks off the front by keeping the pace blistering. As a result guys were getting spit out the back of the group. The pace smoothed out after a while when a big group formed, around 20 riders.

Seaside in Varazze

Finally Matteo and I arrived in the seaside town of Varazze. What a great city, "città delle donne"! (City of the Ladies!) No kidding, it really is. Matteo and I went our different ways after the stage, as he had to get down to business. Hotels, his riders ... There was a lot of work to be done.

See the Stage 16 race report or have look at more photos from Stage 16.

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