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17 September 2005

18 September News ...

Ballerini Names Squadra Azzurra

Yesterday at the Milano Fiera (the EICMA) BiciRace.com was on hand to get the scoop on the 2005 Squadra Azzurra. Italian national DS, Franco Ballerini, made his announcement on the riders that will take part in the World Championships in Madrid (22 and 25 September).

The two men that were guaranteed a spot on the Squadra Azzurra were: Marzio Bruseghin (Fassa Bortolo) and Marco Pinotti (Saunier Duval-Prodir). The duo will represent Italy in the TT on 22 September. Pinotti, who writes the Inside Scoop for BiciRace.com, hopes to change his Italian national jersey for a rainbow jersey. He has the skills to do so, but is recovering from a small crash on the track.

The hot topic of the day was the selection of the nine men which will form the squadra for the road race. Ballerini actually named 11, two of which will become 'reserves'. The decision on the final nine is expected in the next few days.

11 Riders Named:
Alessandro Petacchi (Fassa Bortolo)
Alessandro Ballan (Lampre-Caffita)
Daniele Bennati (Lampre-Caffita)
Lorenzo Bernucci (Fassa Bortolo)
Davide Bramati (Quick-Step)
Giovanni Lombardi (Team CSC)
Paolo Bettini (Quick-Step)
Filippo Pozzato (Quick-Step)
Luca Paolini (Quick-Step)
Matteo Tosatto (Fassa Bortolo)
Marco Velo (Fassa Bortolo)

Ballerini broke down the selections into three categories: "Savvy Veterans" (Lombardi, Bramati, Velo, Tosatto), "Resourceful Youngsters" (Pozzato, Bennati, Paolini, Bernucci, Ballan) and "Charismatic Captains" (Bettini and Petacchi). "All of ingredients that can give life to a 'grande gruppo'." The DS then went on to underline the objective, "we leave with a clear project. If we arrive at a sprint, then there is only one captain: Petacchi. Before the Vuelta I had in mind two squadras, of which one was more 'aggressive'. But the victories of Petacchi did not leave me with any doubts, in this moment he is the strongest, like at Milano-Sanremo."

There has been another, younger, sprinter making waves: Daniele Bennati. The Lampre-Caffita rider, with his five combined victories in the Deutschland Tour and Tour de Pologne, is proving to be one heck of a sprint force. "He has matured well, and comes from the school of Cipollini," said Ballerini. "The penultimate man in Madrid will maybe be more important than the last, because exiting the final curve with 600 meters will require avoiding any disasters."

Read:
Ballerini Announces Squadra Tomorrow, 15 September
Franco Ballerini Selects Squadra, 13 September
World Championships in 17 Days, 8 September
Crono Men for Squadra Azzurra, 12 August

EICMA Show Goodies

BiciRace.com is in Milano at EICMA. EICMA is one of the largest bike shows around, and there are usually tons of goodies to see. The excitement ranges from new product releases to important announcements. Yesterday at the show we spotted that famous polka-dot bike of Michael Rasmussen. The Dane won the climber's competition in this year's Tour de France. Ernesto Colnago prepared a special bike for the Rabobank rider to use in the final stages of the Tour. That polka-dot Colnago was on show, complete with race number.
Rasmussen's Name, photo: BiciRace.com
Polka-Dot Machine, photo: BiciRace.com

Double Day for Gerolsteiner

Gerolsteiner nailed two ProTour victories yesterday: Heinrich Haussler (21) scored in the Vuelta a España and Fabian Wegmann outgunned some heavy favorites in the Tour de Pologne. Haussler supplied the first win for the team in stage 19 of the Vuelta when he out-sprinted Martin Elmiger and David Latasa.

The Tour de Pologne is coinciding with the final week of the Vuelta, and it was in Poland that Gerolsteiner scored the double. Fabian Wegmann was in at the kill with an elite group in stage 5. They sucked up the day's escape and then Wegmann powered home ahead of Pozzato and Di Luca. Not bad for Wegmann, who came hot off the heels of success in the San Francisco Grand Prix.

60th Vuelta a España:
Startlist
Stages and Maps, Key Stages, Overall Map
Photos, Dust Devil's Daily Wrap

Tour de Pologne, Poland: 12 - 18 September

Preview and Stages, Overall Map, Startlist, Photos

Tachycardia Stops Cañada

David Cañada (Saunier Duval-Prodir) had to abandon the Vuelta a España yesterday during the stage 19, The Spaniard was experiencing a heart rate that was too high, 230bpm. This is problem that was diagnosed a few years ago, what doctors call "tachycardia", or an elevated heart rate. When he stopped the race he was taken immediately to Madrid's hospital. Cañada will have to be operated next week, and if everything is well he will be able to ride again very soon. The crew at BiciRace.com wishes Cañada the best of luck.

16 September News ...