BiciRace.com :: News :: September 2005

News :: September 2005

29 September 2005

The Killer In Switzerland

Di Luca In Pologne, photo: Capture-The -Peloton.com

"In Zurich I can close the ProTour dossier," says Danilo Di Luca, current leader of the season long ProTour competition. This Sunday The Killer and his Liquigas boys will head to Switzerland to face the Züri Metzgete. "I like the route and my condition is very good."

Di Luca suffered a little in the Tour de Pologne but his form seems to be on target. "A good placing could be enough for me, but I won't race as an accountant. If I can, I will go for the win. I would like to make it [the ProTour lead] mine for good and race the last classic, the Giro di Lombardia, only concentrating on the day's result."

Liquigas-Bianchi Squadra for Sunday: Danilo Di Luca, Dario Andriotto, Michael Albasini, Mauro Gerosa, Patrick Calcagni, Vladimir Miholjevic, Andrea Noè and Charles Wegelius. (Read the BiciRace.com interviews with Danilo Di Luca and Charly Wegelius.)

ProTour Over for 2005?

The ProTour competition could be finished for 2005. Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas-Bianchi) has a secure lead in the overall rankings, and he looks ready to finish the year in the all-white ProTour kit. Last Sunday Tom Boonen scored 50 points for winning the World Championships*, but his season is now over. The only possible threat to The Killer is Vino. Alexander Vinokourov (T-Mobile) could mount a raid in the last three ProTour races and overtake the Italian, but it is unlikely. (*The Worlds were not originally factored in the ProTour points.)

The Standings:
1 Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas-Bianchi) - 209
2 Tom Boonen (Quick-Step) - 171
3 Jan Ullrich (T-Mobile) - 140
4 Lance Armstrong (Discovery Channel) - 139
5 Alexander Vinokourov (T-Mobile) - 136
6 Levi Leipheimer (Gerolsteiner) - 131
7 Bobby Julich (Team CSC) - 130
8 George Hincapie (Discovery Channel) - 129
9 Alessandro Petacchi (Fassa Bortolo) - 128

Read:
Di Luca Keeps Strong in ProTour, 19 September
Levi Moves up in ProTour, 25 August

The Odds On Züri Metzgete

Flecha Wins 2004 Edition, photo: Züri Metzgete

BiciRace.com heard back from a number of our readers regarding the fun they had betting on the World Championships. There were a few of you who lost your shirt on Petacchi, but hey that is why it is called gambling! Sunday in Switzerland is a chance for you to redeem yourself amongst your cycling friends. Place a winning bet for the Züri Metzgete, and your status (and shirt) could be recovered.

BiciRace.com talked to our buddy Paolo again. Over a caffè we discussed the odds on Sunday's race. He really likes Valverde, but he is giving better odds for his countryman, Bettini.

Paolo's Odds:
Paolo Bettini (Quick-Step) 1-4
Alejandro Valverde (Illes Balears) 1-6
Michael Boogerd (Rabobank) 1-10
Damiano Cunego (Lampre-Caffita) 1-14
Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas-Bianchi) 1-14
Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner) 1-16
Ivan Basso (Team CSC) 1-20
Luca Paolini (Quick-Step) 1-20
Juan Antonio Flecha (Fassa Bortolo) 1-25
Kim Kirchen (Fassa Bortolo) 1-25
Mirko Celestino (Domina Vacanze) 1-30
Oscar Pereiro (Phonak) 1-30
Fabian Wegmann (Gerolsteiner) 1-30
Stefano Garzelli (Liquigas-Bianchi) 1-35
Jakob Piil (Team CSC) 1-40
Filippo Pozzato (Quick-Step) 1-40

The Wise-Man Weighs-In: Lombardi

Giovanni Lombardi knows a few things about winning races. The 36 year-old has helped Mario Cipollini to many victories, including his win in the 2002 Worlds. Over his 14 years as a pro, and 42 wins, he has learned a number of tricks. His take on the last Sunday's World Championship was that there was communication of Alessandro Petacchi's status, but it was too late.

"It turned out to be a tough course, but if Boonen was able to win then so too could Petacchi," said Lombardi. "Bettini had played his cards in the escape and was not able to do it again in the sprint with Boonen. Maybe it would have been better to know one lap earlier that Peta was not going well." Peta, Alessandro Petacchi, waited until 10K to go (the last lap) to inform Franco Ballerini that he was not feeling so hot.

Read:
Honest Words From Petacchi, 28 September
Lost Worlds for Paolo Bettini, 27 September
Some Explanation from Ballerini, 27 September
Petacchi and Bettini ... What Happened?, 26 September

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