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News :: May 2006

3 May 2006

4 May News ...

Ardennes Men at Giro

Bettini for Namur Stage, photo: Quick-Step

Saturday's 6.2K time trial kicks off the start of the 2006 Giro d'Italia, but the explosive riders will be looking to blast in the following Ardennes stages. Riders like Paolo Bettini (Quick-Step) and Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner) will want to avenge their losses in the Ardennes Classics.

Il Grillo came oh so close in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, ultimately losing to Valverde, and has his eyes on the 202K stage 3 to Namur, with the Côte de Ahin at -56.5K and the final 2K rising 110 meters! This will be an opportunity for Bettini to jump, but he will also have to be attentive of Tin-Tin. [Stage 3 Profile]

Rebellin is making a special revenge appearance at the 89th Giro, after a lackluster performance in his beloved Ardennes Classics due to a fractured rib. "I felt outside of the favorites at Liège-Bastogne-Liège due to my fractured rib... It was not a very fortunate period," said Tin-Tin with his knives out. "Now I hope all has passed and I will go to the Giro for a stage victory and the Maglia Rosa in the opening stages."

Cronomen for Giro

The 89th Giro d'Italia has its share of cronomen who will vie for glory in the time trials on offer. The big TT star of the Giro will be 3X World Champion Michael Rogers (T-Mobile). The Aussie, who is based in Varese (Lombardia), could rip the 50K Pontedera TT to shreds, and will also be a key man in the pink posse for the stage 5 Team TT.

Another TT machine is Iván Gutiérrez (Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears). The 27 year-old Spaniard will be amongst the favorites for the Pontedera parcours. Bobby Julich (Team CSC) and Viatcheslav Ekimov (Discovery Channel) are two other names who could blast the 50K test. J-Man, backing Basso for GC, will have his chance in Pontedera, and Ekimov, backing Savoldelli, will want to show his engine still fires at 40 years-old. [Stage 11 Profile]

Finally, there is Bradley McGee (Française Des Jeux). Two years ago the 28 year-old won the Genova prologue and spent a few days in la Maglia Rosa, but this year's Seraing 6.2K TT could be a little hilly for the Aussie. [Stage 1 Profile]

McEwen and Petacchi Head Sprints

McEwen After 2005 Giro Stage Win, photo: Davitamon-Lotto

Alessandro Petacchi (Milram) will be the sprinter to watch when the riders of the 89th Giro d'Italia fly for the line. In 2003 he made his name known with six stage wins, followed by an incredible, yet boring, nine in 2004 and four last year. The only rider who is on the same level as Ale-Jet is McJet, Robbie McEwen.

The Aussie sprinter for Davitamon-Lotto has the ability pounce on any sprint train and produce stunning results. His tactics garnered excitement and three stage wins in last year's Giro and will surely give him at least one win in this edition.

The biggest problem for Ale-Jet and McJet are the low number of sprint stages on offer, Ale-Jet counts five. Milram and Davitamon-Lotto will have to work hard to keep the group together if they are to have any sprint chance.

Other possible sprint-threats are the Germans Olaf Pollack (T-Mobile) and Robert Förster (Gerolsteiner).

Giro Teams Presented in Liège

The 22 teams of the Giro d'Italia will arrive today in Belgium. The official presentation of the 198 riders will take place tomorrow in Liège at 17.00 in Place Saint Lambert, in front of the Provincial Palace. "Nowhere have I seen a construction so remarkable, serious and grandiose at the same time", Victor Hugo wrote in reference to Saint Lambert.

In the morning, before the presentation, all riders will undergo UCI health checks to ensure they are fit to start the grueling three week Tour.

89th Giro d'Italia, 6 - 28 May
Main, Startlist, Classifications
Stages and Maps, Key Stages, Overall Map
Photos, The Dust Devil's Daily Wrap
2005 Giro d'Italia

Il Treno Milram for Giro

Gianluigi Stanga and Antonio Bevilacqua, Team Managers of Milram, have gone down the list of their riders to select the eight men that will protect the team's leader for the Giro d'Italia: Alessandro Petacchi. The two most important and trusted men for Ale-Jet in the final kilometers of the sprints will be Alberto Ongarato and Fabio Sacchi.

Further sprint support will come from Alessandro Cortinovis, Mirco Lorenzetto, Elia Rigotto, Alessandro Vanotti and Christian Knees. Sergio Ghisalberti will have a little more freedom compared to his Milram mates, he will do his best to ride high in the GC.

The Killer Rides Unafraid

In Rosa at 2005 Giro, photo: Bianchi

Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas) is ready for his first ever run at the overall GC of a Grand Tour. After Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the 2005 ProTour champion decided to come back home to Italy for his last training, before returning to Belgium for the start of the Giro d'Italia.

"I will start in Seraing well aware that I did all I could to race the best Giro of my life," said the Killer. "In front of me is a first... I will face a new challenge and, for that reason, it will be very exciting."

L'Abruzzese has never dedicated a whole season to a single victory, like the GC of the Giro d'Italia, one which will be stacked with dangerous opponents. "I'm not afraid," explained the 30-year-old Liquigas captain, who has taken 37 victories in nine years as a pro. "In 2005, I proved myself to be ready to win a Grand Tour, and I know myself enough to say that I can fight for the overall win. I gave up my traditional goals at the beginning of the season to have some months of hard training, starting with a long camp at altitude in Mexico. Now, I definitely think I've matured as an athlete, and also psychologically. It won't be easy at all, but I will take my chances."

Liquigas will line up in the Giro a very strong squadra. "It is another reason for calmness. The team is in no way inferior to our opponents." What about the team time trial? "Only CSC and Discovery Channel can perform better than us. As for me, I trained especially for the time trials: also today I've trained on the time trial bike, the one that Bianchi has prepared especially for the Giro. It is a monocoque carbon frame, and I like it a lot."

As for the parcours of this year's Giro, Di Luca doesn't have any doubt: "There isn't a 'decisive stage': the whole last week will be decisive!" As for his rivals, "In particular I'll watch out for Basso and Simoni, but I'm not going to be worried by anyone and anything."

Liquigas officially announced the squadra that will protect the Killer: Dario Andriotto, Patrick Calcagni, Dario Cioni, Vladimir Miholjevic, Andrea Noè, Franco Pellizotti, Alessandro Spezialetti, and Charles Wegelius.

Read:
Di Luca Wants Only Giro and Worlds, 3 March
Mexico Man: Di Luca, 22 February
Liquigas Presents The Killer, 7 February
Di Luca for Mexico and Giro, 18 January

2 May News ...