BiciRace.com

• News
• Races
• Photos
• Interviews
• Inside Scoop
• Gear & Gadgets

21 June 2006

22 June News ...

Bruseghin: The Italian TT Champion

Yesterday in Pordenone Marzio Bruseghin won his first race after 10 years as a professional. The 32 year-old Italian won the national time trial championships, beating 2005 champion Marco Pinotti (Saunier Duval-Prodir) by 15", to take the famed Maglia Tricolore.

"Not one win as a professional and this is my tenth year of racing," confirmed Bruseghin, dressed in a hat adorned with donkey ears. The Italian is mad for donkeys, he has 15 of them at his home in Piadera di Vittorio Veneto, and the donkey has been adopted as the mascot of Bruseghin's fan club. But it is true that he did win with Banesto in 2001. "Yes, but that was a team time trial at the Tour of Portugal, and it does not count."

Bruseghin passed into the professional ranks in 1997 with Brescialat and then from 1999 to 2002 he raced in Spain with Banesto, returning to Italy in 2003 to serve as a gregario for Petacchi at Fassa Bortolo and, starting this season, Cunego at Lampre-Fondital.

The sensations have been good: Last Thursday Marzio Bruseghin celebrated his birthday, where he was given his 15th donkey, named "Bruss", a week of training for the Tour de France and the forethought to put a bottle of Prosecco in the refrigerator for the post-race celebrations.

"In the last days I have been working in the mountains on my climbing for the upcoming Tour de France," confirmed the new Italian Champion. "Monday before I came here to race I put a fresh bottle of Prosecco in the refrigerator; naturally it was a Prosecco that is from our zone."

We are bound to see more emotional wins from Bruseghin. He will compete in Sunday's road championships and then head to Strasbourg for the start of the 93rd Tour de France where he will be able to wear his new Maglia Tricolore for the prologue on 1 July.

Basso's Last Race

King of the 2006 Giro d'Italia, Ivan Basso, took part in his last race before the Grand Départ. Il Varesino of CSC took part in the 2nd Memorial Giancarlo Fior e Giorgio Lago in Castelfranco Veneto. Alessandro Ballan (Lampre-Fondital), the home-town boy, took top honors in the race that was attended by 30 professionals: Emanuele Sella (Panaria-Navigare), Matteo Tosatto (Quick-Step), Mirco Lorenzetto (Milram), Manuel Quinziato (Liquigas) ...

Ivan Basso, racing in his the Maglia Rosa he conquered at the Giro, spent more of his time joking around with the fans than actual racing. The rider from Varese is very popular in this area of Veneto, he based himself there for three and half years while racing for Zalf Euromobil Fior. From May 1996 to 1998 he took 20 victories, climaxing in his 1998 U-23 World Championship victory in Valkenburg.

In the next week Ivan Basso will travel to Strasbourg, France to start the Tour de France where he hopes to conquer all and wear the Maillot Jaune in Paris.

Di Luca for Tricolore and Blanc à Pois Rouges

Danilo Di Luca, after a lack-luster Giro d'Italia, will resurface to race the Italian National Championships this Sunday in Gorizia. After the championships, Di Luca will travel north to form a key part of the Liquigas squadra for the 93rd Tour de France.

The circuit, totaling 241.5K, suits The Killer's riding style, with many opportunities to attack. Di Luca noted, "It will be a chance to help me get into the rhythm of racing, and hopefully take the maglia tricolore to the Tour de France. It would be an honor to wear the maglia to start the Tour, where my objective will be to take the polka-dot jersey."

Di Luca is focused on obtaining more experience in three week racing, which should serve him well when he returns to the Giro next year to battle for the top GC spot. During the three-week Tour de France the Killer will look to secure points on the categorized climbs to obtain the Maillot Blanc à Pois Rouges, or climber's jersey. Expect to see Di Luca fighting over all the small côtes in the opening week through the Ardennes, where he knows the roads very well, as witnessed by his 2004 romping.

During his time away from cycling, Di Luca has been noting his rivals' racing performances. With the win last week in the Tour de Suisse, Jan Ullrich is the rider that the Killer thinks will be the 2006 Tour champion. "He made a great showing in Pontedera at the Giro and now in the Tour de Suisse," tipped Di Luca. "But Basso is maturing with every year. I expect to see Vinokourov, Landis and Leipheimer fighting for the podium."

Depending on how he rides in the Tour de France, Di Luca will decide which jersey he will want to conquered. On his list is a run at the ProTour competition or focusing on the World Championships in Salzburg, both of which are accompanied by cool jerseys.

Bartoli Criticizes Cunego

Former World Cup Winner and all-around Classics star, Michele Bartoli, has openly criticized choice of Damiano Cunego (Lampre-Fondital) to ride the Tour de France.

Il Gatto aimed at Cunego and Team DS Giuseppe Martinelli: "I am confused by this decision. It would be better to start in France without having raced the Giro d'Italia first. If I were his sporting director I would not take him to both Grand Tours in one season," said Bartoli.

Cunego, winner of the 2004 Giro d'Italia, managed a fourth overall in this year's Giro, after spending the first week suffering and losing chunks of time against Ivan Basso in the crono. The third week saw Cunego return to himself, climbing with ease and moving up the GC.

"I don't have doubts in my abilities over a three week course," said Cunego last week on his decision to race the Tour de France. "At the Tour I will race to gain experience and then maybe next year hopefully I might be able to win. For the first 10 days I will remain calm and not worry about the crazy fight for GC during the sprint stages. For this first time I will be content to be a protagonist in some of the beautiful mountain stages, like the stage to Alpe d'Huez."

Cunego's decision to race the Tour de France comes at a cost, he has axed any possibility of racing the World Championships in October, a race Bartoli holds close his heart. Bartoli thinks it might still be possible for Il Piccolo Principe to race the Worlds, "After the Tour, he will have about a month and a half to ready himself for Salzburg, but he will have to manage himself wisely in France."

According to the former pro from Pisa, Cunego needs to structure his program like Ivan Basso did in the past few years. "For the last four years Ivan has canceled any Giro ambitions to focus on the Tour de France. He dedicated himself completely to understanding the Tour de France and becoming faster in the crono. From Ivan's performance in the Giro this year it is obvious that he has become a leader for the Tour."

Cofidis Tour Squadra

David Moncoutié and Rik Verbrugghe will head France's biggest squadra for the 2006 Tour de France. Eric Boyer, Team Manager, will hope for stage wins from the Frenchman and Belgian, who have both proven themselves capable of winning in Grand Tours.

Italian Leonardo Bertagnolli, stage winner at the Tirreno-Adriatico, will be left at home but the team will still have representation from Italy via Cristian Moreni (33).

Colombian Ivan Parra will have free reign in the mountains to destroy his climbing rivals. Parra won two stages of the Giro d'Italia last year and skipped the Italian race this year to focus on the Tour.

The complete Squadra: Stéphane Augé, Jimmy Casper, Sylvain Chavanel, Arnaud Coyot, David Moncoutié, Cristian Moreni, Ivan Parra, Rik Verbrugghe, and Bradley Wiggins.

Iban Mayo Heads Euskaltel-Euskadi

Since the thrashing of his rivals in the Briançon - La Toussuire stage of the Dauphiné Libéré, Ivan Mayo has become more and more of a possible threat to the overall in the Tour de France. Even if the Basque is not so fast in the time trails, he could possibly demoralize his opponents in the mountains, paving the way for a possible podium finish when the race reaches Paris.

Mayo will head the orange Basque squadra, backed by the following riders: Iker Camaño, Unai Etxebarria, Aitor Hernández, Iñaki Flores, Iñigo Landaluze, David López García, Gorka Verdugo and Haimar Zubeldia

20 June News ...