BiciRace.com :: 2005 Züri Metzgete

2005 Züri Metzgete, Report

Züri Metzgete, Switzerland

2 October, 242K

Bettini Drops the Hammer

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Bettini Solos For Epic Win, photo: Quick-Step

Today in Zurich Paolo Bettini (Quick-Step) showed what could have been in Madrid one week ago. Under horrid weather conditions the Italian took matters into his own hands to claim his second Zurich victory. The Olympic champion went solo with 35K remaining, and was never to been seen again.

The day's weather in Zurich was terrible, heavy rain and temperatures no more than 10°C. It was a perfect day to stay indoors and watch an epic battle. The course was one large loop of 71K, followed by four loops of 41.4K (see race preview). It was on the first of four loops, near 140K to go, that the race started to take shape. The Pfannenstiel shook the race to pieces, helping form a 10 man group of riders.

Horner Enjoys Rain, photo: Graham Watson, Saunier Duval

The start of the final two loops saw Stijn Devolder (Discovery Channel) bridge to joining the group, making 11. The gruppo had 3 minutes with 80K to go. The gruppo: Stijn Devolder (Discovery Channel), Rik Verbrugghe, Patrik Sinkewitz, Cristian Moreni (all Quick-Step), Lorenzo Bernucci (Fassa Bortolo), Aurélien Clerc (Phonak), Carlos Barredo (Liberty Seguros-Würth), Andrea Moletta, Heinrich Haussler (both Gerolsteiner), Vladimir Miholjevic (Liquigas-Bianchi) and Andriy Grivko (Domina Vacanze)

Di Luca and Sánchez 1K, photo: Züri Metzgete

Behind driving the pace was a hungry Quick-Step squadra. They were working for their team captain, Paolo Bettini. It was an amazing bit of work, considering they already had the numbers up front, three Quick-Step riders. Bettini and Paolini bridge on their own with 45K, to help form an amazing five Quick-Step riders in the front group. Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas-Bianchi) or Damiano Cunego (Lampre-Caffita) could not even respond when the two went on the attack.

Quick-Step went ballistic up front with an infernal rhythm. The blue and grey boys were ramping up the tempo for an attack by Bettini. Sure enough, the Olympic champion unloaded on the group of 13 with 35K go to. Lorenzo Bernucci (Fassa Bortolo) was a key chaser, but could not match his fellow Italian. Bettini was off on his own and proceeded to build up an untouchable gap.

Bernucci and Schleck Chase, photo: Züri Metzgete

Last weeks near-miss at the World Championships must have been on Bettini's mind as he made his way in the driving rain. By the foot of the final pass of the Pfannenstiel the Italian had just under 2 minutes. By the top, he had nearly 3 minutes on Bernucci. Fränk Schleck (Team CSC) joined forces with Bernucci, but the duo could not make head-way on Bettini. Over the top of the Wetzwil (14K to go) Bettini still had near 3 minutes.

Bettini Wins 2nd, photo: Quick-Step

Bettini entered the final kilometer still alone and starting to celebrate a fine second victory in the Swiss classic. Behind, Schleck was able to hold off the 2005 Tour de France stage winner, Bernucci, for second place. Di Luca headed a small group home for fourth, and he may now have the ProTour locked up.

Results: 6:06'22"
1 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick-Step
2 Fränk Schleck (Lux) Team CSC 2.57
3 Lorenzo Bernucci (Ita) Fassa Bortolo
4 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi 3.10
5 Samuel Sánchez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
6 Steffen Wesemann (Swi) T-Mobile 3.35
7 Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Gerolsteiner 3.39
8 Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Française Des Jeux 3.41
9 Mirko Celestino (Ita) Domina Vacanze 3.57
10 Vladimir Miholjevic (Slo) Liquigas-Bianchi
11 Gregory Rast (Swi) Phonak 4.37
12 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Cofidis 4.59
13 Andrea Moletta (Ita) Gerolsteiner 6.43
14 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-Caffita 7.08
15 Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Domina Vacanze
16 Martin Elmiger (Swi) Phonak
17 Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) Liberty Seguros
18 Leonardo Bertagnolli (Ita) Cofidis
19 Carlos Barredo (Spa) Liberty Seguros 7.11
20 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Illes Balears
21 Carlos Sastre (Spa) Team CSC
22 Alessandro Bertolini (Ita) Domina Vacanze 8.38
23 Markus Zberg (Swi) Gerolsteiner 8.40
24 Pablo Lastras (Spa) Illes Balears
25 Gorazd Stangelj (Slo) Lampre-Caffita
26 Bram de Groot (Ned) Rabobank
27 José Luis Rubiera (Spa) Discovery Channel
28 Michael Barry (Can) Discovery Channel
29 Rubens Bertogliati (Swi) Saunier Duval-Prodir
30 Michael Albasini (Swi) Liquigas-Bianchi
31 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Fassa Bortolo
32 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Liberty Seguros
33 Patrik Sinkewitz (Ger) Quick-Step
34 Rik Verbrugghe (Bel) Quick-Step
35 Pieter Weening (Ned) Rabobank
36 José Vicente Garcia (Spa) Illes Balears 18.04
37 Laurent Brochard (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 24.25
38 Aurélien Clerc (Swi) Phonak
39 Chris Horner (USA) Saunier Duval-Prodir
40 Steve Zampieri (Swi) Phonak
41 Grischa Niermann (Ger) Rabobank
42 Benoît Poilvet (Fra) Crédit Agricole
43 Amaël Moinard (Fra) Cofidis
44 Philip Deignan (Fra) AG2R Prévoyance
45 Uros Murn (Slo) Phonak
46 Yannick Talabardon (Fra) Crédit Agricole
47 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Team CSC
48 Stéphane Goubert (Fra) AG2R Prévoyance
49 Francesco Bellotti (Ita) Crédit Agricole