85th Giro d'Italia (GT)

Italy, May 11-June 2, 2002

Photography

Team Presentation - May 10: Groningen
Prologue - May 11: Groningen ITT, 6.5 km
Stage 1 - May 12: Groningen-Munster, 215 km
Stage 2 - May 13: Cologne-Ans/Liege, 209 km
Stage 3 - May 14: Verviers-E.s. Alzette, 206 km
Stage 4 - May 15: Esch-sur-Alzette-Strasbourg, 232 km

Stage 4 - May 15: Esch-sur-Alzette-Strasbourg, 232 km

Photo by AFP

Robbie McEwen (Lotto-Adecco) just gets a tyre ahead of Mario Cipollini (Acqua&Sapone)

Photos by Fotoreporter Sirotti

• A possible relation of The Mouse...
• Charly Gaul, legend of Luxembourg cycling
• Mario Cipollini with Charly Gaul at the start of stage 3
• Paolo Bettini (Mapei) with Charly Gaul
• Stefano Garzelli and Charly Gaul
• Kindred spirits: Marco Pantani and Charly Gaul, both untouchable in the mountains in their day
• Marco Pantani, sans hair, gives an interview at the start
• Panaria's team director Reverberi gives an interview
• Bert Grabsch (Phonak) signs autographs for grateful fans
• The popular Esta The stand.
• The Tris stand, the sponsors of the points jersey.
• There are plenty of incentives to win a stage in the Giro. There are also these.
• The all important TV cameraman gets ready to capture the final 5 seconds of the stage
• Robbie McEwen (Lotto) with his director Claude Criquielion after the stage
• Robbie McEwen waves to the crowd with his flowers on the podium.
• A happy Robbie McEwen salutes from the podium.

Stage 3 - May 14: Verviers-E.s. Alzette, 206 km

Photos by Fotoreporter Sirotti

• Riding a bike is habit forming
• The old and the new
• Umbrellas are only one colour in the starting village
• Stefano Garzelli and Daniele Nardello catch up on the football scores before the start
• "I said what???"
• Stefano Garzelli mobbed in pink before the start
• The Mapei-Quick Step boys line up at the start
• Belgian fans in Verviers wait for the start
• Mario Cipollini with five time Giro winner Eddy Merckx
• Two champions of the Giro: Eddy Merckx and Francesco Moser
• Champions of the Giro
• Champions of the Giro eating
• The start is always chaotic
• The peloton cruises along the Spa race track during the third stage
• The peloton ride past a sea of flowers
• A local Luxembourg fan waves the riders by
• Stefano Garzelli (Mapei) rides during the third stage
• Francesco Casagrande (Fassa Bortolo) rides during the third stage
• Marc Streel (Landbouwkrediet-Colnago) during his long solo effort
• Mario Cipollini (Acqua e Sapone) wins the third stage in Luxembourg
• Mario Cipollini (Acqua e Sapone) raises his arms as he wins
• Mario Cipollini (Acqua e Sapone) shouts in triumph as he wins the third stage
• Mario Cipollini (Acqua e Sapone) waves to the crowd with his flowers
• Mario Cipollini (Acqua e Sapone) sprays the crowd with champagne
• Mario Cipollini laughs on the podium after his second stage win
• Francesco Casagrande (Fassa Bortolo) on the podium in the green mountains jersey
• Stefano Garzelli (Mapei) gets his second maglia rosa, presented by Eddy Merckx
• Stefano Garzelli in the pink
• Stefano Garzelli prepares to unleash the champagne...
• Stefano Garzelli sprays the crowd with champagne

Stage 2 - May 13: Cologne-Ans/Liege, 209 km

Photos by Fotoreporter Sirotti

• Mario Cipollini stands under Cologne's famous and very old cathedral at the start
• Mario Cipollini and The Mouse at the start
• Dario Frigo and The Mouse at the start.
• The Pirate does have hair and it's black.
• The riders assemble under Cologne's cathedral for the start
• The peloton just after the start
• The peloton riding past a field of flowers
• The peloton on one of several of the day's inclines
• Mario Cipollini rides during the stage in the company of Giovanni Lombardi (Acqua e Sapone)
• Marco Pantani (Mercatone Uno) rides hard during the stage
• Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner) gets a shot of grease
• Francesco Casagrande (Fassa Bortolo) leads the attack on the Cote de St Nicolas
• Francesco Casagrande - leads Stefano Garzelli and Rik Verbrugghe on the Cote de St Nicolas, at the end of stage 2
• Francesco Casagrande (Fassa Bortolo) stringing them out on the climb
• The leading group on the Cote de St Nicolas
• Pavel Tonkov (Lampre) suffering on the climb
• Gilberto Simoni (Saeco) wasn't quite on top form today, losing 25 seconds on the climb
• Marco Pantani (Mercatone Uno) gives it everything to hang onto the leading group
• Mario Cipollini in suffer-mode near the finish
• Franco Pellizotti (Alessio) fights to stay in contact
• Stefano Garzelli (Mapei) wins the stage ahead of Francesco Casagrande (Fassa Bortolo)
• Stefano Garzelli wins the stage into Ans
• Stefano Garzelli gets a hard earned kiss from the podium girls
• Stefano Garzelli prepares to uncork the champagne

Stage 1 - May 12: Groningen-Munster, 215 km

Photos by Miwako Sasaki

• Australian road champ Robbie Mcewen (Lotto-Adecco) - obviously didn't tell a great joke to his Mapei friend
• Aussie Mathew Hayman (Rabobank, centre) - just looks happy to be here in his first Grand Tour
• Cadel Evans (Mapei-Quick Step) - in deep thought before the stage 1 start
• Graeme Brown (Ceramiche Panaria-Fiordo) - looking slightly hesitant before the first stage to Munster - and no, "Brownie's" not paying a visit to Herman

Photos by Steven de Goede

• Franco Pellizotti (Alessio) - gives his thoughts on how he'll fare in today's stage
• Frank Hoj (Team Coast) - has a bad hair day, and he's happy to show it too
• Addy Engels (Rabobank) - looks like he do with a good feed, but eating a microphone isn't the answer
• Oops, I'm late! - Lars Michaelsen (Team Coast) realises he better get going before the peloton leave without him
• Could Mario Cipollini - be getting a little weary of how easy it is for him to win?

Photos by Fotoreporter Sirotti

• The crowd was impressive at the start in Groningen
• A young fan watches the action from a parent's shoulders
• The Kelme boys in the start village looking very photogenic
• Race director Carmine Castellano with the Mayor of Groningen, Jacq Wallage
• Juan Carlos Dominguez (Phonak) signs on in Groningen
• Juan Carlos Dominguez (Phonak) with Gilberto Simoni (Saeco), last year's winner
• Juan Carlos Dominguez with Giro icon Francesco Moser
• Juan Carlos Dominguez' new friend
• Marco Pantani being piratical at the start
• Under the Martinitoren in Groningen, where the riders started the first stage
• The start in Groningen
• Young German and Italian fans
• Italian and German children cheer the riders on during the first stage
• A German fan waves the riders on to Munster
• The Acqua e Sapone riders did not have it all their own way during the long stage.
• Paolo Bettini (Mapei) inspects his bike after a fall, while a teammate waits for him.
• Marco Pantani (Mercatone Uno) gets a push after a mechanical
• Mario Cipollini (Acqua e Sapone) tries to get into the team car to change his outfit
• With the Intergiro sprint at 52km to go - Acqua&Sapone rode tempo and Lombardi led Cipo out to win the sprint and the 6" time bonus, putting Mario within 9" of race leader Juan Carlos Dominguez (Phonak)
• The peloton cruises along during stage 1 from Groningen to Munster
• The peloton flying along through the streets of Munster
• A Saeco rider gets his radio adjusted
• Fabio Sacchi (Saeco) was caught in a late crash
• Two vs five - the odds weren't looking so good for Robbie McEwen in the closing kilometres
• Graeme Brown (Ceramiche Panaria-Fiordo) lunges - but it's only good for second against an unbeatable Cipo
• Mario Cipollini (Acqua e Sapone) wins the stage in front of Graeme Brown (Panaria, R) and Robbie McEwen (Lotto, L)
• Full frontal - Super Mario's on fire in 2002, and clocks up his 35th Giro victory
• Mario Cipollini (Acqua e Sapone) celebrates with champagne
• Mario Cipollini (Acqua e Sapone) raises his arms on the podium in the pink jersey
• Mario Cipollini lets fly with the champagne again
• Mario Cipollini on the podium with the girls and his pink jersey

Prologue - May 11: Groningen ITT, 6.5 km

Photos by Miwako Sasaki

• Graeme Brown (Ceramiche Panaria-Fiordo) - psyches himself up seconds before take-off
• Cadel Evans (Mapei-Quick Step) - catches up on some sleep
• Cadel Evans (Mapei-Quick Step) - seconds after blast off. Evans had a solid ride, eventually finishing in 16th place

Photos by Fotoreporter Sirotti

• Giro director Carmine Castellano - with UCI president Hein Verbruggen (R) under the Martinitoren in Groningen
• Mario Cipollini (Acqua e Sapone) - lines up at the starting gate looking very striped.
• Juan Carlos Dominguez (Phonak) - checks to see if everything's there before he starts
• Dario Frigo (Tacconi) - contemplates the start
• Stefano Garzelli (Mapei) - listens to the countdown
• Marco Pantani (Mercatone Uno) - concentrates at the start
• Pavel Tonkov (Lampre) - gets ready to roll
• Gilberto Simoni (Saeco) - the last rider off
• A Rabobank rider - starts to the appreciation of the crowd
• Prologue winner - Juan Carlos Dominguez (Phonak) flies round a corner
• Rik Verbrugghe (Lotto) - was fast, but not fast enough in the prologue
• Defending champion Gilberto Simoni (Saeco-Longoni Sport) - was happy with his prologue
• Local hope Michael Boogerd (Rabobank) - rode well to finish in eighth place.
• Francesco Casagrande (Fassa bortolo) - did not lose too much time
• Mario Cipollini (Acqua e Sapone) - in his tiger skin tights and matching bike
• Pavel Tonkov (Lampre) - did not have a great ride, and finished 141st
• Stefano Garzelli (Mapei) - had a respectable ride today
• Ivan Gotti (Alessio) - rides during the prologue
• Marco Pantani (Mercatone Uno) - focuses during the prologue in Groningen
• Julio Perez Cuapio (Panaria) - did not lose too much time today.
• Fernando Escartin (Team Coast) - concentrates on getting around a corner
• Juan Carlos Dominguez - smiles as the first pink jersey wearer.
• A happy Juan Carlos Dominguez - with his team manager Urs Freuler after the presentation (they found a Phonak sticker at last)

Photos by Bert Geerts

• Representatives for the three Grand Tours face the press in a special Q&A forum.
• Giro speaker Carmine Castellano fields questions from the press.
• Daniel Baal talks to the press as the representative of the Tour de France.
• Michele Bartoli (Fassa Bortolo) at the start.
• Rabobank's Michael Boogerd and Jan Boven lead out the peloton.
• "Grunninger" Jan Boven (Rabobank) readies himself for a home race.
• Gabriele Colombo (Aqcqua & Sapone) warms his legs before the prologue.
• Carlos Dominguez (Phonak) pulls off the difficult task of looking butch in pink.
• Fernando Escartin (Team Coast) talks to reporters before the prologue.
• New Mapei man Cadel Evans prepares for the start.
• Dario Frigo (Tacconi Sport) rides amongst the journos before the start.
• Stefano Garzelli (Mapei) looking for a repeat of the 2000 Giro.
• Sergei Gontsjar (Fasso Bortolo) does a few laps in front of fans.
• Ivan Gotti (Alessio) relaxes by the team camp.
• Bo Hamburger (Index-Alexia) puts on his competition face before the start.
• Tyler Hamilton (CSC-Tiscali) gets ready to lead his first GT team.
• No smiles from Mathew Hayman (Rabobank) as he checks in for the start.
• Dimitri Konisjev (Fassa Bortolo) kits up at the Fassa camp.
• Team cars outside the Korenbeurs building.
• Marco Pantani (Mercato Uno) meets fans.
• Ivan Quaranta (Index-Alexia) looking fashionably unkempt at the start.
• Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner) protects the team bikes at the team camp.
• Giuseppe Saronni manager Lampre-Daikin spys on some other teams before the start.
• Maximilian Sciandri (Lampre-Daikin) wonders around the start area.

Team Presentation - May 10: Groningen

Photos by Steven de Goede

• Fabrizio Guidi (Coast) - looking every bit the happy camper
• Mario Cipollini - "I can't decide whether to wear my Armani or my race clothing."
• Mario Cipollini - "Hey you, come back here! - I haven't finished with the hairspray yet."

Photos by Fotoreporter Sirotti

• Francesco Casagrande (Fassa Bortolo) and Stefano Garzelli (Mapei-Quick Step) - looking relaxed
• Super Mario - has to think hard about this question
• The conservative and the not so conservative - Francesco Casagrande and Mario Cipollini
• Mario Cipollini places his bets - for the Giro on Gilberto Simoni
• Pavel Tonkov - winner of the Giro d'Italia in 1996 is Lampre-Daikin's man for the overall
• Gilberto Simoni - sideburns and a goat-tee are all the rage in Italy
• Last year's winner Gilberto Simoni - appreciates the response from his tifosi, while Team Manager Claudio Corti looks on ever so seriously
• Actors mimic the battle - that is about to ensue
• The paparazzi are out in force - for a race of this magnitude
• Marco Pantani (Mercatone Uno) - in deep thought
• The Giro's furry mascot - the question then becomes "what animal is it exactly?"
• The stage is set for a great race
• Someone's not wearing their team clothing
• Thumbs up - Garzelli, Casagrande, Cipollini and Simoni give their best impersonation of "The Fonz"
• Stefano Garzelli - listens attentively
• Dario Frigo - gives an ice-cold stare, as his surname suggests
• The boys from Fassa Bortolo - looking lean and mean
• "I've got nice pearly whites too!" - Mario Cipollini and Gilberto Simoni have a laugh together

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