ReportItalian cyclist Franco Ballerini won his second Paris-Roubaix (1995 his first) by over 4 minutes from his teammates Andrea Tafi and Belgian Wilfried Peeters. The results was carbon copy of Mapei's 1996 performance although this year the actors were different. In 1996 Museeuw, Bortolami and Tafi took the podium and "arranged" the finish to allow Museeuw to win (he may have won anyway!). This year the race was difficult almost from the start, because in addition to the usual battles over the cobbles, bad weather accompanied the riders throughout the day. But the breakaway, which proved finally to be successful came well into the race - at the 186.5 kms mark. 6 riders who were in front group opened a gap of about one minute, with Ekimov, Ballerini and Tafi driving. A little before this break, around km 155, in a pave section through the Arenberg forest there were numerous falls. One of the most affected was Belgian Johan Museeuw, one of the favorites for the win, who had been well placed until then due to the excellent work of his teammates. Museeuw, who was the winner at the Tour of Flanders last weekend, had to be transported to the hospital because of an injury to his knee which was subsenquently diagnosed as a cracked patella.Museeuw's fall and withdrawal led to the Mapeio director changing the team plans. Mapei neutralized every escape attempt and then broke open the race. Things worked to perfection, when at around km 200 a group of 8 ridersformed with Ballerini, Tafi and Peeters, plus Moncassin, Van Bon, Sorensen, Boscardin and Backstedt. Ballerini launched an attack with 50 kms to go and almost without wanting it he found himself a few meters ahead of his breakaway companions, with Tafi and Peeters controlling the breakaway behind him. At the Roubaix velodrome, Ballerini did his thing, while behind, Tafi and Peeters after controlling his escape, subsequently drove away from Moncassin et al and completed the Mapei podium. Paris-Roubaix, 266.5 kms1. Franco Ballerini (Ita) Mapei-Bricobi 6.57.49 (38.27 km/h) 2. Andrea Tafi (Ita) Mapei-Bricobi 4.16 3. Wilfried Peeters (Bel) Mapei-Bricobi 4.19 4. Leon Van Bon (Ned) Rabobank 4.49 5. Frédéric Moncassin (Fra) GAN 4.49 6. Rolf Sorensen (Den) Rabobank 4.50 7. Magnus Backstedt (Swe) GAN 4.52 8. Bart Leysen (Bel) (Bel) Mapei-Bricobi 6.34 9. Gianluca Bortolami (Ita) Festina 6.34 10. Henk Vogels (Aus) GAN 6.34 11. Thierry Gouvenou (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93 6.34 12. Ludo Dierckxsens (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar 6.35 13. Andrei Tchmil (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar 8.34 14. Michael Rich (Ger) Saeco-Cannondale 9.12 15. Christophe Capelle (Fra) Cofidis 9.12 16. Biagio Conte (Ita) Scrigno-Gaerne 9.12 17. Peter Van Petegem (Bel) TVM-Farm Frites 9.12 18. Mario Aerts (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar 9.14 19. Tristan Hoffman (Ned) TVM-Farm Frites 11.00 20. Stuart O'Grady (Aus) GAN 11.00 21. Emmanuel Magnien (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux 11.18 22. Vjatceslav Ekimov (Rus) US Postal 11.18 23. Jan Schaffrath (Ger) Telekom-ADR 11.18 24. Tom Steels (Bel) Mapei-Bricobi 11.19 25. Aart Vierhouten (Ned) Rabobank 13.02 26. Alexei Sivakov (Rus) Big Mat-Auber 93 13.02 27. Hendrik Van Dyck (Bel) TVM-Farm Frites 14.42 28. Bruno Boscardin (Swi) Festina 15.28 29. Lars Michaelsen (Den) TVM-Farm Frites 15.33 30. Martin Hvastija (Slo) Cantina Tollo 15.33 31. Johan Capiot (Bel) TVM-Farm Frites 15.33 32. Anthony Rokia (Fra) Polti 15.33 33. Nicola Loda (Ita) Ballan 15.33 34. Wim Feys (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar 15.33 35. Max Van Heeswijk (Ned) Rabobank 15.38 36. Thierry Marichal (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar 15.38 37. Rolf Aldag (Ger) Telekom-ADR 15.38 38. Ludovic Auger (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93 15.38 39. Servais Knaven (Ned) TVM-Farm Frites 15.38 40. Geert Van Bondt (Bel) TVM-Farm Frites 15.43 41. Marco Serpellini (Ita) Brescialat-Liquigas 15.46 42. Eros Poli (Ita) GAN 17.53 43. Christophe Mengin (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux 17.53 44. Peter Farazijn (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar 19.29 45. Davide Casarotto (Ita) Scrigno-Gaerne 19.29 46. Marc Wauters (Bel) Rabobank 19.29 47. Jann J.Kirsipuu (Est) Casino 19.30 48. Viatcheslav Djavanian (Rus) Big Mat-Auber 93 19.30 49. Dario Pieri (Ita) Scrigno-Gaerne 19.31 Outside the Time Limit (in order)
50. Ruben Galvan Manchon (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca 51. Christophe Agnolutto (Fra) Casino 52. Stefano Zanini (Ita) Mapei-Bricobi 53. Martin Rittsel (Swe) Cantina Tollo 54. Steven De Jongh (Ned) TVM-Farm Frites 55. Franck Morelle (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux 56. Pedro Horrillo Munoz (Spa) Vitalicio Seguros 57. Paolo Fornaciari (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale 58. Rossano Brasi (Ita) Polti 59. Fabio Roscioli (Ita) ASI 60. Guillaume Auger (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93 61. Frankie Andreu (USA) US Postal 62. Jaime Javier Hernandez Bertran (Spa) Festina 63. Laurent Pillon (Fra) Mutuele Seine-et-Marne 64. José Ramon Uriarte Zubero (Spa) Festina 65. Bert Hiemstra (Ned) Rabobank 66. George Hincapie (USA) US Postal Abandoned
Frédéric Guesdon (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux Patrick D'Hont (Bel) La Francaise des Jeux Damien Nazon (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux Jean-Patrick Nazon (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux Franck Perque (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux Johan Museeuw (Bel) Mapei-Bricobi Gianluca Pianegonda (Ita) Mapei-Bricobi Christophe Bassons (Fra) Festina Patrice Halgan (Fra) Festina André Korff (Ger) Festina Marcel Wust (Ger) Festina Erik ZabeL (Ger) Telekom-ADR Dirk BaldingeR (Ger) Telekom-ADR Bert Dietz (Ger) Telekom-ADR Kai Hundertmark (Ger) Telekom-ADR Giovanni Lombardi (Ita) Telekom-ADR Steffen Wesemann (Ger) Telekom-ADR Melchior Mauri Prat (Spa) ONCE David Canada Garcia (Spa) ONCE Rafael Diaz Justo (Spa) ONCE Herminio Diaz Zabala (Spa) ONCE Luis Perez Rodriguez (Spa) ONCE Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) ONCE Jans Koerts (Ned) Rabobank Robbie McEwen (Aus) Rabobank Stéphane BarthE (Fra) Casino Lauri Aus (Est) Casino Jacky Durand (Fra) Casino David Lefevre (Fra) Casino Marc Streel (Bel) Casino Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) Casino Cyril Bos (Fra) GAN Arnaud Pretot (Fra) GAN Eddy Seigneur (Fra) GAN Chris Peers (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar Ludwig Willems (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar Fabrizio Guidi (Ita) Polti Enrico Cassani (Ita) Polti Mirco Crepaldi (Ita) Polti Leonardo Guidi (Ita) Polti Fabio Sacchi (Ita) Polti Cristian Salvato (Ita) Polti Salvatore Commesso (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale Eddy Mazzoleni (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale Massimiliano Mori (Ita) Saeco-Cannondale Pavel Padrnos (Cze) Saeco-Cannondale Jérôme Delbove (Fra) Cofidis Laurent Desbiens (Fra) Cofidis Grzegorz Gwiazdowski (Pol) Cofidis Nicolas Jalabert (Fra) Cofidis Francis Moreau (Fra) Cofidis Samuel Plouhinec (Fra) Cofidis Bruno Thibout (Fra) Cofidis Carlo Marino Bianchi (Ita) Asics Alessio Bongioni (Ita) Asics Federico Colonna (Ita) Asics Diego Ferrari (Ita) Asics Samuele Schiavina (Ita) Asics José Rodriguez Garcia (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca Santos Gonzalez (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca Javier Pascual (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca José Angel Vidal (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca Severo RodrigueZ (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca Fabiano Fontanelli (Ita) Mercatone Uno Marco Artunghi (Ita) Mercatone Uno Sergio Barbero (Ita) Mercatone Uno Stefano Checchin (Ita) Mercatone Uno Davide Dall'Olio (Ita) Mercatone Uno Massimiliano Napoliatano (Ita) Mercatone Uno Marcello Siboni (Ita) Mercatone Uno Mario Traversoni (Ita) Mercatone Uno Marty Jemison (USA) US Postal Juan Llaneras Rosello (Spa) US Postal Sven Teutenberg (Ger) US Postal Christian Vandevelde (USA) US Postal Anton Villatoro (USA) US Postal Angel Luis Casero (Spa) Vitalicio Seguros Elio Aggiano (Ita) Vitalicio Seguros Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Vitalicio Seguros Francisco T. Garcia (Spa) Vitalicio Seguros Prudencio Indurain (Spa) Vitalicio Seguros Ernesto Manchon (Spa) Vitalicio Seguros Massimo Strazzer (Ita) Cantina Tollo Giacomo Battistel (Ita) Cantina Tollo Marco Antonio Di Renzo (Ita) Cantina Tollo Guido Trenti (USA) Cantina Tollo Stefano Cattai (Ita) Ballan Angelo Canzonieri (Ita) Ballan Alberto Ongarato (Ita) Ballan Rodolfo Ongarato (Ita) Ballan Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Ballan Gabriele Balducci (Ita) Scrigno-Gaerne Gerrit Glomser (Aut) Scrigno-Gaerne Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Scrigno-Gaerne Mirko Rossato (Ita) Scrigno-Gaerne Fabio Baldato (Ita) Riso Scotti Andrea Brognara (Ita) Riso Scotti Stefano Casagranda (Ita) Riso Scotti Bruno Cenghialta (Ita) Riso Scotti Christian Charriere (Swi) Riso Scotti Federico De Beni (Ita) Riso Scotti Riccardo Ferrari (Ita) Riso Scotti Michele Rezzani (Ita) Riso Scotti Simone Bertoletti (Ita) Brescialat-Liquigas Claudio Camin (Ita) Brescialat-Liquigas Daniele Contrini (Ita) Brescialat-Liquigas Marco Milesi (Ita) Brescialat-Liquigas Cristian Moreni (Ita) Brescialat-Liquigas Ellis Rastel-AdrlI (Ita) Brescialat-Liquigas Stéphane Berges (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93 Carlos Dacruz (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93 Laurent Genty (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93 Jérôme Bernard (Fra) Mutuele Seine-et-Marne Stéphane Cueff (Fra) Mutuele Seine-et-Marne Frédéric Gabriel (Fra) Mutuele Seine-et-Marne Claude Lamour (Fra) Mutuele Seine-et-Marne Steve Rover (Can) Mutuele Seine-et-Marne Early World Cup Update1. Franco Ballerini (Ita) Mapei-Bricobi 124 2. Stefano Zanini (Ita) Mapei-Bricobi 110 3. Emmanuel Magnien (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux 110 4. Johan Museeuw (Bel) Mapei-Bricobi 100 5. Erik Zabel (Ger) Telekom 100 |
