1997 Results
Past Winners
Brief:It was part of the plan of the Saeco-Cannondale team to win the 12th Trofeo dello Scalatore. In fact, the team won all three of the races and although Michele Laddomada was prominent in all three races, the Saeco pair of Massimo Donati and Leonardo Piepoli were dictators.Things couldn't have turned out better for the Saeco team: 3 races, 3 victories (Donati 2 and Piepoli 1), 2 second places (Piepoli and Donati), a 3rd place (Piepoli), and 1 and 2 on the overall Trofeo Classication (1. Donati, 2. Piepoli). And 120 million lire in prize money. The final race from Verbania to Premeno was marked by a fast tempo for the first 100 kms although the riders had to negotiate a tough climb at Vignone. The average speed was 44.39 km/h. Saeco drove the peloton hard to assert their supremacy. A decisive attack was made which contained Ferrari, Rastelli, Pianegonda, Alexander Pools and Swede Axelsson Swede. They rode hard and dropped Pianegonda, then Axelsson, and built a maximum gap of 2.25. But then the Saeco-Cannondale team with Savoldelli and Frigo to the fore reacted and with less than 20 kms brought the race back together. Going up the final climb (of 9 kms), Julich lost time, and Chiappucci and Rebelling abandoned. Tonkov remained in the race.and to a score of kilometers from the goal (the escape was duration the 106 km) best ones was than new all together. A lot of the riders who had had modest days in the first two races in this series abandoned to rest before the Tour of Veneto and the Trophy Melinda at the weekend before the Vuelta which starts in a week. On the first of the hairpin curves of the climb, Piepoli drove hard and shattered the peloton. By the half-way mark, a group of 4 formed at the front - Piepoli, Donati, Laddomada and Fois. On the last of the hairpin curves, Fois relented and only a trio was left. As they came in sight of the finish, Laddomada attacked. Piepoli lost some 10 metres but Donati was able to respond and win in the last few metres by a narrow margin. Verbania - Premeno, 136 kms:1. Massimo Donari (Ita) Saeco 3.18.24 (41.129) 2. Michele Laddomada (Ita) Scrigno 0.04 3. Leonardo Piepoli (Ita) Saeco 0.08 4. Valentino Fois (Ita) Caldirola 0.21 5. Cristian Gasperoni (Ita) Amore e Vita 1.10 6. Gianluca Valoti (Ita) Polti 1.12 7. Daniel Atienza (Spa) Polti 1.28 8. Aldo Zanetti (Ita) Scrigno 1.29 9. Fabio Malberti (Ita) Asics 1.38 10. Gianni Faresin (Ita) Mapei-Bricobi 1.44 11. Oscar Pozzi (Ita) Asics 1.56 12. Ruggero Borghi (Ita) Vini Caldirola 1.57 13. Filippo Simeoni (Ita) Asics 3.08 14. Rodolfo Ongarato (Ita) Ballan 15. Guido Trombetta (Ita) Mobilvetta-Northwave 3.42 31. Bobby Julich (USA) Cofidis 8.20 Started: 100 Finished: 41 Final Trofeo dello Scalatore Standings1. Massimo Donati (Ita) Saeco 72 points 2. Leonardo Piepoli (Ita) Saeco 67 3. Michele Laddomada (Ita) Scrigno 62 4. Cristian Gasperoni (Ita) Amore e Vita 50 5. Valentino Fois (Ita) Vini Caldirola 42 6. Fabio Malberti (Ita) Asics 32 Final Trofeo dello Scalatore Teams1. Saeco 156 points 2. Amore e Vita 101 3. Scrigno 98 Past Winners1995: 1. Oscar Pellicioli (Ita) Team Polti 68 points 2. Wladimir Belli (Ita) Lampre 55 3. Stefano Colage (Ita) ZG Mobili 53 1996: 1. Marco Fincato (Ita) Roslotto 63 points 2. Gianluca Valoti (Ita) Team Polti 57 3. Massimo Donati (Ita) Saeco 57 1997: 1. Pavel Tonkov (Rus) Mapei 59 points 2. Simone Borgheresi (Ita) Mercatone Uno 50 3. Vladislav Bobrik (Rus) Ros Mary 49Past Winners by Mario Stiehl, Berlin |