GP Chiasso, Cat 1.5

Switzerland, March 7, 1998

Preview

The GP Chiasso is a two day race and the first day is over 153 kms starting in the Town of Chiasso. The Italian teams take this race very seriously and all the top riders will be there.

Team Polti (Celestino, Guidi and Guerini), Brescialat-Liquigas (Sgambelluri and Mason), Scrigno-Gaerne (Casagrande), Cantina Tollo-Alexia Alluminio (Gontchar and Valoti), Ros Mary-Amica Chips (Puttini and Bontempi), Mobilvetta-Northwave (De Nobile), Amore e Vita-ForzArcore (Andriotto and Gimondi), Vini Caldirola-Longoni Sport (Apollonio and Zanette), Kross-Selle Italia (Pierobon and Mondini). Also riding will be Gianluca Bortolami, Olympic champion Pascal Richard, Mauro Gianetti, Giovanni Lombardi, and Frattini.

On Sunday, the riders race the Giro del Lago Maggiore.

Brief

Italians dominated the GP Chiasso by taking out 6 of the top 8 places. Gianluca Bortolami, who was second in the Het Volk last weekend in Belgium, outsprinted Mirko Celestino (Team Polti). Bortalami stamped his authority on the race at the 16 kms left to ride mark. He was helped by his team, and in particular Armin Meier.

Chiasso, 153 kms:

 1. Gianluca Bortalami (Ita) Festina-Lotus   3.48.44 (40.134)
 2. Mirko Celestino (Ita) Team Polti		s.t.
 3. Germano Pierdomenico (Ita) Cantina Tollo	0.05
 4. Romans Vainsteins (Lat) Kross 
 5. Armin Meier (Swi) Festina 
 6. Luca Sironi (Ita) Vini Caldirola 
 7. Luca Mazzanti (Ita) Cantina Tollo		0.30
 8. Mauro Radaelli (Ita) Vini Caldirola 
 9. Vladimir Douma (Ukr) Scrigno-Gaerne 	0.31
10. Pascal Richard (Swi) Casino 
..
13. Francesco Secchiari (Ita) Scrigno-Gaerne 
15. Marco Serpellini (Ita) Brescialat-Liquigas