1997 Results
Past Winners
Brief:Andrea Tafi made a decisive move 26 kms from Rome where the race finished. After a photo finish with Mirko Celestino he took his third win in this race since 1991. Only Francesco Moser has won the race 3 times. Tafi said of this achievement: "He was my idol as a child. I have always admired him and this gives me even more satisfaction to equal his record."Mirko Celestino (Polti), who has made it a habit of taking second places in big races, said afterwards that he hoped he would now get into the Italian team for the World Championships - 7 riders will be selected. That is a lot of in form riders who will miss out. Michele Bartoli, worked early to try his hand along with his team but then eased up so as not to take a risk of doing to much before the World Championships. He said: "I calm." As the race came along the Appian Way, the Mapei riders (Tafi, Ballerini, Nardello, and Zanini) were indecisive. There was a small group of 18 riders including Bartoli. They rode for a km in complete anarchy. Out of this disorder, Tafi attacked. He later said he acted with his eyes closed and just went for it 26 kms from the end. Celestino was the only one to close the gap. They used the sweeping curves of the circuit of Caracalla, to maintain their advantage as they entered Rome. Tafi won the sprint narrowly at the Forum, near the Colisseum. The chasers, Marco Fincato, Daniele Nardello and Massimo Donati came in at 7 seconds. Three seconds further back were Sandro Giacomelli, Felice Puttini and Christian Gasperoni. The race was held on a very tough circuit through the old Roman buildings and was animated throughout. Michele Bartoli, who is assured of victory in the World Cup was 20th at 2.51. Rome, 198 kms:1. Andrea Tafi (Ita) Mapei-Bricobi 5.11.48 (38.101) 2. Mirko Celestino (Ita) Polti 3. Marco Fincato (Ita) Mercatone Uno 0.07 4. Daniele Nardello (Ita) Mapei-Bricobi 0.07 5. Massimo Donati (Ita) Saeco 0.07 6. Sandro Giacomelli (Ita) Amore e Vita 0.10 7. Felice Puttini (Swi) Ros Mary 0.10 8. Christian Gasperoni (Ita) Amore e Vita 0.10 9. Stefano Cattai (Ita) Ballan 0.14 10. Filippo Simeoni (Ita) Asics 0.10 11. Alessandro Baronti (Ita) Cantina Tollo 1.13 12. Gianni Faresin (Ita) Mapei-Bricobi 1.13 13. Rodolfo Ongarato (Ita) Ballan 1.45 14. Franco Ballerini (Ita) Mapei-Bricobi 1.45 15. Stefano Zanini (Ita) Mapei-Bricobi 2.40 16. Davide Rebellin (Ita) Polti 2.40 17. Oscar Pellicioli (Ita) Mercatone Uno 2.40 18. Nicklas Axelsson (Swe) Scrigno-Gaerne 2.40 19. Luca Scinto (Ita) Asics 2.51 20. Michele Bartoli (Ita) Asics 2.51 Started: 133 Finished: 53 Abandoned: 80 Past Winners1933 Giovanni Valetti (Ita) 1934 Renato Scorticati (Ita) 1935 Giuseppe Martano (Ita) 1936 Rinaldi Gerini (Ita) 1937 Gino Bartali (Ita) 1938 Cesare Del Cancia (Ita) 1939 Mario Vicini (Ita) 1940 Gino Bartali (Ita) 1941 Adolfo Leoni (Ita) 1942 Osvaldo Bailo (Ita) 1943 Quirino Tocaccelli (Ita) 1945 Gino Bartali (Ita) 1946 Zoarino Guidi (Ita) 1947 Michele Motta (Ita) 1948 Pitro Giudici (Ita) and Ugo Tognarelli (Ita) 1949 Virgilio Salimbeni (Ita) 1950 Annibal Brasola (Ita) 1951 Fiorenzo Magni (Ita) 1952 Dante Rivola (Ita) 1953 Giorgio Albani (Ita) 1954 Angelo Conterno (Ita) 1955 Loretto Petrucci (Ita) 1956 Fiorenzo Magni (Ita) 1957 Ercole Baldini (Ita) 1958 Nino Defilippis (Ita) 1959 Diego Ronchini (Ita) 1960 Giuseppe Fallarini (Ita) 1961 Bruno Mealli (Ita) 1962 Nino Defilippis (Ita) 1963 Adriano Durante (Ita) 1964 Bruno Mealli (Ita) 1965 Franco Bitossi (Ita) 1966 Michele Dancelli (Ita) 1967 Felice Gimondi (Ita) 1968 Giancarlo Polidori (Ita) 1969 Falviano Vicentini (Ita) 1970 Michele Dancelli (Ita) 1971 Franco Mori (Ita) 1972 Martin Van den Bossche (Bel) 1973 Giovanni Battaglin (Ita) 1974 Roberto Poggiali (Ita) 1975 Roger De Vlaeminck (Bel) 1976 Roger De Vlaeminck (Bel) 1977 Francesco Moser (Ita) 1978 Francesco Moser (Ita) 1979 Silvano Contini (Ita) 1980 Bernt Johansson (Swe) 1981 Gianbattista Baronchelli (Ita) 1982 Dag-Erik Pedersen (Ned) 1983 Silvano Contini (Ita) 1984 Francesco Moser (Ita) 1985 Bruno Leali (Ita) 1986 Urs Zimmermann (Swi) 1987 Roberto Pagnin (Ita) 1988 Charly Mottet (Fra) 1989 Charly Mottet (Fra) 1990 Maurizio Fondriest (Ita) 1991 Andrea Tafi (Ita) 1992 Gianni Bugno (Ita) 1993 Pascal Richard (Swi) 1994 Maurizio Fondriest (Ita) 1995 Pascal Richard (Swi) 1996 Andrea Tafi (Ita) 1997 Alessandro Baronti (Ita)Past Winners by Mario Stiehl, Berlin |