Men's Road Championship, 239.2 kms, June 27:
Preview:
The Italian road championships are being held in Arona as part of the GP Nobili
Rubinetterie di Arona. The race begins at 10.30 and is expected to finish around
16.30. The parcours is 18.4 kms and the riders have to do it 13 times for a total
of 239.2 kms. The riders start in Arona, then proceed to Colosso di San Carlo
(after 1 km), Dagnente (km 3.4), Montrigiasco (km 7.8), then Oleggio Castello, and
complete the circuit in Arona.
156 riders entered and the fancied riders are Tafi, Nardello, Caucchioli, Baldato,
Ferrigato, Simoni, Baronti, Colombo, Gasperoni, Sgambelluri, Ballerini, Missaglia,
Piccoli, Serpellini, Mason, Miceli, Garzelli, Podenzana, Barbero, Borgheresi, Velo,
Petacchi, Basso, Commesso, Petito, Celestino, Gotti, Rebellin, Bortolami, Francesco
Casagrande, Guerini, and Lelli.
Report:
24-year old Saeco rider Salvatore Commesso took his first major victory since
turning professional when he won the coveted Italian road championship contested
at Arona (north of Milan) over 239 kms. Virtually unknown, he beat his teammate
Roberto Petito, Alberto Elli and Mirko Celestino in the sprint. The quartet had
attacked towards the end of the race. They quickly built a lead of 21 seconds
and held it to the end despite some hard chasing behind them. Petito launched
the first attack as the finish approached but counter-attacks from Elli and
Celestino came quickly as they each took their chance. Ultimately, it was Commesso
who ruled in the sprint.
Results:
AVS: 39.939 kmn/h
1. Salvatore Commesso (Saeco-Cannondale) 5.59.03
2. Roberto Petito (Saeco-Cannondale)
3. Alberto Elli (Telekom)
4. Mirko Celestino (Team Polti) s.t.
5. Giuseppe Di Grande (Mapei-Quick Step) 0.21
6. Marco Serpellini (Lampre-Daikin) 0.21
7. Amilcare Tronca (Costa Almeria-Amica Chips) 0.21
8. Paolo Valoti (Mobilvetta-Northwave) 0.36
9. Matteo Tosatto (Ballan-Alessio) 0.36
10. Davide Rebellin (Team Polti) 0.36
11. Gianni Faresin (Mapei-Quick Step) 0.36
12. Marco Velo (Mercatone Uno-Bianchi) 0.36
13. Cristian Gasperoni (Cantina Tollo-Alexia) 0.36
14. Massimiliano Mori (Saeco-Cannondale) 0.36
15. Mariano Piccoli (Lampre-Daikin) 0.36
16. Fabio Roscioli (Costa Almeria-Amica Chips) 5.58
17. Massimo Podenzana (Mercatone Uno-Bianchi) 6.04
18. Gilberto Simoni (Ballan-Alessio) 6.04
19. Francesco Casagrande (Vini Caldirola) 6.04
20. Francesco Secchiari (Saeco-Cannondale) 6.04
21. Ellis Rastelli (Liquigas-Pata) 6.04
22. Ivan Basso (Riso Scotti-Vinavil) 6.04
23. Gabriele Missaglia (Lampre-Daikin) 6.04
24. Daniele Nardello (Mapei-Quick Step) 6.04
25. Sergio Barbero (Mercatone Uno-Bianchi) 6.42
26. Alessandro Varocchi (Costa Almeria-Amica Chips) 6.42
27. Roberto Sgambelluri (Cantina Tollo-Alexia) 6.45
28. Marco Della Vedova (Lampre-Daikin) 6.45
29. Marco Antonio Di Renzo (Cantina Tollo-Alexia) 10.49
30. Gianluca Tonetti (Selle Italia) 10.49
32. Marco Gili (Costa Almeria-Amica Chips) 10.49
33. Cristian Auriemma (Navigare-Gaerne) 10.49
34. Flavio Zandarin (Riso Scotti-Vinavil) 10.49
35. Cristiano Frattini (Liquigas-Pata) 10.49
36. Valerio Tebaldi (Mobilvetta-Northwave) 10.49
37. Stefano Cattai (Team Polti) 10.49
38. Eddy Mazzoleni (Saeco-Cannondale) 10.49
40. Mirko Puglioli (Amore e Vita) 10.49
41. Oscar Pozzi (Riso Scotti-Vinavil) 10.49
Started: 154
Finished: 41
Recent winners:
1990 Giorgio Furlan
1991 Gianni Bugno
1992 Marco Giovannetti
1993 Massimo Podenzana
1994 Massimo Podenzana
1995 Gianni Bugno
1996 Mario Cipollini
1997 Gianni Faresin
1998 Andrea Tafi
1999 Salvatore Commesso
Women's Road Championship, 124 kms, June 27:
Unlike other nations, the women's race is held on the same day as the men
and also on a different parcours. Just three days before the Women's Tour
of Italy (June 30-July 11) gets under way, the women line up on a circuit
in Monzambano (Mantova) to contest the Italian championship. Fabiana Luperini
will be the favourite and aiming at her 5th title. The race is on a 15.5 kms
parcours which the riders have to negotiate 8 times for a total of 124 kms.
The junior men ride the same circuit and distance on Sunday morning.
Others to threaten Luperini will be defending champion Lucia Pizzolotto
(Master Automazione-Record Molteni), Sigrid Corneo, Roberta Bonanomi, Alessandra
Cappellotto, Nada Cristofoli and Greta Zocca.
AVS: 40.172 km/h
1. Valeria Cappellotto (Gas Team) 3.05.12
2. Rocca
3. Lucia Pizzolotto
4. Parente
5. Pegoraro
6. Roberta Bonanomi
7. Nada Cristofoli 1.12
8. Greta Zocca
9. Longhin
10. D’Ettorre
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