90th Milan - San Remo, World Cup Round 1

Main Page Live Coverage Pre Race news - At 4.30 am Telekom, Lotto-Mobistar, Festina and ONCE-Deutsche Bank were awoken by the UCI for blood test. The weather is sunny and the wind is favourable. Along the coastal roads the speed will be very high. 9.40 - The race has begun and 198 riders have started with two riders on the list Leonardo Piepoli (Banesto) and Frenchman Fabrice Gougot (Casino) absent. Mario Cipollini was in the peloton at the start. 9.50 - Vladislav Bobrik (Riso Scotti-Vinavil) and Spaniard Angel Luis Casero (Vitalicio Seguros Generali) make the first tentative attack for the day and take a few seconds. 10.15 - The speed of the peloton is very high and the move by Bobrik and Casero is now over. The speed for the first half hour was 45 km/h average. 10.40 - After the first hour the average speeed was 49 km/h. At the 44 kms mark Marco Antonio Di Renzo (Cantina Tollo-Alexia Alluminio), South African Robert Hunter (Lampre-Daikin) and Spaniard Francisco Cerezo Perales (Vitalicio Seguros-Generali) attacked. The peloton didn't react and by km 56, between Casteggio and Voghera, the three have a lead of 3.45. 11.05 - By km 62 Di Renzo, Hunter and Cerezo Perales have a lead of 6.45, by kmn 68 it is 8.48 and by km 74 near to Torona the gap has blown out to 9.10. There is still a long way to go though. There was a fall in the peloton around Voghera involving the Dutch rider Leon Van Bon (Rabobank) and Roberto Petito (Saeco-Cannondale) with the Italian being forced to retire. 11.27 - The three breakaways were riding well together - Marco Antonio Di Renzo, Robert Hunter, and Francisco Cerezo Perales and had reached km 90, near to Pozzolo Formigaro. At the 78 kms mark, they had a gap of 10.05. The average speed for the second hour was 45.5 km/h. 11.53 - The margin was stabilised at 10.00 as the three breakaways rode through Capriata d'Orba (km 110). 12.11 - The gap was now at 10.25 at the 101 kms mark. 12.40 - Di Renzo, Hunter and Cerezo Perales had now been away for 50 kms and by the 113 kms mark their lead was a substantial 12.20. There was still no movement in the peloton. A long way to go still. 12.59 - As in the 1998 edition, Marco Antonio Di Renzo was the first through the intermediate sprint at Ovada (km 119), followed by Hunter and Cerezo Perales. The peloton has started to react and was being guided by the ONCE team. At Gnocchetto (k 123) the lead was 10.05 and by Campo Ligue (km 135) it was down to 8.24. The average speed for the 3rd hour was 44.500 km/h. 13.20 - As they come to the Passo del Turchino the gap is down to 6.34. Francisco Cerezo Pascual is having troubles and just before Voltri he is 48 seconds behind the two leaders. They are 5.40 in front. By Arenzano, Cerezo regains contact with Renzo and Hunter and the gap remains at 5.40. 13.47 - At Varazze (km 175) the breakaway trip comprised of Marco Antonio Di Renzo (Cantina Tollo-Alexia), South African Robert Hunter (Lampre-Daikin) and Spaniard Francisco Cerezo Perales (Vitalicio Seguros) were 4.30 in front and have been away for 130 kms. The average speed after 4 hours was 43.1 km/h. 14.11 - Di Renzo, Hunter and Cerezo had a lead of 4.20 through Vado Ligure, Saeco-Cannondale have reported that their rider Roberto Petito has been taken to hospital as a result of the early fall he was involved in. His fingers were caught in the spokes. 14.40 - Di Renzo (Cantina Tollo-Alexia), Hunter (Lampre-Daikin) and Cerezo Perales (Vitalicio Seguros) have passed through Finale Ligure (km 208) and maintain a lead of 4.15. Di Renzo is driving this race in the same way he did last year. Then he led with Garcia for 232 kms but could not sustain the advantage. 14.56 - Di Renzo, Hunter and Cerezo Perales have now passed Alassio (km 235) and have a lead of 2.25 over to riders who are now counterattacking from the peloton - Daniele Contrini (Liquigas-Pata) and Graziano Recinella (Mobilvetta-Northwave). The peloton is at 3.30 and Andrea Tafi has punctured. 15.00 - 58 kms to go, and the three leaders have 2.15 on 2 riders who have broken away from the peloton and the peloton is at 3.30. They are 3 kms from the Capo Mele (km 242). They are maintaining an average speed of 44 km/h. 15.11 - The leaders have now been away for 212 kms. Wilfried Peeters has punctured. It is now only 24 kms to the start of climb of the Cipressa. Contrini and Recinella are at 2.00 and the peloton is closing in at 2.40. Pantani is leading the peloton over the Capo Mele. 51 kms to go. 15.12 - The two riders - Contrini and Recinella has 2.00 on the Capo Cervo. There is a minor crash involving Jose Uria Gonzalez (Kelme-Costa Blanca) and Roberto Sierra (ONCE-Deutsch Bank). 15.13 - Contrini and Recinella are at 2.00 and the peloton are now at 2.12. But very soon after that Contrini and Recinella were caught and the peloton is now looking to catch the leaders before the Cipressa. 15.18 - Cantina Tollo is working on the front of the peloton to get Gabriele Colombo into contention. He is a past winner of this race. The peloton is now only 1.15 behind. 15.20 - The peloton is now at 40 seconds. 15.21 - 42 kms to the finish and the peloton are at 20 seconds. They are approaching the Capo Berta, the third last of the hills. As they started the climb of the Capo Berta, the flight is over. The race is now back together. The three leaders gave each other a handshake as they were caught. At that moment, Guido Trenti attacks. 15.28 - Guido Trenti has 6 seconds lead on Oscar Pozzi who also attacked from the front of the peloton. Soon after the race is back together again. Paolo Bettini brings Michele Bartoli to the front of the peloton. He is getting ready for the moves on the Cipressa. 15.30 - the peloton arrives at Imperia (260.6 kms gone) and 33.4 kms to go. The Mapei-Quick Step team has been prominent since the Capo Berta. 15.32 - the peloton is together and Tafi and Museeeuw are on the front and driving it. Bartoli is getting a dream ride. All the top riders are now on the front of the peloton. Zabel, Musueew, Bartoli, Camenzind, Rebellin, Tafi, Tchmil, and Boogerd. Team Polti, Mapei-Quickstep and TVM-Farm Frites are on the front. 15.38 - 22 kms to go as they start the climb of the Cipressa. The peloton is complete and the attacks are about to come. The Rabobank team are now on the front and controlling the race. Belgian Franck Vandenbroucke is now at the front. They are moving up the 6 kms climb of the Cipressa. 15.43 - Maarten Den Bakker is driving the peloton over the Cipressa. They are half way up the climb and the peloton is together. And as things were going smoothly, Marco Pantani has attacked. Strongly. Already a gap has opened. He has 100 metres on the peloton. 15.45 - Pantani is ahead but Michele Bartoli is coming fast! Vandenbroucke, Boogerd and Spruch follow. The commentators are saying that Pantani and Bartoli share no friendships. 15.46 - Pantani is still leading with Bartoli and now Alexandre Gontchenkov (Ballan-Alessio) chasing. The peloton is split badly and only chasing fragments remain. The closest are at 20 seconds to Bartoli. 15.48 - Pantani is still leading with Bartoli and Gontchenkov at 7 seconds. Then comes Leon Van Bon with Max Sciandri. Pantani is over the top and now he is descending. Around 20 kms to go. The riders have 10 kms of flat road before they hit the Poggio. Pantani has probably gone too early. 15.53 - Pantani is first down to the flat with Paolo Savoldelli at 7 seconds. The new leading group on the flat is Pantani, Van Bon, Savoldelli, Bartoli, Gonchevkov, and Bettini. There is no cooperation at all within the group. Pantani and Bartoli are especially not friends. 15.53 - 13 kms to go as they ride through Arma di Taggia. Marco Pantani leads with Bartoli, Garzelli, Gontchenkov, Savoldelli, Bettini, Spruch, Van Bon and Aerts. They have 14 seconds on the first peloton and 50 on the second. 15.59 - Two new riders join the 6 at the front. Zbignew Spruch (Lampre-Daikin) and Mario Aerts (Lotto-Mobistar). They have 18 seconds on the first chasing peloton and 30 seconds on a second peloton. 14.00 - 10 kms to go and only 6 to the climb of the Poggio. The TVM-Farm Frites team is leading the peloton at 15 seconds to the front group. 16.08 - They are on the Poggio now. The peloton is at 5 seconds. Bettini is leading the group up the climb but the peloton is now on the back of the leaders. 16.10 - Paolo Bettini who is there to help Bartoli nearly causes a major fall. The peloton is now bigger than it has ever been at this stage of the race. The Belgian TV commentator is remarking: "Is this the aftermath of all the EPO use - the races are more even now?" 16.12 - Major attack by 1997 winner Gabriele Colombo. Only Ferrigato and Boogerd follow with 7 kms still to go. Gabriele Colombo leads with 6 kms to go. Over the top of the Poggio, Rebellin, Spruch, Sorensen and Ferrigato are at 7 seconds. With 5 kms to go Colombo has 6.5 seconds. 16.14 - 4 kms to go. This is the 13th time Colombo has ridden this race. 16.18 - 2 kms to go for Colombo. He has a 6 second lead on a fast finishing Beat Zberg (Rabobank). However, it is looking like a mass sprint. All the sprinters are lining up. 16.20 - Andre Tchmil attacked a few hundred metres before the finish and he takes the race from Zabel then Spruch. Complete Results