The Marion Clignet Diary 2000
Giro d'Italia FemminileItaly, June 25-July 9, 2000 Stage 5 - July 1: Motta di Livenza-Treviso, 109.6 kmThe Giro starts here Today's stage includes 3 GPMs over a 110km course. The GC favorites will most likely strut their stuff today and my guess is that Leontien won't be wearing pink lipstick tomorrow. The first part of the course was 12km downhill and I was already in difficulty. Couldn't breathe and pedal at the same time whcih is really a bummer at the begining of a race. I worked my arse back into the group and chatted with Scrymo (awesome ozie time trialer) a bit ....felt better as we started to climb, new feeling for me, and hung right in there over the first GPM...I was too far back however to tell you who won it. On the descent Ziliute flatted and got a wheel change with a team mate, I waited a bit up the road and she made it back behind the car thus dropping me . No worries I made it back on the ascent of the second climb. On climb three, Parente from the GAS team attacked with an Alfa Lum, Edil Savino, and Urbonite from Acca Due O. They had about 1.15 on our group which was still pretty large. I attempted to slow the pace a bit from the front. An Oliveri rider accelerated at the front, causing me amongst others to suffer misery. No one was around to help so I took her wheel for an unfortunate minute or two before sliiping discretly through the back door. From there Parente soloed over the first GPM with a group of 10 in hot pursuit...sorry I dont have all of the names but I do believe Pucinskaite, Somarriba and Veronese from Alfa Lum were present as well as Bonanomi....from there all I can tell ya is Bonanomi attacked with 6km to go and managed to hold off the charge by 4 seconds. Bubnenkova from Edil Savino was 2nd taking the pink jersey with Sara Felloni from Alfa Lum in third, putting her in second overall. Ziliute and Leontien came in a minute down. As for moi I hammered a good 20 behind a small group of 6 that I just couldnt catch and was finally caught by a group with Pregnolato, Marsal, etc...we came in oh let's say at a respectable time. Cheers! Tomorrow AM road race with another juicy climb and PM is time trial...all flat! Stage 6a - July 2: Formigine-Sasuolo, 72 kmA Witch's Tit! 72km fairly flat with a few rollers to end on a pointy witche's tit! She was mean and pointy...with no nipple. A brave early atack was made by the sole Polish rider (I think)...our tactic was to try something new. At km 40 we all attacked at the same time. The idea was to get a TTT going with our best placed GC rider (Tatiana) on the end and wiplash her off the front on the climb. We strung everyone out pretty well but not enough to really make a difference....so that was that. As we approached the climb-about 2km with switchbacks and all I managed to flat at the base....and then to top off my morning whilst riding back to the group behind the car the driver hit the brakes and thankfully my presently large arse kept me anchored and I managed not to fly over the roof. Made it back to the tail end as the front was taking off so that settled that for me. Bubnenkova on excellent form won keeping herself in pink. Stage 6b - July 2: Montefiorino-Fiorano ITT 24.4 kmDidn't have or take the time to look at the course....a couple of turns, a small rise, and really effin hot out. I warmed up a bit behind the car just to get used to the TT bike and then hopped on the rollers....still not used to these longer TT's like I used to be when I was younger! Off we went and at 4km I saw my minute woman. Flew by her and pushed on hoping to catch the 2 minute person at 10km. Started to feel a little dip in my speed at 12km, got stung by a bee on my thigh at 14km, and psyched myself up somehow to keep my act together. Came in with the fastest time, having asked my driver to keep me posted on Australian Scrymo's time. I managed to squeak by her thus posting the fastest time and then having to wait for Pregnolato, Van Moorsel, etc....as each one came I still had the fastest time and quite honestly after Pucinskaite I thought I was safe BUT! I do know better then not to celebrate early and with my non-form earlier in the Giro I thought it would be impossible to put in a smoking time. I also will admit that technically I could have done better (nearly missed a few turns). So faith would have it that last year's Giro winner Joanne Somaribba from Spain got first, took the jersey, and left me second. Sniff... As for other news Diana Ziliute dropped out before the time trial. Having just returned from a very taxing Hewlett Packard several days before the Giro was no longer an objective and rest was defenitley in need. She has however stayed on to help her team mates in the feed zone, do wash, etc....do you know many world champions who do that? Oh yeah, she also makes great cappucino! After the time trial, having been beat by over a minute and I'd say pretty hammered after her impressive showing the first week, Leontien van Moorsel also went home. Stage 7 - July 3: Cocconato-Casale Monferrato, 103.3 kmElectrocardiogram Today's stage, on paper, resembled and electro cardiogram. However the peaks were sharp....a few climbs resembled Philly's wall...especially the last one which was 1.5km in two parts with 10km to go. Fairly early, there were some attacks with one sticking with about 80km to go. Alfa Lum, Edil Savino, Ukraine, and Gas were represented. I tried to bridge up while they were still close and not succeeding figured they couldnt go too far anyway with Somarriba in the jersey....a good way for our Tatiana to be able to recoup from her time trial yesterday. The foursome took up to three minutes on us and were finally caught with 20km to go. As for moi I will admit that I had good legs today....they managed to carry me right back to the front after getting dropped on two climbs. As we approached the final wall I saw Tatiana was doing just fine on Somarriba's wheel so I took it at my pace...which meant getting distanced a little from the front group. With six to go I was in a gorup of about twenty with the pack about 20 seconds up the road. Our director sportif informed me that the finish was for me - last km were cobbles. Whilst talking the gap got bigger and I figured my group would work to catch on with so little to go... Oh well good news is Urbonaite got second with a flat at 100m to go. Tomorrow will be wickedly painful. A 21 km neutral start, a cat. 1 climb and a cat. 2 finish...dont know if or what you'll hear from me tomorrow! Stage 10 - July 6: Crema-Crema, 102.4 kmLooking at the road book made me think that the first 80km would be fairly easy and from there on major sufferance would set in. My job was to stay near Tatiana and eventually accompany any breaks that could be threatening. The first one went off at km 21. I let Alfa Lum and Savino riders tow me up and from there, a series of attacks went off. We were about ten with two GAS, two Savino, three Fanini,and two Alfa Lum riders. The bunch caught us rapidly and fired off another series of attacks. I covered a few and went to check up on Tatiana, whom I hadnt seen for a while. Meanwhile, she was OK but at the front a group got off with Valeria Cappellotto and Bonanomi of GAS....oops I forgot between those two was a brave attempt by Pregnolato who stayed off for about ten km. I didn't have time to get to the front and off went the group with one Savino, two Alfa Lums, two GAS and a few stragglers. It was a convenient break giving any and all time to recuperate but dangerous because atleast one element could make it to the finish for a stage win. By this point we were entering Verres, where the climb was to start. As we entered the town center there was a bit of a road bump leading me to think the climb was starting....seeing as I've accepted my trackie status I didn't worry about going all out at the front and started to get dropped. I hung on for a bit and then suddenly we passed another sign that read Verres and the road flattened out and began to descend...by this time the cars had passed me and I could see them all just ahead so I caught back on. By the time we passed the 3rd sign reading Verres i knew the climb wasnt far. No news on our escapees up the road but they couldn't be far. We headed into the first switchback and surprise! It wasn't painful...turned over the cranks, passed a load of riders and made it to a respectable group. Well, I say respectable, haven't seen the result sheet yet but it was no where near as hard as yesterday and certainly not as hot. Cappellotto won the stage coming in with Somarriba leaving the others to straggle in one at a time. Good news is tomorrow is flat! Stage 11 - July 7: Cordignano-Cordignano, 95.9 kmOnly three days to go....well two after today. On the menu we have 95km with an all out but busting effort, if you're willing, to the top of Mount Bondone-1672 m. So to make life easy, since I am after all a trackie(!), I decided to work on my spin on the flats. Off I went with about 50km to go accompanied by Bonanomi, Rocca, Fatima, and a Fanini rider. We were caught as we initiated the climb making me happy that I could now stroll in at an easier pace. From what I hear, Polkhanova won in front of Bubnenkova followed by Somarriba. Cappellotto lost a minute so the 2 and 3 places on GC may have changed as well. Tomorrow is a double day - 83km in the AM and a hill climb time trial in the PM. How lovely... Stage 12a & Stage 12b, July 8Trento-Monte Bondone, 83.2 kmAbano Terme-Abano Terme ITT, 12.8 kmToday really sucked. This morning finished in an absolute downpour. Could've taken off with a little less than a km to go but my team mate had good legs and i wanted to lead her out for the sprint. We both were a little nervous about the downpour so that ended that. As for the time trial...4km flat with 2km false flat big ring type followed by an absolute effing wall for 2.6km. At the midway point I had the fastest time and then dropped my chain 3 times causing me to have to climb the hardest part in my 19. Arhhhhhhhh! Could this mean I'll have more motivation for tomorrow...or next week's World Cup? Stage 13 - July 9: Seren del Grappa-Cordignano, 97 kmYeah well it's over and ya know what? I AM RELIEVED!! Last stage was Abano to Abano and while we were here last we made the mistake of not checking out the course. First 70km were flat...and it was hot. Was in a break with 2 GAS riders,a Swiss rider, and an Edil Savino. I figured we were fairly safe with two GAS riders willing to work but you know how it is...got caught after about 20km or so, about 13km before the climb. And yes once again at the foot of the steeper part of it I dropped my chain. Chased like a mad woman (which I was) to get back on and saw Tatiana, my best placed team mate on the side of the road. she too had dropped a chain. meanwhile at the front before a longer switchback type of climb Pia Sundstedt attacked and was followed by Bubnenkova and d'Ettore further off. (d'Ettore is a young Italian rider on the Acca Due O team and an ex-junior world champion). I waited for Tatiana who flew by me with Letizia, also on our team and went to the front and started to pound. Our rider was caught, Pia pressed on with Bubnenkova taking major pulls, and well, we chased like hell. In the first series of switchbacks on the descent there must have been an oil spill cause someone fell at every turn...Tatiana fell first so I waited a bit and then hauled on to chase....to save her 7th place GC and blow any oppurtunity for a stage win. Oh well. Pia had a great ride and won the stage with Bubnenkova in 2nd and another Savino rider winning the field sprint. I rode in with my team mates, went to the camper, sat down and sighed a very big sigh. Now? A quick recovery is in order cause Friday starts the World Cup on the track in Torino...yeah!
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