Italian National Championships - CN

Italy, June 20-25, 2000

Day 6 - June 25: Professional Men road race, 255 km

Bartoli's back in style

Michele Bartoli continued his return to the top today, winning the Italian road championships in Trieste. The Mapei rider was too good for the rest of the field on the wearing circuit, winning by 32 seconds over Lampre's Gilberto Simoni, with Daniele Nardello taking third.

Only 25 of 172 riders finished the professionals' race, which at 228 kilometres was one of the longest of the European Championships. To begin with it was 247 kilometres, but bad weather forced the organisers to cut the distance. With Italy holding the number one position in the rankings, it is arguably also the hardest to win, therefore marked a great comeback by Bartoli.

The victory evolved out of some solid team riding by Mapei, who protected Bartoli with their domestiques Andrea Tafi and Luca Scinto with Paolo Bettini lending a hand. A six rider top group formed in the closing laps, containing two Mapei riders (Bartoli and Nerdello), two Lampres (Simoni and Serpellini), one Fassa Bortolo (Belli) and one Liquigas (Contrini). With four kilometres to go, Bartoli launched an impressive attack on a rise, and none could follow. Simoni tried valiantly, and managed to win the group sprint from Nardello but the day belonged to Bartoli.

The 30 year old described himself as "very lucky" after winning the tricolore jersey. "I have come out of a black period that I want to leave behind once and for all. It is not as prestigious a victory as Liege-Bastogne-Liege (1997 and 1998), or the Fleche Wallone (1999), but it has great significance for more. I've come back to my former level, as the result of a lot of hard work," he said.

Results

1. Michele Bartoli (Mapei-Quick Step)	  	     5.59.17 (38.076 km/h)
2. Gilberto Simoni (Lampre-Daikin)           		0.32
3. Daniele Nardello (Mapei-Quick Step)
4. Waldimir Belli (Fassa Bortolo)
5. Daniele Contrini (Liquigas-Pata)			0.56
6. Marco Serpellini (Lampre-Daikin)
7. Paolo Bettini (Mapei-Quick Step)			4.28
8. Davide Rebellin (Liquigas-Pata)
9. Guido Trentin (Vini Caldirola-Sidermec)
10. Filippo Simeoni (Amica Chips-Tacconi Sport)		5.06
11. Cristian Gasperoni (Cantina Tollo-Regain)		8.38
12. Giovanni Lombardi (Deutsche Telekom-ARD)		8.46
13. Stefano Zanini (Mapei-Quick Step)
14. Salvatore Commesso (Saeco-Valli & Valli)
15. Alain Turicchia (Amica Chips-Tacconi Sport)
16. Ellis Rastelli (Liquigas-Pata)
17. Marco Fincato (Fassa Bortolo)
18. Stefano Cattai (Liquigas-Pata)
19. Alessandro Petacchi (Fassa Bortolo)
20. Eddy Mazzoleni (Polti)
21. Diego Ferrari (Amica Chips-Tacconi Sport)		15.42
22. Giacomo Battistel (Alexia Alluminio)
23. Marco Gili (Amica Chips-Tacconi Sport)		15.47
24. Massimiliano Mori (Saeco-Valli & Valli)		15.49
25. Gianluca Tonetti (Aguardiente Nectar-Selle Italia)	15.54

Starters: 172
Finishers: 25