7th Giro del Trentino Alto Adige - 2.9.1

Italy, May 19-21, 2000

Stage 2 - May 20: San Michele - Castello di Fiemme, 89.7 km

GAS Team and Tour favourite Sunstedt take command

GAS Sport team members Fabiana Luperini (Ita) and Pia Sunstedt (Fin) rewarded some fine work from their team mates with a 1-2 finish in today's mountainous stage. However, Pia Sunstedt took the overall lead on a countback on points for stage finishes, remaining on equal time with Luperini.

The Gas team shut down all the early escapes, and then proceeded to set tempo early on the climbs for their noted climbers Luperini and Sunstedt to take control towards the top of the 35 km of climbing during mid-stage. On the first climb (Passo S. Lugano - 16 km @ 5.5 %), about 40 riders were left in front, however none tried to attack. The GPM was won by Sundstedt, who also won the next two.

On the second last climb (Pramadiccio, 1495 m high), Luperini and Sundstedt gained 20 metres, but were chased by Lecortois and Veronesi. The four riders had 13 seconds on Polkahova, Stiajkina and Brandli, with Ziliute, Somarriba, Boubnenkova and the British MTB'er Caroline Alexander another 30 seconds back. On the descent the 11 formed one bunch and reached the last 3 kilometres, where the road went up the hill of Castello di Fiemme.

Swiss Nicole Brandli tried to ride for the victory but GAS's Luperini and Sundstedt were there. The couple arrived together at the finish with Sundstedt who didn't sprint for the stage and Luperini took her second win for this year. Behind them arrived Lecortois (15"), Boubnenkova (20") and the other climbers.

It was a good race for Australia's Tracey Gaudry who was 13th at 2'09" as well as Kym Shirley (26th at 2'19"). In the first forty riders, Sara Carrigan came in 34th at 6'11".

Tomorrow is the last stage, a 3.4 kilometre ITT with the time deciding who will be the 2000 winner of Giro del Trentino-Alto Adige.

Results

1 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Gas Team Sport              2.40.02 (33.630 km/h)
2 Pia Sundstedt (Fin) Gas Sport Team
3 Fany Lecourtois (Fra) Alfa Lum R.S.M.			0.15
4 Svetlana Boubnenkova (Rus) Edilsavino			0.20
5 Joane Somarriba Arrola (Esp) Alfa Lum R.S.M.   	0.25
6 Daniela Veronesi (Smr) Alfa Lum R.S.M.  
7 Diana Ziliute (Ltu) Acca Due O-Lorena Camicie
8 Valentina Polkhanova (Rus) Edilsavino
9 Tatiana Stiajkina (Ukr) Acca Due O-Lorena Camicie	0.56
10 Nicole Brandli (Swi) Red Bull
11 Caroline Alexander (GBr) Great Britain		1.04
...
13 Tracey Gaudry (Aus) A.I.S. Australia/Timex 		2.09
26 Kym Shirley (Aus) A.I.S. Australia			2.19
34 Sara Carrigan (Aus) A.I.S. Australia 		6.11

General classification after stage 2:

1 Pia Sundstedt (Fin) Gas Sport Team		     5.00.09
2 Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Gas Team Sport
3 Fany Lecourtois (Fra) Alfa Lum R.S.M.			0.15
4 Svetlana Boubnenkova (Rus) Edilsavino			0.20
5 Diana Ziliute (Ltu) Acca Due O-Lorena Camicie		0.23
6 Daniela Veronesi (Smr) Alfa Lum R.S.M.		0.25
7 Joane Somarriba Arrola (Esp) Alfa Lum R.S.M. 
8 Valentina Polkhanova (Rus) Edilsavino
9 Tatiana Stiajkina (Ukr) Acca Due O-Lorena Camicie	0.56
10 Nicole Brandli (Swi) Red Bull


Results and report courtesy of Alessandro Gretter/James Victor