2nd Giro della Provincia di Lucca - 2.3

Italy, October 3-6, 2000

Stage 1 - October 3: Massarosa-Viareggio, 156 km

Guesdon gains

Frederic Guesdon (Francaise des Jeux) won stage one of the Giro della Provincia di Lucca, 156 km from Massarosa to Viareggio, beating Sergio Barbero (Lampre) and Christian Gasperoni (Cantina Tollo) in a sprint after an 18 rider break made it to the finish. Guesdon, the 1997 Paris-Roubaix winner, launched an attack with 600 metres to go, and the others could not follow.

The decisive break occured with 60 kilometres covered, before the climb of Monte Pitoro, and several fancied riders made the cut: Oscar Freire (Mapei), Erik Zabel (Telekom), Christophe Mengin (FdJ), Marco Serpellini (Lampre), Marco Magnani, Alessandro Bertolini (Alessio), Chris Peers (Cofidis), Alessandro Petacchi (Fassa Bortolo), Gorazd Stangelj (Liquigas) and Igor Pugaci (Saeco), Denis Lunghi (Colpack) as well as Guesdon, Barbero and Gasperoni.

The weight of numbers gave the teams with more than one rider and advantage, and in the end it was Guesdon who pipped Barbero who had also tried a late attack. However, the good news for Barbero was that he will likely be selected for the World's team as he has been riding well of late.

Results

1. Frédéric Guesdon (Fra) La Française des Jeux       3.43.38 (41.85 km/h)
2. Sergio Barbero (Ita) Lampre-Daikin		 	 0.02
3. Cristian Gasperoni (Ita) Cantina Tollo-Regain 	 0.04
4. Christophe Mengin (Fra) La Française des Jeux
5. Chris Peers (Bel) Cofidis
6. Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Fassa Bortolo
7. Gorazd Stangelj (Slo) Liquigas-Pata
8. Igor Pugaci (Mda) Saeco-Valli&Valli
9. Fortunato Baliani (Ita) Selle Italia 
10. Alessandro Bertolini (Ita) Alessio 
11. Oscar Freire (Spa) Mapei-Quick Step
...
14. Maarten Den Bakker (Ned) Rabobank
33. Michael Boogerd (Ned) Rabobank			 0.48
55. Marc Lotz (Ned) Rabobank				 2.59
56. Matthé Pronk (Ned) Rabobank
74. Miquel Van Kessel (Ned) Farm Frites
78. Steven Kleynen (Bel) Farm Frites
109. Karsten Kroon (Ned) Rabobank			 7.42
124. Steven De Jongh (Ned) Rabobank			12.41
130. Pieter Vries (Ned) Farm Frites
134. Dirk Ronellenfitsch (Ger) Farm Frites
156. Justin Spinelli (USA) Farm Frites
159. Aart Vierhouten (Ned) Rabobank	 		15.38
169. Geert van Bondt (Bel) Farm Frites