>European National Road Cycling Championships 1997

1997 Detailed Results

More National Championship Reports

Georg Totschnig, from Team Telekom, who retained his title as champion of Austria in the ITT and also won the road title. Totschnig finished with a time of 4 hours and 2 minutes even, the 180km route between Innsbruck and Axams. Harald Morscher (Tel-Mineralwolle) and his teammate Thomas Muehlbacher finished second and third respectively at 56 seconds and 1:03.

On Saturday, Georg Totschnig (Telekom) took the Time Trial Championship for his country, after covering a 50km route around Telfs in a time of 1:04:48. Totschnig rolled at an average speed of 46.39 km/hr and won with an advantage of 1 minute and 9 seconds over Bernhard Gugganig (ARBO Bosch) and a difference of 1:17 over Dietmar Mueller (ARBO Tel Austria), who won the silver and bronze medals respectively.

Belgium

Cyclist Tom Steels, from Italian Team Mapei, is the new Road Race champion of Belgium, when he won alone, the race disputed in Beersel, southwest of Brussels. In this way, twenty five year old Steels, achieved his eight victory of the season after reaching the finish line with an advantage of 1:05 minutes over Ludo Dierckxsens & Kurt van de Wouwer, who were his breakaway companions for many kilometers.

France

Stephane Barthe, from Team Casino, is the new road race champion of France, when he showed his cunning in the final sprint and take the victory from other more experienced riders in sprint finishes. The 240km of the race were covered in 5 hours and 35 minutes, the same time as Damien Nazon, Frank Morelle, Laurent Brochard, Philippe Gaumont & Richard Virenque, who finished in that order behind Barthe.

Italy

Gianni Faresin, from Team Mapei, is the new road champion of Italy, when he won alone in a race disputed at a circuit in Larciano. Faresin covered the 251km in 6:27:38, one minute and four seconds less than Francesco Casagrande & Valetino Fois who came in second and third. The fourth place went to Alberto Elli at 1:36 and the fifth to Angelo Citracca at the same time. Marco Pantani finished tenth at 4:36 minutes and the last Giro winner, Ivan Gotti came in 12th also at 4:36.

More Detailed Placings

 1. Gianni FARESIN (Mapei-GB)   251.4 kms in 6.27.38 (avs 38,910)
 2. Francesco Casagrande (Saeco) 		1.04
 3. Valentino Fois (Mapei-GB)
 4. Elli 					1.36
 5. Citracca
 6. Pellicioli
 7. Secchiari 					3.29
 8. Nardello					3.57
 9. D. Rebellin 				4.36
10. Pantani
11. Lanfranchi
12. Gotti
13. Piepoli 					4.40
14. Patuelli 					5.58
15. Volpi 					6.14
16. Della Santa
17. Garzelli 					8.43
18. Peron 				       10.00
19. Zaina
20. Loda 				       13.00
21. G. Valoti
22. Zen
23. Sgnaolin
24. Tartaggia

Started 181, finished 24. 

Previous winners (Recent): 

90 Furlan
91 Bugno
92 Giovannetti
93 Podenzana
94 Podenzana
95 Bugno
96 Cipollini
97 Faresin

Spain

The Abulense rider from Team Banesto, Jose Maria Jimenez became today in Melilla the new Road National Champion for Spain when he beat in a sprint, Cesar Solaun in a race that was controlled by his team the whole time and where his teammate, Abraham Olano finished fifth. The team directed by Jose Miguel Echavarri maintained control and knew how to play their riders until the end, where strategy and good form by their best riders gave the win to Jimenez and allowed them to place four riders in the top 8. The race was disputed over an urban circuit, where the riders took 14 laps until completing 203km, which wasn.t decided until the last two laps, when Jimenez and Solaun escaped from the peloton and were able to reach the finish alone, with the winner beating the Vizcayan from Team Euskadi on the line. David Etxebarria (ONCE) came in third, by beating a group of nine riders that came in at 35 seconds, taking the bronze medal.

The race began slowly and with discrete control by ONCE & Banesto, until the fifth pass on the climbs of Pinares de Rostrogordo when Iqigo Gonzalez (Euskadi) attacked and stayed away for 5 laps, later joined by Antoni Garcia from Federacion Valenciana. Both riders worked to increase their advantage to one and a half minutes over an ONCE and Banesto controlled peloton, which didn.t allow any more escapes or a further opening of the gap. The Vasque rider held on in front until there were three laps to go, when he was caught by the peloton commanded by Banesto, who soon placed Jose Maria Jimenez and Angel Luis Casero in front, who gained a forty second advantage with 40km to go. From there on ONCE and the other teams started to make movements to neutralize the escapees with two laps to go. But nobody from ONCE was able to get in the final escape, by Jimenez & Solaun, who escaped with two laps to go and reached the finish with a 35 second advantage. Only 28 riders finished out of the 75 that started, which shows how tough the race was, with two climbs with 16% slope, joined by the strong winds.

 1. JOSE MARIA JIMENEZ (Banesto)             5:41:23
 2. CESAR SOLAUN (Euskadi)                
 3. DAVID ETXEBARRIA (ONCE)               	0.35
 4. MARCOS SERRANO (Kelme-Costa Blanca)    
 5. ABRAHAM OLANO (Banesto)             

 6. JOSE LUIS ARRIETA (Banesto)            
 7. ANGEL LUIS CASERO (Banesto)          
 8. OSCAR LOPEZ URIARTE (Euskadi)        
 9. FELIX GARCIA CASAS ((Festina-Lotus) 
10. ROBERTO LAISEKA (Euskadi)            
11. SANTIAGO BLANCO (Banesto)
12. MIKEL ZARRABEITIA (ONCE)         
13. FRANCISCO BENITEZ (Kelme)             
14. ANGEL CASTRESANA (Fed. vasca)         	1:16
15. IGOR FLORES (Euskadi)                 	1:16

British Open Road Race Championship - Brynmawr, Gwent, 140 Miles

 1. Jeremy Hunt (Banesto)                   	     5.25.31
 2. Mark Walsham (Controlware)                        	s.t.
 3. Matt Stephens (North Wirral Velo)               	0.01
 4. Dan Smith (VC Deal)                              	0.03
 5. Brian Smith (Scotland)                    		1.29
 6. Chris Lillywhite (Surrey)                         	s.t.