69th Giro del Lazio - 1.HC

Italy, September 20, 2003

2002 Results Results Past winners

Bartoli in form for World's

All for Bartoli
Photo: © Sirotti

Michele Bartoli (Fassa Bortolo) has claimed victory in the 69th Giro del Lazio, disputed over 196 kilometres between Rieti and Nettuno. The Italian beat Mirko Celestino (Saeco) and Juan Antonio Flecha (iBanesto) in a three man sprint, although the latter crashed with 200m to go.

149 riders started the race in Rieti shortly after midday. After a fast start, the pace settled down and the average was 38.25 km/h after two hours. Just before the climb of Palestrina, 13 riders attacked and were joined by others to form a group of 24 in front: Kashechkin, Passuello, Marzoli, Scirea, Valoti, Bartoli, Basso, Larsson, Petito, Mori, Faresin, Strauss, Flecha, Barbero, Missaglia, Borghi, Solari, Gil Perez, Elmiger, Fertonani, Bertagnolli, Celestino, Sacchi and Bossoni.

This turned out to be the crucial break, and with 75 km to go they held a 1'50 advantage over the peloton. On the Rocca Priora and Campi di Annibale climbs, the selection in front was made. Bartoli, Celestino and Flecha opened up a 25" advantage over the rest of the breakaways, while the peloton followed at 2'00.

Ooops...
Photo: © Sirotti

With 30 km to go, the three leaders increased their gap to 30" over their 20 erstwhile companions, while Bettini, Di Luca and Casagrande led another group of 20 at 1'36. The strength of the three leaders proved to be enough to hold off the rest, and they continued to build their lead on the approach to Nettuno.

Afterwards, Bettini said, “I’m happy with how I rode today. I’m in good shape and I felt pretty well during the race. Thankfully my legs are strong and in great condition; I’ve just got to complete my preparation with specific training that I’ll be doing during the week. The races that lead up to the World Championships will be useful for me at the appropriate moment”. His team-mate Luca Paolini had a negative race. "I was fine during the last few races that I’ve taken part in in Belgium. Over the next few days I’ll be training with Bettini and on Thursday, I’ll be taking part in the Coppa Sabatini”.

In the sprint, Flecha led out but with 300m to go, Bartoli came round him with Celestino on his wheel to take the victory. Flecha crashed with 200m to go, but without serious consequences.

Photography

Images by Fotoreporter Sirotti

Michele Bartoli (Fassa Bortolo) leads Mirko Celestino and Juan Antonio Flecha in the closing laps
Michele Bartoli (Fassa Bortolo) was strong all day
Bartoli heads for the line as Flecha crashes
Michele Bartoli (Fassa Bortolo) just beats Mirko Celestino (R) to win the Giro del Lazio
Michele Bartoli (Fassa Bortolo) enjoys this part
A happy Michele Bartoli on the podium
Michele Bartoli (Fassa Bortolo) lifts his trophy
The podium (L to R): Mirko Celestino (2nd), Michele Bartoli (1st) and Juan Antonio Flecha (3rd)

Results - 196 km

1 Michele Bartoli (Ita) Fassa Bortolo               4.41.47 (41.73 km/h)
2 Mirko Celestino (Ita) Team Saeco                         
3 Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) iBanesto.com      0.25
4 Sergio Barbero (Ita) Lampre                          0.39
5 Andrey Kashechkin (Kaz) Quick.Step-Davitamon             
6 Gianni Faresin (Ita) Gerolsteiner                    0.40
7 Ruggero Borghi (Ita) Mercatone Uno - Scanavino           
8 Martin Elmiger (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems          0.50
9 Leonardo Bertagnolli (Ita) Team Saeco                    
10 Paolo Valoti (Ita) Domina Vacanze-Elitron               
11 Paolo Bossoni (Ita) Vini Caldirola-SO.DI            0.53
12 Roberto Petito (Ita) Fassa Bortolo                      
13 Fabio Sacchi (Ita) Team Saeco                           
14 Luca Solari (Ita) Mercatone Uno - Scanavino             
15 Domenico Passuello (Ita) Quick.Step-Davitamon           
16 Marcel Strauss (Swi) Gerolsteiner                       
17 Gabriele Missaglia (Ita) Lampre                         
18 Massimiliano Mori (Ita) Formaggi Pinzolo Fiave          
19 Ruggero Marzoli (Ita) Alessio                           
20 Mario Scirea (Ita) Domina Vacanze-Elitron           0.54
21 Marco Fertonani (Ita) Phonak Hearing Systems            
22 Ivan Basso (Ita) Fassa Bortolo                      0.57
23 Koldo Gil Perez (Spa) O.N.C.E.-Eroski               0.59
24 Stefano Zanini (Ita) Team Saeco                     4.49
25 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick.Step-Davitamon                
26 Alexandre Moos (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems             
27 José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Spa) iBanesto.com         
28 Alexandr Kolobnev (Rus) Domina Vacanze-Elitron          
29 Graziano Gasparre (Ita) De Nardi-Colpack                
30 Paolo Lanfranchi (Ita) Ceramiche Panaria-Fiordo         
31 Oskar Camenzind (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems            
32 Marcus Zberg (Swi) Gerolsteiner                         
33 Andrea Tonti (Ita) Team Saeco                           
34 Leonardo Giordani (Ita) De Nardi-Colpack                
35 Ruslan Gryschenko (Ukr) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago         
36 Andrea Noe' (Ita) Alessio                               
37 Massimo Giunti (Ita) Domina Vacanze-Elitron             
38 Javier Pascual (Spa) iBanesto.com                       
39 Luca Mazzanti (Ita) Ceramiche Panaria-Fiordo            
40 Claudio Astolfi (Ita) Domina Vacanze-Elitron            
41 Francesco Casagrande (Ita) Lampre                       
42 Alessio Galletti (Ita) Team Saeco                       
43 Benoit Salmon (Fra) Phonak Hearing Systems              
44 Thomas Brozyna (Pol) CCC-Polsat                         
45 Massimo Codol (Ita) Mercatone Uno - Scanavino           
46 Joseba Albizu Lizaso (Spa) Mercatone Uno - Scanavino    
47 Andrea Masciarelli (Ita) Vini Caldirola-SO.DI           
48 Davide Rebellin (Ita) Gerolsteiner                      
49 Giuliano Figueras (Ita) Ceramiche Panaria-Fiordo        
50 Kim Kirchen (Lux) Fassa Bortolo                         
51 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Team Saeco                         
52 Tadej Valjavec (Slo) Fassa Bortolo                      

Starters: 149
Classified: 52

Past winners

2002 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step
2001 Massimo Donati (Ita) Tacconi Sport - Vini Caldirola
2000 Max Sciandri (Gbr)
1999 Sergio Barbero (Ita)
1998 Andrea Tafi (Ita)
1997 Alessandro Baronti (Ita)
1996 Andrea Tafi (Ita)
1995 Pascal Richard (Swi)
1994 Maurizio Fondriest (Ita)
1993 Pascal Richard (Swi)
1992 Gianni Bugno (Ita)
1991 Andrea Tafi (Ita)
1990 Maurizio Fondriest (Ita)
1989 Charly Mottet (Fra)
1988 Charly Mottet (Fra)
1987 Roberto Pagnin (Ita)
1986 Urs Zimmermann (Swi)
1985 Bruno Leali (Ita)
1984 Francesco Moser (Ita)
1983 Silvano Contini (Ita)
1982 Dag-Erik Pedersen (Ned)
1981 Gianbattista Baronchelli (Ita)
1980 Bernt Johansson (Swe)
1979 Silvano Contini (Ita)
1978 Francesco Moser (Ita)
1977 Francesco Moser (Ita)
1976 Roger De Vlaeminck (Bel)
1975 Roger De Vlaeminck (Bel)
1974 Roberto Poggiali (Ita)
1973 Giovanni Battaglin (Ita)
1972 Martin Van den Bossche (Bel)
1971 Franco Mori (Ita)
1970 Michele Dancelli (Ita)
1969 Falviano Vicentini (Ita)
1968 Giancarlo Polidori (Ita)
1967 Felice Gimondi (Ita)
1966 Michele Dancelli (Ita)
1965 Franco Bitossi (Ita)
1964 Bruno Mealli (Ita)
1963 Adriano Durante (Ita)
1962 Nino Defilippis (Ita)
1961 Bruno Mealli (Ita)
1960 Giuseppe Fallarini (Ita)
1959 Diego Ronchini (Ita)
1958 Nino Defilippis (Ita)
1957 Ercole Baldini (Ita)
1956 Fiorenzo Magni (Ita)
1955 Loretto Petrucci (Ita)
1954 Angelo Conterno (Ita)
1953 Giorgio Albani (Ita)
1952 Dante Rivola (Ita)
1951 Fiorenzo Magni (Ita)
1950 Annibal Brasola (Ita)
1949 Virgilio Salimbeni (Ita)
1948 Pitro Giudici (Ita) and Ugo Tognarelli (Ita)
1947 Michele Motta (Ita)
1946 Zoarino Guidi (Ita)
1945 Gino Bartali (Ita)
1943 Quirino Tocaccelli (Ita)
1942 Osvaldo Bailo (Ita)
1941 Adolfo Leoni (Ita)
1940 Gino Bartali (Ita)
1939 Mario Vicini (Ita)
1938 Cesare Del Cancia (Ita)
1937 Gino Bartali (Ita)
1936 Rinaldi Gerini (Ita)
1935 Giuseppe Martano (Ita)
1934 Renato Scorticati (Ita)
1933 Giovanni Valetti (Ita)


Past winners by Mario Stiehl, www.world-of-cycling.com